Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help improve resilience in countries in the Horn of Africa to impacts of climate change.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The compounding pressures of conflict and cyclical climate disasters are driving unprecedented humanitarian needs, across the Horn of Africa. It is clear that humanitarian funding must complement and work alongside longer-term climate finances to help break the cycle of crisis and to build resilience. To support these efforts, in July the UK will host a conference at Wilton Park to agree concrete actions on how vulnerable countries can secure a proportionate share of climate finance which can be used to promote adaptation and resilient development.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the matters discussed at the conference A more confident and inclusive Northern Ireland, hosted by Wilton Park from 22 to 24 June in association with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Northern Ireland Office.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Wilton Park conference provided an opportunity for participants to discuss and explore how to create a more confident and inclusive Northern Ireland.
Participants discussed a range of themes including education, skills, opportunities for young people and how community groups can support opportunity and integration.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what individuals and organisations they invited to the conference A more confident and inclusive Northern Ireland, hosted by Wilton Park from 22 to 24 June; and if this did not include the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools or the Controlled Schools' Support Council, on what grounds they were omitted.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Wilton Park conference considered a broad range of issues, including skills, education, economic opportunity, and social integration, rather than schools or educational matters alone.
Wilton Park conferences are held under the Chatham House Rule and it would not be appropriate for the Government to disclose those who participated.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international counterparts on her plans for the International Development Strategy; and what assessment she has made of the impact on the UK's international reputation of her plans for that Strategy.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The International Development Strategy (IDS) will continue to position the UK as a leader on international development. Building on the extensive evidence and engagement underpinning the Integrated Review, the FCDO and other involved Departments are consulting and engaging with a wide range of global partners, NGOs, businesses, and experts on the themes and analysis underpinning the IDS. This has included roundtables with stakeholders led by my ministers and senior officials, and a Wilton Park workshop with external experts. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders in implementing the strategy, once published.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what type of heating system is the primary source of heating in each building occupied by her Department and its agencies; and what fuel is used by those heating systems.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We currently use a range of methods to heat buildings across our estate. This includes the Whitehall District Heating System for our buildings in Whitehall, a biomass boiler powered by wood pellets for Abercrombie House, and a biomass boiler burning woodchip sourced from the Wilton Estate for Wilton Park. Work is currently underway to implement full decarbonisation plans for our portfolio, as part of our strategic asset management planning.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of whether extremist Islamist ideology is a driver of intercommunal attacks in Nigeria; and what assessment they have made of the findings of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent review of persecution of Christians and freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government condemns all incidents of intercommunal violence in Nigeria, the devastating effects of which are felt by communities of different faiths. The underlying drivers of intercommunal violence are complex and frequently relate to competition over resources and increasing criminality. Islamic extremism is a driver of conflict in the North east and not a driver of intercommunal violence.
We have accepted the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's report. On Nigeria, the report considered intercommunal violence in the Middle Belt and terrorism in the North East. In response to the issues raised in the report on intercommunal violence, the Government co-hosted a Wilton Park conference on 'Fostering Social Cohesion in Nigeria' in February 2020, exploring the complex causes of conflict and solutions to help ease tensions and reduce violence. Since then, we have increased our visits to areas affected by violence to engage with state governments, civil society, faith and community leaders and affected communities. The Minister for Africa visited Nigeria in April, where he discussed insecurity across the country with the President's Chief of Staff, the Foreign Minister and community leaders.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with the UK critical minerals industry on a globally coordinated approach on environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in mining.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade and the Cabinet Office supported a recent Wilton Park conference which sought to identify and catalyse practical steps to develop coordination and governance for critical minerals worldwide. The conference included participants from across industry, academia and international organisations and has informed wider international discussions. We will continue to address the challenges of delivering a just global energy transition, while developing greater regulatory and practical cooperation on technology-critical minerals, as part of our presidency of COP26.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 Maltese counterpart, including on the treatment of migrants.
Answered by Wendy Morton
FCDO Ministers are in regular contact with our counterparts across Europe, including in Malta. We are aware of recent press reports about ill-treatment of migrants at detention centres in Malta. On 1 February the Maltese authorities stated that they have received no reports or complaints of ill-treatment and all incidents would be referred to the police. Officials from the British High Commission routinely raise the importance of ensuring the safety and security of irregular migrants with the Maltese authorities. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of irregular migrants and their treatment with PM Abela in May 2020, and I raised it during the UK-Malta migration dialogue in July 2020. In December 2020, representatives from the UK, Malta, Italy and the United States joined international experts in a virtual conference organised by the British High Commission and Wilton Park about organised crime and migration in the Central Mediterranean. Among the conference outcomes were recommendations to improve international law enforcement efforts to prevent human trafficking and smuggling, increase numbers of prosecutions and ensure the safety and legal protection of victims.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what multilateral disarmament measures the UK has negotiated through the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Government remains committed to disarmament, and regularly engages in constructive discussions with international counterparts, the most recent being a Wilton Park workshop on 16-18 December. The UK participates in the US's Creating the Environment for Nuclear Disarmament (CEND) Initiative, and supports Sweden's Stepping Stones initiative. The UK plays a leading international role in nuclear disarmament verification, and continues our verification research through a well-established Atomic Weapons Establishment programme. The Government hosted a P5 Conference in London on 12-13 February 2020, which allowed the five Nuclear Weapon States to deepen our engagement on nuclear issues, including disarmament. The UK continues to advocate for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and the negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament, which we view as key steps to achieving a world without nuclear weapons.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the next steps are for the Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development and Foreign Policy; and what consultation he plans to have with civil society groups as part of that review.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The FCDO is engaging widely on the Integrated Review, and will continue to do so over the course of the Review. As part of our engagement on the Integrated Review, we have worked with the Cabinet Office to deliver six in-depth dialogues through Wilton Park, bringing together domestic and international subject-matter experts from international politics, academia, business, civil society and youth groups. In September the Government issued a Call for Evidence to help inform the Integrated Review. This received more than 450 replies from a broad range of external stakeholders including think tanks, international organisations, NGOs and religious organisations.