Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the address made by the President of Slovenia at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 21 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We welcome President Nataša Pirc Musar's speech in Strasbourg to mark 30 years of Slovenia's membership in the Council of Europe (CoE) and thank her for highlighting the devastating consequences of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.
We agree with President Pirc Musar's remarks that the Council of Europe must remain a global standard-bearer in addressing new and evolving human rights challenges, including on the environment and AI. The Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad were pleased to attend the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik alongside nearly forty other European leaders, including President Pirc Musar. Against the backdrop of Putin's heinous war against Ukraine, we stand united our European partners to defend our common values and support freedom, democracy and the rule of law across the continent.
We share the President Pirc Musar's focus on the need to de-escalate current tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and the importance of avoiding any further inflammatory actions or rhetoric and for a return to the EU-facilitated Dialogue.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) political, and (2) security, situation in Kosovo, following the recent unrest in that country; and what discussions they have had with (a) EU partners, and (b) NATO partners, regarding that situation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following the violent protests which started on 26 May, the situation in northern Kosovo has calmed but remains tense. We condemned the unprovoked attack on NATO troops on 29 May and remain in close contact with NATO Allies. We are urging immediate steps to de-escalate, and a return to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary reiterated these messages when he spoke to the Kosovo Prime Minister on 8 June and Serbian Prime Minister on 13 June, as did the Prime Minister's Envoy, Lord Peach when he spoke to President Vucic on 7 June. I [Lord Ahmad] discussed the current tensions with Kosovo's Foreign Minister on 8 June.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the alleged kidnap of three Kosovan Police Officers by Serbian forces in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
On 16 June the UK called for the immediate release of the three Kosovo police officers detained on 14 June by Serbian Gendarmerie in disputed circumstances. The US and Germany have similarly publicly called for their release. This latest incident further underlines the importance of de-escalation and a return to dialogue to bring to an end the current cycle of tensions. The Foreign Secretary and Lord Peach have spoken to leaders in both Serbia and Kosovo to reinforce this message in recent days.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation between Serbia and Kosovo.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemned the unprovoked attack on NATO troops in northern Kosovo on 29 May and, alongside our partners, are calling on Serbia and Kosovo to take immediate steps to de-escalate and return to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary reiterated these messages when he spoke to the Kosovo Prime Minister on 8 June, as did the Prime Minister's Envoy, Lord Peach when he spoke to President Vucic on 7 June. I [Lord Ahmad] discussed the current tensions with Kosovo's Foreign Minister on 8 June.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in the western Balkans.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We condemn the recent unprovoked attack on NATO troops in northern Kosovo. We are pressing for urgent de-escalation of these latest tensions. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation with Prime Minister Kurti on 8 June. The Prime Minister’s Envoy Lord Peach spoke to President Vucic on 7 June and visited Kosovo on 30 May. The Foreign Secretary will see the Serbian Prime Minister later today.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK troops are stationed in Kosovo as part of KFOR.
Answered by James Heappey
There are 41 UK personnel currently in theatre as part of NATO's KFOR mission. This includes two staff officers in the KFOR HQ and an Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Task Unit which provides a highly valued capability.
We also provide a Battalion sized Over the Horizon Strategic Reserve Force (SRF) which is held at 14 days' notice to effect in the UK.
The UK recently extended our commitment to KFOR until at least 2026.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK troops have been stationed in Kosovo as part of KFOR each year since 2015.
Answered by James Heappey
Since 2015 the UK have deployed the following personnel to NATO’s KFOR mission.
Year | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
OP Elgin | 1 | 36 | 45 | 56 | 58 | 540 | 121 | 64 |
Total | 1 | 36 | 45 | 56 | 58 | 540 | 121 | 64 |
The above figures include tour rotations, there are currently 41 personnel based in country. The contributions in 2021 and 2022 are higher due to the UK’s participation in KFOR’s Operational Rehearsal exercise series. Our contribution to KFOR this year will rise to 330 personnel from August to October once again as part of KFOR’s Operational Rehearsal.
The UK remains committed to KFOR and supporting security in Kosovo as underlined by the recent extension of our contribution until at least 2026.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 counterparts in the Council of Europe on the vote of 24 April 2023 on Kosovo’s membership application.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach, discussed the 24 April vote with Kosovo President Osmani on 5 May. The UK welcomes the decision by the Council of Europe's (CoE) Committee of Ministers to pass Kosovo's application to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). This next step in the process will allow due consideration of the application in accordance with standard Council of Europe membership procedures.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress the Government has made o the driving license exchange between the UK and Republic of Kosovo.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK does allow the exchange of driving licences with certain countries, but Kosovo is not currently a designated country for this scheme. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has received a request from the Embassy of Kosovo to consider a possible reciprocal driving licence exchange agreement and is providing the necessary information to progress this.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to annually uprate the UK basic state pension to qualifying individuals on the same basis regardless of the state or territory in which they are currently resident; and what reciprocal agreements they have made, if any, with other countries in respect of pension uprating.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and up-rated overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement in place that allows for up-rating. The policy on up-rating is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years. The Government has no plans to change this policy.
The UK has reciprocal social security agreements, which provide State Pension up-rating, with the following authorities:
The UK also has agreements in place with the European Economic Area and Switzerland which provide for State Pension up-rating.