Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations on UNRWA neutrality.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK welcomes the active work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in implementing recommendations of the Colonna report. £1 million of the £41 million support for UNRWA in Financial Year 24/25 was earmarked to support implementation of the Colonna report and in June the UK was updated on implementation progress from UNRWA. The Minister of State for International Development met with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met the Israeli ambassador to the UK; and what he discussed.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with their Israeli counterparts to continue to urge for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a full resumption of aid. I met with the Israeli ambassador to the UK on 20 May when they were summoned to the FCDO. I raised my opposition to the expansion of Israeli military activity in Gaza and condemned the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his counterpart in Israel and (b) the United Nations on reports of potential links between Hamas and UNRWA.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the fact that the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has said there should be independent investigations into any misuse of its facilities by Palestinian armed militants, including Hamas. Following Catherine Colonna's Independent Review, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed management reforms including stronger independent oversight, better detection systems, improved screening procedures, mandatory training for staff on humanitarian principles and more proactive donor engagement. As a result, we are assured that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it maintains the highest standards of neutrality. As the Minister for Development told the House on 28 January, she has discussed the issue of neutrality with UNRWA's leadership, including directly with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. She also spoke to UNRWA staff members on their work to implement the recommendations of the Colonna report during her visit to the region on 3-5 December.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the UN on reports that Hamas hostages have been held in UNRWA facilities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the fact that the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has said there should be independent investigations into any misuse of its facilities by Palestinian armed militants, including Hamas. Following Catherine Colonna's Independent Review, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed management reforms including stronger independent oversight, better detection systems, improved screening procedures, mandatory training for staff on humanitarian principles and more proactive donor engagement. As a result, we are assured that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it maintains the highest standards of neutrality. As the Minister for Development told the House on 28 January, she has discussed the issue of neutrality with UNRWA's leadership, including directly with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. She also spoke to UNRWA staff members on their work to implement the recommendations of the Colonna report during her visit to the region on 3-5 December.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on 19 July 2024, Official Report, column 300 on Israel and Gaza, what assurances his Department received that the UN Relief and Works Agency has no links to Hamas in Gaza prior to resuming funding for that agency.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UNRWA plays a critical role in Gaza and the wider region, providing essential services, including healthcare and education, to Palestinian refugees.
Following the independent review by Catherine Colonna, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed management reforms including stronger independent oversight, better detection systems, improved screening procedures, mandatory training for staff on humanitarian principles and more proactive donor engagement. We are now confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality, staff vetting and transparency.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to tackle trafficking and sale of slaves in Libya.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Prime Minister has called modern slavery one of the great human rights challenges of our time, and has made eradicating this scourge one of her top foreign policy priorities. We have committed to doubling our aid spend in support of this objective to £150 million. In Libya, we have provided humanitarian aid to migrants and refugees and delivered assistance in detention centres. We are also increasing our engagement with the Libyan law enforcement authorities to tackle organised crime and trafficking. We have provided specific support to women and girls, to protect them from the heightened risks of trafficking and sexual and gender based violence. The UK regularly raises with the Libyan Government the need for wider respect for human rights and accountability.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent over-fishing in the South Georgia seas.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) manages fisheries with the Territory's Maritime Zone to the highest international standards.The South Georgia toothfish fishery is assessed by the Marine Stewardship Council to be among the most sustainable fisheries in the world.
The UK ensures that SGSSI fisheries legislation and management practices are in line with our obligations to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). We work through the CCAMLR Commission to agree sustainable and scientific-based fishery catch limits for the SSGSI Martime Zone, and cooperates with other CCAMLR Members to address issues relating to unreported, unregulated and illegal fishing activities across the Southern Ocean.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the time it will take to restore basic infrastructure in the British Virgin Islands.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The devastation caused by the recent hurricanes left the British Virgin Islands (BVI) without access to basic necessities like running water, electricity and shelter. The Government, through its regional taskforce, mounted an operation to provide immediate humanitarian relief and continues to work with the Government of the British Virgin Islands to help restore vital public infrastructure. To this end the BVI Government, with other regional development partners and the UK's Royal Engineers, is conducting thorough needs assessments for the restoration of basic infrastructure on the islands. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCO Minister for the Overseas Territories recently met the Premier of the British Virgin Islands to discuss the BVI Government's draft plans for near-term recovery and ongoing UK support.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on ensuring that Mr Kamal Foroughi is allowed to receive social and humanitarian visitors in Evin Prison.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign Secretary last raised Mr Foroughi's case when he met Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in February. I raised our concerns regarding treatment of dual nationals detained in Iran with the Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Ravanchi, on 21 June and in my meeting with the Iranian Ambassador on 6 July. The Government will continue to raise our concerns with the Iranian Government at every opportunity.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department and the Ministry of Defence plan to hold the next two plus two meeting with the foreign and defence ministers of Japan.
Answered by Lord Sharma
We are in close contact with the Japanese government to find a mutually convenient date in 2017 to host the third substantive UK-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial talks.