Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 potential impact of the reduction in ODA spending on the ability of recipient countries to respond to (a) resource scarcity and (b) food insecurity.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 potential implications for his polices on global climate action of (a) the US Executive Order entitled Putting America First in International Climate Agreements, dated 20 January 2025 and (b) other polices of the new US Administration on (i) climate finance commitments and (ii) international agreements; and if he will take steps to increase levels of climate adaptation funding for developing countries.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK notes the US Executive Order entitled Putting America First in International Climate Agreements and other climate-related policy steps, these are a matter for the US. The UK will continue to work with all countries and partners to tackle the urgency of the climate and nature crisis and will pursue an energy policy that gets UK household bills down in the long-term. Our next International Climate Finance commitment will be carefully determined through the multi-year Spending Review.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 24912 on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, whether the measures to implement the provisions needed to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty will be complete by the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 potential implications for his policies of the number of (a) non-bond and (b) other private creditors have reached debt restructuring agreements; and what information his Department holds on when Zambia is expected to complete the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments.
Answered by Catherine West
Zambia has now reached agreement on restructurings with its official creditors and private bondholders, though progress was slow initially. Good faith negotiations continue with remaining commercial creditors. The UK has been clear that private creditors must play their part in debt restructurings. The Paris Club, and now the G20 as part of the Common Framework process, are also clear on our collective expectation that private creditors must participate in restructurings on terms at least as favourable as those provided by government creditors, to ensure comparability of treatment. The UK continues to push for the improvement and expansion of the Common Framework to all lower and middle-income countries, including through our participation in the Paris Club, G20 Finance Track, and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 potential impact of the UK's nuclear testing on the (a) medical, (b) public and (c) genetic health of the population in Kiribati.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK has arranged several assessments of the impacts of nuclear testing in the Pacific region and it has been the UK Government's position since 2008 that any remediation work required due to UK nuclear tests in Kiribati has been completed. There are no plans for the UK Government to undertake a further assessment of the health of the population or environment of that nation. The UK is committed to creating long standing partnerships with Pacific Island countries including Kiribati, and supporting their priorities including tackling environmental and climate related issues.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of statements on Gaza by President Trump on 4 February 2025 on the temporary Gaza ceasefire deal.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The government's objective remans a negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel. In order to deliver this, it is clear that Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities in Gaza and rebuild and that there can be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. The new US administration played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The UK will continue to work closely with the US to sustain the fragile ceasefire, ensure that all the hostages are released, increase the supply of aid, and break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a permanent, sustainable peace.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Israeli counterparts for an independent investigation to be launched into the killing of two-year-old Palestinian child Laila Mohammad Ayman Khatib.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We cannot comment on individual cases, but we remain concerned by the situation in the West Bank and reiterate that Israel must ensure that civilians are protected. The Foreign Secretary has raised the situation in the West Bank and issues of international law compliance directly at the highest levels of the Israeli Government. This Government is clear that international law must be upheld, and civilians protected.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect the (a) safety and (b) wellbeing of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are alarmed by the impact of the Gaza conflict on children across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has consistently pressed Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, not least children, and for all parties to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law. We led calls on Israel to enable the rollout of the polio vaccine across Gaza and we have supported partners to deliver lifesaving aid to children, as well as educational and psychosocial services. This includes an additional £6 million for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support vulnerable families in Gaza announced in August 2024, and £41 million funding for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) this financial year to provide essential services including education across Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinian refugees in the region. £5.8 million of the UK's contribution to the Global Partnership for Education has been earmarked to support essential education service delivery in Gaza and the West Bank. We are also one of the largest donors to the Education Cannot Wait initiative, contributing £1.64 million of its £9.65 million funding to Gaza this financial year.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 potential merits of joining the School Meals Coalition.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK is assessing the latest evidence on the impact of school feeding interventions on nutrition, education and social protection and continues to track developments in the evidence base for school feeding interventions. We note, for example, the World Bank's Investment Framework for Nutrition from October 2024 which states that investing in the first 1000 days of a child's life is more effective and cost-effective for preventing and reducing malnutrition. We are not a member of the School Meals Coalition but actively engage in global dialogue on school feeding through other processes, such as the World Food Programme's Executive Board, the G7 and the G20.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 implications for his policies of the points of action in the statement entitled Experts warn international order on a knife’s edge, urge States to comply with ICJ Advisory Opinion, published by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 18 September 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We note the statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 18 September. The UK is fully committed to the international order, international law and the international rules based order. We continue to consider the ICJ's Advisory Opinion carefully. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible - but we are clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. The UK abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution in September because it did not provide sufficient clarity to advance a negotiated two-state solution.