Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to his Department's Freedom of Information response of 20 March 2024 (reference number FOI2023/23127), when his Department was told by the Israeli Foreign Ministry that that there were 80 British national lone soldiers in the Israeli Defence Forces.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The figure given in FOI2023/23127 was provided by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 2023. However, this is not the number of British Nationals serving in the IDF, this is the number of British Nationals who immigrated on their own, in order to serve.
The Government does not make its own estimate of the numbers of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18297 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Publications, whether the media team monitors DeclassifiedUK.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The media team monitor outlets for any stories relevant to the brief of the FCDO.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether any officials in his Department are formally tasked with monitoring publications by (a) Declassified UK and (b) other online media organisations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Media monitoring is one of the Media Team's responsibilities within the FCDO Communications Directorate.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5692 on Bahrain: Gulf Strategy Fund, when he plans to publish a list of (a) projects delivered by HM Embassy Bahrain and (b) Gulf Strategy Fund Projects in the 2023-2024 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The full list of projects delivered by the British Embassy in Bahrain is being finalised, but details will be published as usual in the spring on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2024 to Question 15479 on Bahrain: Demonstrations, whether he has made representations to his Bahraini counterpart on (a) the detention of Sayed Hashim and (b) allegations of his abuse by the Bahraini authorities during his arrest.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Lord Ahmad has not made representations as Minister of State for the Middle East on this matter but as the answer to Question 15479 made clear, the FCDO are aware of the detention of Sayed Hashim, and we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights commitments. We also encourage those with specific concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2023 to Question 15371 on UNRWA: Finance, whether his Department held discussions with UNWRA on the allegations before funding was suspended.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, called the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, on 26 January to report the allegations and to outline the actions UNRWA had taken.
As we have set out, we are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna, who is leading the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General, to produce a rapid interim report into these appalling allegations. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2024 to Question 13839 on Gaza: Development Aid, how much and what proportion of the Overseas Development Aid for the Occupied Palestinian Territories was spent in Gaza in each year since 2012.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 20 February 2024 to Question 13839, the answer can be found on the Q&A web pages on https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-08/13839.
Since 2012, the UK has provided £805 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including work in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Key programmes such as humanitarian relief, support to economic development and employment, and essential services delivery for Palestinian refugees have worked in all parts of the OPTs and operate flexibly between different areas in order to have the most impact. We are therefore unable to provide a firm breakdown of spend between the different parts of the OPTs.
We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to his Bahraini counterpart on the (a) arrest and (b) raid on the house of Sayed Hashim Neama Al-Wadaei on 22 February 2024, in the context of his mother's arrest for protesting during the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of these events.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has been made aware of the alleged incidents, and we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights commitments. We also encourage those with specific concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2024 to Question 14107 on UNRWA: Finance, what the allegations were; and from whom those allegations were received.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
As the UN Commissioner-General, Phillippe Lazzarini, set out on 26 January, the Israeli Authorities provided the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with information about the alleged involvement of UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on 7 October. The UN quickly moved to set up two investigations.
As we have set out, we are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report, and we want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 13138 on UNRWA: Finance, if he will publish a breakdown of funds allocated to (a) OCHA, (b) UNICEF, (c) the World Food Programme, (d) Egyptian Red Crescent Society and (e) any other partners.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
UK funding to specific agencies and organisations includes the following:
•£7.75 million to the OCHA Pooled Fund to support up to 139,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank with food, water, sanitation, health, education and protection services through NGOs
•£1.35 million to OCHA to support analysis of needs and coordination of humanitarian aid
•£7.75 million to UNICEF to support up to 89,200 beneficiaries in Gaza with protection, nutrition, education, health, Water Sanitation and Hygiene services, and Gender-Based Violence services
•£8.25 million to the World Food Programme to provide in-kind food assistance to up to 53,500 beneficiaries
•£7.75 million to Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement to support up to 140,000 beneficiaries in Gaza and the West Bank with food, livelihoods, water, sanitation, health and protection
In addition, the UK is providing:
•£1.5 million to WHO to support Emergency Medical Teams and essential medical supplies
•£1 million to Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) to facilitate medical supplies to Gaza
•£900 thousand to UNOPS to facilitate humanitarian access and delivery of aid supplies