Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding his Department and its predecessors allocated to the humanitarian response in Yemen in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020; and how much ODA funding his Department plans to allocate to that matter in 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Last financial year (19/20), the UK contributed £240 million on the humanitarian response in Yemen. Our total commitment for this financial year (20/21) is £214 million. This takes our total commitment to over £1 billion since the conflict began in 2015.
Our funding is providing support to at least 500,000 vulnerable people each month to help them buy food and household essentials, enrolling 25,000 children on malnutrition programmes and providing 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation across Yemen.
I will announce the UK allocation for Yemen for the upcoming financial year (21/22) at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 1 March.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UN’s Virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen promotes improved humanitarian access.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
On 1 March, I have announced the UK's commitment to Yemen for the upcoming financial year at the UN Virtual High level Pledging Conference.
We will be using our intervention to highlight that the current unprecedented restrictions on humanitarian access in Yemen must be lifted, to ensure essential aid reaches those who need it and to call for all parties to bring an end to the conflict.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to announce a contribution to the UN’s Virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
On 1 March, I announced the UK's commitment to Yemen for the upcoming financial year at the UN Virtual High level Pledging Conference.
We will be using our intervention to highlight that the current unprecedented restrictions on humanitarian access in Yemen must be lifted, to ensure essential aid reaches those who need it and to call for all parties to bring an end to the conflict.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
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 the United Nations on the supervision of Syrian presidential elections in 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK continues to raise the issue of Syrian presidential elections with the UN, including at the Security Council and with Special Envoy Geir Pedersen. We also continue to call on those with influence on the regime to ensure they will not hold elections that will damage and delay progress towards a political resolution to the conflict. UN Security Council Resolution 2254 is clear that all Syrians, including the diaspora, must be able to participate in free and fair elections and that a new constitution must be agreed before free and fair elections can take place. Elections that do not meet these requirements would deny millions of Syrians the opportunity to take part in deciding the future of Syria and impede the political process.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
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 adequacy of his Department's covid-19 travel guidance for Liberia.
Answered by James Duddridge
The safety of British nationals abroad is of paramount concern to the Government. The purpose of FCDO travel advice is to provide information to help British nationals make their own informed decisions about foreign travel. We advise against travel only when we consider the risk to British nationals to be unacceptably high. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the FCDO continues to advise British nationals against all but essential international travel, with some countries and territories exempted where the risks are not unacceptably high. This advice is kept under constant review. In respect of Liberia, based on epidemiological evidence and other factors, we continue to advise against all non-essential travel. The latest update for Liberia was made on 15 August. These assessments are made by drawing on expert sources of information available including local knowledge, and the experience of our staff at the Embassy in Monrovia.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost was, including staff time, equipment and processes, to set up the virtual parliament.
Answered by Pete Wishart - Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
The House of Commons Commission is responsible for the hybrid proceedings in the Commons. The costs set out below therefore relate only to work associated with the Commons, not Parliament as a whole. The figures show combined implementation/other one-off costs and running costs as at 31 May 2020, and cover committed spend up to that date, not just actual expenditure.
VIRTUAL CHAMBER REVENUE COSTS:
Chamber set up – £31,200
Broadcasting hub set up – £12,734
Specialist operating team – £176,000
Technical infrastructure hire – £334,000
Remote broadcasting provision for Ministers and other key Members – £70,000
Additional internet bandwidth – £6,000
Sub-total excluding VAT = £629,934
(all supplier costs concerned, excluding any capital costs, are VAT recoverable)
VIRTUAL CHAMBER CAPITAL COSTS:
Broadcasting equipment – £123,994
Hansard recording equipment – £58,306
Sub-total excluding VAT = £182,300
Sub-total including VAT = £218,760
REMOTE VOTING, BALLOTING AND ANNUNCIATOR COSTS
Remote voting (development, hosting) – £40,000 approx.
Commons Balloting – £12,500
Remote annunciator (“UKParliamentNow”) – £33,464 (Commons share only)
Sub-total including VAT = £85,964
VIRTUAL COMMITTEES REVENUE COSTS:
Implementation = £24,327 ex VAT (£29,192 including VAT)
VIRTUAL COMMITTEES CAPITAL COSTS:
Implementation = £330,824 ex VAT (£396,988 including VAT)
ONLINE BY-ELECTION FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CHAIRS
£3,780 including VAT.
TOTAL REVENUE INCLUDING NON-RECOVERABLE VAT = £745,090
TOTAL CAPITAL INCLUDING VAT = £615,748
GRAND TOTAL = £1,360,838
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the repatriation of British children trapped in north east Syria.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Foreign Secretary has discussed the repatriation of British children from north east Syria with Cabinet ministers including the Home Secretary, and these discussions are ongoing. The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the Government will seek to assist any British unaccompanied minors and orphans in Syria, who are brought to our attention, subject to national security concerns. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance, but we carefully consider all requests.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to repatriate British children trapped in north east Syria.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the Government will seek to assist any British unaccompanied minors and orphans in Syria, who are brought to our attention, subject to national security concerns. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance, but we carefully consider all requests.
Our advice to any British national abroad who needs emergency help from the British Government is to contact the nearest British Embassy or Consulate, which in this case will be outside Syria. If a minor is unable to do so, a request can be made on their behalf. British nationals can also call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The number is clearly advertised on FCO Syria Travel Advice pages.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
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 evacuate all British children trapped in north east Syria.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the Government will seek to assist any British unaccompanied minors and orphans in Syria, who are brought to our attention. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance, but we carefully consider all requests.
Our advice to any British national abroad who needs emergency help from the British Government is to contact the nearest British Embassy or Consulate, which in this case will be outside Syria. A request can be made on behalf of a minor. British nationals can also call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The number is clearly advertised on FCO Syria Travel Advice pages.