Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Israel about its planned annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We made clear our deep concerns about reports that the new Israeli Government coalition has reached an agreement which may pave the way for annexation of parts of the West Bank at the UN Security Council remote meeting on the Middle East Peace Process on 23 April. The UK position is clear: any unilateral moves towards annexation of parts of the West Bank by Israel would be damaging to efforts to restart peace negotiations and contrary to international law. The Prime Minister reiterated our opposition to the unilateral annexation of territory during a call with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on 6 February.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to repatriate (1) British citizens, and (2) UK residents, overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. We have now brought home nearly 31,000 people on 144 flights organised by the Foreign Office from 27 countries and territories
To get as many people back as quickly as possible, we have encouraged and facilitated the use of commercial transport options where these exist. Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work with airlines and foreign governments to keep vital routes open. Our effort is now focused on supporting the return as quickly and safely as possible of the tens of thousands British nationals remaining overseas and wishing to return.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional financial support to the British Council during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) remains committed to the British Council, who are a key driver of our soft power overseas and a precious part of the FCO family. In order to help stabilise their immediate financial position following the impact of Covid-19 on their ability to operate, we agreed to provide the British Council with £26m of additional funding for the 2019-20 financial year. We have also provided some of their 2020-21 Grant-in-Aid funding upfront this month to further alleviate pressures.
The FCO have also supported the British Council in accessing wider government relief available through the COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme and similar schemes in other countries. This will help them support many of their workforce, and those employed through its partners, funded through the commercial side of their business. We will continue to work closely with the British Council in the coming days and weeks to seek to address the impact of COVID-19 on their ability to operate.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to British nationals with urgent medical needs that cannot be met in the countries in which they are located.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
British travellers with urgent medical needs should get in touch with their insurer as soon as possible and call the relevant Embassy, High Commission or Consulate before they run out of medication if they have not been able to replace it using our published advice.
Since 23 March we have advised British travellers to return home. Where commercial options are not available, we have organised charter flights, prioritising the most vulnerable. For any British travellers still abroad, our consular teams are available to assist those with medication needs.
Our Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates continue to support individual consular cases as they arise, prioritizing the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with overseas counterparts on a coherent international response to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic leading to further instability in Syria.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises the significant threat posed by COVID-19 in Syria. We are therefore speaking regularly to other countries and donors engaged in Syria as well as to the UN regarding the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Syria. In bilateral discussions we have also expressed our support for an immediate, nationwide ceasefire to enable complete focus on countering COVID-19. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa discussed this with Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria, on 1 April; President of the Syrian Negotiation Commission, Nasr al Hariri, on 14 April; the US Envoy for Syria, Ambassador Jeffrey, on 17 April; and the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister on 27 April. We have also raised the risks posed by COVID-19 in Syria at the UN Security Council on 30 March and 29 April.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions the Foreign Secretary has had with his counterpart in the government of Iran about the permanent release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are relieved that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was temporarily released on March 17. While her further extension is a welcome step, we continue to urge the Iranian Government to immediately release her - and all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran - to enable them to return to their families in the UK. The Foreign Secretary raised this with Foreign Minister Zarif on 16 March and Minister of State for the Middle East with the Iranian Ambassador on 26 March. Our Ambassador in Tehran consistently raises all of our dual national detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about the recent arrests of political opponents by the Hong Kong police.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the arrests of a number of political figures in Hong Kong, and are following these cases closely. We expect any arrests and judicial processes to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong's way of life and as such is protected in both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. It is essential that any protests are conducted peacefully, and that the authorities avoid actions that inflame tensions. The authorities should focus on rebuilding trust through a process of meaningful political dialogue. Officials have raised our concerns with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on peace and security in Africa.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
COVID-19, and it's economic consequences, will disproportionately adversely affect countries with existing humanitarian crises and high risk of instability, including countries in conflict and those at risk of seasonal climatic shocks. Supporting countries in Africa to mitigate the impacts of COVID 19 on peace and security is important and in the UK interest. The UK is considering this in our political engagement and international response.
Disrupted markets and trade, as well as the effects of lockdown measures will affect countries and regions with existing high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, increasing the need for support, while global supply chains to deliver humanitarian support continue to be significantly disrupted. Humanitarian access is also more difficult, including for essential international medical personnel.
Increased pressure on state institutions and stringent lockdown conditions may exacerbate existing tensions on access to resources and, with security forces more stretched than usual, could have implications for stability.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by governments overseas on human rights standards in those countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by reports that some governments are using the current crisis to fail to comply with their human rights obligations. On 9 April, the UK participated in the UN Human Rights Council's first ever virtual conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discussion focused on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 crisis; both the immediate impact of the response on human rights around the world, and the social and economic consequences, including the prospect of greater inequality. In his statement to the Council, our Ambassador to the UN in Geneva stressed the importance of ensuring that parliaments, media and civil society all play their role to scrutinise the actions of governments and international agencies, and that we make use of the international human rights frameworks. The British Government remains committed to standing up for human rights and the rule of law in all circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 15 July (HL16912), what assessment Her Majesty's High Commissioner to South Africa has made of Bain and Company's consultancy work for the South African Revenue Service; and what recommendations, if any, he has made about its work for Her Majesty's Government.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British High Commission regularly reports to the Government on significant developments in South Africa, and is aware of the findings of the Nugent Commission on the work Bain & Company conducted for the South African Revenue Service. Assessments on the probity and quality of work on individual British Government contracts are undertaken on a department by department basis. A British Government department seeking bids for contracts covered by the Public Contracts Regulations would need to follow the rules on exclusions as defined within Regulation 57.