Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the closure of the UN Transitional Mission to Sudan will have on the Sudanese people and other UN operations; and whether they expect there to be a successor to that Mission.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to use its position as penholder to speak out against egregious human rights abuses being committed by both warring parties, and call for a permanent ceasefire, a transfer of power to a civilian administration, as well as unfettered humanitarian access. We worked closely with Security Council members and the UN Secretariat to agree an orderly transition and liquidation last December; this was the best available outcome in the circumstances. We welcome the Secretary-General's appointment of Ramtane Lamamra as a personal envoy, whom we are keen to support.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that there have been almost 10,000 suspected cases of cholera in Sudan as of 20 January, what channels of assistance, if any, they are using to combat the outbreak; and what discussions they have had with other international partners as part of those efforts.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Due to the ongoing conflict, Sudan continues to grapple with mass displacement, disease outbreaks and malnutrition. The health system has been overwhelmed by attacks on health facilities and the scarcity of medical supplies, equipment, health workers and funds. The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Sudan with cholera treatments and direct support to cholera isolation centres. The UK is funding Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and health activities in Sudan via the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). We are supporting the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and have deployed a senior epidemiologist to bolster the national response.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which UK and international contributions to UN humanitarian agencies to date are meeting the needs of internally displaced people in Sudan.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UN estimates almost 9 million people are currently internally displaced in Sudan. This is now the largest displacement crisis in the world. We are working with regional and international partners to help bring an end to the hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians, and secure safe humanitarian access to and for the most at-need communities. The UK continues to provide assistance to the many people in need in Sudan through our humanitarian aid package of £38 million for 2023-2024. In the next financial year 2024/2025 the UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Sudan will double, to £89 million.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the proposal from the International Agreements Committee, set out in its letter to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, published on 23 March 2023, that the Department for Business and Trade should publish a trade policy framework, setting out strategic policies and objectives for trade negotiations, to facilitate better parliamentary scrutiny of all trade.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government communicates its trade strategy in publicly available documents: the Integrated Review Refresh, speeches and committee appearances, and our Export Strategy. Publishing a framework may risk revealing our positions, undermining our ability to negotiate effectively and therefore place UK businesses in an uncompetitive position.
The Government is committed to providing updates to Parliament, which are also then available to the public. This information includes the Government’s strategic approach to free trade agreements, providing written updates after negotiating rounds, engaging with committees throughout negotiations, and in debates during Bill scrutiny. Ministers also provide information when answering written and oral questions.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what new opportunities they are considering for discussing migration in Europe, in particular (1) through the European Union or its institutions, (2) with European Union members, or (3) the Council of Europe.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is committed to working with international partners on migration. We must intensify efforts to stop migrant smuggling across Europe, over Europe’s external borders, and in source and transit countries. This requires a collective European voice on the global stage, including in multilateral fora.
Migration is a focus of all our bilateral and multilateral engagement with our European partners. The UK is clear that reducing illegal migration requires a coordinated approach across Europe. For example, the Prime Minister and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a small-group meeting on migration and organised immigration crime at the European Political Community Summit in Granada in October 2023, agreeing an eight-point plan to address growing levels of illegal migration to mainland Europe. We will continue to build on this work throughout 2024.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to hold an international conference on migration in Europe as part of their immigration and asylum strategy; and if so, through what means.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is committed to working with international partners on migration. We must intensify efforts to stop migrant smuggling across Europe, over Europe’s external borders, and in source and transit countries. This requires a collective European voice on the global stage, including in multilateral fora.
Migration is a focus of all our bilateral and multilateral engagement with our European partners. The UK is clear that reducing illegal migration requires a coordinated approach across Europe. For example, the Prime Minister and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a small-group meeting on migration and organised immigration crime at the European Political Community Summit in Granada in October 2023, agreeing an eight-point plan to address growing levels of illegal migration to mainland Europe. We will continue to build on this work throughout 2024.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for using the European Political Community as a forum for discussion and action on migration.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is committed to working with international partners on migration. We must intensify efforts to stop migrant smuggling across Europe, over Europe’s external borders, and in source and transit countries. This requires a collective European voice on the global stage, including in multilateral fora.
Migration is a focus of all our bilateral and multilateral engagement with our European partners. The UK is clear that reducing illegal migration requires a coordinated approach across Europe. For example, the Prime Minister and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a small-group meeting on migration and organised immigration crime at the European Political Community Summit in Granada in October 2023, agreeing an eight-point plan to address growing levels of illegal migration to mainland Europe. We will continue to build on this work throughout 2024.