Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister in response to the the hon. Member for Liverpool Riverside during the Oral Statement of 15 April 2024 on Iran-Israel Update, Official Report, column 54, for what reason the United Kingdom abstained on the vote on admitting a Palestinian state as a full member of the United Nations on 18 April 2024.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
As the Prime Minister made clear, the UK supports a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.
We agree that the people of the West Bank and Gaza must be given the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future. And it needs to be irreversible.
We believe that recognition of Palestinian statehood should not come at the start of a new process, but it does not have to be at the very end of the process.
We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza.Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and must be part of a future Palestinian state. However, Hamas is still in control of parts of Gaza and Israeli hostages remain in captivity - this shows that we are still at the start of the process.
Ensuring Hamas is no longer in charge of Gaza and removing Hamas' capacity to launch attacks against Israel are essential and unavoidable steps on the road to lasting peace; as is working together to support the new Palestinian government as it takes much-needed steps on reform and resumes governance in Gaza as well as the West Bank.
We abstained on the vote at the UN Security Council because we must keep our focus on securing an immediate pause in order to get aid in and hostages out; then making progress towards a sustainable ceasefire without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will place sanctions on Israeli (a) ministers and (b) members of parliament who participated in the conference entitled Settlement Brings Security on 28 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We were alarmed by the conference in Jerusalem calling for the resettlement of Gaza, and the fact that Israeli ministers participated. The UK's position is clear: Gaza is occupied Palestinian territory and will be part of the future Palestinian state. Settlements are illegal. No Palestinian should be threatened with forcible displacement or relocation.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for UK pensioners in Commonwealth countries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO provides support to British pensioners in Commonwealth countries on the same basis as we do for any British national overseas. All questions about British pensions should be directed to DWP.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on protecting children in Gaza.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are aware of Save the Children's report into the wellbeing of Gazan children. In 2021, the UK contributed £2 million to UNICEF, which provided child-sensitive grants to vulnerable households in Gaza reaching 4,311 boys and girls. This support met the essential needs of vulnerable children, with the majority of it being spent on food, education, and healthcare. The UK also contributes annually to UNRWA, supporting their Mental Health and Psychosocial Support interventions, especially for children, which included summer school activities targeting 98,595 children in Gaza in 2021.
I recently visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I saw first-hand the challenges of the prolonged conflict and the impact of the occupation. I reiterated UK support for a two-state solution and the need to improve conditions for ordinary Palestinians in my meetings with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll, and with the Palestinian leadership, including Prime Minister Shtayyeh.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of Save the Children’s report entitled Trapped: The impact of 15 years of blockade on the mental health of Gaza’s children, published on 15 June 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are aware of Save the Children's report into the wellbeing of Gazan children. In 2021, the UK contributed £2 million to UNICEF, which provided child-sensitive grants to vulnerable households in Gaza reaching 4,311 boys and girls. This support met the essential needs of vulnerable children, with the majority of it being spent on food, education, and healthcare. The UK also contributes annually to UNRWA, supporting their Mental Health and Psychosocial Support interventions, especially for children, which included summer school activities targeting 98,595 children in Gaza in 2021.
I recently visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I saw first-hand the challenges of the prolonged conflict and the impact of the occupation. I reiterated UK support for a two-state solution and the need to improve conditions for ordinary Palestinians in my meetings with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll, and with the Palestinian leadership, including Prime Minister Shtayyeh.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help end the 15-year blockade of Gaza.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK continues to urge both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authorities to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza's reconstruction and economic recovery. I recently visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I saw first-hand the challenges of the prolonged conflict and the impact of the occupation. I reiterated UK support for a two-state solution and the need to improve conditions for ordinary Palestinians in my meetings with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll, and with the Palestinian leadership, including Prime Minister Shtayyeh.
We remain longstanding supporters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and their work to support Palestinian refugees across the region including Gaza. At the UNRWA pledging conference in New York in June, we announced a new multi-year funding programme with the agency providing £15 million in 2022, which helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help ensuring the equitable distribution of second-generation vaccines across the world.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has played a leading role in supporting global access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines from the outset of the pandemic. The UK is one of the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) committing £548 million. Our funding has supported COVAX AMC to deliver over 1.3 billion doses to 87 developing countries. The UK is working with partners, such as COVAX and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), to ensure affordable and effective second generation vaccines will be available as required in low and middle-income countries so the world can respond rapidly to a new variant of concern, or other public health threat. In March, the UK hosted the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit, raising over £1.2 billion - including £160 million from the UK - to develop variant-proof coronavirus vaccines and to develop vaccines against future health threats in 100 days.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total value is of payments from UK Aid to Abt Associates in respect of projects in Ukraine.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Abt Associates are a provider to the Ukraine programme funded by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and previously the Good Governance Fund (formerly a CSSF programme, now funded by FCDO). The FCDO has held a contract with Abt Associates since May 2020, as part of the Managed Fund Technical Assistance Programme. Abt Associates have worked on numerous individual projects within Ukraine and the Eastern Neighbourhood. The latest financial figures for the Managed Fund Technical Assistance Programme, including expenditure to Abt Associates is available to the public on DevTracker.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of Ukraine’s compliance with International Labour Organisation protocols.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The United Kingdom engages with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on country compliance with international labour standards actively as a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body and International Labour Conference. The Committee on the Application of Standards is integral to the ILO's supervisory system and the UK encourages all countries to abide to high labour standards. It is not for the UK to independently assess compliance with ILO standards and therefore any view of Ukraine's compliance would be based on information from the ILO's supervisory system.
In Ukraine, the UK is a key supporter to Ukraine's economic and governance reforms, as restated by the Prime Minister in his call to President Zelenskyy on 23 September and through the UK-Ukraine Political, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreement signed on the 8 October 2020. The UK has advised Ukraine on the development of legislation to support key reforms in a number of areas, including on labour reform, through providing legal advice and technical assistance based on international best practice as well as recommendations of respected organisations, such as the International Labour Organisation.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of Ukraine’s compliance with Article 282 of the Political, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreement between the UK and Ukraine, signed on 8 October 2020.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK continues to monitor compliance and ensure high levels of protection across all its bilateral trade relationships. Trade agreement implementation, which involves committees with partner countries and engagement with advisory groups and civil society, allows for regular engagement on labour, climate and environment matters with partner countries.
For example, the Department for International Trade held its first Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Sub-Committee with Ukraine in November 2021. TSD Sub-Committees aim to support the effective implementation of the labour, environment and climate provisions included in trade agreements.
Compliance monitoring is supported by the work of the UK overseas network as well as appropriate engagement through multilateral institutions.