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Written Question
Shipping
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse implications of the current global freight shipping (1) disruptions, and (2) costs; and what assessment they have made of the risk that China will benefit from any preferential access to the Northern Arctic Sea route from Asia to Europe.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

While there may be some delays as supply chains adjust to current disruptions, shipping operators are working to mitigate any impact on consumers. The Government is working to equip UK businesses with the tools they need to deal with global supply chain issues and recently published the UK's first Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy. Although declining Arctic sea-ice could in future open new global shipping routes, the Arctic remains a harsh and challenging environment and current use of the Northern Sea Route remains limited and largely restricted to the summer months.


Written Question
Osaka: World Expo
Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote British interests at Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka, Japan.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

His Majesty's Government is committed to delivering a high-quality UK presence at Osaka Expo 2025. The UK Pavilion will promote the UK as a global science, tech and innovation superpower. It will also celebrate our deepening and highly productive strategic partnership with Japan, articulated in the historic Hiroshima Accord signed by Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Kishida of Japan in May 2023.


Written Question
Libya: Private Military and Security Companies
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support efforts to remove foreign mercenary groups from Libya.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.


Written Question
Libya: Morocco
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Morocco regarding the withdrawal of its support for militia in the west of Libya.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.


Written Question
Egypt: Libya
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt regarding the withdrawal of its support for the militia in the east of Libya.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.


Written Question
Libya: Politics and Government
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to bring about a unified government in Libya.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.


Written Question
British Overseas Territories: Foreign Relations
Thursday 14th December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a review of the UK's relationship with the overseas territories.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

At the November UK-OT Joint Ministerial Council, the UK Government agreed a Declaration with the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories (OTs), providing a new framework for our relationship with the OTs that is based on our shared values, and is fit for the 21st Century.

This refresh and modernisation of the relationships between UK and OTs will continue with the ongoing development, announced by the former Foreign Secretary in the Spring, of a new UK Strategy for the Overseas Territories, building on the 2012 White Paper.


Written Question
Ukraine Recovery Conference
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which directorate produced the list of invitees for the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference; and what were the criteria for selection for the invitees.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As co-hosts for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), the programme and attendance was agreed between the Governments of Ukraine and the UK. In addition to the countries and organisations which participated in previous URCs, we invited representatives from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America, recognising the global economic consequences of the war. Over 500 international businesses participated - selected in coordination with the Department of Business and Trade - to promote the potential of the private sector to support Ukraine's recovery. Representatives from Ukrainian and international civil society were selected from a diverse range of sectors at national, regional and local levels.


Written Question
Parliament: Embassies
Monday 2nd October 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidelines they offer to parliamentarians wishing to (1) communicate with, or (2) be communicated to, by officials from foreign embassies.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There is no formal guidance held by the FCDO for parliamentarians relating to their engagement with foreign diplomatic missions in the UK. Parliamentarians continue to be welcome to contact the relevant geographical desk within the FCDO for country specific advice.


Written Question
Uzbekistan
Monday 7th August 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the visit to the UK by Bakhtiyor Saidov, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, on 24 July, what priority areas were put forward in discussion by (1) Uzbekistan, (2) the UK; and when they anticipate that a return visit will take place to Uzbekistan by the Foreign Secretary or another Secretary of State.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary met Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov on 24 July to discuss how to advance our interests together, and how we can build stronger cooperation. The UK is committed to working with Uzbekistan across our many shared priorities: security, trade, human rights, climate and the war in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary's travel plans over the next year are yet to be decided, however he is committed to increasing ties with Uzbekistan. The Minister for Europe and Central Asia, Leo Docherty, visited Uzbekistan on 6 June and has since visited the four other Central Asian Republics.