Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report entitled Intimidation as Foreign Policy, published by Policy Exchange on 29 January 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department is considering the Policy Exchange report of 29 January 2024. The UK's continued priority is to ensure the long term continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia. Mauritius has also publicly committed to this goal.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will stop negotiations with Mauritius over the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Mauritius are continuing negotiations with Mauritius over the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The UK's priority is to ensure the long term continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia. Mauritius has also publicly committed to this goal.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what the cost to the public purse was of Official Development Assistance funding to Montserrat in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Montserrat remains stricken by volcanic eruptions which occurred 29 years ago. Through the FCDO's Budget Support Programme, we provided £23.6 million in Financial Year 2021/2022, £28.8 million in Financial Year 22/23 and are providing £30.32 million in Financial Year 2023/2024 to support critical public services. Through the FCDO funded Capital Investment Programme for Resilient Economic Growth, we are providing £40 million over six years (2019-2025) to rebuild critical infrastructure, including a new hospital. The FCDO are providing £4.5 million through the Improving Essential Equipment for Aided Overseas Territories Programme from 2022-2024. Through FCDO administered CSSF Justice, Governance, and Border Security Programmes, we provide approximately £2 million annually, and we provided £1.86 million during the pandemic through the CSSF Covid-19 programme. We provide approximately £60,000 annually through the International Programme and the FCDO's UK's Caribbean Infrastructure Fund is providing £28.3 million to the Montserrat Port Development Project.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to visit Montserrat.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Montserrat is a valued member of the British family and was recently visited by Sir Philip Barton, Permanent-under-Secretary of State at the FCDO. It is long-standing policy not to comment on Ministerial travel. To do so could compromise the integrity of protective security arrangements and affect the safety of the individuals involved.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help improve healthcare provision on Montserrat.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is supporting Montserrat to improve healthcare on the island through its £40 million Capital Investment Programme for Resilient Economic Growth over 6 years from 2019 to 2025, which supports strategic infrastructure development, including building a new hospital. Furthermore, the FCDO have funded the procurement of a CT scanner, 3D mammography unit, oxygen generator and a neonatal incubator. The UK Government funded a £1.8 million COVID-19 programme which supplied vaccines, PPE, test kits, specialist healthcare staff, training programmes, in addition to a new laboratory with the ability to test for multiple viruses not just those pandemic-related. The FCDO also support the UK Health Security Agency programme of work to improve local capacity public health.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Somaliland on the ongoing British intervention in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK condemns in the strongest terms the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. The UK is working and engaging extensively with allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10054 on Ethiopia: Somaliland, whether he has made an assessment on the potential impact of an independent Somaliland on the security of the Red Sea.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains committed to securing the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and we are closely monitoring the wider maritime security situation. Our position remains that Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland, to resolve through dialogue.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Libyan counterparts on compensation for UK victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qaddafi-sponsored terrorism and indeed all victims of the Troubles. It is important that the UK Government pursues fairness and consistency in the provision of support to victims of terrorism and access to publicly funded compensation schemes. The UK's position with regards to victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism is that it is the responsibility of the Libyan Government to provide compensation. The UK Government cannot lawfully use frozen Libyan assets to provide compensation to victims as doing so would break international law and our obligations as members of the UN. We will continue to press the Libyan authorities to address the Libyan State's historic responsibility for the Qaddafi regime's support for the IRA.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he plans to visit the British Virgin Islands within the next six months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I will visit the British Virgin Islands in February. My programme will include a meeting with the Premier of the British Virgin Islands and others across the political spectrum.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States on the British Virgin Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I spoke to the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Associate Member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), on 18 January and will visit the BVI in February for further discussions. The Director General of the OECS wrote to me on 15 January about the current situation in the BVI. I will reply shortly.