Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the restoration of funding to UNRWA on the UK's relations with the United States.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million this financial year to UNRWA, to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. We reiterated this position in our E3 joint Foreign Ministers' statement of 31 January, alongside France and Germany.
We continue to work together with the new US administration to ensure regional security and stability, including ensuring lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and we thank the US for the integral role it played in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The Prime Minister reiterated this in his call with President Trump on 26 January. Our shared priority must be to work together to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full, becomes permanent, and supports a pathway to a sustainable peace.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is his policy to oppose efforts to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary has said, for the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes or loved ones, the last 14 months of conflict have been a living nightmare. The UK is clear that Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild. There must be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. We would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will.
We have always been clear that an immediate ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. The US played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, alongside Qatar and Egypt, and the Prime Minister reiterated this in his call with President Trump on 26 January. The UK has begun convening partners, and is prepared to help lead efforts, to ensure coordinated international support for Palestinian-led security, governance, recovery, and reconstruction in Gaza.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will condemn President Trump’s statement on moving Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary has said, for the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes or loved ones, the last 14 months of conflict have been a living nightmare. The UK is clear that Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild. There must be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. We would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will.
We have always been clear that an immediate ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. The US played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, alongside Qatar and Egypt, and the Prime Minister reiterated this in his call with President Trump on 26 January. The UK has begun convening partners, and is prepared to help lead efforts, to ensure coordinated international support for Palestinian-led security, governance, recovery, and reconstruction in Gaza.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
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 use diplomatic ties with (a) Turkey, (b) Qatar and (c) other countries in the region to advance humanitarian efforts in Sudan.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK continues to use diplomatic ties with Qatar and other regional partners to advance humanitarian efforts in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary met with the Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed on 7 November and discussed the dire humanitarian situation. The Foreign Secretary has also had bilateral meetings with countries in the region to advance humanitarian access including: the Saudi Foreign Minister; the Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister and the UAE Foreign Minister. The Foreign Secretary has also engaged with the region in multilateral fora, such as a roundtable he hosted during the UK's UN Security Council presidency in November, with African Union, Algeria and Egypt in attendance. Here he urged states to use their influence with the warring parties to push for improved humanitarian access in Sudan. In November 2024, the UK co-led a protection of civilians resolution at the UN Security Council with Sierra Leone, which also called for parties to the conflict to agree humanitarian pauses, and ensure the delivery of adequate humanitarian aid. This received unanimous Council support, apart from Russia who chose to veto it.
Asked by: Johanna Baxter (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on the Protector programme.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Protector training has now transferred to the UK having completed four aircrew basic qualification courses in the United States. Further, four Protector Air Vehicles have now been delivered to RAF Waddington, where they are being maintained by 31 Squadron engineers. The required Test and Evaluation activity and UK training is underway, ahead of the planned platform in-service declaration later in 2025.
From a broader perspective, the UK is leading the MQ-9 International Cooperation Support Partnership which now has seven participant members (UK, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain) and five observer nations (Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Qatar, Sweden), with an expectation of further growth. The UK is working closely with the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force to scope options to provide Protector in support of operations in the Northern Atlantic and Arctic regions. Opportunities for NATO investment in RAF Waddington to support growth are also progressing.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
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 British citizens who have experienced trauma due to events in Gaza and Israel since October 2023.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the announcement of an agreement to end the fighting in Gaza. We have continually pressed for a resolution to secure a ceasefire and see the return of hostages. We welcome the release of seven hostages in Gaza, including British national Emily Damari, and thank Qatar, Egypt and the US for their support in bringing these individuals' and their families' horrific ordeal to an end. We are clear the agreement must be implemented in full with all hostages returned. We continue to support families who have been bereaved through the October 7 attacks. The Foreign Secretary has met with or spoken to all families of UK and UK-linked hostages cruelly detained by Hamas and has heard first-hand the suffering those families have endured, most recently on 13 January. A team of experts from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are providing ongoing support to family members in the UK and Israel. The UK Government has additionally supported 505 British nationals and eligible persons to leave Gaza since October 2023.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on whether violations of international humanitarian law have been committed by warring parties in Sudan.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Foreign Secretary has raised the humanitarian situation in Sudan with many of his counterparts, including the Foreign Ministers of Sierra Leone, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar. The Foreign Secretary also hosted a roundtable on the humanitarian situation in Sudan during the UK's UN Security Council presidency in November, including with the African Union, Algeria and Egypt in attendance. As penholder at the UN Security Council and leader of the Core Group on Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council, the UK has consistently drawn attention to appalling reports of international humanitarian and human rights law violations. In December 2024, the UK Special Representative to Sudan, Richard Crowder, led a UK delegation to Port Sudan, where he met with several members of the Sudanese Armed Forces and pressed directly for improved humanitarian access. On 18 October 2024, the UK led a joint statement, along with ten other donors, which condemned the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian efforts and called upon warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to facilitate mediation between parties to reduce conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with regional and international partners to reduce conflict in the Middle East. The UK is at the forefront of the response to fast moving events in Syria, engaging regularly with international partners to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government and reduced conflict. The UK supports political efforts to achieve a lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The Foreign Secretary met Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar in Israel on 13 January, and stressed to him the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire with all restrictions on aid to Gaza lifted. In Lebanon, UK support to the Lebanese Armed Forces underpins the ceasefire conditions agreed in November 2024 and seeks to implement UNSCR 1701. In Yemen, the UK supports the UN Special Envoy's office work on dialogue and mediation. With Qatar, the UK will host a forum to exchange conflict resolution and mediation expertise to further our joint commitment to peace in the Middle East.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Special Mission Immunity certificates have been (a) applied for by and (b) granted to each state since 4 March 2013.
Answered by Catherine West
Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK. As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement by the former Foreign Secretary dated 4 March 2013, a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State. Since 4 March 2013, the FCDO has received 68 requests for special missions, of which certificates were issued for visits from the following states: Egypt 35 certificates, Iran 1 certificate, Israel 16 certificates, Qatar 2 certificates, Rwanda 1 certificate and Saudi Arabia 3 certificates. Certificates were not issued for visits that did not meet the criteria for special missions, as set out by the former Foreign Secretary in 2013.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to help secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza since 19 December 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Securing an immediate ceasefire and the safe release of all hostages, including Emily Damari and three other hostages with strong links to the UK, remains the UK's top priority. We have continuously supported hostage talks, and we continue to work alongside our allies and partners in the region, exercising every possible diplomatic lever to see them immediately released. Since 19 December 2024, the Foreign Secretary has talked to several of his counterparts from across the region. On 6 January, the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, offered UK support for negotiations, and stressed the importance of securing a ceasefire to enable the safe return of Emily Damari and the three other UK-linked hostages and see an end to the war in Gaza.