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Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of Israeli (a) civilians, (b) women and (c) children that have been killed since 7 October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Any civilian death is a tragedy. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, as of 16 January, at least 24,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, of whom about 70% are said to be women and children. We do not have an estimate of what proportion of those killed are civilians. The Government of Israel report that more than 1,300 Israelis, including at least 523 Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers have been killed, with 189 of those deaths in Gaza. We recognise that there must be a reduction in civilian casualties in the conflict; we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes, and we continue to call for international humanitarian law to be respected and civilians to be protected. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly and has been in close contact throughout.


Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the number of (a) civilians, (b) women and (c) children killed in Gaza since 8 October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Any civilian death is a tragedy. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, as of 16 January, at least 24,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, of whom about 70% are said to be women and children. We do not have an estimate of what proportion of those killed are civilians. The Government of Israel report that more than 1,300 Israelis, including at least 523 Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers have been killed, with 189 of those deaths in Gaza. We recognise that there must be a reduction in civilian casualties in the conflict; we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes, and we continue to call for international humanitarian law to be respected and civilians to be protected. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly and has been in close contact throughout.


Written Question
Gaza: Internally Displaced People
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the number of people who have been displaced in Gaza since 8 October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Obtaining an accurate figure of the total number of displaced in Gaza remains challenging. The UN estimates that 1.9 million people in Gaza, or nearly 85 per cent of the population, are estimated to be internally displaced, including people who have been displaced multiple times, as families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.


Written Question
Hamas: Hostage Taking
Friday 12th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of Israeli hostages that (a) were taken on 7 October 2023, (b) have died, (c) have been released and (d) remain in captivity.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Over 240 hostages were taken on 7 October 2023. Israel estimates that there are still 132 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, including civilians and military personnel (this includes individuals who are believed deceased but death has not been confirmed). We understand the number of recorded deceased to be at 15. During the humanitarian pause, it is reported that Hamas freed 108 hostages, including 80 Israelis/ dual nationals. Urgent work is continuing at all levels with regional leaders and others to ensure all remaining hostages are safely freed. We are not going to give a running commentary on hostage negotiations, which are highly sensitive and ongoing, but we are involved in intensive diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages and working with Israel, the US and others.


Written Question
Gaza: Bombings
Thursday 11th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the number of (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) refugee camps in Gaza that have been struck by bombs since 8 October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Hamas is putting Palestinian civilians at grave risk by embedding themselves in the civilian population and civilian infrastructure. The UK is aware of reports of Hamas using schools and other infrastructure, such as healthcare facilities, as bases and command nodes.

This does not absolve parties from their responsibility to ensure that their actions are compliant with international humanitarian law, and minimise harm to civilians. The UK is particularly clear that civilian buildings must not be targeted and extra care must be taken in relation to hospitals and other locations such as places of worship.


Written Question
Sudan: Armed Conflict
Wednesday 10th January 2024

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) civilians, (b) women and (c) children that have been killed in Sudan since April 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Humanitarian organisations estimate that over 12,000 people have been killed and over 32,000 people have been injured since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023. This is likely to be an underestimate, due to considerable access constraints for humanitarian organisations, which makes accurate casualty reporting challenging. The UK continues to work with Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US, UK), regional partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN to bring the warring parties together and secure an end to hostilities and unfettered humanitarian access.


Written Question
Pakistan: Women
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

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 protect the human rights of women in Pakistan.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. We continue to urge the government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan, particularly the most vulnerable, including women, minorities and children, as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards. In parallel, UK programme funds are helping to address gender based violence by raising awareness of early and forced marriages and making digital spaces safer for women. The British High Commission in Islamabad will continue to support civil society and NGOs in lobbying the Government of Pakistan to honour in practice its international commitments.


Written Question
Imran Khan
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Pakistan on the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK does not comment or interfere with judicial cases in Pakistan, they are a matter for Pakistan's legal system. The UK has a close and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. We support democratic principles and adherence to the rule of law. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, impressed the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.


Written Question
Bangladesh: Elections
Wednesday 26th July 2023

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the adequacy of the preparations to ensure the (a) accountability, (b) transparency and (c) fairness of the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is a strong supporter of plural, contested and transparent elections in Bangladesh, with free and fair process to support accountability. We regularly raise with the Government of Bangladesh, in public and private, the need to take meaningful steps to ensure a transparent and accountable electoral process in 2024. The Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Hasina in May, and raised the importance of free, fair and participatory elections, and the need for inter-party dialogue. In June, Minister Trevelyan met with Bangladesh State Minister Alam and reiterated the need for ensuring the elections were transparent and accountable. We welcome Bangladesh's commitment to international election observation. Under the FCDO's five-year £23 million governance programme we have been identifying pre-election interventions including the potential for funding local elections observation. The UK will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh to support efforts towards a stable, prosperous and democratic Bangladesh.


Written Question
Bangladesh: Elections
Wednesday 26th July 2023

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Bangladesh on allowing international election observers to observe the forthcoming general election.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is a strong supporter of plural, contested and transparent elections in Bangladesh, with free and fair process to support accountability. We regularly raise with the Government of Bangladesh, in public and private, the need to take meaningful steps to ensure a transparent and accountable electoral process in 2024. The Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Hasina in May, and raised the importance of free, fair and participatory elections, and the need for inter-party dialogue. In June, Minister Trevelyan met with Bangladesh State Minister Alam and reiterated the need for ensuring the elections were transparent and accountable. We welcome Bangladesh's commitment to international election observation. Under the FCDO's five-year £23 million governance programme we have been identifying pre-election interventions including the potential for funding local elections observation. The UK will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh to support efforts towards a stable, prosperous and democratic Bangladesh.