Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Government of Niger for people released from prisons in Libya.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
We are, through our £75 million migration programme and contributions to the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, providing humanitarian assistance and protection to vulnerable migrants in Niger and other parts of the region, some of whom have been released from detention centres in Libya.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
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 EU counterparts on the political, security and humanitarian situation in Sudan.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
British Government officials at all levels regularly engage with EU counterparts in Khartoum and across our diplomatic network to discuss international policy in regard to Sudan. At the Foreign Affairs Council in November, EU members discussed the political, economic, security and humanitarian situation in Sudan and collectively urged the Government to adopt political and economic reforms and guarantee unhindered humanitarian access to those in need of support. Most recently UK engagement with EU counterparts in Khartoum and elsewhere has focused on our shared concern at the Government of Sudan response to protests.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support it is providing to UNHCR for its work in Libya.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK continues to provide humanitarian assistance through a number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and UN agencies in Libya. UK funding, via the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, supports a range of UN High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) efforts to assist migrants within Libya and with the evacuation of refugees for resettlement.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights on alleged human rights abuses in Libyan prisons.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are concerned by reports of alleged human rights abuses in Libyan prisons, including the particular issues faced by female prisoners. The UK is working to address the dire human rights situation in Libya through a comprehensive approach, including by giving our full support to the UN-led political process. Stabilising the country will have the greatest positive impact on the human rights situation in Libya. On my last visit to Libya, I underlined our concerns about the human rights situation. Most recently, the Minister responsible for human rights, Lord Ahmad, has discussed efforts to combat human rights abuses with key partners, including the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department are working on his Department’s plans for the UK to leave the EU.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Through Treasury EU Exit funding and a process of internal reprioritisation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has created approximately 550 EU Exit roles in the UK and overseas. We have used these roles to strengthen our diplomatic network in the UK and across Europe so that we are better able to represent and promote British interests and engage with our European partners in support of a successful EU Exit. In addition, we have a number of other staff working on a range of EU Exit planning issues as part of their wider responsibilities.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
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 Spanish counterpart on prisoners who were members of the Catalan Parliament that on hunger strike.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The British Government has been clear that the situation in Catalonia is a matter for Spain. The British Government has not had discussions with Spain regarding the separatist prisoners on hunger strike.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Government officials attended the future investment initiative conference in Saudi Arabia in October 2018.
Answered by Alistair Burt
As the Prime Minister said on Wednesday 24 October, no Ministers or government officials attended the Future Investment Initiative Conference.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage the Egyptian Government to stop using the death penalty.
Answered by Alistair Burt
It is a long term policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have raised concerns about the handing down of death sentences with the Egyptian authorities. We have publicly raised these concerns through the UN Human Rights Council and through the FCO's Human Rights Priority Country reports.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many organisations in rural Colombia receive funding from the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
UK-funded programmes in Colombia work across the country, at national, regional and municipal level. Recovery of post conflict rural communities is a priority focus for the Cross-Government Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) programme supporting the peace process in Colombia. It directly supports 18 organisations working in rural parts of the country. The Cross-Government Prosperity Fund programme works with 6 local rural partners. International Climate Finance programmes support 5 larger partner organisations working in rural areas, including FEDEGAN and Naidiseros del Pacífico SAS, and have worked directly with over 3800 farms, and 19 indigenous and 13 rural communities.
Through financial support to international partners such as the United Nations Trust Fund, the UN Office for Human Rights, and the International Organisation for Migration (IMO) as well as Colombian Government agencies, the UK's support will reach many other organisations working across all parts of Colombia.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many women’s organisations in Colombia receive UK funding.
Answered by Alan Duncan
All UK ODA programmes are required to take account of gender. The FCO Human Rights Fund has allocated over £1.5m for projects in Colombia related to the prevention of sexual violence since 2011. This programme supports grass roots women’s organisations in ten regional departments through financing their umbrella organisation in Bogota. During 2018, programmes managed by our Embassy in Colombia have worked with over 400 women in rural areas supporting their empowerment and access to justice. The UK has also supported the documentation of over 1200 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, and helped bring these cases before the transitional justice system. One of the International Climate Finance (ICF) programmes in Colombia will open a “call for proposals” in January 2019 for projects working with indigenous organisations led by indigenous women in the Colombian Amazon.