Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for an outbreak of civil violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK takes talk of secession, and other threats to undo the progress of the last twenty-six years in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) very seriously. We have called on those responsible to cease this destabilising and divisive rhetoric. As a UN Security Council and Peace Implementation Council Steering Board member, the UK is committed to upholding the Dayton Agreement in BiH. The UK, along with our allies, is offering visible and practical support to BiH's territorial integrity, and to maintain the EU military mission (EUFOR) and the Office of the High Representative in BiH. We will continue to help the people of BiH in building a better future in a stable and prosperous State with strong, functioning institutions. Ultimately, the authorities in BiH themselves must make necessary reforms for the good of all citizens, and we call on them to meet their obligations to those who elected them.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to record and certify vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no plans to record vaccinations given to UK nationals abroad.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have provided to British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies during the COVID-19 pandemic; and whether this support will extend to the provision of vaccinations when trials are concluded.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government has undertaken a major operation to support the Overseas Territories (OTs) in dealing with COVID-19. Support has been sent to all of the inhabited OTs with the exception of Pitcairn. UK support has enabled seven OTs to start testing for the virus and the others to continue testing when supply routes were cut. Supplies of PPE were sent to ensure no OT ran out. Medical equipment was sent to ensure hospitals could cope when each island was cut off from their usual medical evacuation routes by providing field hospital equipment, medicines, ventilators, CPAPS and other equipment. Expert support was provided in the form of advice from PHE, deployments of medical staff and a remote telemedicine service providing OT clinicians with remote access to clinical advice in the treatment of COVID-19 and other critical conditions. Military teams were deployed to the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands to support with logistics and border security. Flights were arranged by the FCDO to repatriate British nationals to and from the OTs. Emergency budgetary support has been provided to Montserrat, St Helena and Anguilla to keep essential public services running and ensure these OTs can respond to the impacts of the pandemic.
The UK Government has worked closely with the governments of the Crown Dependencies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Crown Dependencies are responsible for their own emergency planning, response and recovery, the UK has engaged at working and political level with these jurisdictions to support their own efforts to combat COVID-19 and mitigate against its spread on the islands. This has included ensuring that the Crown Dependencies can access UK supply chains for key medicines and medical devices, including PPE and ventilators. The UK will maintain this engagement over the coming months to ensure that the UK can continue to offer support to Crown Dependency governments.
Through the Vaccine Task Force, the UK Government is procuring vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and OTs, and is working with them to ensure the smooth deployment of a COVID-19 vaccine once a safe and effective one is available.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what aid they have provided to Lebanon following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In response to the Beirut Port explosion on 4 August 2020, the UK announced a £25 million package of humanitarian assistance to help support Lebanon in its time of urgent need. This makes us one of the biggest international donors to the crisis.
Of this assistance, £20 million is allocated to the UN World Food Programme in Lebanon and will go directly to help vulnerable families by covering their essential survival needs, and will provide support for cash, vouchers, or in-kind support. £3 million will go to the British Red Cross for emergency support to respond to the explosion.
We rapidly deployed UK experts to Beirut to advise and assist with the response and undertake longer term planning. This has included:
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on diplomatic relations of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a friend of Egypt – a firm security partner, business partner of choice, a practical supporter of empowering the Egyptian people, and an advocate of modernising reform. We cooperate on a range of issues both bilaterally and multilaterally, including in our shared interests of combating terrorism, countering extremism, and working to bring stability and security to Libya. I have visited Egypt twice this year, and the Foreign Secretary visited in February.
All relationships have their issues. We are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government about the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh. Our Travel Advice can have political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on the economy of Egypt of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh since the ban was imposed in 2015.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my noble friend to the response given to PQ HL2384, copied below for ease of reference:
Despite Her Majesty's Government's ban on flights to Sharm El Sheikh, British tourists continue to visit Egypt. Our Travel Advice does not advise against travel to many parts of Egypt. So far this year, UK tourists have contributed US$153 million to the Egyptian economy. Britain is the number two western European country in terms of numbers of tourists in Egypt.
The Egyptian Tourism Minister stated in 2015 that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack had resulted in direct losses estimated at US$280 million a month to the Egyptian economy. This figure included the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries.
We know the importance of tourism in Sharm El Sheikh and are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government. Our Travel Advice can have trade and political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the loss to the Egyptian economy if the ban on Sharm El Sheikh continues within the World Tourism Market, to be held at Earls Court on 4 November.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Despite Her Majesty's Government's ban on flights to Sharm El Sheikh, British tourists continue to visit Egypt. Our Travel Advice does not advise against travel to many parts of Egypt. So far this year, UK tourists have contributed over $153 million to the Egyptian economy. Britain is the number two western European country in terms of numbers of tourists in Egypt.
The Egyptian Tourism Minister stated in 2015 that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack had resulted in direct losses estimated at $280 million a month to the Egyptian economy. This figure included the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries.
We know the importance of tourism in Sharm El Sheikh and are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian government. Our Travel Advice can have trade and political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Ukraine, what programmes are in place to support Ukraine's independence, and our bilateral relationship.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is using a number of Government funding streams in Ukraine, including the Conflict Stability and Security Fund and the Global Britain Fund. In the Financial Year 2016/17 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is administering approximately £28 million worth of programme work covering a number of areas such as support to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, EU Advisory Mission, demining and defence, anti-corruption, public administration reform, strategic communications, and reform of the business and economic environment.