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, on what date her Department has most recently raised the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace with the Government of Bahrain.
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, if the Government will make representations to the Bahrain Government on (a) ending punitive measures against Hassan Mushaima and (b) his immediate and unconditional release.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We continue to monitor and discuss the case of Hassan Mushaima and others with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We 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, what assessment she has made of whether funding from Sri Lanka's Conflict and Stabilisation and Security Fund programme has been spent on training the Sri Lankan police and security forces involved in the response to the May 2022 protests.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) has funded police training in Sri Lanka.
The British High Commission recently commissioned a review to look at the impact of UK support to the Sri Lankan police to date, identify lessons learned and make recommendations with regards to future programmes. The current project contract and CSSF programme cycle concluded on 31 March 2022. The British High Commission is considering its approach to any future CSSF programme and the review will be taken into account alongside a number of factors.
The UK Government is closely monitoring the political, economic and security situation in Sri Lanka. The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has emphasised that violence against peaceful protestors is unacceptable. Those responsible for attacks should be held to account and fundamental rights must be protected.
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 entertainment budget has been of (a) the UK representative to the European Union and subsequently (b) the UK Mission to the EU in each year since 2015.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The relevant budget allocations, which funded the mission's engagement and influencing to promote UK interests, are as follows:
• 2015/2016 - £68,728.44
• 2016/2017 - £69,510.55
• 2017/2018 - £49,609.55
• 2018/2019 - £150,300.41
• 2019/2020 - £142,132.41
• 2020/2021 - £54,905.00
• 2021/2022 - £106,219.00
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 public the impact assessment for the International Development Strategy.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are confident that funding decisions reflect the priorities in the International Development Strategy, including putting women and girls at the heart of what we do. Assessments of the impact on different beneficiary groups are ongoing, including through the upcoming business planning process. The Foreign Secretary was clear with parliament that Equalities Assessments will not be published, due to the chilling effect it would have on advice provided from officials to ministers.
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, how much funding her Department has allocated to support for Ukraine in each month in the last year.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has committed £394 million in aid to the current crisis in Ukraine. This includes £220 million for humanitarian assistance (allocated in April 2022); £100 million for energy security and reform (allocated in February 2022) and £74 million direct fiscal support through the World Bank (allocated in March 2022).
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 audit the assets of Hong Kong officials located in the UK.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
There are currently no Hong Kong citizens designated under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime. It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.
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 19 April 2022 to Question 150287 on Development Aid: Vaccination, how many vaccines have been donated with an expiry date of three months or shorter since the beginning of the donation period; and whether the vaccines with less than three months to expire, or those destroyed, count towards the total number of vaccines donated.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in response to question 150287, we donate vaccines in consultation with recipients, having sought assurances that they are likely to be able to use them, regardless of their expiry date.
Where possible we donate vaccines with at least 8 weeks until expiry as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Of the 6.7 million doses we have donated bilaterally to date, 5.5 million were donated with over 8 weeks until expiry. 1.15 million doses were donated with just under 8 weeks until expiry. Of the doses donated through COVAX our first donation of 3 million doses had the shortest window from donation to expiry due to the time taken to create agreements for dose-sharing, and work through regulatory issues. They were accepted by COVAX with over seven weeks until expiry. All UK donations to COVAX have gone straight from the manufacturer to maximise shelf life.
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 assessment she has made of whether the G7 will meet its covid-19 vaccine donation target.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In our end of Presidency Report in December 2021, we recorded that G7 members had donated 770 million doses. As of 23 March, G7 members have donated 912 million doses through COVAX. This is more than the 870 million doses that G7 members agreed to make available by mid-2022. This figure does not include any doses that countries donated bilaterally.
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 she has made of the implications for her policies of the US Administration's decision to impose further sanction on Milorad Dodik.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK welcomed the US decision in January to impose sanctions in response to ongoing threats to Bosnia and Herzegovina's stability. Sanctions are also an important part of the UK toolkit for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In close coordination with our US, European and other international partners, we are reviewing a range of restrictive measures to introduce consequences for destabilising and dangerous behaviour. These include sanctions as well as greater conditionality attached to international assistance. We do not comment or speculate on future sanctions targets, as to do so could reduce their impact.