Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts about the treatment of Uighur Muslims.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government regularly raises the human rights situation in Xinjiang directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September. The UK also continues to lead wider international efforts to pressure China to change its behaviour. We have imposed sanctions, led joint statements at the UN, taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains, and funded research to expose China's actions.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department is providing to Pakistan to assist that country in tackling floods.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan, as it faces the consequences of the recent devastating flooding. The UK was one of the first countries to announce funding (£1.5m) to respond to the humanitarian need. We have now increased this to £16.5 million to support flood relief efforts. The UK contribution is also now over 10% of the joint UN and Government of Pakistan emergency appeal ($160m). This flooding demonstrates how climate change is making extreme weather events both more intense and more frequent.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Chinese Government on cutting carbon emissions.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The Foreign Secretary spoke to her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi shortly before COP26 in Glasgow and pressed for China to submit an ambitious Chinese nationally determined contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ahead of the Summit. In March this year, the Prime Minister reiterated the importance of action and cooperation on climate change in his call with President Xi Jinping. COP President Alok Sharma has engaged regularly with China's Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, Xie Zhenhua, most recently in a bilateral meeting in June, where they discussed progress in implementing our respective climate commitments. This included the Glasgow Climate Pact, and how to deliver further climate action and ambition ahead of COP27. The Minister for Pacific and the Environment, Lord Goldsmith, has also discussed climate and biodiversity issues with the Chinese Ambassador to the UK.Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure the safety and welfare of Jim Fitton in detention in Iraq.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Consular officials in Iraq and the UK are continuing to provide consular assistance to Mr Fitton and his family. We cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, just as we would not expect interference in our own. The British Ambassador in Baghdad has raised and will continue to raise our interest in Mr Fitton's case with the Iraqi Government. While he is detained, we will continue to register our interest in Mr Fitton, including that the conditions of the prison where he is detained are in line with international standards. Mr Fitton's safety and welfare remain of the upmost importance.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has plans to sign a global pandemic treaty.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The UK Government supports a new international legally-binding instrument as part of a comprehensive approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The Prime Minister joined other world leaders calling for a pandemic treaty in March 2021. The current target date for agreeing the text of the new instrument is May 2024 at the World Health Assembly (WHA). This is made up of representatives of World Health Organization Member States, including the UK. Over the next two years the UK will work towards building a consensus on how the global community can better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics and will actively shape, develop and negotiate the text.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to agree to an international treaty on pandemic prevention.
Answered by Amanda Milling
COVID-19 has demonstrated that no-one is safe until we are all safe, and that effective global cooperation is needed to better protect the UK and other countries around the world from the detrimental health, social and economic impacts of pandemics and other health threats. The UK supports a new international legally-binding instrument as part of a comprehensive approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The Prime Minister joined other world leaders calling for a pandemic treaty in March 2021.
The current target date for agreeing the text of the new instrument is May 2024 at the World Health Assembly (WHA). Over the next two years the UK will work towards building a consensus on how the global community can better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics and will actively shape, develop and negotiate the text.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether financial support for the Ukrainian people is from the existing aid budget at the reduced level that was set in 2021; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK has committed £394 million in aid to the current crisis in Ukraine. This includes £220 million for humanitarian assistance; £100 million for energy security and reform and £74 million direct fiscal support through the World Bank. This will come from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget this year and over the next three financial years. The ODA budget is currently set at 0.5% of GNI as per the Spending Review settlement announced in November 2021. The UK stands ready to provide $500 million in loan guarantees from ODA to support Multilateral Development Bank lending. The UK has also provided both ODA and non-ODA support for Ukraine through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she took before 24 February 2022 to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to Parliament on 25 January, we are working with Allies and partners to challenge Russia's threatening behaviour, and to make clear the severe costs to Russia of any further military incursion. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba on 4 January, ahead of joining an extraordinary meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on 7 January. She met the NATO Secretary General in Brussels on 24 January, and spoke to US Secretary of State Blinken on 25 January and German Foreign Minister Baerbock on 28 January. I [Minister Cleverly] attended the NATO Russia Council on 12 January, and discussed Ukraine with the US, French and German Foreign Ministers in Berlin on 20 January. Former Minister of Europe, Chris Heaton-Harris, spoke to the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Poland and Ukraine on 18 January and the Ukrainian Ambassador to London on 27 January. The Foreign Secretary has also engaged in recent weeks with other Allies, including Poland, Slovakia and Turkey.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason a decision was made to fund from the public purse her travel on a private jet to Australia on the 20 January 2022; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Foreign travel is vital part of diplomacy. The work that ministers do overseas ultimately delivers for the British people. We have three government planes for Government business. They are used by the Prime Minister and Ministers for precisely this purpose. This is standard practice and in the national interest.
In accordance with the Ministerial Code, the FCDO publishes the costs related to all overseas Ministerial travel as part of the regular Cabinet Office Transparency Return https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data#2020.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to hold discussions with her Spanish counterparts on allowing more flexible access to Spain for UK nationals than that access allowed under the Schengen Agreement.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During negotiations with the EU, the Government discussed arrangements for British Citizens travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU consistently maintained that British Citizens will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code as of 1 January 2021. This means that British Citizens are able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries, in line with existing EU legislation. British Citizens who are planning to stay longer than 90 days in a rolling 180-day period will need permission from the relevant Member State. This may require applying for a visa and/or permit.
The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU notes that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws. The detail of those arrangements is set by domestic law, reflecting the UK's position as a non-EU Member State. The Government does not typically enter into bilateral agreements on visa-free travel.