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Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to give recipient countries as much notice as possible on the (a) number and (b) arrival dates of covid-19 vaccines that are planned to be sent by the UK Government.

Answered by Wendy Morton

The Prime Minister has announced that the UK will share 100 million C-19 vaccine doses within the next year, of which 30 million will be delivered by the end of 2021. 5 million doses will be shared by the end of September, starting in the coming weeks, and 80% of these vaccines will go to COVAX. This was part of an agreement with G7 partners to donate 1 billion doses by June 2022.

Decisions on which vaccines will be shared will be based on the continued reliability of supply chains, regulatory restrictions, and advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. We will set out more detail in due course, including the number and type of vaccines, as well as estimated dates of arrival.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Coronavirus
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to prioritise Commonwealth countries when donating covid-19 vaccines overseas.

Answered by Wendy Morton

The UK has consistently stressed that we are all facing the same pandemic, and the threat of further waves and variants of the coronavirus makes cooperation with all our partners ever more vital and important.

Our G7 Presidency has championed equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and on 11 June, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will donate 100 million C-19 vaccine doses within the next year, 80% of which will go to COVAX, the scheme to ensure vaccines are available affordably for everyone, including Commonwealth countries. The UK was one of the earliest and largest donors to COVAX, donating £548 million to the Advance Market Commitment. So far, COVAX has helped deliver over 81 million doses to 129 countries and territories. We will set out more detail on the prioritisation of our dose sharing in due course.


Written Question
Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)
Wednesday 10th February 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps the Government can take to protect BNO passport holders who do not wish to move from Hong Kong.

Answered by Nigel Adams

The UK will not look the other way on Hong Kong, and we will not duck our historic responsibilities to its people. We will continue to bring together our international partners to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to their international obligations.


Written Question
Algeria: Polisario Front
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will seek assurances from the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria that UK international aid, contributed via the European Union International Development fund, has not been used to acquire armaments used by the Algeria-backed Polisario, based in the Tindouf camps.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The European Commission has taken measures to address the findings documented in the OLAF report. The European Commission has found no evidence of aid diversion since these measures were put in place and it has taken measures to ensure that aid continues to reach the intended beneficiaries and to avoid diversion risks. We understand that the European Commission has also taken steps with the Algerian Government to allow for donations intended for Sahrawi refugees to be exempt from VAT.

We are concerned about the people of Western Sahara, particularly those in the Tindouf refugee camps. The UK has provided support to displaced people in camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria via contributions to the EU's ECHO humanitarian fund, which provided €9 million in humanitarian funding in 2020. Our core contributions to the UN also help to support UN bodies in Tindouf. The UK strongly supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution on the Western Sahara dispute that provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.


Written Question
Algeria: International Assistance
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

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 implications for his policies of the UK component within the report by the European Anti-Fraud Office alleging large-scale embezzlement of the EU International Development aid intended to assist refugees in the Tindouf camps.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The European Commission has taken measures to address the findings documented in the OLAF report. The European Commission has found no evidence of aid diversion since these measures were put in place and it has taken measures to ensure that aid continues to reach the intended beneficiaries and to avoid diversion risks. We understand that the European Commission has also taken steps with the Algerian Government to allow for donations intended for Sahrawi refugees to be exempt from VAT.

We are concerned about the people of Western Sahara, particularly those in the Tindouf refugee camps. The UK has provided support to displaced people in camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria via contributions to the EU's ECHO humanitarian fund, which provided €9 million in humanitarian funding in 2020. Our core contributions to the UN also help to support UN bodies in Tindouf. The UK strongly supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution on the Western Sahara dispute that provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.


Written Question
Algeria: Polisario Front
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to seek assurances that it has not supplied armaments to the Polisario forces based in the Tindouf camps within its borders.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We have regular discussions with various interlocutors on Western Sahara, including Algeria and we are closely monitoring the situation. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, which we raise with the parties.


Written Question
Western Sahara: Peace Negotiations
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of a re-launch of the political process talks on the political and security situation in the Sahara.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We note reports of ceasefire agreement breaches on both sides. The UK supports UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the UN and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. We strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to appoint a Personal Envoy as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara.


Written Question
Western Sahara: Peace Negotiations
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

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 effect on the integrity of the United Nations brokered ceasefire in the Moroccan Sahara of a reported breach of the 1991 agreement by armed Polisario forces at the Guergerate border crossing between Mauritania and Morocco; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We note reports of ceasefire agreement breaches on both sides. The UK supports UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the UN and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. We strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to appoint a Personal Envoy as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara.


Written Question
Algeria: Migrant Camps
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on the application of human rights in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We have regular discussions with various interlocutors on Western Sahara, including Algeria and we are closely monitoring the situation. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, which we raise with the parties.


Written Question
Algeria: International Assistance
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

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 implications for his policies of the evidence given by the Director-General of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, that the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria places a five per cent tax on aid sent from the EU International Aid fund to the Tindouf camps within its borders; and what estimate he has made of the UK contribution to that aid in the last five years.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The European Commission has taken measures to address the findings documented in the OLAF report. The European Commission has found no evidence of aid diversion since these measures were put in place and it has taken measures to ensure that aid continues to reach the intended beneficiaries and to avoid diversion risks. We understand that the European Commission has also taken steps with the Algerian Government to allow for donations intended for Sahrawi refugees to be exempt from VAT.

We are concerned about the people of Western Sahara, particularly those in the Tindouf refugee camps. The UK has provided support to displaced people in camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria via contributions to the EU's ECHO humanitarian fund, which provided €9 million in humanitarian funding in 2020. Our core contributions to the UN also help to support UN bodies in Tindouf. The UK strongly supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution on the Western Sahara dispute that provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.