Oral Answers to Questions
Kate Osamor Excerpts(3 weeks, 4 days ago)
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Mr Lammy
I say to the right hon. Gentleman that this Government have not made an ideological decision to cut aid, and he knows that. There are other Governments around the world making ideological decisions to cut aid. This Government did not make the decision that the last Government made to switch off aid overnight. We are ensuring that there are no cliff edges. He will know—and I know he knows this—that investing in hard power also saves lives and acts as a deterrence in our own country and across much of the world.
Kate Osamor (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill) (Lab/Co-op)
Last week, BBC reporter Mark Lowen was arrested and deported from Turkey after covering the ongoing protest movement, as part of a broader crackdown on journalists. This followed the arrest of President Erdoğan’s leading political rival. Will the Foreign Secretary commit to conveying the concerns of this House to his Turkish counterpart at the earliest opportunity?
Mr Lammy
The UK is a staunch supporter of democracy, the rule of law and media freedom. The Government have raised recent events in Turkey with our counterparts at a number of levels. Most recently, on 29 March I spoke to my Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to raise our expectation that Turkey upholds its international commitments and the rule of law, and that it protects the fundamental rights to free speech, peaceful assembly and media freedom, including in the treatment of British journalists reporting there.
Oral Answers to Questions
Kate Osamor Excerpts(2 months ago)
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Anneliese Dodds
I too have had such discussions, both in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. I recognise that there was particular concern about the events that led to the production of the Colonna report. As was mentioned earlier, there were disturbing allegations about the involvement of UNRWA staff, and there is also concern about reports that Emily Damari may have been placed within an UNRWA camp. We have taken this up with UNRWA, and have supported its reform agenda. It has delivered change, and it is the only organisation that can deliver the humanitarian support that is so desperately needed by millions of Palestinians.
Kate Osamor (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill) (Lab/Co-op)
Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)
The Minister for Development (Anneliese Dodds)
We remain desperately concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sudan. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has set out the measures taken by the UK to seek to ameliorate that appalling disaster, included a doubling of aid to Sudan.
Kate Osamor
In recent days, Sudanese armed forces have advanced into El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, ending a two-year siege by the Rapid Support Forces. This has caused serious food shortages in North Kordofan, which is deemed to be suffering famine conditions under the integrated food security phase classification. What are the Government doing to ensure that aid is fast-tracked into the city?
Anneliese Dodds
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue, because the situation she has described is intolerable. I was grateful to the international counterparts who attended a discussion on these subjects, in which we took part, at the Munich security conference. My hon. Friend referred to the famine designation. We regret the fact that the Sudanese armed forces have said that they will not co-operate with that assessment, but we have seen both the RSF and the SAF restricting aid and using it as a weapon of war, and that must end.
Oral Answers to Questions
Kate Osamor Excerpts(3 months, 1 week ago)
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Stephen Doughty
As I have said in the House on many occasions, there is no rush. [Interruption.] No, it is a fact that negotiations on this issue were going on for two years under the previous Government, with 10 rounds of failed negotiations. We have secured a deal that is in all of our interests and, crucially, secures our base and our national security interests and those of our allies on Diego Garcia.
Kate Osamor (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill) (Lab/Co-op)
The Minister for Development (Anneliese Dodds)
I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the deeply concerning ongoing conflict in eastern DRC and its devastating consequences. Our humanitarian programme, which amounts to £114 million, is delivering lifesaving emergency assistance, and I can reassure her that Lord Collins has met with the leaders of DRC and Rwanda to urge them to engage in good faith in the Luanda process, to bring an end to the horrific fighting.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill [Lords]
Kate Osamor ExcerptsWednesday 13th November 2024
(5 months, 1 week ago)
Public Bill CommitteesRead Full debate Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Act 2025 View all Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Act 2025 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: Public Bill Committee Amendments as at 13 November 2024 - (13 Nov 2024)
Bambos Charalambous (Southgate and Wood Green) (Lab)
I want to make a declaration of interest before we conclude. I was a member of the CPA executive. I believe my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill also wants to say something. I apologise for my lateness today.
Kate Osamor (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill) (Lab/Co-op)
I apologise for my lateness. I, too, wanted to put on the record that I am the chairman of the UK branch of the CPA.
Stephen Doughty
On a point of order, Mr Vickers. I want to reiterate my thanks to the Bill team, the officials of my Department and all Members who have taken part today, and to the CPA and the ICRC for their work. I have many experiences of working with both organisations. I am glad we have been able to proceed in swift time. I hope that the Bill can now proceed, with your agreement, Mr Vickers, to its next stage.
Bill, as amended, to be reported.