Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 22 May and 6 June to Questions HL7776 and HL8196, whether Bahrain was a beneficiary of the Integrated Activity Fund in the 2016-17 financial year.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded programmes to support building effective and accountable public and judicial institutions in Bahrain. In financial year 2016-17, £1.52 million was spent on UK expertise to support Bahraini-led reform through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund. No funding was received from the Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) in 2016-17 for this activity. The IAF funded a range of projects in the Gulf in 2016-17 and, as many of these activities are delivered across the region, it is not possible to provide a breakdown according to each beneficiary state.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which UK bodies will be implementing the technical assistance programme under the £1.52 million funding for overseas aid to Bahrain; and which Bahraini bodies will be the beneficiaries of that programme in the 2017-18 financial year.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Government works with a number of implementation partners and beneficiaries to support Bahraini-led reform. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience. Any training provided by, or on behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
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 Answer by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 11 December 2017 (HC116299 and HC116302) regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's £1.52 million funding for overseas aid to Bahrain, with which UK bodies the FCO contracted to implement the technical assistance programme in Bahrain for the 2017–18 financial year.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government works with a number of implementation partners and beneficiaries to support Bahraini-led reform. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience. Any training provided by, on or behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
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 Answer by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 11 December 2017 (HC116299 and HC116302) regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's £1.52 million funding for overseas aid to Bahrain, which Bahraini bodies will benefit from the funding for the 2017–18 financial year.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government works with a number of implementation partners and beneficiaries to support Bahraini-led reform. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience. Any training provided by, or on behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which institutions and organisations in Bahrain will directly benefit from the (a) Global Britain and (b) Integrated Activity Funds during the 2018 financial year; and which UK Government body is tasked with implementing any training for which those funds are used in Bahrain.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Government works with a number of implementation partners to support Bahraini-led reform, including in the field of human rights. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share UK expertise and experience. Any training provided by, or on behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Autumn Budget 2017, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of assistance to Bahrain in the next 12 months.
Answered by Alistair Burt
In financial year 2016-17, £1.52 million was spent on UK expertise to Bahraini-led reform: This was financed from HMG's Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF). We expect a similar amount to be spent in financial year 2017-18. This funding will come from the Global Britain Fund and the Integrated Activity Fund.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (a) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse for programmes providing technical assistance and training to Bahrain and (b) from what Departmental funding stream did this assistance come from between October 2016 to October 2017.
Answered by Alistair Burt
In financial year 2016-17, £1.52 million was spent on UK expertise to Bahraini-led reform: This was financed from HMG's Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF). We expect a similar amount to be spent in financial year 2017-18. This funding will come from the Global Britain Fund and the Integrated Activity Fund.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government has committed to provide to (a) projects and (b) the government in Bahrain in each financial year from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We support Bahrain’s ambitious reform programmes and will provide in the region of £2.1 million of funding in support of projects aimed at strengthening human rights and the rule of law in 2015-16. The allocations for subsequent financial years to 2019/20 have not yet been agreed.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) targets and (b) goals the Bahraini authorities have been asked to work towards in the reform programmes in that country funded by his Department; and what progress has been made towards achieving those goals.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Government of Bahrain set out its own programme of reforms to implement the recommendations of Bahrain’s Independent Commission of Inquiry in 2011 and to respond to recommendations made at the UN Universal Periodic Review of Bahrain’s human rights situation. Our assistance supports Bahrain’s reform programme and is focussed on strengthening human rights and the rule of law. We welcome progress made in areas including: youth justice; the establishment and increasing effectiveness of the Ombudsman’s office, the Prisoner and Detainees’ Rights Commission and the reformed National Institute of Human Rights. We continue to work with the Government of Bahrain to ensure momentum and progress on its reforms, for the benefit of all Bahrainis.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK funding of Bahraini reform programmes.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We believe that UK support to Bahrain’s reform programme is the most constructive way to achieve long-lasting and sustainable reform in Bahrain. While it will take time to see the full results of much of this work, UK support is having a direct, positive impact on areas of concern. All FCO programmes and project work is routinely monitored and evaluated to inform and improve future assistance.