Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had at international conferences with his counterparts on tackling the influence of private military security companies in Mali; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of such companies on peace negotiations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK consistently makes clear that groups such as the Russian proxy Wagner Group, with its proven track record of human rights abuses, exacerbate instability in fragile contexts. Whilst Private Military Companies can provide valuable security assurances, Russian Proxies have a destabilising influence in Mali where they focus on military action only and have never had a role, or any interest, in supporting meaningful peace negotiations. Long-term solutions to foster a sustainable and peaceful Mali require meaningful, inclusive dialogue. The UK supports this by coordinating with likeminded states and international organisations to address the drivers of instability. We draw on a range of available levers, including through its humanitarian, development and conflict resolution programmes.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of (a) international and (b) UK staff operating the UK-funded field hospital in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have underlined the need for Israel to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.
We need a humanitarian pause now to allow humanitarian actors and Gazans to operate and move safely, and enable hostages to be released.
We need Israel to ensure effective systems to guarantee the safety of aid convoys, humanitarian operations and IDP returns, and facilitate access.
Israel must ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, ensure there are effective systems to guarantee the safety of aid convoys and humanitarian operations, and ensure the UN has the people, vehicles, equipment and fuel to distribute aid safely across Gaza.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how the UK's (a) field hospital and (b) other aid to Gaza will be coordinated with (i) local authorities and (ii) international organisations to ensure effective (A) delivery and (B) operation.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med has also arrived in Gaza and is now operational and providing life-saving care.
This facility can be adapted according to needs on the ground and usually includes a pharmacy, triage area, major injuries and resuscitation unit, and maternity care tent. This facility will be able to treat more than 100 patients a day. It will be staffed by both local health workers and international medics, including many from the UK, on the UK-Med Register.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the (a) UK-funded field hospital and (b) aid delivery in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med has also arrived in Gaza and is now operational and providing life-saving care.
This facility can be adapted according to needs on the ground and usually includes a pharmacy, triage area, major injuries and resuscitation unit, and maternity care tent. This facility will be able to treat more than 100 patients a day. It will be staffed by both local health workers and international medics, including many from the UK, on the UK-Med Register.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how his Department plans to use the additional £10 million in aid funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories to help tackle immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The additional £10 million of funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories announced by the Foreign Secretary on 13 March includes £5 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) Pooled Fund, core relief items, including 3,300 tents, and £3.5 million to UNICEF.
This brings total UK support to over £100 million this financial year, including 150 tonnes of UK aid, including more than 13,000 blankets and 840 family-sized tents, which entered Gaza on the 13 March, and a full field hospital, provided by UK Aid funding to UK-Med, which is arriving in Gaza from Manchester.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support a ceasefire in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 8 March the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2724, led by the UK, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the month of Ramadan. The resolution also called on the warring parties to ensure safe, unhindered humanitarian access, including cross-border and cross-line access, and expressed support for the UN Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra. The UK continues to work with a wide range of countries and bodies, including traditional allies, Gulf and African partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to realise this Resolution and make progress towards a sustained and meaningful peace process.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to tackle disinformation related to the Ukraine conflict.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has stepped up support for Ukraine to counter foreign information manipulation, both domestically and internationally. We are supporting the Government of Ukraine's strategic communications capacity and continued operation of media organisations, and building the resilience of vulnerable communities most exposed to Russian propaganda. During 2024, we will increase our efforts under the new security co-operation agreement to counter Russia's malign activity.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) civil society and (b) human rights groups in Ghana in the context of the introduction of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is disappointed that Ghana's Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. If enacted, it would further criminalise consensual same-sex relationships and undermine the human rights and freedoms of those perceived as being a member of, or an ally to, the LGBT+ community. The UK routinely encourages Ghana to confirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters. The Foreign Secretary, Ministers and senior officials have expressed these concerns, including during my [Minister Andrew Mitchell] visit to Ghana in February 2024 and my meeting with the Ghanaian High Commissioner to the UK in March. We continue to consider our response in the event that the Bill is granted assent.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the introduction of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill in the Ghanaian legislatures.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is disappointed that Ghana's Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. If enacted, it would further criminalise consensual same-sex relationships and undermine the human rights and freedoms of those perceived as being a member of, or an ally to, the LGBT+ community. The UK routinely encourages Ghana to confirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters. The Foreign Secretary, Ministers and senior officials have expressed these concerns, including during my [Minister Andrew Mitchell] visit to Ghana in February 2024 and my meeting with the Ghanaian High Commissioner to the UK in March. We continue to consider our response in the event that the Bill is granted assent.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart on the potential impact of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill on (a) human rights and (b) UK-Ghana relations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is disappointed that Ghana's Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. If enacted, it would further criminalise consensual same-sex relationships and undermine the human rights and freedoms of those perceived as being a member of, or an ally to, the LGBT+ community. The UK routinely encourages Ghana to confirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters. The Foreign Secretary, Ministers and senior officials have expressed these concerns, including during my [Minister Andrew Mitchell] visit to Ghana in February 2024 and my meeting with the Ghanaian High Commissioner to the UK in March. We continue to consider our response in the event that the Bill is granted assent.