Asked by: Baroness Goldie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their position that foreign and defence policy are aligned, as stated in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published in March 2021, and the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, published in March 2023.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Global Britain in a Competitive Age, The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (IR 2021), set the UK’s overarching national security, foreign, defence and other relevant policy. It was supported by a series of published sub-strategies, including the 2021 Defence Command Paper and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy.
The IR 2021 foreshadowed the global turbulence of the last two years. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - to whom the UK continues to provide a range of economic, humanitarian and defensive military assistance - to imposing additional sanctions on Russia and Belarus and conflict in the Middle East, the reality is that the world has become more dangerous, with far-reaching consequences for the security and prosperity of the British people.
Integrated Review Refresh 2023 Responding to a More Contested and Volatile World (IRR 2023) set out how the UK will meet that challenge head-on.
IRR 2023 concluded that the broad direction set by IR2021 - which includes the integration of foreign and defence policy - was right and that HMG has made significant progress in delivering against that direction. The Defence Command Paper 2023 provided details on how the UK would respond to the changing context and deliver on the Integrated Review Refresh within its resource envelope, increasing its productivity and focusing on areas that will achieve impact.
Asked by: Baroness Goldie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reassess the factors which informed the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published in March 2021, and the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, published in March 2023.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office continually assesses the factors that informed the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy 2021 and its Refresh in 2023. Through the National Security Secretariat and COBR structures, the government monitors and analyses the changing global security context, and reviews its strategic direction accordingly through the National Security Council. The government does not have any plans to publish a further Integrated Review at this stage.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in the number of fuel smuggling routes from Libya on regional stability.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) is an important institution in Libya with a vital role to play. It is however vulnerable to malign state actors seeking to benefit from Libya's political instability and capture of Libyan wealth by a small number of well-placed individuals through corrupt practices such as fuel smuggling, which can contribute to regional instability. The UK is therefore supportive of any efforts to investigate corruption and impropriety in the NOC and advocates greater transparency on revenue expenditure. The UK is clear that it will investigate any relevant allegations of corruption falling under the Bribery Act 2010. Overall, the UK believes the only means of addressing these issues sustainably is through a political settlement under UN auspices, which it continues to support, including by encouraging all parties to engage meaningfully.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking to help counter the influence of unfriendly foreign actors on Libya’s oil industry.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) is an important institution in Libya with a vital role to play. It is however vulnerable to malign state actors seeking to benefit from Libya's political instability and capture of Libyan wealth by a small number of well-placed individuals through corrupt practices such as fuel smuggling, which can contribute to regional instability. The UK is therefore supportive of any efforts to investigate corruption and impropriety in the NOC and advocates greater transparency on revenue expenditure. The UK is clear that it will investigate any relevant allegations of corruption falling under the Bribery Act 2010. Overall, the UK believes the only means of addressing these issues sustainably is through a political settlement under UN auspices, which it continues to support, including by encouraging all parties to engage meaningfully.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with his Thai counterpart on support for refugees from the conflict in Myanmar.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary discussed the current situation in Myanmar with the Thai Prime Minister and Thai Foreign Minister during his visit to Thailand in March 2024. Discussions covered the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all in need inside Myanmar, and support those fleeing across the border. The UK continues to provide humanitarian assistance to people displaced by the conflict in Myanmar. Since September 2022, we have provided essential support to more than 85,000 Myanmar refugees in Thailand.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they, together with international partners, have had any discussions with the government of Nigeria, and with the authorities in (1) Burkina Faso, (2) Niger, and (3) Mali, to persuade those three counties to re-join the Economic Community of West African States in the interests of the stability and security of West Africa.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK maintains regular dialogue on regional security with the Nigerian Government and the Transitional Authorities in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. The Deputy Foreign Minister, spoke to ECOWAS Commission President Touray earlier this year after those three states announced their departure from the organisation. The Deputy National Security Adviser also visited Nigeria in February 2024 and discussed the future of the three states' participation in ECOWAS. The UK continues to encourage all actors to maintain regional engagement in the interest of working together to tackle the shared threat of terrorism and promote stability and prosperity for citizens in the region.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with regional partners on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO ministers are in regular contact with their international counterparts on Afghanistan both in the region and beyond. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Afghanistan during his recent visit to Central Asia. The UK Special Representative to Afghanistan regularly engages with international counterparts, including at the last Special Envoys' meeting in Doha in February, which focused on political and humanitarian issues.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking to support NGOs operating in Afghanistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan and NGOs operating in the country. Since April 2021, the UK has disbursed over £600 million in aid for Afghanistan. This funding includes direct and indirect support to a range of NGOs operating in Afghanistan. UK officials also meet regularly with NGO partners to discuss the operating context in Afghanistan, and to ensure support is as effective as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on food security in (a) Sudan and (b) South Sudan of disruption of the planting season.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Intense conflict and economic decline mean that 17.7 million people in Sudan (37 % of the population) are now experiencing acute food insecurity. This represents the highest percentage of food insecurity immediately after the harvest on record for Sudan. The spread of the conflict to the "breadbasket" state of Jazira meant that food production, grain milling, storage and transportation have been heavily impacted. In South Sudan, agricultural production and coping capacity are extremely limited due to the impact of conflict, flooding, under-investment and lack of infrastructure. The UK is supporting food assistance and livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable people in the two countries, but humanitarian access remains extremely challenging.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what the average time taken by his Department to respond to a freedom of information (FOI) request was in each of the last five years; how many and what proportion of FOI requests his Department did not answer within the target time in each of the last five years; and how many FOI requests to his Department have not been answered within the target time as of 24 April 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO takes its responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act very seriously and will continue to strive to answer Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within the required timescales.
1. Number of cases received and answered on time 2019 - 2023
Year | Department | Total Number of FOI requests | Total Number answered on time | % on time |
2019 | FCO | 1229 | 1146 | 93% |
DfID | 436 | 430 | 99% | |
2020 | FCO | 828 | 665 | 80% |
DfID | 288 | 283 | 98% | |
FCDO | 352 | 277 | 79% | |
2021 | FCDO | 1245 | 1080 | 87% |
2022 | FCDO | 1214 | 956 | 79% |
2023 | FCDO | 1362 | 866 | 64% |
2. Number of cases received and answered on time 2024 - to date
Year | Department | Total number of FOI requests closed to date | Total number answered on time to date | % answered on time |
2024 to date | FCDO | 334 | 212 | 63% |