Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Georgia on the conduct of elections in that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK is committed to supporting Georgia to hold elections that meet international standards. During his March 2023 visit to Georgia, the former Foreign Secretary pledged £500,000 to support election monitoring in Georgia including £70,000 to support the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights' mission ahead of elections expected in October 2024. The former Minister for Europe discussed elections with then Georgian Prime Minister Gharibashvili during his visit to Tbilisi on 21 November 2023.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Georgian counterpart on the impact of the foreign agent bill on the treatment of (a) UK and (b) international non-governmental organisations during elections in that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK is committed to supporting a vibrant civil society in Georgia, which is an essential attribute of a healthy democracy. I [Minister for Europe] discussed this and a range of other issues with the Georgian Ambassador on 17 April, and on 2 May I publicly raised my concerns regarding the apparent excessive use of force by police during demonstrations in Tbilisi. His Majesty's Ambassador to Georgia has consistently made our concerns about the proposed law on Transparency of Foreign Influence known to the Georgian Government, most recently to the Prime Minister on 22 April and President on 4 May.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
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 Georgia's draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK is committed to supporting a vibrant civil society in Georgia, which is an essential attribute of a healthy democracy. I [Minister for Europe] discussed this and a range of other issues with the Georgian Ambassador on 17 April, and on 2 May I publicly raised my concerns regarding the apparent excessive use of force by police during demonstrations in Tbilisi. His Majesty's Ambassador to Georgia has consistently made our concerns about the proposed law on Transparency of Foreign Influence known to the Georgian Government, most recently to the Prime Minister on 22 April and President on 4 May.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made recent representations to his Georgian counterpart on the (a) release and (b) pardon of Mikhail Saakashvili.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
His Majesty's Ambassador to Georgia has discussed Mr Saakashvili's health and detention conditions with the Georgian Government and with Mr Saakashvili's supporters on several occasions. The former Foreign Secretary discussed Mr Saakashvili's detention with Georgian Foreign Minister Darchiashvili in January 2023. The UK is clear that Mr Saakashvili must receive treatment in line with international human rights standards, and that any further hearings regarding his case are in line with the rule of law and due process. We continue to follow the imprisonment of Mr Saakashvili's closely.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in Georgia on the conduct of Russia towards that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
As a valued international security partner, the UK holds regular discussions with the Georgian Government regarding combatting Russian hybrid aggression and illegal presence in Georgian territories. In November, the former Minister for Europe discussed Georgia's sovereignty over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with then Prime Minister Gharibashvili and Foreign Minister Darchiashvili, and His Majesty's Ambassador to Georgia regularly discusses these matters with Georgian counterparts. Countering Russian aggression in the region is a priority for the UK.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring political institutional reform in Ukraine as a condition of providing reconstruction aid to that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The new UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation sets out our reform expectations for the Government of Ukraine, aligning with priority reforms set by NATO, the EU, the International Monetary Fund and our G7 Partners. Ukraine has continued to reiterate its commitment to making progress on reforms as part of the EU accession process and its reconstruction efforts. Institutional reform is a key part of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts to build back better, ensuring greater transparency and oversight. The UK has been providing technical assistance to key political institutional reforms, including anti-corruption and electoral reform in Ukraine.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on taking steps to help tackle public sector corruption in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Ukraine has made significant progress on anti-corruption reform since 2014. As the Ukrainian Government recognises, there remains more to do. The UK-funded Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting key anti-corruption and governance reforms in Ukraine, including the relaunch of the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges, institutions critical to a judiciary free from unlawful interference. The UK also supports defence reform, providing senior UK advisory support to the Ministry of Defence and Defence Reform Advisory Board.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on the suspension of special permits for hydrocarbons in Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
While we are in regular contact with the Ukrainian Government, the issue of special permits for hydrocarbon projects by the Ukrainian authorities has not been discussed. The UK government is engaged with the Ministry of Energy and Ukrainian companies on short-term energy security needs and has introduced a time-limited exemption to its international fossil fuel support policy for Ukraine. Longer-term solutions in the region and globally must focus on clean energy, to prevent long-term dependence on fossil fuels.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage the BBC to publish the 2004 Balen Report.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government, and this is an issue for the BBC.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK's participation in the Horizon scheme cannot be (a) suspended and (b) terminated by the EU.
Answered by George Freeman
On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This is a landmark moment for scientific and space collaboration between the EU and the UK. Horizon Europe strengthens UK science and boosts economic growth. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.
This agreement secures UK association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus through to 2027 when these programmes finish. The agreement will now be adopted by both sides, confirming the UK’s association to these two programmes as well as binding both parties to the terms of this deal.