Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 the Overseas Territories respond to hybrid threats from hostile state actors in (a) cyber, (b) information, (c) media and (d) political domains.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK holds responsibility to support all Overseas Territories to safeguard from threats to their internal and external security. This includes from hostile state actors. The FCDO and the Home Office provide a wide range of support to the Overseas Territories in this regard. This includes a UK police superintendent and temporary Commissioner seconded to Montserrat police; a 16-strong serious crime investigation team deployed in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and establishing a vetting agency in the British Virgin Islands.
The Home Office is also conducting National Cyber Risk Assessments across the Overseas Territories to identify potential vulnerabilities and risks to critical national infrastructure. Recommendations on mitigation of those risks are provided as part of these assessments, as is support for implementation.
We will continue to explore ways in which the Overseas Territories can maintain international support in countering hostile actors.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 Cabinet colleagues on the repurposing of seized Russian state assets to support reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The FCDO is working closely with other Government departments including the Home Office and the Treasury as well as law enforcement agencies to identify all possible options for seizing Russian-linked assets in the UK that could be used to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. While the UK is pursuing this at pace, ensuring any policy implemented is safe, robust, and compliant with the rule of law is of paramount importance.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 his counterparts in the Council of Europe on the vote of 24 April 2023 on Kosovo’s membership application.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach, discussed the 24 April vote with Kosovo President Osmani on 5 May. The UK welcomes the decision by the Council of Europe's (CoE) Committee of Ministers to pass Kosovo's application to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). This next step in the process will allow due consideration of the application in accordance with standard Council of Europe membership procedures.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 G7 counterparts on the seizure and repurposing of Russian state assets.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We continue to work across the G7 to share expertise and experience on possible options for seizing Russian-linked assets in the UK that could be used to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. The G7 February and April Leaders' Statement reiterated that Russia will have no access to the assets frozen or immobilised in the UK until it ends its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. International partners have also frozen a significant volume of assets but, like the UK, are yet to fully test the lawfulness of this.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of times (a) ChatGPT and (b) other AI chatbots have been accessed on his Department's IT systems in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas missions in the last 12 months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO actively manages all applications and services on its corporate network taking into account security and data protection risks. Authorisation and approval for the use of any individual application is subject to Departmental security policies and procedures.
Chat-GPT and other similar products are not accessible from FCDO's corporate IT. The FCDO, following guidance from the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), is developing specific guidance to enable its staff to continue to work securely and protect FCDO and HMG data.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 (a) Government of Türkiye, (b) Government of Hungary and (c) governments of other NATO member states on the potential accession of Sweden to NATO.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains fully committed to supporting Sweden's NATO accession. Their membership will make all Allies safer, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic more secure. It remains our objective to meet together as an Alliance of 32 States in Vilnius. The Foreign Secretary regularly engages with Sweden, Hungary, Turkey and other Allies on this issue, including most recently at the NATO Foreign Ministerial, where he pushed for progress on Sweden's accession without delay.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 Government of Montenegro on (a) bilateral relations and (b) the maintenance of peace and stability in the Western Balkans.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Foreign Secretary met Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic in the margins of a NATO meeting in early April. I had a meeting with Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires from the Western Balkans, including Montenegro, in April. The Prime Minister's envoy to the Western Balkans Lord Peach most recently visited Podgorica in December and met party leaders across the political spectrum. Lord Peach also met with Montenegrin President Djukanovic earlier in May. The UK's relationship with Montenegro has remained strong throughout political change; we stand together as NATO Allies with shared values underpinning aligned positions across defence, security and foreign policy and our work to promote and support peace and stability in Montenegro and in the region is supported by frequent direct contact between our Ambassador and the country's leaders.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether access to (a) Chat GPT oand (b) other similar AI chatbots is permitted on his Department's IT systems in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas missions.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO actively manages all applications and services on its corporate network taking into account security and data protection risks. Authorisation and approval for the use of any individual application is subject to Departmental security policies and procedures.
Chat-GPT and other similar products are not accessible from FCDO's corporate IT. The FCDO, following guidance from the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), is developing specific guidance to enable its staff to continue to work securely and protect FCDO and HMG data.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 counterpart in Turkey on trade union freedoms in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of assembly. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Turkish Government on workers’ rights in Turkey.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.