Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) principles and (b) dependents with confirmed eligibility for relocation to the UK from the (i) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (ii) Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme are currently housed in hotel accommodation in (A) Pakistan and (B) other third countries.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As of 17 April there were approximately 218 principals and 968 dependents in UK-funded accommodation in Pakistan and other third countries assessed eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Scheme, and 74 principals and 230 dependents assessed eligible under the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme. The Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration process cases to confirm eligibility to relocate to the UK.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Minister is responsible for arrangements for the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The United Kingdom is proud to co-host the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23) with Ukraine. As a co-hosted event, arrangements for URC23 are in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine. The HMG Minister responsible is the Foreign Secretary.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the aims and objectives are for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23) will focus on the role of the private sector in supporting recovery and reconstruction. It will provide a platform for the Government of Ukraine to set out its priority reforms, particularly in the business environment and for international partners to signal their support and their offer to Ukraine. The Conference will look at how to unblock obstacles to investment and how governments, the private sector and civil society can work together to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in the longer-term.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people (a) expressed interest in Pathway 3 and (b) were approved for relocation to the UK via that pathway under the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government received over 11,400 expressions of interest (EOI) under ACRS Pathway 3. To date, the FCDO has informed over 200 individuals that they are eligible in principle for resettlement to the UK under Pathway 3, subject to passing security checks. Including their dependents, this accounts for over 1000 of the 1500 available places in the first year of Pathway 3.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Government spends per day on accommodation for Afghans in the (a) Margalla Hotel, (b) Islamabad Hotel, (c) Envoy Continental, (d) Legend Palace, (e) IFQ Hotel and Resort, (f) Legend Hotel Islamabad and (g) Crown Plaza in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The total cost of accommodation and meals for ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) and ACRS (Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme) cases in Pakistan between 1 April 2022 and 28 February 2023 is approximately £15 million. For security reasons, we do not specify which hotels are used.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the budget is for the Ukraine Cyber Programme in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have led the way alongside international partners to identify and expose malign Russian activity and to hold Russian hostile activity to account. Since Putin's invasion in February, we have committed a total of £7.3 million through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund Ukraine Cyber Programme to date; this is to protect Ukraine's critical national infrastructure and vital public services from cyber-attacks.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full time staff from (a) his Department and (b) other Government departments are working on the Ukraine Cyber Programme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Conflict Stability and Security Fund Ukraine Cyber Programme is a cross government fund led by FCDO and supported by the Ministry of Defence, National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. We do not release more detailed information on the Ukraine Cyber Programme for operational security reasons.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the humanitarian impact of the UK withdrawal from the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA in Mali.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains troubled about rising instability in Mali and the wider Sahel and the impact of this on the humanitarian situation. A third of the population in Mali need humanitarian assistance, including 1.8 million people in food crisis or emergency. The UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) has a key role to play in creating a secure environment for the safe, civilian-led delivery of humanitarian assistance and, as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, the UK will continue to support the mission in fulfilling its objectives. The UK remains committed to supporting those most in need, last year we spent around £300 million in the Sahel, including in Mali. The UK recently announced new support for 2022 which provides vital food, water and sanitation assistance for people in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, focused on areas where conflict, climate change and extreme hunger are causing the most suffering.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is his department taking to support Ukrainian authorities in the clearance of unexploded ordinance and landmines from recently liberated Ukrainian territories.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a £2m agreement with the Halo Trust to clear unexploded ordinance and landmines from recently liberated Ukrainian territories. FCDO support has already funded HALO to clear 22,985 square metres of land. The UK-led multi-donor Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) has provided £2m to build the capability of the Ukrainian Special Emergency Services to undertake mine clearance and disposal. The FCDO is also funding the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and working closely with UNDP, the Ukrainian authorities, and other donors to strengthen national and sub-national demining capacity and coordination in Ukraine.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the security implications of the security situation in Somalia during drought and food shortages in that country.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Drought and food insecurity, combined with an already difficult security situation, are having a serious impact on Somalia. Displacement rates are increasing, including due to ongoing conflict. The UK is a major security partner to Somalia and in the region, working with others to counter Al-Shabaab and build Somali security forces' capacity. The UK is also providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to those most affected in Somalia and across the region. On 21 September at the UN General Assembly, the Minister for Development, Vicky Ford MP, announced £22.8 million package assistance for Somalia to alleviate the impact of drought and address the risk of famine. This brings the UK's total support to Somalia since 1 April 2022 to £52.8 million covering humanitarian, protection, health, and nutrition support. We are also stepping up our diplomatic and political engagement to increase life-saving support from the international community.