Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has made to support (a) effective refrigeration capacity and (b) refrigerated transport to enable other countries to operate effective vaccine programmes against covid-19.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is committed to supporting rapid and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. A multilateral response is needed to deliver effective vaccines at the speed and global scale needed to end the pandemic. FCDO is working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and the World Health Organisation to ensure that countries have support to plan and prepare for vaccine introduction, including potential refrigeration needs for supply chains. These will be dependent on the characteristics of any successful COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The UK is leading international efforts to mobilise funding to support vaccine procurement and delivery for low and middle-income countries, including through a commitment of £48 million to the Gavi-managed COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC).
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2020 to Question 48267 on Trade Unions: Coronavirus, what specific steps his Department has taken to monitor abuse of trade union rights worldwide; and what steps he has taken to help tackle that abuse.
Answered by Nigel Adams
I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 27 May to Question 48267. The UK Government remains committed to standing up for human rights and supports all efforts by the UN to minimise long-term damage to global economies, societies, politics and freedoms.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason the House procured mouse mats made in Italy for distribution to Members; and whether UK manufacturers were invited to tender for that contract.
Answered by Pete Wishart
The Digital Service requested the procurement of 2000 cyber-security mouse mats in late February/early March. These were posted to Members along with an information booklet on working safely from home. Efforts have been made to make the procurement of such merchandise more sustainable and ‘locally’ produced wherever possible. Over the course of the cyber security campaigns, the majority of our budget has gone towards UK-based procurement.
The cyber-security mouse mats were procured under Lot 2 Promotional category of the Print Framework FWK1120. A mini tender took place within the Promotional category for this job and was awarded to the supplier which best met the customer’s requirements. All our awarded promotional suppliers under this Lot are UK based but they can subcontract under the terms and conditions using verified and trusted sub-contractors. Their subcontractors are not limited to being just UK based and the materials and items can be imported substrates or manufactured abroad at its entirety. Our Promotional suppliers use and have a mix of both UK and overseas subcontractors. Under the terms of the UK Procurement Regulations 2015, it is of course unlawful to discriminate positively in favour of UK suppliers.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the return to the UK of people with leave to remain in the UK.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Our objective remains to bring home British travellers who want to return to the UK, as soon as possible. From the outset, our priority for the charter flight programme has been getting British travellers home. But after we launched the charter flight programme, it became clear that there were people with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) who normally reside in the UK and wanted to get back, particularly in India and Pakistan. Where possible, we are working to help vulnerable UK residents with ILR provided that they have lived in the UK within the last year. This is beyond the scope of our standard consular assistance, where such assistance is usually just for British nationals, but these are exceptional times.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help the Overseas Territories maintain access to education during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK Government is firmly committed to supporting the Overseas Territories (OTs) in dealing with Covid-19. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are leading a cross Whitehall effort, working closely with the Governments of the permanently inhabited Overseas Territories, and the Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development is in regular contact with the political leaders and Governors of the Territories to ensure support meets the individual needs of each OT.
Education is, constitutionally, the responsibility of the locally elected Territory Governments, but the UK Government is committed to supporting the Territories to handle the impact of the pandemic, including maintaining access to education.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the Government of Montserrat on maintaining access to education during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK Government is firmly committed to supporting Montserrat and all of the Overseas Territories (OTs) in dealing with Covid-19. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are leading a cross Whitehall effort, working closely with the Governments of the permanently inhabited Overseas Territories, and the Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development is in regular contact with the political leaders and Governors of the Territories to ensure support meets the individual needs of each OT.
Education is, constitutionally, the responsibility of the locally elected Territory Governments, but the UK Government is committed to supporting the Territories to handle the impact of the pandemic, including maintaining access to education. On Montserrat, all schools have been closed until 9th June and DFID has assisted the Government of Montserrat to ensure children from vulnerable backgrounds, particularly those undertaking examinations, are able to access remote learning services
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2020 to Question 47178 on Caribbean: Coronavirus, when the next flight is scheduled to repatriate people from Jamaica to the UK as a result of the covid-19 pandemic; and whether people with leave to remain in the UK will be able to board that flight.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe are able to return home. The UK Government is working closely with airlines, local authorities and governments in the Caribbean region to help British travellers return to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. Prior to 7 May the British High Commission in Kingston assisted over 4000 British travellers and their dependants to return home on commercial flights. A special Government charter flight returned over 200 people to the UK on 7 May.
We are aware that there are still British travellers remaining overseas in the Caribbean region, including Jamaica. Our effort is focused on supporting their return as quickly and safely as possible. We are therefore operating a further special charter flight from Jamaica to the UK, departing Kingston on 3 June and a final flight on 8 June. Details of how to book are available on our Travel Advice for Jamaica. We are seeking to help vulnerable people with ILR wherever possible, provided that they have lived in the UK within the last year.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people (a) applied for and (b) were given a seat on the special flight from Kingston, Jamaica to London on 7 May 2020 organised in response to the covid-19 pandemic; what estimate he has made of the number of people still seeking to return to the UK from that country; and what steps are being taken to facilitate the return of people to the UK from that country.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Over 200 people travelled on the special flight out of Jamaica on 8 May. It is difficult to be precise on the number of people who register for flights because there have been instances of multiple registrations by the same individual, people not reporting their return to the UK via other means, and long term residents registering for flights even though they were not eligible. Limited indirect commercial flights are currently the only options available in Jamaica for travel to the UK. The Government remains focused on supporting the remaining British travellers in Jamaica. We continue to look at ways to assist British travellers who wish to return to the UK, so that we can support them to get home as quickly and safely as possible. Prior to 7 May, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office assisted over 4,000 people who were short term visitors to Jamaica to return home to the UK on commercial flights.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor abuse of trade union rights during the worldwide economic downturn.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is aware of and concerned by reports of measures taken by some countries in response to the Coronavirus outbreak that may unduly restrict human rights or have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable or marginalised groups. All States must ensure they respect their human rights obligations in responding to Coronavirus. Through our international engagement, we have made clear that any actions taken which may restrict certain human rights, for example freedom of assembly or association, must be lawful, non-discriminatory, targeted, time-limited, and subject to regular review to ensure they remain strictly necessary as a response to Coronavirus. The UK Government remains committed to standing up for human rights and supports all efforts by the UN to minimise long-term damage to global economies, societies, politics and freedoms.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people are registered with his Department as awaiting repatriation from the West Indies as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe are able to return home. The UK Government is working closely with airlines, local authorities and governments in the Caribbean region to help British travellers return to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff have worked round the clock to bring back more than 300 people from Jamaica and Guyana on charter flights on 8 May. We have supported over 11,000 people to return home from the Caribbean via commercial means, and Post's priority remains to continue providing advice and assistance to British nationals in-country.
We are aware that there are British travellers remaining overseas in the Caribbean region and our effort is focused on supporting their return as quickly and safely as possible. British travellers wishing to return to the UK have been actively encouraged to register with their nearest High Commission or Embassy as well as to check travel advice for updates regularly. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. It is difficult to be precise about the numbers because there have been instances of multiple registrations by the same individual, people not reporting their return to the UK via other means, and British Nationals resident overseas registering for flights even though many were not eligible.