Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have met representatives from CK Group since 2019.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not centrally hold any record of Ministers or officials meeting representatives from CK Group since 2019.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the reduction of customs and export paperwork requirements between the UK and the EU to enable aid collected by the public to be quickly sent to Eastern countries to assist Ukrainian refugees.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with EU, NATO and other international counterparts.
The UK Government advises people to donate cash through trusted charities and humanitarian partners, rather than donating goods. Unsolicited donations, although well-meaning, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent support from getting through. Trusted humanitarian partners are working with the Government of Ukraine and countries in the region to assess needs and deliver the assistance most required. It is usually more efficient for aid organisations to procure required items themselves, and locally, than to process, store, and distribute donated goods.
HMG will also match-fund the public's first £25 million of donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our largest ever aid-match contribution.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to facilitate the delivery of aid from those in Britain who wish to take (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) other supplies to people who have fled from Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government advises people to donate cash through trusted charities and humanitarian partners, rather than donating goods. Unsolicited donations, although well-meaning, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent support from getting through. Trusted humanitarian partners are working with the Government of Ukraine and countries in the region to assess needs and delivering the assistance most required to meet those needs. It is usually more efficient for aid organisations to procure items that are required themselves, and locally, than to process, store, and distribute donated goods.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood of 1 April 2020 and subsequent requests for a reply in respect of her constituent.
Answered by James Duddridge
A response was sent on 16 April 2020, and has now been resent as a courtesy.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 65641, on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Brexit, what (a) EU agencies and other organisations are within his Department's remit, (b) staff time was spent on engagement with those bodies and (c) financial resources were spent on engagement with those bodies in 2015-16.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I refer the Hon. Member to my response to Written Question 65641 of of 7 March.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) EU agencies and other organisations within his Department's remit the Government plans to withdraw from when the UK leaves the EU, (b) staff time was spent on engagement with those bodies and (c) financial resources were spent on engagement with those bodies in 2015-16.
Answered by Alan Duncan
As set out in the recent White Paper ("The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with the European Union"), the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States our future status and arrangements with regard to EU agencies. It would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome of the negotiations.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with key stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector on the effect of the UK leaving the EU since 23 June 2016.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The details of meetings between Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and external organisations are published in quarterly returns, which are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data
The details of meetings between external organisations and officials across the FCO network are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to designate a marine blue belt around the Overseas Territories to protect marine habitats.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Government committed in its 2015 manifesto to, “designate a further protected area at Ascension Island, subject to the views of the local community.” The blue-belt of marine protection is a long term strategy for the conservation and protection of dynamic and important ecosystems across the Overseas Territories. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which could form part of the blue-belt of marine protection, are currently being considered around Pitcairn and Ascension Islands. Further designations will be similarly considered on a case by case basis, dependent on local support and environmental need.Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what resources he plans to allocate to put in place a marine blue belt around the Overseas Territories to protect marine habitats in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.
Answered by James Duddridge
Resources for the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 have yet to be agreed. Government officials are currently developing the framework for delivering the blue-belt of marine conservation and protection across the Overseas Territories, which will be implemented on a case by case basis, dependent on local support and environmental need.