Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
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 to provide support to NATO countries bordering Ukraine on humanitarian assistance for refugees of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. It will also be used to support refugees fleeing Ukraine through the provision of logistics, advice and analysis of needs on the ground.
We have deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, including Poland and Romania, who are receiving and supporting the increasing flow of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
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 protect the rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is committed to promoting and defending the human rights of all individuals, and we continues to support work with indigenous communities across Brazil, including in the Amazon region. UK programmes on building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic include a focus on vulnerable groups, including in the Amazon region, and work on issues such as solar energy, primary health, and skills development. The UK has also supported local and indigenous people in the Amazon through our International Climate Finance Programmes, with nearly £120 million invested since 2012.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of Hezbollah's ability to manufacture weapons.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of reports that Hizballah is manufacturing weapons in Lebanon, which would constitute a direct contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. We condemn the threat that such activity poses to regional stability.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of UK High Commissions and embassies serve English or Welsh wine.
Answered by Alan Duncan
A number of our High Commissions and Embassies now do so, but we do not centrally hold details of the wine that is served.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent reports of Iran testing a new long-range ballistic missile.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Reports that Iran carried out ballistic missile tests earlier this month are of great concern. These tests are inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and the UK is raising these concerns in writing with the UN Security Council. The UK continues to urge Iran to refrain from further tests.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Japanese government on introducing a ban on the practice of eating live sushi.
Answered by Lord Swire
We are aware that some restaurants in Japan offer live seafood dishes on their menus. In the UK the practice of serving live food would be illegal under the Animal Welfare Act as causing unnecessary suffering. We hope that public sentiment will move those countries where such practices are currently legal, to change their policies. However, in the absence of international laws or agreements governing this issue, the UK has no legal grounds to intervene with Japan or other countries where the consumption of live seafood is legal in domestic law.