Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Falkland Islands will remain an Overseas Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yes. We will always resolutely defend the sovereignty and self-determination of the Falkland Islands, as I and other Ministers have made repeatedly clear in the House, and to the Members of the Legislative Assembly and Governor in my regular meetings with them. In line with the democratically expressed wishes of the people of the Falkland Islands - most recently in the 2013 referendum, the Falkland Islands will remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory. The UK Government will always defend the Falkland Islanders' right to determine their own destiny.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia will remain an Overseas Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government retains sovereignty over the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBAs) under the 1960 Treaty of Establishment. The UK Government remains resolutely committed to the SBAs, which make an important contribution to the security of Europe and the wider region.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to secure the release of Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since day one, this Government has been clear that we need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages cruelly detained by Hamas, better protection of civilians, significantly more aid consistently entering Gaza, and a path to long-term peace and stability. The remaining hostages must be released and the only way to return them safely is through a deal. The UK is playing an active role in coordination with our international partners and continues to urge all parties to re-engage in ceasefire negotiations to get the hostages out and to secure a permanent end to the conflict.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diversity, equality and inclusion targets his Department has for staff recruitment.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) follows the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles guiding fair and open appointments based on merit. We aspire to reflect the population we serve but there are no specific diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) targets for recruitment. As a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader the FCDO implements the Disability Confident Scheme across our recruitment campaigns meaning candidates in the scheme are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the role. DEI in the Civil Service is an important lever to support the delivery of the Government's Plan for Change and wider Civil Service reform.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect persecuted Christians in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are closely monitoring the treatment of all civilians in Syria, including those from the Christian community. In my Statement in Parliament on 10 March, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. I raised this with the Syrian Interim Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, on 17 March, we consistently emphasise the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of halving the foreign aid budget.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On Tuesday 25 February, Prime Minister announced that we will increase defence spending to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027; the security of the UK is the first duty of government.
Doing so demands the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI).
While we will of course face tough choices resulting from the reduced ODA available, this government remains fully committed to a globally significant role on development. It is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.
The prime minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and official development assistance. Specific allocations will be worked through as part of the ongoing spending review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the cost effectiveness of foreign aid.
Answered by Catherine West
We work hard to ensure that our development assistance reaches those who need it most, where and when it is most effective, delivering value for money for the British taxpayer.
To support effective programme delivery, the publicly available FCDO Programme Operating Framework sets out the mandatory rules and the principles, controls, roles, and responsibilities for programme teams. We ensure delivery represents value for money by measuring and assessing programmes throughout their lifecycle and will work with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standard to our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, including robust measures of development effectiveness.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which groups of Chagossians he has met with; and when he met them.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As Minister for the Overseas Territories, I have met with members of the Chagossian community on 30 September and 3 October, and officials have also been in regular contact with Chagossians on a range of issues. We recognise the importance of the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago to Chagossians and have worked to ensure the sovereignty agreement reflects their interests.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total cost is of the financial settlement for the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of the proposed treaty will be set out when it is laid before Parliament.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is for the transferring of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A timetable for the transfer of sovereignty will be among details of the proposed treaty, which will be laid before Parliament following signature.