Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Taliban leaders they have sanctioned using Magnitsky-style sanctions since 2021; and how many sanctions they have imposed in response to the suppression of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to meet our obligations under the United Nations sanctions regime relating to Afghanistan through the Afghanistan Sanctions (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 31 December 2020. The Government has not introduced any Global Human Rights sanctions against the Taliban since they took power in 2021, but we keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. More broadly, officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers on human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including against women and girls.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimate by the General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees in Sudan that over 560 children have died from malnutrition during the last 11 months of the war in that country, and of UNICEF’s prediction that 700,000 Sudanese children will suffer severe malnutrition in 2024, and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain a committed donor to Sudan and provided £42.6 million in humanitarian aid to support people there in 2023-2024, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for lifesaving nutrition activities. In this new financial year, UK bilateral ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. Funding for South Sudan was increased to £7.75 million, which includes £3.5 million for food security in the Maban refugees camps. The lack of humanitarian access continues to make it extremely difficult for humanitarian organisations to provide the necessary levels of assistance. On 8 March, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2724, led by the UK, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the month of Ramadan and underlining the urgency of humanitarian access. We condemn the fact that the warring parties have not heeded this Resolution.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the warning by Médecins Sans Frontières of a critical vaccine shortage in Darfur, and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by reports of critical vaccine shortages in Darfur. The UK continues to provide support to the health sector in Sudan through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF). We are also supporting Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in their essential work to improve access to vaccines for the world's most vulnerable children. However, access constraints and insecurity are limiting the ability of partners to deliver in many areas, including Darfur. We continue to work with the UN, other donors and trusted partners to improve and increase the delivery of aid across Sudan. The Minister for Development and Africa met Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on the Sudan/Chad border in late March and saw the vital work on vaccinations performed there.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the prolonged heatwave and drought on eastern and southern Africa, in particular on children, and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We closely monitor climatic conditions in Africa - including recent drought conditions in parts of Eastern and Southern Africa, where over 80 million people are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity. In 2023 the UK was the 4th largest bilateral donor to humanitarian appeals in sub-Saharan Africa. Our programmes in the region are directly tackling food insecurity and poor access to safe water, in order to improve the nutritional and health status of children. The UK is also raising the profile of humanitarian needs with our international partners, maintaining a focus on the need for long-term solutions to climate related crises in the region, including drought.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the closure of schools in South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The El Niño phenomenon exacerbates regional climate patterns and extreme weather events. Last month, excessive heat caused the temporary closure of some schools in South Sudan. The UK is one of the largest donors to education in South Sudan: we engage closely with the government, UNICEF, and education partners and will monitor the impact of interruptions to education. Our Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience in South Sudan programme has assisted approximately three million people by providing critical life-saving support and helping people to better cope with shocks from conflict, drought and flooding.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the president of Malawi declaring a state of disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts in the country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We share UNICEF's assessment that the El Nino phenomenon has contributed to failed rains across Southern Africa, resulting in serious drought in both Zambia and Malawi, which in turn will have a serious impact on children and the most vulnerable. We welcome the swift actions of Presidents Hichilema (Zambia) and Chakwera (Malawi) in declaring a state of national disaster and emergency across Zambia and within 23 out of 28 districts in Malawi.
In Zambia, the UK is committing to the rapid expansion of the Social Cash Transfer scheme to reduce food insecurity for an additional 6 million people and pivoting our existing nutrition programmes to expand access to treatment. We deployed a UK Humanitarian Stabilisation Operations Team to support the Government of Zambia's drought response coordination. In Malawi, the UK has contributed to the Government's investment into disaster risk financing instruments which will provide an immediate response when triggered. The Malawian Government is currently preparing its own El Nino Response Plan which will outline further international assistance requirements. The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the declaration of a national emergency in Zambia.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We share UNICEF's assessment that the El Nino phenomenon has contributed to failed rains across Southern Africa, resulting in serious drought in both Zambia and Malawi, which in turn will have a serious impact on children and the most vulnerable. We welcome the swift actions of Presidents Hichilema (Zambia) and Chakwera (Malawi) in declaring a state of national disaster and emergency across Zambia and within 23 out of 28 districts in Malawi.
In Zambia, the UK is committing to the rapid expansion of the Social Cash Transfer scheme to reduce food insecurity for an additional 6 million people and pivoting our existing nutrition programmes to expand access to treatment. We deployed a UK Humanitarian Stabilisation Operations Team to support the Government of Zambia's drought response coordination. In Malawi, the UK has contributed to the Government's investment into disaster risk financing instruments which will provide an immediate response when triggered. The Malawian Government is currently preparing its own El Nino Response Plan which will outline further international assistance requirements. The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 20 March on Hong Kong security legislation, whether they are still actively considering targeted sanctions against Chinese officials; and if not, why.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has never ruled out sanctions designations on any individual or entity. Any document which says otherwise is inaccurate and does not correctly reflect government policy at the time or currently. It is not appropriate to speculate on future designations, as to do so could reduce their impact, but the FCDO continues to keep potential sanctions designations under close review.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to date of the removal of Hikvision cameras from Whitehall departments; and what estimate they have made of the cost to local authorities of removing Hikvision cameras from local council buildings.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is a long-standing policy that the Government does not comment on security arrangements including the details of security systems. However, the UK takes national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure and protect its national security infrastructure.
Following Royal Assent of the Procurement Act on 26 October 2023 the Government committed to publishing a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites within six months. This timeline is due to be published by 26 April.
Sensitive sites were defined “as any building or complex that routinely holds secret material or above; any location that hosts a significant proportion of officials holding developed vetting clearance; any location which is routinely used by Ministers; and any government location covered under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.”
While local authorities may choose to follow the lead of central government in removing surveillance equipment they are under no obligation to do so. We encourage all organisations to follow NCSC supply chain security guidance when selecting a technology supplier. This guidance clearly sets the security standards that suppliers should meet and the considerations that organisations should be making during the procurement process.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Hong Kong Watch report, Tuition Fees for BNO Visa Holders: The Case for Home Fee Status, and the impact of the cost of international fees on the ability of young British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa holders to attend university; and whether they will follow the Scottish Government in introducing home fees status for BNO visa holders after three years of residency in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To qualify for home fee status in England, a person must have settled status or ’a recognised connection’ to the UK. A recognised connection includes persons who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement, have long residence in this country or who have been granted international protection by the Home Office. There are also requirements associated with ordinary residence in the UK.
Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for home fee status and student finance once they have acquired settled status in the UK (usually after 5 years). Education is fully devolved, and administrations are able to make their own arrangements for accessing home fee status.