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Written Question
International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
Wednesday 18th December 2024

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of working with his international counterparts to establish an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners, since day one. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region. The Prime Minister has pledged his support for the establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Speaking on December 2, 2024, he announced plans for the Foreign Secretary to convene an "inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in the region, as part of that work to negotiate a two-state solution." The Foreign Secretary and I welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding. The Foreign Secretary has raised the issue of securing long-term peace in all his meetings with counterparts across the region, in addition to the US, Germany and France. The UK will play our full diplomatic role in ending this conflict and creating a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.


Written Question
Israel: Palestinians
Wednesday 18th December 2024

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to include Israeli-Palestinian civil society peacebuilding in diplomatic resolutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Prime Minister has pledged his support for the establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Speaking on December 2, 2024, he announced plans for the Foreign Secretary to convene an "inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in the region, as part of that work to negotiate a two-state solution."

This government has been clear; we are committed to pursuing a lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, including through achieving a two-state solution. We continue to support efforts to this end through our aid programmes, which assist civil society in Israel and Palestine on a range of issues, including peacebuilding and conflict resolution. I have met with representatives of the Alliance for Middle East Peace to discuss their proposal for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Foreign Secretary and I welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding. We further support grassroots local peacebuilding efforts between Israeli and Palestinian civil society, for example on more inclusive and conflict-sensitive journalism.


Written Question
Israel: Palestinians
Tuesday 17th December 2024

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Apulia G7 Leaders’ communique, published in June 2024, what steps his Department is taking to support civil society peacebuilding efforts in (a) Israel and (b) Palestine.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In June 2024, the G7 Heads of Government included milestone new language in their communiqué, committing to "working together and with other international partners to closely coordinate and institutionalize our support for civil society peacebuilding efforts, ensuring that such efforts are part of a larger strategy to build the foundation necessary for a negotiated and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace." This government has been clear; we are committed to pursuing a lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, including through achieving a two-state solution. We continue to support efforts to this end through our aid programmes, which assist civil society in Israel and Palestine on a range of issues, including peacebuilding and conflict resolution. We further support grassroots local peacebuilding efforts between Israeli and Palestinian civil society, for example on more inclusive and conflict-sensitive journalism.


Written Question
Gaza: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 20th May 2024

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to suspend funding to UNRWA on trends in the level of humanitarian support provided in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.

The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.

The UK is playing a leadership role in alleviating the suffering in Gaza. We more than trebled our aid commitment last financial year, to over £100 million, and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.


Written Question
Chevening Scholarships Programme
Friday 8th September 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening scholarships have been awarded to each country for awarded for the 2023-24 academic year.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Chevening operates in over 160 countries and territories. For the 2023-24 academic year, our budget of £57.7 million Official Development Assistance (ODA), £1.6 million non-ODA funding, and additional income of around £13.2 million from tuition fee-waivers and external partners allowed us to offer 1440 awards of which 1383 were from ODA funding and 57 from non-ODA funding. Attached is a table indicating numbers from each eligible country. For countries where we offered fewer than five places we withhold the exact number as this would contravene one of the data protection principles. In this case, Sections 40(2) and 40 (3A)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act apply.

