Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent reports of xenophobic violence against migrants and refugees in South Africa; what discussions they have had with (1) the government of South Africa, and (2) regional partners regarding the protection of affected individuals; and what support they are providing through diplomatic or aid channels to promote the safety and rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the region.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK is closely monitoring developments regarding reports of violence and intimidation directed at migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa. We are concerned by any incidents of xenophobic violence and welcome the South African Government's public condemnation of attacks on foreign nationals and its commitment to uphold the rule of law and protect all those within its borders. We continue to engage with the South African Government and regional partners regarding these developments, including on public safety and human rights, as appropriate.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 4 August (HL9810), which are the 151 Conventions of the Council of Europe to which the UK is a signatory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I understand that Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials have been in touch with you on 5 September and provided you with a full list of the 151 Council of Europe Conventions to which the UK is a signatory.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government to which conventions of the Council of Europe is the United Kingdom a signatory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK has signed 151 Council of Europe Conventions, most recently signing the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer and the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence. Council of Europe Conventions are important for the UK's practical cooperation with our European partners since leaving the European Union, allowing the UK to shape and reform international norms and standards, as well as to rise to emerging human rights challenges.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the validity of the Maldives’ claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Islands were between the UK and Mauritius, following a long-standing dispute. They were bilateral negotiations between the two countries: no other states were involved. The Maldives are a valued partner and we are in regular contact with them about a range of issues.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government who will be representing the UK at the Global Refugee Forum.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Minister Mitchell represented the UK delegation at the Global Refugee Forum on 13th December.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mobilise funding to support the education of refugees in low and middle income host countries.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
As set out in the recent Development White Paper, the UK continues to support education for refugee children through our work in emergencies and protracted crises, with our support through Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education. This includes support for the implementation of the UNHCR-UNICEF Blueprint for Joint Action for Refugee Children. Working with a number of partners, we will also be announcing further support for inclusive refugee education at the Global Refugee Forum.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s 2022 report on UK aid’s results in education, and their official response to that report, what progress they have made in reforming and improving their capacity to assess the impact of their basic education programmes on improving foundational learning outcomes for children in partner countries.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The 2022 Independent Commission for Aid Impact report recommended FCDO accelerate work with partner governments to improve its ability to collect and use reliable data on children's learning. As a result, we developed a new Data for Foundational Learning programme, of up to £27 million (2023 - 2027), to strengthen the data on children's learning in low- and middle-income countries. This programme started implementation in March 2023. Through the Global Coalition for Foundational Learning, we are promoting a shared commitment to foundational learning for all. Additionally, we are improving our internal results framework to better measure impact on improving learning.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of free, quality, public education systems in the developing world, particularly in areas where state provision is weak or non-existent.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We have bilateral education programmes in 19 countries. FCDO projects work closely with governments where state provision is weak, using UK-led research on what works to influence policy on how to reach the most marginalised, particularly girls. The Girls' Education Challenge programme has supported over 1.5 million children to receive education since 2012. We are the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education which works with governments, including in fragile and conflict affected countries, to strengthen government education systems. In February, we announced a new pledge of £80 million to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value to the UK of developing relationships with Slovenian citizens currently living in Slovenia, who have undertaken courses in universities in the UK.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is proud to be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations with Slovenia in 2022. Our relationship is strong, and is reinforced by the close and enduring friendship and cooperation facilitated through educational exchange. We welcome the launch last year of the UK-Slovenia alumni network and support its goal to deepen and consolidate our educational ties.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of the British Council's presence in Slovenia; and what have been the principal successes of its work in that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the contribution the British Council has made to UK-Slovenia relations since it opened its offices there in 1992. The British Council's work across the education, cultural and science and innovation sectors in particular have been an important part of deepening UK-Slovenia relations, fostering strong links between our citizens and promoting the exchange of best practice.