Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received an invitation to attend the third conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons in Vienna on 8 to 9 December 2014; and what representation the UK plans to send.
Answered by David Lidington
The United Kingdom has now received an invitation to this conference and the Government is considering whether to attend.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of the imposition of economic sanctions on Israel on that country's (a) actions towards and (b) relations with the areas governed by the Palestinian Authority since the beginning of Israel's current military action in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have not made an assessment of the potential effects of the imposition of economic sanction on Israel, as the UK does not believe that imposing sanctions on Israel would be a constructive step. We enjoy a close and productive relationship with Israel which enables us to express our views at senior levels very frankly. It is our assessment that imposing sanctions on Israel would lessen this influence, not increase it, and would not promote the urgent progress towards a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which we want to see.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to discourage the continued construction of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories since the beginning of Israel's current military action in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK has reiterated on many occasions to Israel the need to cease constructing settlements that we consider illegal under international law. I refer my hon. Friend to the Statement on Gaza made by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 14 July 2014, Official Report, Column 434.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the Israeli government to end the occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza since the beginning of Israel's current military action in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I refer my hon. Friend to the Statement on Gaza made by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on 14 July 2014, Official Report, Column 434.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received about the role of Egyptian border control policies in contributing to the shortage of basic medical supplies in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We welcome the humanitarian aid packages that Egypt has been supplying to Gaza throughout the current crisis. However, we remain concerned at the frequent closures of the Rafah crossing, and the additional pressure that this puts on the fragile humanitarian situation. We continue to encourage the Egyptian authorities to ease the movement of humanitarian aid through Rafah.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received of water supplies and sewage plants being the targets of Israeli air strikes in Gaza during the recent Israeli military action.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The water and sanitation crisis is severe, with 50% of all services down. This situation has been exacerbated by damage to sewerage facilities caused by Israeli airstrikes.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of Israeli citizens killed by rockets launched from Gaza into Israel since the beginning of Israel's current military action in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As of the morning of 21 July our reports are that there have been 20 confirmed Israeli fatalities. One Israeli fatality caused by rocket fire; one Israeli fatality caused by mortar fire prior to the ground operation and eighteen Israeli soldiers killed during the ground operation.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse of litigation associated with the declaration of the Marine Protected Area on 1 April 2010 are to date.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
Though some final costs from Counsel on the recently concluded Court of Appeal hearing are yet to be received, the costs of domestic litigation to date is £325,444.42. We understand the litigant, Mr. Olivier Bancoult, has also been in receipt of legal aid. HM Government has been successful in defending all such litigation, and has therefore been awarded full costs in the Divisional Court, and half of our costs in the Court of Appeal, though these are still subject to assessment.
In respect of the recently concluded challenge by Mauritius in an arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, various costs matters are still ongoing.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in the African Great Lakes region.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
Last week, I met with Ministers from the DRC and Rwanda, and with representatives of the UN, and urged all to seize the current opportunity to stabilise eastern DRC.
When I met President Kabila in February in Kinshasa, I discussed the importance of his government taking clear steps on stability and governance.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response the UK has made to the application of the Marshall Islands to the International Court of Justice in respect of compliance by the UK with Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
The UK is currently considering its response to the proceedings instituted by the Marshall Islands in the International Court of Justice on 24 April 2014. The UK is confident of its record in progressing nuclear disarmament in accordance its obligations under the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and will defend its position robustly.