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 she is taking to ensure that UK ODA spending is used to help the most vulnerable people escape cycles of violence in fragile and conflict affected states, in the context of reductions in the level of non-humanitarian funding allocated to the least developed countries.
Answered by Vicky Ford
As we set out in the International Development Strategy, we will target our work in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS), including ensuring our work takes account of the causes and effects of conflict. We will draw on our combined diplomatic, defence and development capabilities. We will also work both to prevent conflict, including tackling new threats from malign actors, and to reduce conflict and violence. We will continue to support the global goal of providing at least 0.2% of our gross national income to Least Developed Countries. In 2020, 56% of the UK's bilateral Official Development Assistance allocation went to low-income countries.
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, when she will next meet the Egyptian Foreign Minister.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
As the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 21 June, she is meeting the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his upcoming visit to the UK.
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 discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on ensuring that climate adaptation finance is allocated to countries suffering from climate change and fragility.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The FCDO ministerial team is engaging counterparts across the world to ensure we deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact. We are urging all finance providers to meet the $100 billion a year goal as soon as possible, ensure this finance is accessible, including to those countries suffering most from the effects of climate change, and set out clear commitments by COP27 to collectively double adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025.
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 the funding her Department plans to allocate to International Climate Finance in line with the Paris Agreement will be (a) new and (b) in addition to ODA spending.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK succeeded in meeting its 2015 pledge to provide £5.8 billion in International Climate Finance (ICF) between 2016/17 and 2020/21. In 2019 the Prime Minister made a new commitment to delivering £11.6 billion for the period 2021/22 to 2025/26. This commitment is additional to the £5.8 billion spent up to March 2021.
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, when she last had discussions with her Indian counterpart.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Foreign Secretary visited India on 31 March where she met with India's Minister of External Affairs Dr Jaishankar. The Foreign Secretary's visit focussed on deepening defence-related trade and co-operation between our two countries, alongside further strengthening our bilateral partnership and cooperation on international issues.
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, when she last had discussions with her Egyptian counterpart.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government is in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities at all levels to discuss the bilateral and regional matters that concern both countries. The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs met Foreign Minister Shoukry at the UN in September. Most recently Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State for North Africa spoke to Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 May and met with him during his visit to Cairo in April.
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, with reference to the Answer of 22 February 2022 to Question 122816 on Abduljalil al-Singace, when her Department will issue a reply to the joint-letter of 14 February 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
With reference to the joint letter to Lord Ahmad of 14 February from 5 parliamentarians, a reply will issue shortly.
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 he will make immediate representations to the King of Saudi Arabia calling for the executions of Sadiq Thamer and Jaafar Sultan to be urgently halted.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. I raised UK concerns about the death penalty with the Saudi Ambassador on 23 May 2022. The British Embassy in Riyadh raised concern regarding recent executions with the Saudi Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2022. Ministers and senior officials will continue to raise UK concerns about the death penalty with the Saudi authorities.
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, with reference to the 27 April 2022 meeting between the Bahraini Minister of Interior, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah AlKhalifa, and the UK Ambassador to Bahrain, Roddy Drummond, if he will publish a list of the positions of Government officials in attendance at that meeting.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Officials and ministers have regular discussions with their Bahraini counterparts on a range of issues, including human rights. We continue to follow and regularly discuss the cases of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Mohammed Ramadhan, Husain Moosa and others with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We continue to encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the relevant oversight bodies.
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, with reference to meeting of 27 April 2022 between the Bahraini Minister of Interior, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah AlKhalifa and the HM Ambassador to Bahrain, Roddy Drummond, whether (a) human rights, (b) Gulf Strategy Fund programmes and (c) cases of individuals including (i) Dr Abduljalil AlSingace, (ii) Hassan Mushaima, (iii) Mohammed Ramadhan and (iv) Husain Moosa were discussed during that meeting.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Officials and ministers have regular discussions with their Bahraini counterparts on a range of issues, including human rights. We continue to follow and regularly discuss the cases of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, Mohammed Ramadhan, Husain Moosa and others with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We continue to encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the relevant oversight bodies.