Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has settled on the title of Consular Envoy for the new position dealing with complex consular cases and arbitrary detention.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex consular detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the role and responsiblites of the incoming Arbitrary Detention and Complex Consular Cases Envoy have been finalised.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex consular detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has concluded investigations into how British doctors working with Medical Aid for Palestine were bombed by Israel in January 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We expect Israel to investigate all attacks against humanitarians and medical staff fully and transparently. We also expect that those responsible are meaningfully held to account.
Attacks on hospitals and medical facilities are deeply distressing. We remain gravely concerned by the lack of adequate medical care in Gaza; nearly all Gaza's hospitals are damaged or partly destroyed according to the World Health Organisation. We have made clear that this is unacceptable.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Ministers from his Department last raised the bombing of British doctors working with Medical Aid for Palestine with their Israeli counterparts.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will continue to raise aid worker safety in Gaza with our Israeli counterparts. Last month, the Foreign Secretary drew attention to the deadly situation on the ground for humanitarians with Israel's Foreign Minister Sa'ar. Gaza is the deadliest place to be an aid worker with at least 430 humanitarians killed since the start of the conflict.
On 23 April, working alongside France and Germany the UK urged Israel to protect medical personnel and premises in the course of their military operations. They must allow the urgent healthcare needs of the population to be met. More recently on 13 May at the United Nations Security Council, the UK called a meeting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and expressed outrage at recent attacks on humanitarians and medical staff.
Israel must do all they reasonably can to prevent harm to medical personnel and premises in the course of their military operations. Through our engagements, we will continue to press Israel to protect medical staff and premises.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date a Minister from his Department last discussed the killing of British aid workers by an Israeli drone in April 2024 with their Israeli counterparts.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I regularly raise the status of Israel's Military Advocate General's consideration of the Israeli strike that killed three British aid workers in April 2024. We continue to press Israel at the highest levels for the Military Advocate General's consideration to be completed swiftly, including determining whether criminal proceedings will be initiated. We expect those responsible to be meaningfully held to account.
Last month the Foreign Secretary raised the World Central Kitchen incident and the status of the Military Advocate General's consideration with Israel's Foreign Minister Sa'ar. The Foreign Secretary pressed Minister Sa'ar to provide a response.
We will continue to urge Israel to swiftly conclude the Military Advocate Generals' consideration of the incident.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the investigation into the killing of three British aid workers in April 2024 by an Israeli drone will conclude.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy killing British citizens John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby was an appalling injustice. In November last year, the Foreign Secretary met with their families and was moved by their dedication to serving others.
We continue to press Israel to swiftly conclude the Military Advocate General's consideration of events on 1 April 2024, including determining whether criminal proceedings should be initiated. We expect those responsible to be meaningfully held to account. Israel must ensure lessons are learned to deliver lasting safety improvements for aid workers on the ground.
Gaza is the deadliest place for humanitarians. It is completely unacceptable that at least 430 aid workers have been killed since the conflict began.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on negotiations on Gibraltar-EU relations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is working with the Government of Gibraltar to conclude a UK-EU Treaty in respect of Gibraltar which protects sovereignty and UK military autonomy, and which secures Gibraltar's future prosperity. The Foreign Secretary and I are working side by side with Gibraltar's Chief Minister and are in close and regular contact with our negotiating counterparts. The Foreign Secretary met EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on 19 May. They reiterated their determination to agree a Treaty. The UK Government is steadfast in its support for Gibraltar and will only agree to terms with which the Government of Gibraltar is content.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will support the request by over 500,000 Serbian petitioners to the UN for an international investigation into the use of sonic weaponry against protestors by the Serbian police.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK consistently advocates for the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, globally. During his recent visit to Serbia, the Foreign Secretary underlined to government interlocutors the importance of protecting and respecting these rights, and of maintaining high standards in policing peaceful demonstrations accordingly.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the family of Jagtar Singh Johal since his acquittal on 4 March 2025.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to working for faster progress on Jagtar Singh Johal's case, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continue to provide support to Mr Johal and his family. The Foreign Secretary last met Mr Johal's family on 30 October 2024 and is due to meet them again in early May.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any Cabinet colleagues have asked his Department to delay the China audit.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The China Audit is a comprehensive cross-government process. The timeline is driven by the need for sufficient consultation and analysis, across government and beyond, in order to inform Audit conclusions.