Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, fwith reference to the Answer of 16 April 2018 to Question HL6838, whether the Integrated Activity Fund is used to finance (a) training and (b) other activities delivered Bahraini bodies dealing with security matters.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Integrated Activity Fund supports Bahrain-led reform, sharing UK expertise and experience including on security matters. These projects aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions and strengthening the rule of law. Any training and activities provided by, or on behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 3 July 2018 to Question 157711 on Gulf States: Overseas Aid, if he will set out (a) the activities and (b) the cost of each those activities delivered through the Integrated Activity Fund exclusively within (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Bahrain, (c) Kuwait, (d) Oman, (e) Qatar and (f) United Arab Emirates in financial year 2019-20.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Integrated Activity Fund supported a range of non-ODA programmes and projects across the Gulf. These included, but were not limited to, activities focusing on culture, healthcare, youth engagement, economic diversification and institutional capacity building. Activities were funded in all six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Many of the projects and programme activities were delivered regionally, so it is not possible to provide a breakdown by beneficiary state.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2020 to Question 14741 on Gulf States: Overseas Aid, and with reference to the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims’s assessment of Bahrain’s Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) investigation into torture allegations filed by Husain Moosa, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Integrated Activity Fund in meeting its objectives in relation to training programmes for the SIU.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The British Government takes note of a number of sources of information on Bahrain, including publications and statements from Non-Governmental Organisations, when assessing performance and progress. On the question of our assessment of Integrated Activity Fund activity with the Special Investigations Unit, I refer the Honourable Member to my response of 11 February to question 11506.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2020 to Question 5454 on Gulf States: Overseas Aid, how many project or programme activities have been funded by the Integrated Activity Fund solely for Bahrain during the financial years (a) 2018- 19 and (b) 2019-20; which Government departments applied for that funding to implement those project or programme activities; and how much money from the public purse was allocated from the Integrated Activity Fund to those project or programme activities.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
I refer the Honourable Member to my response of 16 June 2020 to question 57298.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2020 to Question 14741 on Gulf States: Overseas Aid and with reference to the findings of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims’s assessment of Bahrain’s Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) investigation into torture allegations filed by Husain Moosa which found that investigation to be inadequate and not compliant with international standards, if he will make an assessment of the extent to which the SIU's training programmes in receipt of Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) funding are on track to deliver the outcomes expected of IAF funded programmes.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The British Government takes note of a number of sources of information on Bahrain, including publications and statements from Non-Governmental Organisations, when assessing performance and progress. On the question of our assessment of Integrated Activity Fund activity with the Special Investigations Unit, I refer the Honourable Member to my response of 11 February to question 11506.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2020 to Question 5454 on Gulf States: Overseas Aid, how many projects and programme activities have been funded by the Integrated Activity Fund solely for Bahrain during (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20; which Departments applied for the funding to implement those projects and programme activities; and how much money was spent from the Integrated Activity Fund on those projects and programme activities.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Overall spend from the Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) in 2018/19 financial year was £17 million, and £12 million in 2019/20. The IAF funded activity in all six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Many of the projects and programme activities were delivered regionally, and final expenditure is subject to Departmental audits.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the re-imposition of the death sentence for Bahraini prisoners, Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa, if he will publish details of the continued assistance being provided by the Government to (a) justice and (b) security bodies in the Bahraini Government.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As I said on 8 January, we are deeply concerned about the death sentences given to Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware that the UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty, in all circumstances. The UK has and will continue to monitor the cases closely and raise concerns with senior members of the Bahraini Government.
Assistance provided to Bahrain is kept under regular review. All of our work is provided in line with international standards, and fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the (a) names and (b) organisations (a) delivering and (b) benefiting from training funded through the Integrated Activity Fund to Bahrain in the financial years (i) 2018-19 and (ii) 2019-20.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Integrated Activity Fund provides funding in support of a range of programmes across the Gulf Region. These include, but are not limited to, activities focusing on aquaculture, sport and culture, healthcare and institutional capacity building. All of our work is in line with international standards and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL16051 and HL16050), what they estimate of the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund’s budget allocated to Bahrain (1) was in the 2018–19 financial year, and (2) is in the 2019–20 financial year.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Integrated Activity Fund funded activity in all six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Many of the projects and programme activities were delivered regionally, so it is not possible to provide a breakdown by beneficiary state.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of spending by his Department's Integrated Activity Fund in Bahrain.
Answered by Alistair Burt
All spend from the Integrated Activity Fund in Bahrain is kept under regular review both in-country and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.