Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18736 on Hamas: UNRWA, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Israel's cooperation with the investigations carried out by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna; and whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on that country's cooperation with those investigations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza. We continue to urge Israel and all parties with relevant information to cooperate fully with the independent investigations.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20677 on UNRWA: Finance, what evidence his Department has received from Israel confirming allegations made against UNRWA; and whether he has shared that evidence with (a) UNRWA and (b) governments that have reinstated funding to UNRWA.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza. We continue to urge Israel and all parties with relevant information to cooperate fully with the independent investigations.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what (a) criteria he is using and (b) conditions he has set for UNRWA to determine the resumption of funding to that organisation; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the interim reports of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza. We continue to urge Israel and all parties with relevant information to cooperate fully with the independent investigations.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 implications for his policies of the terror attack in the southern West Bank on 19 March 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
This terror attack serves as a reminder of the daily security challenges Israel faces. There can be no justification for such acts of violence. Every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. As we have stated previously, for there to be a lasting peace, Israel's security must be assured. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we continue to have regular discussions with Israeli counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 impact of the attack on Crocus City Concert Hall in Moscow on terror threat levels in the UK.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK condemns in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City concert hall in Moscow and we express our deepest sympathy to the families of the many victims. We support the US assessment that Da'esh or their so-called Islamic State Khorasan Province branch is responsible. The threat level for the UK from terrorism is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre. It is kept under regular review.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to continue the suspension of aid funding to UNWRA until evidence is provided that dismisses links between UNWRA and proscribed terror groups.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We have paused any future funding of UNRWA.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 implications for his policies of reports of activity by Iran-backed terrorist groups in the West Bank.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel, including through its long-term support for proscribed groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas operating in Gaza and the West Bank. This . Iran must bear responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners.
We introduced a new sanctions regime designed to target Iran and its proxies and partners' hostile and destabilising activity last December. We immediately used these new powers to designate individuals and an entity responsible for Iran's support to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Foreign Secretary condemned in the strongest terms Iran's attack on Israel in a call with the Iranian Foreign Minister on 14 April, and made clear that Iran must stop these attacks and de-escalate.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
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 implications for his policies of the decision of Finland to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK was appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Government plans to resume funding for UNRWA following the decisions of (a) Canada, (b) Australia, (c) Sweden and (d) Finland to resume their funding for that organisation.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We have paused any future funding of UNRWA.
We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.
Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion, not least because UNRWA has a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build consensus among international partners on halting the supply of arms to all parties funding, sheltering or supporting proscribed terrorist groups, including Hamas.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty and fully implements its provisions. While the Treaty does not explicitly prohibit transfers to non-state actors, the UK considers that the requirements in Article 7 (Export and Export Assessment) and Article 11 (Diversion) require States Parties to take all appropriate steps to prevent the sale or diversion of arms to undesirable end uses or end users, including terrorist groups. Specifically, Article 7 deals with exports which would 'undermine peace and security' or could be used to breach international conventions or protocols relating to terrorism to which the exporting state is a party.
The Government will also not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 1: respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments. An export licence will also be refused if there is a risk that the items will be diverted to an undesirable end-user or for an undesirable end-use, including to terrorist organisations.