To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

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 ensure that children are central to his Department's Ukraine response.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK prioritises protection of the most vulnerable and hard to reach, including children, in its humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Our £15 million contribution to UNICEF's appeal for Ukraine helps provide education to over 850,000 children, and access to essential services. We use regularly multilateral fora to highlight child protection issues in the context of Russia's invasion, and led a joint statement on Ukrainian children in November to mark World Children's Day. On 16 June 2022, we sanctioned Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for her alleged involvement in the forced transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of his Department's response to Ukraine, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of producing a cross-Departmental child rights strategy to help ensure that children are prioritised in UK's humanitarian response work.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is committed to the promotion, protection, and realisation of children's rights as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children are a central part of FCDO's work to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, whether through investing in children and ensuring access to education and health care, or through protecting them from violence and advocating for a child-rights approach to tackle child labour.

We work closely with UNICEF to further children's rights, strengthen child protection in emergencies and expand opportunities for children. We have given £20 million pounds to the UNICEF appeal in Ukraine and the region.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

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 ensure that humanitarian support to Ukraine includes targeted child protection and psychosocial support for children.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK has contributed £20 million to UNICEF's appeal for Ukraine and the region. This support has helped UNICEF provide targeted child protection, formal and non-formal education to over 850,000 children, as well as access for Ukrainian children to essential services including health, nutrition, specialist trauma, psychosocial support and Gender Based Violence services. An assessment of UNICEF delivery will be published in the Annual Review of the UK's humanitarian support this year.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

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 include psychosocial support for children in its Ukraine response; and what steps his Department has taken with the Home Office to help ensure that vulnerable children from Ukraine are protected during their journey to the UK.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK has provided humanitarian funding to UNICEF (£20 million), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (£25 million) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (£15 million) to support people and children in need in Ukraine and the surrounding region. Our funding supports provision of psychosocial support, including through Blue Dot safe spaces along major crossing points and transit routes.

FCDO has regular dialogues with Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The government has issued guidance on GOV.UK for children and for parents and legal guardians of children travelling from Ukraine.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-welcome-guide-for-ukrainian-children-under-18

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-parents-or-legal-guardians-children-and-minors-applying-without-parents#safeguarding-and-welfare


Written Question
Development Aid: Health Services
Wednesday 21st September 2022

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that investment in universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights is prioritised within the upcoming Women and Girls strategy.

Answered by Vicky Ford

A Women and Girls Strategy will build on the May 2022 International Development Strategy, which framed our work on women and girls through the 3Es (Educating girls, Empowering women and girls, and Ending violence against women and girls). It included a strong commitment to drive progress on universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Climate Change
Wednesday 20th October 2021

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will make it its policy to introduce specific targets for climate finance that support gender equality and women and organisations at the frontlines of the climate crisis.

Answered by Vicky Ford

Since 2011, UK International Climate Finance (ICF) has directly supported 88 million people to cope with the effects of climate change. We have committed to doubling our ICF to £11.6bn between 2021 - 2026 and through this will continue to empower and support women and girls. Through the UK COP Presidency, we are championing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Action Plan which seeks to increase the gender-responsiveness of climate finance.


Written Question
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Presidents Club
Thursday 1st February 2018

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any Ministers in his Department attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educational Trust in an official capacity.

Answered by Alan Duncan

​No.


Written Question
Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade
Wednesday 11th May 2016

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will suspend immediately UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued for any country, including Saudi Arabia, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria. Our export licensing system allows us to respond quickly to changed circumstances, with the option to suspend or revoke any export licence, including those for Saudi Arabia, where we consider that this is a necessary step.

The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK's export licensing criteria.


Written Question
Yemen: Armed Conflict
Wednesday 11th May 2016

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the establishment of an independent international investigation into reported violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

We want to see the Saudi Government investigate allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) which are attributed to them; and for their investigations to be timely, thorough and conclusive. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that any lessons learned will be acted upon. We are also concerned by reports of alleged IHL violations by Houthi/Saleh pro-government forces. We have raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL and the need for thorough and conclusive investigations.


Written Question
Yemen: Armed Conflict
Wednesday 11th May 2016

Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Saudi Arabian government on the progress of that country's national commission to investigate violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

As announced by the Saudis on 29 February, British and other foreign advisors will provide advice to the independent committee that will assess Saudi Arabian military activity in Yemen. We are standing by to assist this activity as required.