Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports that (a) the Cameroon Armed Forces and (b) separatist groups are committing violence against civilians in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK government has been tracking developments in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in 2016. We are aware that violence is being committed against civilians by both sides of the conflict, and I raised our human rights concerns with senior government officials during my visit to the country in April 2023. I also set out the UK's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution through inclusive dialogue, as well as advocating for humanitarian access, development outcomes for those impacted by the conflict, and the investigation of reports of human rights abuses. Our High Commission in Cameroon is carrying these policies forward.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department is taking steps to support UK nationals with relatives in Cameroon who are affected by violence and persecution in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The FCDO provides consular assistance to British nationals. British nationals in Cameroon can sign up to alerts for our Cameroon Travel Advice at GOV.uk and call us on +44 20 7008 5000 for consular assistance. If someone is in the UK and worried about a British national in Cameroon, they can call us on 020 7008 5000.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department is taking steps to support asylum seekers fleeing violence in south Cameroon.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The FCDO is supporting civilians who are fleeing violence in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon by providing funding for humanitarian assistance. From 2022 to 2024, the UK government has provided the International Committee of the Red Cross with £2 million for food supplies, sanitation, healthcare, and social protection. We continue to encourage an inclusive dialogue on the conflict which will lead to a sustainable and enduring peace settlement.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of (a) the treatment of Ahmad Manasra and (b) other related investigations into allegations of torture and human rights abuses in Palestine.
Answered by David Rutley
The Government's position is clear: all states, including Israel, must exercise their legitimate right to self-defence in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary will continue to engage regularly and closely with their Israeli counterparts on this issue. Our focus right now is securing sustained humanitarian access to Gaza, securing the release of British hostages and showing solidarity with Israel in defending itself against Hamas.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to promote the interests of older people at the UN high-level meeting on universal health coverage in September.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is committed to championing universal health coverage (UHC). In the 2019 Political Declaration on UHC, United Nations Member States committed to promote healthy and active ageing and to respond to the needs of ageing populations. We are working with other Member States to retain and build on that commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting. We continue to work with country partners and global organisations such as the World Health Organization on integrated and equitable approaches to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage that meets the needs of people of all ages.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that aid can pass freely into Türkiye following the recent earthquakes.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is working in close coordination with the Turkish authorities, the United Nations and NGO partners to ensure that aid makes it to those who are most in need, including vulnerable and minority communities. The UK responded immediately to provide life-saving support to Turkey and Syria. In Turkey, a UK International Search and Rescue team arrived in Gaziantep on 7 February and commenced operations within the critical 72-hour rescue window and from 14 February, we deployed a world-class UK medical team, field clinic and field hospital to Turkey. The UK has committed a significant package of aid, including by delivering thousands of vital items such as tents and blankets to Turkey and Syria, totalling over 400 tonnes. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, now exceeding £100 million, includes £5 million of the UK Aid Match. UK aid, ranging from search and rescue to medical care, has helped thousands of survivors in Turkey and Syria. Over 9,000 patients have been treated by UK medical teams in Turkey as of 7 March.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support humanitarian efforts in Turkey and Syria following the recent earthquakes.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK responded immediately to provide life-saving support to Turkey and Syria. In Turkey, a UK International Search and Rescue team arrived in Gaziantep on 7 February and commenced operations within the critical 72-hour rescue window. From 14 February, we deployed a world-class UK medical team, field clinic and field hospital to Turkey, which continues to treat patients. In Syria, the UK-aid-funded White Helmets mobilised a major search and rescue effort. The UK has committed a significant package of aid, including by delivering thousands of vital items such as tents and blankets to Turkey and Syria, totalling over 400 tonnes. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, now exceeding £100 million, includes £5 million of the UK Aid Match.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available for refugees following earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We are closely monitoring events in Turkey and are coordinating with the Turkish authorities, the UN and NGO partners to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including minority communities and refugees in Turkey, and displaced persons in Syria. The UN-brokered agreement to open additional border crossings into northwest Syria for an initial period of three months is crucial to reaching the many displaced there. Even before the 6 February earthquake, the UN assessed 15.3 million Syrians required humanitarian assistance. For this reason, the UK has committed £3.8 billion in humanitarian aid to the Syria crisis since 2012. This includes £2.1 billion to support the over 5.5 million refugees in the region, including 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and their host communities. The UK remains committed to continuing to provide support for both Turkish host communities and Syrian refugees in response to the sustained pressures they face.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to support BNO visa holders to secure early withdrawal of their assets from the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Fund.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British Nationals(Overseas) Visa (BN(O)) route are having difficulties in drawing down early their pensions held in the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF). My officials have spoken to the relevant Hong Kong authorities to urge them to facilitate early drawdown of funds as is the case for other passport holders who move overseas.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason her Department’s Forced Marriage Unit has changed its recording practices in preparing the 2021 statistics; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on the ability to directly compare those statistics to previous years'; and whether the Forced Marriage Unit is taking steps to produce statistics that can be used to monitor changes year on year.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) changed its recording practices in 2021 to better reflect the nature of incoming referrals. Full details are available in https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forced-marriage-unit-statistics-2021. FMU statistics are not an indication of the prevalence of forced marriage, but a reflection of the number and nature of referrals received by the FMU through its public helpline or mail enquiry service.