Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the joint statement issued on 12 July 2022 by the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden on the Israeli government's designation of Palestinian civil society organisations as terrorist organisations.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The evidence which forms the basis for this decision is a matter for the Government of Israel. The UK maintains its own criteria for designation. We continue engagement with a number of these organisations on human rights issues and respect the role that NGOs and civil society organisations play in upholding human rights and democracy.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help promote access to (a) safe abortion and (b) post abortion care in Ethiopia.
Answered by Vicky Ford
UK aid is supporting improvements to the whole Ethiopian health system. This includes improving access to reproductive and maternal healthcare, and strengthening the quality of these services. In areas affected by conflict and crises, temporary and mobile clinics are being used to reach displaced populations.
The Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme is expanding access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in 17 countries across Africa, including Ethiopia. WISH works in Northern Ethiopia (Afar, Amhara and Tigray) to support sexual and reproductive health services, including the provision of voluntary family planning, the response to gender-based violence, and comprehensive abortion care.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of her shortened trip to Indonesia in July 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office publishes the costs related to all overseas Ministerial travel as part of the regular Cabinet Office Transparency Return https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help secure consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, the Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she raised the detention of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the absence of consular access with her Egyptian counterpart during her meeting on 5 July 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will meet with British national Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s family.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is released from detention in Egypt.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost to the public purse has been of legal advice sought by the Government in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is longstanding government policy, accepted by governments of all parties, not to comment on legal advice provided to the government.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of officials in her Department involved in recording retained EU legislation for the purposes of the Retained EU Law Dashboard in the latest period for which figures are available and (b) the cost to the public purse of recording that information.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Approximately 10 - 15 FCDO officials from across the department were involved in the process of recording information on retained EU legislation held by the department for the purposes of the Retained EU Law (REUL) Dashboard.
There has been no additional non-pay cost to the public purse by creating the dashboard.
The dashboard itself is made by the Government Strategic Management Office and is hosted on Tableau Public, which is a free platform for hosting public dashboards. The dashboard will continue to be updated at no additional cost.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 the Israeli Government on behalf of Ahmad Manasra.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention and raise this with the Israeli Ministry of Justice. I recently travelled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I discussed a range of issues with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll.