Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the fuel blockade on Gaza; and if he will take diplomatic steps to ensure the entry of fuel into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Not enough aid is getting in and vital services such as water supplies, ambulances and hospitals are at risk of shutting down due to fuel shortages. On 12 July, the UN stated that fuel shortages in Gaza had reached a critical level. The small amounts that have been allowed to enter in recent days are nowhere near enough. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resurgence in the flow of aid into Gaza and to allow the UN and humanitarian partners to operate in line with humanitarian principles. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 July, where he reiterated our concerns about the situation on the ground and pressed for a return to a ceasefire.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Israeli counterpart calling for the immediate unconditional release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya from custody.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I remain deeply disturbed by the ongoing detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and other medical staff from Gaza. We continue to call on Israel to clarify the reasons for the detention of Dr Abu Safiya and other medical personnel, and to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities.
I have specifically raised Dr Hussam Abu Safiya's case with both the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister and Israel's ambassador to the UK. We are urging Israel to clarify the reasons for his detention, to allow medical workers to carry out their work safely and without hindrance, and to provide detainees with access to legal representation.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information he holds on the (a) status and (b) health of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I remain deeply disturbed by the ongoing detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and other medical staff from Gaza. We continue to call on Israel to clarify the reasons for the detention of Dr Abu Safiya and other medical personnel, and to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities.
I have specifically raised Dr Hussam Abu Safiya's case with both the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister and Israel's ambassador to the UK. We are urging Israel to clarify the reasons for his detention, to allow medical workers to carry out their work safely and without hindrance, and to provide detainees with access to legal representation.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential (a) humanitarian and (b) medical impact of establishing a UK medical evacuation scheme for seriously ill and injured children in Gaza, in the context of (i) the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system due to the ongoing blockade, (ii) recent advice from UK-Med that hospitals in Gaza are close to running out of capacity, (iv) the World Health Organization’s call for the urgent evacuation of at least 5,000 children requiring specialist medical care and (iv) the acknowledged inability of regional countries to meet the scale of need alone.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are many people in need of urgent medical care in Gaza, where the UN reports all hospitals have been damaged or partly destroyed. Countries in the region, particularly Egypt, play a vital role treating high numbers of medially evacuated Gazans, but capacity is stretched. We recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med and World Health Organization (WHO) Egypt. Our funding has provided 1.3 million items of life-saving medicines and enabled UK-Med to support over 500,000 patient consultations across Gaza. We consistently press the Government of Israel to allow access to essential healthcare and to ensure the protection of medical workers. The Prime Minister confirmed the UK will urgently accelerate efforts to medically evacuate critically ill and injured children from Gaza, working with the WHO and others to get these children to the UK so they get the treatment they need.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to establish a medical evacuation scheme for seriously (a) ill and (b) injured children from Gaza; and what assessment he has made of the (i) capacity for treatment in (A) Gaza and (B) the wider region and (ii) potential implications for his policies of the statement by the British Ambassador to Egypt of 5 May.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are many people in need of urgent medical care in Gaza, where the UN reports all hospitals have been damaged or partly destroyed. Countries in the region, particularly Egypt, play a vital role treating high numbers of medially evacuated Gazans, but capacity is stretched. We recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med and World Health Organization (WHO) Egypt. Our funding has provided 1.3 million items of life-saving medicines and enabled UK-Med to support over 500,000 patient consultations across Gaza. We consistently press the Government of Israel to allow access to essential healthcare and to ensure the protection of medical workers. The Prime Minister confirmed the UK will urgently accelerate efforts to medically evacuate critically ill and injured children from Gaza, working with the WHO and others to get these children to the UK so they get the treatment they need.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the potential impact of draining the aquifer under Dhakla, Western Sahara on the production by Moroccan companies of produce for export.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No such discussions have taken place. It is for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara, as elsewhere.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to hold discussions with Polisario on forthcoming discussions on trade agreements that affect Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) frequently engage on how best to deliver the Government's growth mission, including by supporting UK exports and investment across North Africa. DBT's team in Morocco focuses on the business opportunities that will create the most value for the UK economy. Trade agreements negotiated by the UK are conducted with sovereign states and in accordance with international law. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement, for example, is applied in a manner consistent with the UK's position on the status of Western Sahara. Senior officials meet regularly with Sahrawi representatives to discuss UK policy on Western Sahara, including trade.
On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. In that context, we continue to support the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that any produce originating in Western Sahara is labelled as such.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring that UK consumers are not misled about the origin of the food they purchase. In accordance with retained EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, food labelling must not be misleading, including in relation to the origin or provenance of food. The UK is responsible for enforcing this regulation within the UK.
On 1 June, the Foreign Secretary endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. In that context, we continue to support the parties and the UN to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
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 potential merits of reducing the interest repayments on the loan given to the British Council in response to reduced commercial revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Catherine West
The previous Government made available up to £200 million in loans during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the British Council remained solvent, to support restructuring, and to help the British Council return to surplus. The loan was made on commercial terms to ensure compliance with the UK subsidy control regime, and therefore interest rates are set at market rates.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is supporting the British Council to deliver a financial turnaround plan to ensure the British Council's finances are returned to a stable footing.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding the British Council is projected to receive in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28 and (d) 2028-29, in the context of the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is providing the British Council with £163.1 million Grant-in-Aid this financial year (2025/26). The British Council's Grant-in-Aid funding for future years was not settled in the Spending Review and will be determined, alongside the FCDO's other Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Non-ODA allocations, in the autumn.