Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help strengthen the UK’s security and economic relationship with the Baltic states.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK has close diplomatic, security and economic relations with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Together we are deterring Russia, supporting Ukraine and deepening our cooperation on defence and security. On 6 June the Prime Minister met the Estonian Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary regularly engages with her Baltic counterparts. In the last 18 months, we have signed declarations of cooperation with each of the Baltic States and will continue to strengthen our security and economic collaboration.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
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 the Lebanese Government on reports that labour restrictions on Palestinian refugees are to be eased in that country.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK welcomes the decision by the Lebanese Government to ease labour restrictions for Palestinian refugees. We acknowledge Lebanon's generosity in hosting refugees, which the UK will continue to support through our assistance for education and basic needs.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of Iran’s support for (a) Hezbollah, (b) Hamas and (c) Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. It is for this reason that we currently have over 200 EU sanctions listings in place against Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety; have proscribed Hamas' military wing as a terrorist organisation; and support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons to non-state actors in the region, including to Lebanese Hizballah (UNSCR 1701).
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made on the international review into the content of Palestinian Authority school textbooks.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We understand the review is in the final stages and the final report is due to be completed shortly. We continue to engage with the EU at a senior level and push for timely publication. We will review the findings carefully before deciding on any next steps.
Asked by: Craig Tracey (Conservative - North Warwickshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on allegations that Hezbollah is producing and storing weapons next to crowded civilian areas in Beirut.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We have long been concerned by Hizballah's stockpiling of weapons within Lebanon, in contravention of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). We regularly raise this at the UN Security Council, and we call on the Lebanese authorities to abide by provisions of the relevant UNSCRs. Hizballah's destabilising influence only endangers Lebanon and its people.