Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the Final Report for the United Nations Secretary-General: Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024, if he will make it his policy to resume funding of UNRWA operations in Gaza; and whether he has had discussions with his German counterpart on their decision to resume funding for UNRWA following publication of that report.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
We will set out our position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.
We remain absolutely committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.
We have regular discussions with international counterparts, including Germany, on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their definition of "public body" for the purposes of the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill; and whether this definition includes arts organisations.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Bill applies to a broad range of public bodies to protect community cohesion and ensure a consistent approach to foreign policy. Specifically, the Bill applies to public authorities, as defined in section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Bodies should already be aware if they are bound by section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 as this legislation has been on the statute book for 25 years and places wide-ranging obligations on them.
The definition may include some arts organisations such as some museums and galleries in receipt of significant public funding when they are undertaking certain public functions. As with any general definition in legislation, there are instances where the application of a definition depends on the specific facts of a case and it is ultimately for the courts to decide.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking with international partners to maintain global focus on the Sudan (a) conflict and (b) humanitarian crisis.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
I visited Chad in March. I met with the President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister to discuss the impact the conflict in Sudan is having on the country and to press Chad to support regional and international efforts to bring about a permanent ceasefire through political dialogue. I also met some of the over 700,000 refugees who have fled Sudan, reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the people of Sudan and announced a near-doubling of UK ODA to Sudan (£89 million). On 15 April, Lord Benyon represented the UK at the Paris Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Sudan. The Conference called upon the warring parties to stop fighting and meaningfully engage in a peace process. On the same day, the Foreign Secretary tweeted calling for a ceasefire. On 8 March, the UN Security Council adopted a UK-drafted Resolution calling for immediate ceasefire.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the humanitarian situation in Gaza on the delivery of maternity care.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation in Gaza and collects information from multiple sources, including on the status of healthcare provision. We are also in regular contact with humanitarian partners who operate in Gaza.
The UK is doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air. We trebled our aid commitment during the last financial year, including £4.25 million to the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, to provide life-saving support to vulnerable women and girls in Gaza. This support is expected to reach about 111,500 women, around 1 in 5 of the adult women in Gaza. It will support up to 100 community midwives, the distribution of around 20,000 menstrual hygiene management kits and 45,000 clean delivery kits.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will have discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the (a) effectiveness of command and control within the Israeli Defence Forces and (b) reports that a senior commander who was dismissed in connection with the strike that killed international aid workers in Gaza had expressed personal views on aid to Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Foreign Secretary visited Israel on 17 April and held high-level talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog and Foreign Minister Katz. He reiterated the need for an immediate pause in the fighting in Gaza to get aid in and hostages out.
The UK is pushing as hard as we can to get aid to Palestinian civilians. Israel must fulfil its commitments to enable a flood of aid, including by guaranteeing deconfliction for aid workers.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Amnesty International’s annual report, published 23 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We note Amnesty International's annual report, published last month.
The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights both internationally and domestically. We will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account. We report on the UK's work around the world to promote and protect human rights in the Annual Human Rights & Democracy Report, due to be published this summer.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the importance of upholding international law.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We have consistently called on all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure the protection of civilians. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this during his visit to Israel on 17 April.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether arms exported from the United Kingdom were used in the attack by Israeli Defence Forces on the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza on 16 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The British Government has underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza and ensure effective systems to guarantee the safety of humanitarian operations. We continue to raise this with Israel at the highest levels.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, whether his Department plans to recruit additional Tech Envoys.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
It is a priority action of the UK's International Technology Strategy to create the world's most extensive and capable technology diplomacy network, increasing the number of Technology Envoys, increasing our tech expertise across our global network, and uplifting the capability of our diplomats through training, secondments and recruitment. We are in the process of recruiting a North America Technology Envoy.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the welfare of Thailand embassy staff in the context of the conflict on the Thailand/Myanmar border.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety and welfare of embassy staff and British nationals in Thailand is our top priority, and the Ambassador has confirmed that all embassy staff are safe and well.