Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he is taking steps to support anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine prior to post-war reconstruction.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Tackling corruption is a critical part of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts. The UK's Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting anti-corruption, judicial and institutional reforms in Ukraine. This includes the development of the new, comprehensive Digital Reconstruction Management System, which will allow oversight over reconstruction projects and the relaunch of the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges, institutions critical to a judiciary free from unlawful interference. Alongside our US colleagues, we are jointly strengthening the capacity of Ukraine's national and local anti-corruption bodies, working with sub-national administrations that will be at the forefront of reconstruction.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to donate confiscated (a) vessels and (b) motors held at the Border Force storage facility in Dover to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ HL3009 on 18 March 2024
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, when he plans to publish the agenda for the European Political Community meeting to be hosted by the UK on 18 July 2024; and whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Hungary on its priorities for the meeting that it will host on 7 November 2024.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The agenda for the Summit will be set out in due course. The UK-hosted meeting will come at an important moment in efforts to galvanise support for Ukraine. It will also focus on how to work together to grapple with the common challenge of illegal migration across the continent, as well as other issues of shared concern. We are consulting with all European Political Community partners including Hungary as the next hosts.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to increase third-party (a) monitoring and (b) auditing of UK (i) aid and (ii) financial guarantees to Ukraine.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Since Russia's full-scale invasion, the FCDO has extensively used third party monitoring in Ukraine to deliver seven rounds of monitoring, using in-person field-visits and remote phone-surveys for its ODA programming. For loan guarantees, the FCDO uses its Contingent Liability Risk Management Framework to actively monitor and assess risks across its guarantee portfolio, which is regularly reviewed, including drawing from external audits. Going forward, FCDO has plans to expand third party monitoring and other assurance processes in Ukraine, which will be covered in the department's response to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's rapid review of UK aid to Ukraine.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, whether the package of equipment will include (a) Python Minefield Breaching Systems and (b) Trojan Armoured Engineer Vehicles.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The military aid package announced on 23 April 2024 does not include Python Minefield Breaching Systems or Trojan armoured engineer vehicles.
The package does include more than 400 armoured, protected, and all-terrain vehicles, more than 1,600 munitions in the form of both strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, whether the package of equipment will include the Dragon Fire laser system.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The military aid package announced on 23 April 2024 includes more than 400 armoured, protected, and all-terrain vehicles, more than 1,600 munitions in the form of both strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles. The DragonFire system is under development for first deployment in 2027 and as such is not included in this package.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, whether the package of equipment will include remote Minefield Breaching Systems.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The military aid package announced on 23 April 2024 does not include remote Minefield Breaching Systems.
The package does include more than 400 armoured, protected, and all-terrain vehicles, more than 1,600 munitions in the form of both strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press notice entitled PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, whether the package of equipment will include FV107 Scimitar vehicles.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The military aid package announced on 23 April 2024 does include FV107 Scimitar vehicles.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has a joint unit with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
His Majesty's Government has a joint unit on Euro-Atlantic Security Policy consisting of officials from FCDO and MOD. Additionally, both Departments regularly coordinate policy on Ukraine.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the funding to Ukraine announced by the Prime Minister on 23 April 2024, what proportion of that funding will be spent on equipment to be donated to the Ukrainian Government and forces.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The £500 million additional funding for Ukraine, announced on 23 April 2024 will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.