Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) amount and (b) recipient name was for grants paid through the FCO-led Russian Language Programme in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The FCO's Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme is designed to protect national security by countering disinformation directed at the UK and its Allies from Russia. Russia persistently uses disinformation to target its perceived enemies. An example was the Russian disinformation campaign that followed the attack in Salisbury, which was intended to distract from Russian culpability. Information about individual projects within the Programme will not be published, as this information could then be used to actively attempt to disrupt and undermine the Programme's effectiveness.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, whether the funding provided to the Institute of Statecraft was through the FCO-led Russian Language Programme.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Russian Language Programme was launched in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. In April 2016 we launched a new four year strategic communications and media development programme authorised by the National Security Council, called the Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme. The former Russian Language Programme was amalgamated into this. The funding provided to the Institute for Statecraft was funded from the Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Ministry of Defence has no record of any payments and/or contracts with The Integrity Initiative.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, if he will publish his Department's (a) documents and (b) correspondence on grant agreements for the Integrity Initiative.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The FCO's Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme is designed to protect national security by countering disinformation directed at the UK and its Allies from Russia. Russia persistently uses disinformation to target its perceived enemies. An example was the Russian disinformation campaign that followed the attack in Salisbury, which was intended to distract from Russian culpability. Documents and correspondence about projects within the Programme will not be published, as this information could then be used to actively attempt to disrupt and undermine the Programme's effectiveness.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people employed to work (a) on the Integrity Initiative and (b) for the Institute of Statecraft that hold (i) posts and (ii) honorary posts in the British military.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not have an estimate for the number of people employed by the Institute for Statecraft. None of those employed in the Integrity Initiative are serving members of the UKforces. Two are in the reserves, and one holds a purely honorary role.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Department for Exiting the EU has has provided no funding, contracts or procured services from the Integrity Initiative.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education’s (DfE) internal payment and commercial systems hold no record of contracts or spend with the Integrity Initiative.
All DfE contracts awarded to suppliers of £10,000 or more are published on Contracts Finder. The link to Contracts Finder is: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Margot James
DCMS has provided no funding, contracts or procured services from the Integrity Initiative.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The Department for International Trade has provided no funding, contracts or procured services from the Integrity Initiative.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Jake Berry
The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government has provided no funding, contracts or procured services from the Integrity Initiative.