Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry 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 ensure the escalation of tensions in the Gulf does not damage the Stockholm peace process in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK remains in close coordination with international partners to find diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions. Representatives of the UK, the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates met on 22 June in London, expressing their concern over escalating tensions in the region and the dangers posed by Iranian de-stabilising activity. Quad members reiterated their support for UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and the peace process.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help reduce the number of children killed by airstrikes in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
We regularly share experience with the Saudis for minimising civilian casualties. The UK continues to call on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to exercise restraint, comply fully with international humanitarian law and implement the Stockholm Agreement without delay to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Greece on the number of people infected with the West Nile virus in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
There were reports of a number of cases of West Nile virus in Greece in 2018. The Hellenic Centre for Disease Prevention / Control have informed our Embassy in Athens that there have been no reported cases to date in 2019. Up to date information on outbreaks and preventative measures can be found by following the links on Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of Ethiopian state developments on indigenous populations in the lower Omo valley.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
I am aware of concerns raised about the impacts of development projects on the Omo people in southern Ethiopia. The UK makes regular assessments of the development context in Ethiopia. We are currently funding research which considers the impact of development on income inequality, conflict, and the environment in South Omo. The research is currently being finalised.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the dangers to the environment of releasing CFC gasses.
Answered by Mark Field
We have been following recent media reports of the possible sources of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions in China. We continue to maintain a broad range of discussions with China and will be raising this issue with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in upcoming meetings we have planned. We anticipate that climate change will also be included on the agenda for the forthcoming Economic and Financial Dialogue with China in June.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry 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 tackle the causes of modern slavery in Albania.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We work closely with the Albanian government to help tackle modern slavery. In the run-up to the UK-hosted Western Balkans Summit in July 2018, the Albanian Government endorsed the Prime Minister's Call to Action to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking.
The UK has developed a £2 million programme of activity under the Modern Slavery Fund to address modern slavery in Albania. This work will include capacity-building for local criminal justice officials, targeted strategic communications campaigns, and support for victims and individuals at risk of being trafficked.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his US counterpart on the US decision to stop all aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK maintains a regular dialogue with the US on a range of Middle East issues, and the Foreign Secretary has discussed the specific issue of US funding cuts for the UN Relief and Works Agency with Senior Adviser to the President, Jared Kushner. The UK has also made a number of official-level representations to the US highlighting our concern about the impact on US funding cuts.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
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 (a) French and (b) New Zealand counterpart on reducing the amount of violent and terrorist content on social media.
Answered by Alan Duncan
As a Government we have regular engagement with both our partners in France and New Zealand on how we tackle terrorist content online. The Prime Minister attended the Christchurch Call summit in Paris on online harms on 15 May. She had discussions with both Prime Minister Ardern and President Macron in the sidelines. During the summit she showcased the Government's leadership on making a safer internet for all our citizens. The UK will be the first country to establish a regulatory framework that tackles a range of online harms. We will lead international efforts by setting a coherent, proportionate and effective approach that reflects our commitment to a free, open and secure internet. This is why, together with our partners from France and New Zealand, we have signed up to a joint pledge, called the "Christchurch Call To Action", to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This is the latest example of UK leadership on this issue.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote peace in Mali.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Government continues to be concerned about the situation in Mali. We reiterate our previous calls on the parties to the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement to take immediate steps to advance the peace process. We are also deeply concerned by the increase in terrorist and intercommunal attacks in the centre of Mali. We underline the need for security efforts to be accompanied by inclusive political and institutional reform, as well as initiatives to promote economic development.