Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasion was a half bottle of 1948 Frapin Grande Champagne Cognac consumed in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac and wine referred to formed part of the Government Wine Committee's tasting. The Committee, which convenes three times a year, provides advice on the management of the Government Wine Cellar.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasions were two bottles of 1989 Batard-Montrachet white Burgundy consumed in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac and wine referred to formed part of the Government Wine Committee's tasting. The Committee, which convenes three times a year, provides advice on the management of the Government Wine Cellar.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasions were six bottles of 1988 Echezeaux Domaine Dujac red Burgundy consumed in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac, wine, and port referenced were consumed at a Minister-led event to mark the centenary of the Government Wine Cellar in December 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasions were four bottles of 1983 Chateau Margaux Bordeaux consumed in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac, wine, and port referenced were consumed at a Minister-led event to mark the centenary of the Government Wine Cellar in December 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasions were three bottles of 1931 Quinta do Noval port consumed in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac, wine, and port referenced were consumed at a Minister-led event to mark the centenary of the Government Wine Cellar in December 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government Hospitality wine cellar biennial report 2022 to 2024, published on 31 October 2024, for what occasion was a bottle of 1922 Hine Cognac consumed in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Catherine West
The cognac, wine, and port referenced were consumed at a Minister-led event to mark the centenary of the Government Wine Cellar in December 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 developing a children in conflict strategy.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK is committed to preventing and ending grave violations against children in conflict. We support affected children through our humanitarian funding and support to education in conflict and crises. The UK is an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, aiming to ensure effective scrutiny of conflicts where children are harmed and holding perpetrators to account. Ministers will take a decision on new FCDO strategies in due course.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's planned timetable is for publishing its monthly transparency data for (a) spending over £25,000 from June 2022 to July 2024 inclusive and (b) spending over £500 using a government procurement card from November 2022 to July 2024 inclusive.
Answered by Catherine West
The FCDO is targeting the end of September for publication of the historic £500 (period November-2022 to July-2024) and historic £25,000 (period June-2022 to July-2024) spend files.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the contract initiated by his Department with Oliver Wyman Ltd from 4 September 2023, tender reference 349331/1281857, what work was allocated under that contract at the most recent monthly meeting of his Department's Project Allocation Board.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
No work was allocated at the most recent Project Allocation Board using the Oliver Wyman Ltd contract of 4 September 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what the cost to the public purse of his Department's Envoy for the UK-African Investment Summit 2024 visit to (a) Morocco from 10 to 11, (b) Cameroon from 16 to 17, (c) Ghana from 23 to 24 and (d) Rwanda from 30 to 31 January 2024 was.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK-Africa Investment Summit Envoy's role was to engage with invited governments on Summit preparations and our bilateral trade and investment partnerships. His visits offered important opportunities to explore and test UK plans and ambition with African partners in advance of the Summit. In January, the Envoy undertook four visits to African countries. The cost of these visits was:
a) Morocco 10-11 January: £653.37
(b) Cameroon 16-17 January: £1,677.71
(c) Ghana 23-24 January: £3,198.23
(d) Rwanda 29-31 January: £4,713.89
The role of the UK-AIS Envoy has been crucial to engaging with African countries on our shared goal of intensifying trade and investment partnerships.