Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether all British Council staff that have applied under the ARAP scheme are now in the UK.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
45 former British Council employees have already arrived in the UK, together with their dependents. In August we also agreed to resettle over 50 British Council contractors. Many of these have already arrived in the UK with their families. We are working with the Home Office and the Ministry Of Defence in order to make sure that the rest of those who are eligible to come to the UK can do so.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the UK joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Prime Minister made clear through this year's Integrated Review that an increased focus on the Indo-Pacific is a key priority for this government. We are therefore building and strengthening partnerships bilaterally, multilaterally and in minilateral groupings across the region. The Indo-Pacific Quad is increasingly important to four of the UK's closest partners in the region (Australia, India, Japan and the US). The UK welcomes the outcomes of the two leaders' level Quad summits in March and September 2021, which echo many of the UK's priorities, including climate change, COVID-19 response, emerging technology and infrastructure. We are looking at options for closer practical cooperation with Quad members in these areas.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he recently travelled to Vietnam on an A321 aircraft leased from CMT; and whether the costs of that flight were met from his Departmental budget.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary's travel expenses for Ministerial trips are published quarterly at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-january-to-march-2021
Information pertaining to the Foreign Secretary's travel to Vietnam will be published at the same link in due course, in accordance with timelines set out by the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
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 Iranian counterpart on the election of Ebrahim Raisi as president.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with his Iranian counterpart Foreign Minister Zarif. He and his officials, including those in the British Embassy in Tehran, engage with Iran on a wide range of issues, including our nuclear concerns, our consular cases, human rights and Iran's role in the region. We call on President-elect Raisi to set Iran on a different course and expect to engage him on the full range of issues when he takes office.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
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 Israeli counterpart on the election of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Foreign Secretary most recently engaged with his Israeli counterparts during a visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the 25-26 May. We regularly discuss regional issues with international partners, and continue to support the security of our allies.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
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 effect on the level of threat to Israel of the election of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Foreign Secretary most recently engaged with his Israeli counterparts during a visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the 25-26 May. We regularly discuss regional issues with international partners, and continue to support the security of our allies.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase UK diplomatic cooperation with Israel as part of the Integrated Review 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Integrated Review was published on 16 March and can be found on gov.uk. The review is the most comprehensive articulation of security, defence, development and foreign policy published by a British Government in decades. We are proud to enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship with Israel. We welcome the formation of a new government, and look forward to working together closely to ensure the relationship goes from strength to strength. We engage frequently with the Government of Israel, and will continue to do so.