ODACountryAwards made (incl. full/part partner funded awards)
ODAAFGHANISTAN22
ODAALBANIA11
ODAALGERIA7
ODAANGOLA / SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE15
ODAARGENTINA15
ODAARMENIA5
ODAAZERBAIJAN7
ODABANGLADESH21
ODABELARUS7
ODABELIZEFewer than 5
ODABHUTAN5
ODABOLIVIA6
ODABOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA6
ODABOTSWANA5
ODABRAZIL46
ODABURUNDIFewer than 5
ODACAMBODIA14
ODACAMEROON / CHAD / EQUATORIAL GUINEA / GABON8
ODACHINA33
ODACOLOMBIA14
ODACONGO, The Democratic Republic Of The/Central African Republic/Republic of CongoFewer than 5
ODACOSTA RICA / NICARAGUA6
ODACOTE D'IVOIRE7
ODACUBA8
ODADJIBOUTIFewer than 5
ODADOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI13
ODAEAST CARIBBEAN ODA (GRENADA, ST LUCIA, DOMINICA, ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA)11
ODAEAST TIMORFewer than 5
ODAECUADOR6
ODAEGYPT30
ODAEL SALVADORFewer than 5
ODAERITREAFewer than 5
ODAEswatiniFewer than 5
ODAETHIOPIA13
ODAGAMBIA5
ODAGEORGIA/South Caucasus14
ODAGHANA / BENIN / TOGO /BURKINA FASO16
ODAGUATEMALA / HONDURAS5
ODAGUINEAFewer than 5
ODAGUYANA / SURINAME5
ODAINDIA38
ODAINDONESIA43
ODAIRAQ18
ODAJAMAICA13
ODAJORDAN8
ODAKAZAKHSTAN9
ODAKENYA33
ODAKOSOVO8
ODAKYRGYZ REPUBLICFewer than 5
ODALAOS13
ODALEBANON10
ODALESOTHO6
ODALIBERIAFewer than 5
ODALIBYA10
ODAMADAGASCAR/COMOROS8
ODAMALAWI6
ODAMALAYSIA41
ODAMALDIVES7
ODAMALIFewer than 5
ODAMAURITANIA5
ODAMAURITIUS7
ODAMEXICO34
ODAMOLDOVA6
ODAMONGOLIA17
ODAMONTENEGRO7
ODAMOROCCO11
ODAMOZAMBIQUE15
ODAMYANMAR11
ODANAMIBIA14
ODANEPAL11
ODANIGERFewer than 5
ODANIGERIA39
ODANORTH MACEDONIA6
ODAOVERSEAS TERRITORIES12
ODAPACIFIC POOL32
ODAPAKISTAN (DOES NOT INCLUDE FELLOWS)46
ODAPALESTINIAN TERRITORIES11
ODAPANAMA5
ODAPARAGUAY17
ODAPERU11
ODAPHILIPPINES23
ODARWANDA8
ODASAMOA + COOK ISLANDSFewer than 5
ODASENEGAL / CAPE VERDE /GUINEA-BISSAU8
ODASERBIA7
ODASIERRA LEONE6
ODASOMALIA17
ODASOUTH AFRICA47
ODASOUTH SUDAN6
ODASRI LANKA10
ODASUDAN14
ODASYRIA15
ODATAJIKISTANFewer than 5
ODATANZANIA17
ODATHAILAND24
ODATUNISIA6
ODATURKEY20
ODATURKMENISTAN6
ODAUGANDA21
ODAUKRAINE37
ODAUZBEKISTAN7
ODAVENEZUELA7
ODAVIETNAM23
ODAYEMEN9
ODAZAMBIA11
ODAZIMBABWE7
Non-ODAAUSTRALIAFewer than 5
Non-ODABAHAMASFewer than 5
Non-ODABARBADOS (+ ST KITTS AND NEVIS)Fewer than 5
Non-ODABRUNEIFewer than 5
Non-ODACANADAFewer than 5
Non-ODACHILEFewer than 5
Non-ODAHONG KONGFewer than 5
Non-ODAICELANDFewer than 5
Non-ODAISRAELFewer than 5
Non-ODAJAPANFewer than 5
Non-ODANEW ZEALANDFewer than 5
Non-ODASEYCHELLESFewer than 5
Non-ODASINGAPORE5
Non-ODASOUTH KOREAFewer than 5
Non-ODATAIWAN5
Non-ODATRINIDAD AND TOBAGOFewer than 5
Non-ODAURUGUAY10
1350

Written Question
Chevening Scholarships Programme
Friday 8th September 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening scholarships have been awarded for the 2023-24 academic year; and how many were awarded in the most recent year for which data is available.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Chevening operates in over 160 countries and territories. For the 2023-24 academic year, our budget of £57.7 million Official Development Assistance (ODA), £1.6 million non-ODA funding, and additional income of around £13.2 million from tuition fee-waivers and external partners allowed us to offer 1440 awards of which over 1383 were from ODA funding and 57 from non-ODA funding. Of these, 1380 have so far accepted awards. This compares to 1399 who took up awards for the academic year 2022-2023.


Written Question
Liz Truss
Wednesday 1st March 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many photographers were employed by his Department to work with the Rt hon. Member for South West Norfolk when she was Secretary of State; and what the cost to the public purse was of employing those photographers.

Answered by David Rutley

We are in a digital age, where social media and digital communications are an essential part of government. Such supporting staff are a cross-government resource, who document the work of government, assisting departments and ministers, performing an essential role in the government's digital communications activity with the public.


Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Russian nationals subject to UK sanctions are resident in the UK.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The UK Government cannot disclose information on residency status of those on the sanctions list. Details of all sanctioned individuals and entities are listed on the UK sanctions list, which can be found on gov.uk:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list


Written Question
Pakistan: Ahmadiyya
Tuesday 7th February 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on the alleged persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in that country.

Answered by Leo Docherty

Protecting freedom of religion or belief for minority communities is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 30 January. On 9 January, Minister of State for Development Andrew Mitchell raised this issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Lord Ahmad also raised the matter with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on 14 December 2022, and with Ministry of Interior officials on 8 December 2022.


Written Question
West Bank: Palestinians
Wednesday 25th January 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the destruction of Palestinian villages located within Masafer Yatta in the West Bank.

Answered by David Rutley

The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon reinforced this message during a visit to a UK donor funded school facing demolition on 12 January.