Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost to the UK in hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
A detailed summary of the full costs to the UK of hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be published when the relevant expenditure has been brought to account and audited.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contribution provided by the UK to (1) the Commonwealth Secretariat Fund, (2) the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, and (3) the Commonwealth Youth Programme, in each of the last two years.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
In the Commonwealth financial year 2014/15 the UK provided £5.4 million to the Commonwealth Secretariat, £8.9 million to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation and £1.03 million to the Commonwealth Youth Programme. In the Commonwealth financial year 2015/16 the UK provided £5.4 million to the Commonwealth Secretariat, £8.9 million to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation and £1.03 million to the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
Funding to the Commonwealth Secretariat has allowed it to promote democracy, rule of law, human rights, good governance and social and economic development, provide a voice for small states and also become a champion for youth empowerment.
The Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation is the principal avenue for the Commonwealth to provide technical assistance to Commonwealth member countries. All Commonwealth regions benefit from technical assistance, with the largest share of support directed towards Africa, followed by the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
Funding towards the Commonwealth Youth Programme helps to empower young women and men to develop their potential, creativity and skills as productive and dynamic members of their societies.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contribution provided by the UK to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The United Kingdom's assessed contribution to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's unified (regular) budget is paid in Euros and in the last three years were approximately as follows:
2014 | €15.2 million |
2015 | €14.3 million |
2016 | €14.3 million |
Additionally, the United Kingdom has funded the deployment of election observers to various Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights missions across the OSCE in the last five years as in the table:
2014 | £619,000. |
2015 | £583,000. |
2016 | £517,000 (to end of October) |
The UK has also contributed bilateral funding to various OSCE -implemented projects over the past five years. Funding for these projects were agreed on a case -by -case basis and there is no central record of all the contributions.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the joint Euro-Atlantic Security Policy Unit, which was referred to in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, has been formed; and what its future role is anticipated to be when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Joint Unit on Euro-Atlantic Security Policy (EASP) was launched on 18 October 2016. Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence colleagues are now co-located as a single team leading the Government's work on NATO policy, the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy, and Conventional Arms Control in Europe.
As set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the UK remains fully and strongly committed to European defence and security. The EASP Joint Unit will continue to lead on these issues after the UK leaves the EU.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Ministerial Council Meeting held in Basel on 4 and 5 December; and what progress was made in the Helsinki +40 process.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
I refer the noble Lord to the written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2014 on the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) Basel Ministerial Council, made by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), which I repeated in the House of Lords, Official Report, columns WS5-6. In the Statement, it was noted that a further Declaration was agreed on the continuation of the Helsinki +40 process. However, the process in 2014 has largely stalled due to the Ukraine crisis, with only limited discussion of possible efficiency measures. The incoming Serbian OSCE Chairmanship has a mandate to continue discussions. But it remains unclear how they can take the process forward while Russia continues to violate core OSCE principles. We continue to focus in the first place on restoring respect for, and implementation of, those commitments.