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, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2022 to Written Question 142509, whether the FCDO annual report for financial year 2021-22 will include planned FCDO programme allocations for 2022-23.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The FCDO's Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 was published on 19 July 2022. Planned FCDO programme allocations for 2022-23 were not included.
As a result of the government's response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and wider ODA pressures including the ODA-eligible expenditure incurred through the Afghan resettlement programme and the UK's support to people fleeing Ukraine, the original allocations would not be accurate, and it would be misleading to publish detailed disaggregated budgets. We are committed to transparency and will provide updates to spending plans in due course.
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 assessment he has made for the implications of his policy of the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that British Citizen, Alaa Abd el-Fattah is arbitrarily detained in Egypt.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government to grant consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah. The FCDO takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. In doing so we carefully consider all available information, including any opinions issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The former Foreign Secretary confirmed that the FCDO had called for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah to Parliament on 22 June, and that the FCDO were doing everything they could to secure his release. The Foreign Secretary has since raised his case with Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 September. We continue to support the family of Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
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 the Government has taken to notify the Egyptian authorities of the British citizenship of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government to grant consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah after his obtaining British citizenship. The first request was submitted to the Egyptian authorities on 20 December 2021. There have been a number of follow-up requests submitted at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary raised his case with Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 September and the previous Prime Minister raised the case with President Sisi during a call on 25 August. We continue to support the family of Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
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 the Government first informed the Egyptian authorities that Alaa Abd el-Fattah was a British citizen.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government to grant consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah after his obtaining British citizenship. The first request was submitted to the Egyptian authorities on 20 December 2021. There have been a number of follow-up requests submitted at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary raised his case with Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 September and the previous Prime Minister raised the case with President Sisi during a call on 25 August. We continue to support the family of Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
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 meeting of 27 April 2022 between the Bahraini Minister of Interior, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah AlKhalifa, and the HM Ambassador to Bahrain, Roddy Drummond, when border security training and training programmes for reformation and rehabilitation personnel were discussed, which government is funding that training; and which Government departments are implementing those training programmes.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Potential training cooperation for Border Force and Reform and Rehabilitation Centre officers was discussed during this meeting. However, there are currently no training programmes on either subject being delivered.
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
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
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.