Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will take steps to help protect non-UK citizens in Lebanon who have siblings in (a) the UK and (b) Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr constituency.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Consular services are only open to British nationals (funded by a premium on all British passports), and the UK Government is unable directly to assist non-UK citizens in Lebanon. However, immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes, through the usual channels. Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
The UK has been calling for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanese Hizbollah and Israel and has announced £15 million of life-saving aid to Lebanon since 25 September. This funding will respond to the mass displacement of people and the growing number of civilian casualties, as well support access to clean water, sanitation and health and nutrition supplies through UNICEF.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what UK-funded aid has been denied entry into Gaza since 7 October 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During my visit to Al Arish, Egypt on 16 October, where I announced £1 million of UK assistance for Egypt's support to medically evacuated Gazans, I saw that many tonnes of lifesaving aid continue to be denied entry into Gaza by Israel. As the Foreign Secretary said on 16 October, Israel must do more to get aid into Gaza. We continue to press Israel to allow aid to flow freely into and through Gaza; the Prime Minister stressed this during his 19 October discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The UK continues to play a leading role in alleviating the suffering in Gaza. We provide significant funding to partners to support those most in need, including agreeing to match up to £10 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Middle East humanitarian appeal.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of allegations of sexual violence and assault perpetrated against (a) women in Palestine and (b) Palestinian women detained in Israeli prisons.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK unequivocally condemns all alleged violations and abuses, including sexual violence, and calls for all reports to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. We are deeply concerned by allegations of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. We believe it is critical that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is given regular access to detainees to carry out its independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Currently, the ICRC cannot fully investigate these reports, as Israel continues to deny it access to places of detention. The UK calls on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and grant immediate and unfettered access for the ICRC.