Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 reports that Iran has increased production of high enriched uranium at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In November 2022 Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of High Enriched Uranium at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This further advances its programme, carrying significant proliferation-related risks and has no credible civilian justification.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities threatens international peace and security and undermines the global non-proliferation system. Iran's actions over the past months have made progress towards a diplomatic solution much more difficult. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate entitled Environmental impact of armed conflict, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2023.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State understands that the debate at the Council of Europe raised prominent issues about the devastating effects that armed conflicts have on the environment. The Secretary of State has confidence in the UK’s approach and actions on this issue, particularly in Ukraine.
The Government works with and supports international partners and organisations collecting evidence of the environmental impact of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The theft of environmental resources is one element of the damage conflicts can cause, which is why Defra has invested £1.5 million to create a grain verification reference database to help identify stolen grain from Ukraine, and £1.1 million to support the collection of timber samples in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
In June 2023, the UK and Ukraine will jointly host the Ukraine Recovery Conference to underline the UK’s enduring commitment to Ukraine. The restoration of its environment is one part of this recovery.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate entitled The Istanbul Convention, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2023.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The UK ratified the Istanbul Convention on 21 July 2022, demonstrating our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). The Convention came into force in the UK on 1 November 2022.
The Government recognises the crucial work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the involvement of all members of the UK delegation. We know of the important PACE debate which took place on the Istanbul Convention on 25 January, during which there was a discussion, amongst other things, about how we need societal attitudes to change and the importance of educating everyone, in particular men and boys, that VAWG is unacceptable. We recognise this and that is why in March 2022, we launched a national communications campaign, ‘Enough’, to target and challenge the harmful behaviours that exist within society, educate young people about healthy relationships and consent, and ensure victims can recognise abuse and receive support. The second phase of the campaign launched in October 2022 and focuses on the range of safe ways a bystander can safely intervene if they witness VAWG.
Our Tackling VAWG Strategy and complementary Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan aim to transform the response to these crimes with actions to prevent abuse, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to ensure the right systems are in place to tackle them.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the address by the Prime Minister of Iceland to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is appalled by Russia's attacks against civilian infrastructure, civilians and cities across Ukraine, which may constitute war crimes. We and our international partners stand united in condemning Russian Government's reprehensible actions in Ukraine, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter. We will continue to work together to make sure that Russia cannot further undermine European stability, ensuring the security and defence of all our Allies. The upcoming Council of Europe Summit will be an opportunity to show this.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate entitled The honouring of obligations and commitments by the Republic of Moldova, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Despite the unprecedented scale of challenges and difficulties Moldova is facing, President Sandu's Government is relentlessly pursuing a policy of reform and fighting corruption, as highlighted by the report. The UK stands resolutely with Moldova in its endeavours and we will continue to encourage and provide support to help build a stronger, more resilient Moldova, including through our ongoing humanitarian assistance and £12 million Good Governance Fund programming over three years.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate entitled Addressing the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin corridor, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government has been clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. Officials are in contact with humanitarian agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross most recently on 18 January, about their assessment of the impact of the closure and the Government is a significant donor to agencies providing assistance on the ground. START FUND, to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate entitled Recent tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to supporting Kosovo's international integration, including to institutions such as the Council of Europe. Membership will bring clear benefits to the Kosovan people, including minority communities. We continue to work closely with international partners to support the long-term goal of normalisation of the Serbia-Kosovo relationship, including through the EU-facilitated Dialogue. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly plays a crucial role on human rights and rule of law issues, and in pressing states to maintain democratic standards. We welcome this debate and your role in it.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate entitled Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, including by supporting the International Criminal Court and Ukrainian domestic investigations into allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine. As the Foreign Secretary announced on 20 January, the UK has accepted Ukraine's invitation to join a 'core group' to consider options for ensuring criminal accountability for Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including through a special tribunal.
The UK stands ready to work with Ukraine on establishing a register of damages.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe debate entitled Building the Open Council of Europe Academic Networks, held on 27 January 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department actively participates in the Council of Europe education programme through a seat on the Council of Europe Education Steering Committee. The aim of this committee is to help develop a culture of democracy through quality education. The department has not undertaken such an assessment.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of Friday 27 January 2023 on Emergence of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and their necessary apprehension through European human rights law.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Ministry of Defence has set out its position on lethal autonomous weapons systems in the Defence AI Strategy and accompanying Ambitious, Safe and Responsible policy paper. The UK does not possess fully autonomous weapons systems and has no intention of developing them. The UK considers that the provisions of international law - particularly International Humanitarian Law - and existing regulatory frameworks are appropriate to new weapons systems and capabilities.
The UK has a developed and considered position and continues to take a proactive role in discussions within international fora. The UK is committed to the Group of Government Experts on LAWS under the auspices of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons which is the right forum for taking the debate forward. These are complicated and nuanced issues and given the complexities we need a pragmatic approach based on agreed norms and rules of the road.