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 - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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 - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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 - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
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 he has made of the implications for his policies of recent reports that the Turkish army attacked a village with chemical weapons in the Duhok region of Northern Iraq on 4 September 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We have not made an assessment of this report. We take seriously all allegations of the use of chemical weapons - it is important that the full facts are established. We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. We welcome discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terrorist group, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Foreign Secretary discussed the stability of Iraq and the KRI with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's President, Nechirvan Barzani, during his visit to London of 15-17 September.
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 policies of recent reports that the Turkish army attacked a refugee camp in the Zaxo region of Northern Iraq on 30 August 2021 housing Yazidi refugees displaced during the ISIS genocide.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We are aware of reports of an explosion in a refugee camp in Zaxo in Northern Iraq on 30 August. Allegations of attacks against refugee camps are deeply concerning. We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians. We welcome discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terrorist group, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Foreign Secretary discussed the stability of Iraq and the KRI with the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, President Nechirvan Barzani, during his visit to London on the 15-17 September.