Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department held discussions with counterparts in the United States on Venezuelan gold stored at the Bank of England between 23 and 31 January 2019.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The issue regarding control of the gold reserves is the subject of ongoing litigation and it would not be appropriate for FCDO to comment. The UK Government is not a party to the legal case.
We are working with a range of international partners, including the US, to encourage a democratic transition in Venezuela through free and fair presidential elections. This is essential to help to bring an end to the multiple crises afflicting the Venezuelan people.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Venezuelan gold stored in the Bank of England.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The issue regarding control of the gold reserves is the subject of ongoing litigation and it would not be appropriate for FCDO to comment. The UK Government is not a party to the legal case.
We are working with a range of international partners, including the US, to encourage a democratic transition in Venezuela through free and fair presidential elections. This is essential to help to bring an end to the multiple crises afflicting the Venezuelan people.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports that teachers and public sector workers in Venezuela took to the streets on 16 January 2023 in at least 13 states to protest for increased salaries.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There have been a number of recent protests by workers calling for higher public sector wages in Venezuela. Our policies towards Venezuela already take account of the economic and humanitarian crises in the country. Extraordinary levels of inflation, and the consequent destruction of wealth and of earning power, will have been important factors taken into account by the estimated 7 million Venezuelans who have taken the difficult decision to leave their country during recent years.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department recognises Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela as of 10 January 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 30 December 2022 the 2015 National Assembly of Venezuela democratically voted to disband the interim Government and the position of constitutional interim President held by Juan Guaidó, with effect from 5 January 2023. On 12 January, I [Minister Rutley] published a Written Ministerial Statement, noting that the United Kingdom respects the result of this vote. We commend former interim President Guaidó for his service to the Venezuelan people. We continue to consider the National Assembly elected in 2015 as the last democratically elected National Assembly in Venezuela. We continue not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolas Maduro since 2019. We do not comment on when legal advice has been received.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department received legal advice on its recognition of Juan Guiaido as interim President of Venezuela.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 30 December 2022 the 2015 National Assembly of Venezuela democratically voted to disband the interim Government and the position of constitutional interim President held by Juan Guaidó, with effect from 5 January 2023. On 12 January, I [Minister Rutley] published a Written Ministerial Statement, noting that the United Kingdom respects the result of this vote. We commend former interim President Guaidó for his service to the Venezuelan people. We continue to consider the National Assembly elected in 2015 as the last democratically elected National Assembly in Venezuela. We continue not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolas Maduro since 2019. We do not comment on when legal advice has been received.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by the Bank of England not to release gold deposited by the government of Venezuela on perceptions of the safety of the UK as a place to store assets.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Holding gold reserves on behalf of foreign central banks is a matter for the Bank of England. Furthermore, the issue regarding control of the gold reserves is the subject of ongoing litigation and it would not be appropriate for HMT to comment. Neither HMT nor HMG are a party in the legal case. As such, HM Treasury has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by the Bank of England not to release gold deposited by the government of Venezuela on perceptions of the safety of the UK as a place to store assets.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has been made of reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is coordinating with Venezuela to provide Shahed-136 drones to Russia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns Iranian support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has made this clear to Iran including when the Iranian chargé d'affaires was summoned on 3 October. Iran's supply of drones to Russia, whether direct or indirect, violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231. On 20 October, new UK sanctions targeted Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with drones. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is already sanctioned. The UK is following cooperation between Iran and Venezuela closely and will continue to stand up for UK values and security interests, and those of our partners.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of reports that Venezuela and Iran are establishing a maritime bridge between the two countries for the shipping of commercial products by sea.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is following cooperation between Iran and Venezuela closely and will continue to stand up for UK values and security interests, and those of our partners. The FCDO works closely with the relevant cross government enforcement bodies to ensure the robust implementation of existing UK sanctions. We have sanctioned 41 Venezuelan individuals responsible for human rights abuses, the undermining of democracy and corruption offences, and over 300 Iranian individuals and entities in relation to activities including human rights abuses, terrorism and weapons proliferation.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Venezuelan counterpart on Nicolás Maduro's involvement at the COP27 Summit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Involvement in the COP27 summit is a matter for the UN. I have had no discussions on this topic with my Venezuelan counterpart.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Guyanese counterpart on submissions to the International Court of Justice from both Guyana and Venezuela on the Guyana's objections to the border controversy case, in which Guyana is seeking a final and binding judgment to ascertain its territorial boundaries.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with my Guyanese counterpart but hope to do so in the near future. The UK and Guyana have a close relationship, evidenced by President Ali's visit to the UK earlier this year when he met with the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and His Majesty King Charles, as the Prince of Wales. The UK is clear that the 1899 Arbitral Award settled the border between Guyana and Venezuela; we recognise the ongoing court case in the International Court of Justice.