Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Russia's attempts to develop a military airbase close to NATO's southern flank in Libya; and what steps he is taking with the UK's allies to tackle that potential threat.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We remain concerned at recent reports of Russian fighter jets being deployed into Libya, and growing evidence of Russian involvement in the conflict, including the use of Private Military Companies. We take very seriously any reports of breaches of the UN arms embargo. Russia has a responsibility to uphold UN Security Council Resolutions and international law. External interference is exacerbating the conflict in Libya and undermining the UN-led political process. We regularly discuss with NATO allies our responses to potential threats from Russia.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic steps he is taking to help tackle disinformation on the covid-19 pandemic internationally.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Transparency and accuracy of information is essential for an effective global response to the pandemic. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is leading the UK's cross government effort to address disinformation and misinformation. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is supporting this effort. We are helping to identify disinformation narratives about the UK from foreign actors. We are working with international partners to better understand the scale, scope and impact of disinformation and help shield our citizens so they can get the right information to protect themselves and save lives. We are building international cooperation among like-minded nations to enable us to tackle the threat of disinformation.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how his Department is supporting British Overseas Territories to deal with the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on their (a) economies and (b) healthcare systems.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK Government is firmly committed to supporting the Overseas Territories in dealing with Covid-19. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are leading a cross Whitehall effort, working closely with the Overseas Territories governments, and taking a needs-based approach to providing support. The Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development is in regular contact with the political leaders and Governors of the Territories. The impact of the pandemic on the Territories' economies and healthcare systems varies, and our support is being calibrated accordingly.
Just as the UK is doing, we are looking to Overseas Territories to make full use of their financial resources in order to address the needs of their people. Requests for further support to complement comprehensive economic local response plans are being considered on a needs basis. In the Territories which are in receipt of financial assistance from DFID, the UK Government will continue to provide the support needed to ensure delivery of essential services and to protect their economies.
In the areas where it's needed, the UK Government is providing support to strengthen the ability of the public health systems of the Territories to deal with the significant challenges from Covid-19, through provision of essential medical supplies, equipment and personnel.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve data sharing agreements between countries in the case of a global health emergency.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) implements a clear policy on data sharing in the context of public health emergencies that all countries are encouraged to comply with. The IHR encourage States to share information with WHO before a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is declared. Data can be made publicly available if a PHEIC is declared, if there is evidence of international spread of infections or other harmful agents or if there is an immediate need for international control measures.
Since the Coronavirus outbreak began, the UK has engaged internationally with affected countries to raise the importance of providing the WHO promptly with comprehensive "line-list" demographic and geographic information. The British Government encourages all countries to comply with requirements of International Health Regulations, which includes sharing of data in case of public health emergencies. Through Official Development Assistance, We are also supporting 6 Lower-Middle Income Countries to improve their compliance with International Health Regulations .
The UK also has other bilateral or multilateral relationships where we share information. These include the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the UK's diplomatic response following sexually violent incidents resulting from the current, ongoing Rohingya crisis.
Answered by Mark Field
The Government has been clear in it's condemnation of the terrible atrocities that have occurred in Rakhine State and has now raised Burma five times at the UN Security Council. The Burmese authorities must heed the call of the UN Security Council to make Rakhine safe for refugee returns and ensure accountability for human rights violations. We have made clear to the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that any returns must have international oversight.
As one of the largest bilateral donors to Bangladesh, UK aid is helping to provide psychological support to over 10,000 women suffering from the trauma of war and over 2,000 survivors of sexual violence. We are supporting the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to operate five mobile medical teams and five health posts for sexual violence survivors, and we are supporting UNICEF protection initiatives including 30 Child Friendly Spaces.
Following the deployment of civilian experts last November we are now working to reduce any further risks of gender based violence and to create a safer environment for women and girls in the camps. We are also working to determine how the PSVI Team of Experts can best support the gathering of evidence of sexual violence for future accountability purposes.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the £40 million compensation package for the exiled Chagos Islands community will be allocated (a) in Crawley constituency and (b) across the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
As the Government made clear in the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 November, the support package is not compensation. The Government is taking the time necessary to carry out scoping studies and discuss ideas with Chagossian communities in the UK and overseas in order to develop cost-effective programmes which will make the biggest improvement to the lives of those Chagossians who need it most. Accordingly, we are yet to begin disbursing funding from the support package to the Chagossian community. It is too early to confirm how funds from the package will be allocated across the UK over the next ten years.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 16 November 2016, WS260, how he plans to use the £40 million offered in support of the Chagos Islands community over the next 10 years (a) generally and (b) to benefit the UK Chagossian population in Crawley constituency.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government is determined to address the aspirations of Chagossians for better lives and for a continued connection to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Accordingly, the Government is creating a significant and ambitious support package to provide Chagossians with better life chances and is developing an increased visits programme. This will be used to address the most pressing needs of Chagossians, notably adequate health and social care, improved education access and employment opportunities. The package will now be worked up fully in discussion with all those with an interest, including the Chagossian community.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the outcome has been of recent discussions with the US administration on renewal of the military base in the British Indian Ocean Territory; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government welcomes the US presence on Diego Garcia and as such, we continue to discuss with the US Government their continued use of Diego Garcia. US presence on the island of Diego Garcia is governed by a series of agreements, called Exchanges of Notes, of which the overarching agreement sets out that the whole Territory should be made available for UK and US defence purposes for an initial 50 year period of 1966 to 2016. If neither side object during a two year window of December 2014 to December 2016, the agreement will continue as it stands until end December 2036. An announcement on the outcome of discussions will be made to Parliament and the public in due course.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has sought from the Swiss government on best practice in concluding a trade deal with (a) Japan, (b) China and (c) other non-EU states.
Answered by David Lidington
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not sought advice from the Swiss government on these matters.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the lease extension of the military base on Diego Garcia.
Answered by James Duddridge
We have been clear that we want to see US presence continue. However, the Government has not yet held discussions with the US about continuing the agreement relating to Diego Garcia.