Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the veracity of reports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is providing training to the Russian military.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK agrees with the US assessment that Iranian personnel have been in Crimea assisting Russia. The UK condemns Iranian support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Iran's supply of drones is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. On 20 October new UK sanctions targeted Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with drones. We are working with France and Germany to support a UN investigation into the Iranian transfers, and we will continue to work with the international community to hold Russia and Iran to account.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the update on international travel published by his Department on 24 June 2021 and official correspondence on covid-19 and Israel between 2020 and 2021, for what reason Jerusalem is referred to in addition to Israel rather than being considered included in the naming of that state.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The position of the UK Government has remained constant since April 1950, when the UK extended de jure recognition to the State of Israel, but withheld recognition of sovereignty over Jerusalem pending a final determination of its status. We recognise Israel's 'de facto authority' over West Jerusalem. But in line with Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) and subsequent Council resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as under Israeli military occupation.
A final determination of the status of Jerusalem should be sought as part of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. It must ensure Jerusalem is a shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, with access and religious rights of both peoples respected.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans the Government has to use its presidency of the G7 to ensure that the 2021-25 replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education is fully funded.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has placed girls' education, and broader gender equality at the heart of our G7 Presidency. We have set out two ambitious global objectives to get 40 million more girls into school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years. We are using our G7 Presidency to rally others behind these objectives, and stand up for every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.
A well-funded Global Partnership for Education (GPE) will be central to delivering these global objectives, especially in securing education financing from developing countries' domestic budgets. We look forward to hosting the Global Education Summit to refinance GPE with the Government of Kenya in July. Details of the UK's next contribution to GPE will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to announce a £600 million pledge to the 2021-25 replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education at the G7 Summit to encourage other donors to commit funds.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has placed girls' education, and broader gender equality at the heart of our G7 Presidency. We have set out two ambitious global objectives to get 40 million more girls into school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years. We are using our G7 Presidency to rally others behind these objectives, and stand up for every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.
A well-funded Global Partnership for Education (GPE) will be central to delivering these global objectives, especially in securing education financing from developing countries' domestic budgets. We look forward to hosting the Global Education Summit to refinance GPE with the Government of Kenya in July. Details of the UK's next contribution to GPE will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 improve maternal and child health throughout the world.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK Government remains committed to supporting maternal and child health interventions as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030.
Globally we are working with agencies such as the WHO, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility to support governments to strengthen health systems in affected countries, provide technical assistance, improve quality of care and immunise children.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 end the preventable deaths of mothers, children and newborns in developing countries by 2030.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to working with others to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and children by 2030.
Since 2000, UK aid has helped immunise over 760 million children, saving over 13 million lives. Our commitment of up to £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will help immunise a further 300 million children over the next 5 years. As we have set out in the Integrated Review, we will also prioritise supporting health systems, which are at the heart of the fight to end preventable deaths.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on the imposition of strict sharia law in the province of Aceh, with particular reference to the recent flogging of gay men in that province; what steps he is taking to help protect global gay rights; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is opposed to the use of judicial corporal punishment and all forms of discrimination. We are committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people around the world. We work through our embassies and high commissions and through international organisations, including the UN, European Institutions, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise same sex conduct. We regularly press legislators and the Indonesian Government not to discriminate against minority groups, including the LGBT community. We urge Indonesia to adhere to its founding principles by ensuring that its laws, both at national and local level, are non-discriminatory and celebrate the diversity and tolerance of its people.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 ensure the Global Partnership for Education’s 2021-2025 replenishment is fully funded.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta of Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in London in July 2021. The UK is GPE's largest bilateral donor. No decision has yet been taken on the UK's next contribution to GPE, and details will follow in due course.
As co-hosts of the Summit, we are using all the means at our disposal to help the Global Partnership for Education secure its five-year financing target of up to $5 billion (2021-2026), in line with our commitment to stand up for the right of every girl around the world to gain 12 years of quality education.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking at an international level to agree a global plan to ensure the safe return of all children to school.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, two thirds of the academic year have been lost on average worldwide. It is important that schools in low and lower middle income countries reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.
The FCDO is playing a leading role in championing every girl's right to 12 years of quality education. We are using our G7 presidency to ensure the safe return of all children to school. We are asking our international partners to get behind two ambitious global targets - to see 40 million more girls into education, and a third more reading by the age of 10 in low and middle income countries by 2025. On 28 and 29 July, the UK and Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in London. GPE aims to raise $5 billion over the next five years to help education systems build back better following COVID-19, and ensure all children return to school to learn.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 the return of (a) the poorest and most marginalised and (b) all children to school.
Answered by Wendy Morton
FCDO country offices are actively supporting partner governments to open schools up when it is safe to do so to ensure that the poorest and most marginalised are not left behind.
The UK is also supporting global efforts to ensure all children return to school. We have provided £20 million to UNICEF to protect vulnerable children, £5 million to the Education Cannot Wait fund to support emergency education in conflict-affected countries, and £5.3 million to UNHCR to fund the salaries of over 5,500 teachers in refugee camps across 10 countries. In the meantime, our bilateral support to 18 countries has pivoted to ensure that girls, children with disabilities, and those affected by conflict can continue to access learning materials so that they are ready to return to school once it is safe to do so.