Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to International Climate Finance for 2025 to 2026 in total.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It remains our ambition to deliver £11.6 billion in International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026. Final Official Development Assistance allocations for the financial year 25/26 are in the process of being finalised.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to International Climate Finance for nature for 2025 to 2026 in total.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It remains our ambition to deliver £11.6 billion in International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026. Final Official Development Assistance allocations for the financial year 25/26 are in the process of being finalised.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planned reductions in spending on official development assistance on funding for Voluntary Service Overseas.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments, and value for money.
Our approach balances the UK's proud tradition of supporting the world's most vulnerable with our fundamental responsibility to protect British interests in an increasingly unstable world.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure consular access to British tourists in Egypt who have been arrested.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO, via our consular staff, is available 24/7 to provide consular support to British nationals abroad. Whenever the FCDO is informed of the arrest of a British national in Egypt, our consular officials aim to make contact as soon as possible to seek more information and assess their situation, including requesting consular access. In the event consular access is delayed or denied, we can raise this with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will (a) sanction violent settlers who have committed human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank and (b) sanction all entities connected to those settlers.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has already moved to sanction those responsible for violence in the West Bank and announced designations against eight extremist Israeli settlers perpetrating human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The UK has also designated two groups known to have supported, incited and promoted violence against these communities.
The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. The Foreign Secretary raised this with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog during his visit to Israel and the OPTs on 14-15 July.
We do not comment on future sanctions designations as to do so would reduce their impact.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to provide consular assistance to British nationals who are detained overseas.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They support the c.3000 British nationals who are arrested or detained each year and are currently providing consular assistance in over 1600 cases relating to arrest or detention. Consular staff are primarily concerned with the welfare of our detained British nationals, and tailor the consular assistance they provide depending on the specific circumstances of each case.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help free (a) Alaa Abd El-Fattah, (b) Jagtar Johal Signh, (c) Jimmy Lai and (d) other British nationals detained overseas.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO consular staff are currently providing consular assistance in over 1600 cases relating to arrest or detention. Consular staff aim to stay in regular contact with British Nationals in detention and do what they can to support their health and welfare. The UK Government cannot interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings in other countries. However, where there are human rights concerns such as allegations of torture or mistreatment, with the consent of the person affected, we raise these concerns with the local authorities, highlighting the detaining state's obligations under international human rights law.
You asked about three cases:
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will immediately recognise the state of Palestine.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Israel and the OPTs on 14 July, he reiterated our commitment to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a peace process to deliver a two state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions he has had with (a) the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and (b) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on (i) getting aid into and (ii) the distribution of aid within Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We are working to get aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air, working with multiple implementing partners including various UN agencies and international and UK NGOs. UK funding has supported the work of partners including the British Red Cross, World Food Programme, UNICEF and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to deliver vital supplies.
The Foreign Secretary has also appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza. He maintains regular contact with the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what estimate his Department has made of the value of assets and entities held in the UK by supporters and enablers of the Israeli settler movement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The FCDO has not made such an estimate.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation publishes information on assets frozen in the UK within its Annual Review. This document is available from GOV.UK.
The UK continues to take a strong stance against settler violence. On 3 May, the Foreign Secretary announced new sanctions on extremist groups and individuals for inciting and perpetrating settler violence in the West Bank. The measures impose financial restrictions on the entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on the individuals.