Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate the risk of atrocity crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh in the context of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces and military activity by Azerbaijani forces in that region.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK believes that those who commit atrocities in armed conflicts need to be held accountable. We call on states and non-state actors engaged in armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law, and to act in accordance with their obligations under it. In the case of Azerbaijani military action in Nagorno-Karabakh in September, the UK was vocal in calling for an end to the conflict, the protection of civilians and for immediate humanitarian access. The UN and other international actors have subsequently been granted access to the region.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure the safety and religious freedom of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief remains central to the UK government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with then-Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 27 June. On 14 December 2022, Lord Ahmad also discussed the need to promote respect for all religions with then-Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. In May, the UK Political Counsellor visited Rabwah to discuss the challenges faced by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to work with the international community to help reduce poverty in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK has provided £3 million of targeted support for those most severely affected by Sri Lankan economic crisis, including providing multipurpose cash transfers for vulnerable families and food for school children, delivered through our UN partners and the Red Cross. The UK also provided economic support through multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. We welcome the IMF Executive Board approval, on 20 March, for a four-year $3 billion Extended Fund Facility to support Sri Lanka's economic policies and reforms. As a member of the Paris Club, we will continue to work closely with creditors and the Sri Lankan Government to help restore debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability in line with IMF programme parameters.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene projects in the financial year 2022-23.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 07 MAR 2023 to Question 154012. [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-06-02/187224]. The Government aims to publish details of UK Aid spending for 2022 in the Statistics on International Development report in November 2023.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on genocide prevention projects in the financial year 2022-23; and in which countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The FCDO supports a number of genocide prevention projects; however, these tend to be led by our overseas Embassies and High Commissions, be wide ranging and encompass a number of activities. Therefore, the requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a minister will attend the UN High-level meeting on universal health coverage in September 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
UK Ministers are looking forward to attending the 2023 UN General Assembly in September and will ensure high representation at the three global health high-level meetings (HLM) on universal health coverage, TB and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Universal health coverage is a priority for the UK and we are with partners, working to use the high-level meeting as an important opportunity to revitalise political commitment to and drive stronger action toward achieving universal health coverage by 2030. Exact UK Ministerial representation across the three HLMs will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 Israeli counterpart on establishing a (a) safe and (b) fast route to the UK for Professor Nick Maynard.
Answered by David Rutley
We are monitoring the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza and welcome the current ceasefire brokered by Egypt. When the Foreign Secretary wrote to his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on 10 May, he thanked him for coordinating with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and requested Israel's continued assistance to allow British nationals in Gaza who wish to return to the UK to do so. The individual in question left Gaza via the Erez crossing into Israel on 13 May, confirming their safety to UK officials on 15 May.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 Israeli counterpart on reports that recent border closures have prevented 142 patients in Gaza from accessing urgent treatments and cancer treatments in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley
We urge access into and out of Gaza and the West Bank, in accordance with international humanitarian law, for humanitarian actors, reconstruction materials and those, including Palestinians, travelling for medical purposes. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence directed towards healthcare workers. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza and the West Bank should be able to access the urgent medical care they need. The UK Government welcomes any effort to cooperate between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, including in the healthcare sector. When the Foreign Secretary wrote to his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on 10 May, he asked him to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 Israeli counterpart on reports that recent border closures have prevented aid workers from leaving Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley
We urge access into and out of Gaza and the West Bank, in accordance with international humanitarian law, for humanitarian actors, reconstruction materials and those, including Palestinians, travelling for medical purposes. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence directed towards healthcare workers. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza and the West Bank should be able to access the urgent medical care they need. The UK Government welcomes any effort to cooperate between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, including in the healthcare sector. When the Foreign Secretary wrote to his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on 10 May, he asked him to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 Israeli counterpart on establishing a (a) safe and (b) fast route to the UK for Mr Bijendran of Royal London Hospital.
Answered by David Rutley
We are monitoring the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza and welcome the current ceasefire brokered by Egypt. When the Foreign Secretary wrote to his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on 10 May, he thanked him for coordinating with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and requested Israel's continued assistance to allow British nationals in Gaza who wish to return to the UK to do so. The individual in question left Gaza via the Erez crossing into Israel on 13 May, confirming their safety to UK officials on 15 May.