Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to publish international climate finance disbursement data as part of future reports on (a) UK climate finance results and (b) statistics on international development.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of all programmes funded through UK International Climate Finance (ICF), including disbursements, are published on the development tracker website (Development Tracker (fcdo.gov.uk)). An ICF filter has been made available in order to support greater transparency. We continue to consider ways in which we can improve the transparency of our ICF.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Palestinian territory.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Human Rights is a crucial element underpinning the UK's foreign policy. This is why we regularly raise Human Rights issues with the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, where they exist. We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. The UK remains committed to a two-state solution, as the Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, made clear during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 10-13 January. The UK's Permanent Representative to the UN, Dame Barbara Woodward, urged the parties to demonstrate, through their policies, a genuine commitment to peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians at a UNSC open debate on 17 January.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 Israeli Government over settlement expansion and demolitions of Palestinian homes and other buildings.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK urges the Government of Israel to permanently end its settlement expansion and settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon reinforced this message during a visit to a UK donor funded school facing demolition on 12 January.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made dispersing the Government's commitment of £100 million to the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At COP26, the UK announced a £100m commitment to support the work of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, making it quicker and easier for developing countries to get the finance they need. This is supporting trials of new approaches to accessing climate finance underway in Bangladesh, Fiji, Jamaica, Uganda and Rwanda, responding to national priorities set out by these countries.
At COP27, the UK announced that £7m from the overall commitment will support Rwanda's new Green Investment Facility. In Uganda, the UK has helped establish a new Climate Finance Unit within the Ministry of Finance. An Annual Report on the Taskforce, also funded from the UK's commitment, was published during COP27, setting out broader achievements by climate finance providers and recipients during the first year of the Taskforce.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the progress of the African Union's peace initiative in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK welcomes the important step towards peace taken by the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People's Liberation Front in signing a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, and commends their choice to end the devastating two-year-long conflict.
We are grateful to the leadership shown in brokering this critical agreement by African Union Commission Chairperson Faki, African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Kenyan President Kenyatta, and the South African Government in hosting the talks.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department has made an assessment of the impact of the conflict in Ethiopia on the (a) Irob and (b) Kunama populations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Like many in Tigray, the Irob and Kunama populations have suffered horrifically during the conflict. There are reports of indiscriminate shelling causing civilian casualties and millions require access to life-saving aid.
We welcome the peace agreement and cessation of hostilities announced on 2 November between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The agreement commits to mobilize and expedite humanitarian assistance for all those in need in the Tigray Region and other affected areas, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access. It also commits to the restoration of essential services to the Tigray region. The UK will work alongside the Ethiopian Government and others to support implementation of the peace agreement.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support survivors of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In northern Ethiopia, the UK has provided £4 million to help support survivors of sexual violence. We are also implementing recommendations from the 2021 scoping mission by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts. This includes working with women's rights organisations to enhance support services to survivors of violence; new research into the drivers and dynamics of conflict-related sexual violence; and coordination of the international response to gender based violence. In October, we co-sponsored the resolution at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council to extend International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia's mandate. The former Minister for Development raised conflict related sexual violence with the Ethiopian President during her visit in October.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department is taking steps to reduce (a) neonatal and (b) maternal deaths in Tigray.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In the last eighteen months the UK has provided nearly £90 million of life-saving aid to communities across Ethiopia affected by crises. In October, the former Minister for Development announced £14 million of support to assist 150,000 women and children affected by conflict and drought with comprehensive health, water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition services.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the statement agreed at the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief entitled Statement on freedom of religion or belief and gender equality, published on 7 July 2022, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of references to (a) sexual and reproductive health and rights and (b) bodily autonomy.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to defending and promoting universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and will continue working with other countries to protect and further gender equality in international agreements.
In our capacity as Chair of the event, we amended the statement we made at the Freedom of Religion or Belief Conference to make the final statement more inclusive of all perspectives and views to allow for a constructive exchange of views on all issues. The UK continues to fund, support and lead on initiatives related to promoting gender equality including SRHR, Women, Peace and Security and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Chevening programme students will receive confirmation of eligibility on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Under the third pathway of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), and in year one, the Government will consider eligible, at-risk Chevening alumni for resettlement, (as well as eligible at-risk Gardaworld contractors and British Council contractors). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be in touch with those eligible to support them through the next steps.