Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether officials of the UK Mission to Afghanistan have asked the Taliban to reconsider its decision to ban women from accessing midwifery education.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned at reports of a ban on women accessing medical training in Afghanistan, including midwifery education. We strongly condemn the decision and officials from the Doha-based UK Mission to Afghanistan have met with Taliban leaders to urge them to reverse this decision. We have made clear that this is yet another affront to girls' right to education and will threaten the lives of countless women and girls who will be denied critical medical care, as well as their children. Officials continue to press the Taliban on human rights abuses in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps the Department has taken to support the work of the Global Partnership for Education.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Ensuring access to quality education is an FCDO priority. The UK is a founding member and top bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). GPE estimates that its support will help partner countries get 40 million more girls into school and support 17 million more girls to read in low and lower-middle income countries by 2025. In 2021, the UK co-hosted the Global Education Summit, helping to raise a historic $4 billion in donor pledges for GPE, including the UK's pledge of £430 million to GPE over five years. So far, the UK has disbursed £60 million in line with the FCDO Spending Review allocation.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 implications for his policies of the recent activities of the Grey Wolves organisation in Turkey.
Answered by Leo Docherty
We keep the situation in Turkey, including reports of alleged activities of far right groups, under close scrutiny. Turkey is an indispensable partner for the UK and we are working to strengthen our partnership and make both countries safer and more prosperous. This means working together on regional stability and security, partnering on counter terrorism, and growing our bilateral trade and investment.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) energy supplies in Nagorno Karabakh; and whether his Department plans to help support international agencies to provide critical supplies to people in the region.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government closely monitors the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and where we have concerns we have prominently highlighted them both in private engagements with our counterparts in the region, and publicly through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the situation on the ground. The START FUND, a humanitarian response fund to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to the region to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 capacity of (a) the United Nations and (b) other humanitarian agencies to airlift people from the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Although the UK Government has not made a specific assessment of airlift capabilities, we remain in close contact with humanitarian agencies to understand the situation and needs of individuals on the ground. The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor and will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Home Office to help support British citizens in Afghanistan who wish to leave that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan. British people who are in Afghanistan are able to leave by commercial means, including on commercial flights. There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide assistance is severely limited. A hotline is available 24 hours a day for any British nationals in Afghanistan needing to speak to a consular officer. Consular teams in neighbouring countries are also able to offer some limited remote consular support.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his Israeli counterparts on opening an investigation into the deaths of Palestinians; and whether his Department is aware of any ongoing investigations into those deaths.
Answered by David Rutley
We frequently raise the issue of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The Foreign Secretary has made this clear to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen during a phone call on 7 March.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 legalisation of nine settlement outposts on 12 February 2023.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK's position on settlements is clear, as set out in a statement made by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US on 14 February. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out this message during a call with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on Thursday 16 February.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will clarify the UK’s position on the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court and we respect the independence of the Court. We do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance as the UK does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Home Secretary on the case of Maira Shahbaz.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases, where to do so may put individuals or their family members in danger.