Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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 - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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 - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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 - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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 - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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 - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
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
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.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to support Ukrainian authorities with the exhumation and identification of victims of alleged mass killings by Russian forces in (a) Bucha and (b) Izyum.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The Attorney General led a scoping mission to the region in May, to assess how the UK could help the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to identify and collect evidence of atrocities. Since then, the UK has been supporting the Office of the Prosecutor General in its work to investigate potential war crimes committed in Ukraine. Our support has included the creation of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, which the UK helped to establish alongside the United States and the European Union, and a £2.5 million support package.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact on regional security of escalating military tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of September 2022 and following the conclusion of the Nagorno Karabakh War.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government condemns the recent violence along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In calls with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 and 17 September respectively, I reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties. The United Kingdom will continue to work with both parties in the coming months to support efforts to secure regional stability and security.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has plans to appoint a UK Ambassador to the Arctic region.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The UK takes a whole-of-government approach to the Arctic, overseen by a Minister with responsibility for the Polar Regions in FCDO. The UK attends all major Arctic meetings and conferences, either from the UK or from our embassies in the region.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to attend the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference in August 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK looks forward to working with all states to strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the Tenth Review Conference in August. The FCDO is still finalising Ministerial attendance. The senior official who will represent the UK delegation will be the UK's Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament.