Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what checks and balances they have in place to ensure that funding to the government of Iraq does not benefit organisations such as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or any Iranian-backed organisations operating in Iraq.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our funding and support is delivered through implementing partners and not directly through the Government of Iraq. Thorough due diligence assessment of all funding is carried out to ensure partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that regular meetings take place between Ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and UK faith communities on the impact of conflict on people of faith.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that conflicts, including the current conflict in the Middle East, can impact on British faith communities and lead to a rise in community tensions. Baroness Scott, DLUHC Minister for Faith, maintains an active programme of engagement with faith community representatives to discuss a range of issues, including the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East on British faith communities.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate engagement and meetings between faith communities and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. I and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce MP, regularly meets with members of different faith communities to discuss freedom of religion or belief around the world. She also attends each meeting of the UK FoRB Forum, which brings together around 80 civil society groups working on the issue. Over the last year, she has hosted a series of round table meetings focussing on different countries of concern, at which various faith groups have been well represented.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they will take, along with international partners, to secure a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has long been calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life. The UK welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution 2728 on 25 March, which reflects international consensus behind the UK's position.
Vital elements for a lasting peace include:
The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia Lebanon, Egypt, and the UAE in recent weeks.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the civil war in Sudan and the humanitarian consequences for communities and individuals across that country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, with 24.8 million people in need of assistance. The conflict that started on 15 April 2023 has displaced more than 8 million people, including over 1.9 million who have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries. The recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projection for Sudan reveals that intense conflict and organised violence, combined with continued economic decline, have driven approximately 17.7 million people into high levels of acute food insecurity. The UK is providing £42.6 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan in 2023-2024. We are also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities South Sudan and £15 million to Chad.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms for oversight, checks and balances, and due diligence they have in place for funding to the government in Iraq; and whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office track where this funding is allocated by the government of Iraq.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not currently provide any funding directly to the Government of Iraq, rather our programmes are delivered through implementing partners, including UN agencies, NGOs and private sector organisations.
Thorough due diligence assessments of all funding is carried out to ensure that partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries. Programmes are monitored regularly in year and through annual and project completion reviews. Third Party Monitoring, incorporated into some programmes, strengthens assurance and supports learning and evidence.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) funding, and (2) other assistance, they will provide along with international partners to prevent famine and starvation in (a) Gaza, and (b) Sudan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. On 20 March, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK has funded WFP to provide 2000 tons of food aid, enough to feed 275,000 people in Gaza. On 25 March, the Royal Air Force airdropped 10 tonnes of food aid - including water, rice and baby food - directly to civilians in Gaza.
We continue to call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.
With regard to Sudan, the UK has provided £42.6 million in humanitarian aid, including food security and nutrition assistance, to support people in Sudan in 2023-2024. UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the country will increase to £89 million for the year ahead.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they are currently providing to the government of Iraq broken down in terms of (1) how much funding is provided, and (2) where this funding is directed once it reaches Iraq.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK wants to see a more stable, peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Through both our bilateral and centrally managed programmes, we aim to counter threats, foster stability and development, while promoting UK interests and values. We do not currently provide any funding directly to the Government of Iraq, rather this is delivered through implementing partners, including UN agencies, NGOs and private sector organisations. All of our partners are subject to rigorous and robust checks to ensure that our funding reaches intended beneficiaries.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton on 5 March (HL Deb col 1544), whether they have received the interim report of the UN concerning allegations surrounding UNRWA staff members' involvement in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel; whether they have any plans to reinstate funding to UNRWA; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of UNRWA in delivering aid in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General. We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality.
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza, and the wider region.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to ensure that there is legal liability to provide effective remedies for all forms of human rights violations committed abroad by corporations domiciled in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and supports voluntary human rights due diligence approaches by UK businesses to respect human rights across their operations. In line with the Principles, the UK has a range of judicial and state-based, non-judicial mechanisms that help to support access to remedy for human rights abuses by UK business enterprises both in the UK and overseas. For example, the UK operates a National Contact Point to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, offering a platform for mediation and conciliation.