Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his Belarussian counterpart on freedom of religion or belief in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK continues to monitor closely Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Belarus, and we are aware of recent concerning legislative amendments regarding religious organisations. The Lukashenko regime's repression and support for Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine have limited our bilateral contact. Following Belarus' fraudulent 2020 presidential election, the former Minister for Europe (Wendy Morton MP) spoke with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in a phone call to express our grave concern over the conduct of the election and subsequent repression targeting protestors. There has been no contact between UK Ministers and their Belarusian counterparts since then.
The British Embassy in Minsk continues to support and engage with religious groups in Belarus. Belarus remains a human rights priority country for the UK; we are determined to hold the regime accountable for its actions.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps to support freedom of religion and belief in Nicaragua.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. We share widespread international concern about the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. In June 2023, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy, Fiona Bruce MP, in her capacity as Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, issued an international statement condemning the continued persecution of the Catholic Church by the Nicaraguan Government. In my [Minister Rutley] tweet on 16 January, I welcomed the release of Bishop Álvarez and 18 other clergy from their unjust detention but condemned their expulsion from Nicaragua. The UK calls on President Ortega to fully respect the human rights of all citizens and to unconditionally release all political prisoners.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated for conflict prevention in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Conflict prevention is a broad term that describes activity that seeks to avert violence.
A range of programmes funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) and the Conflict, Security, Stabilisation Fund (CSSF) can be considered conflict prevention, such as preventing violent extremism or promoting effective land management. The FCDO does not track conflict prevention spend as a separate activity.
The FCDO's latest estimate of its ODA spending for 2022-23 is £7.56 billion. The FCDO's indicative ODA budget for 2023-24 is £8.1 billion. The Integrated Security Fund (ISF) will replace the CSSF with a budget of almost £1 billion.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Kenyan Government to help tackle the hunger crisis in the Kenyan counties of (a) Marsabit and (b) Isiolo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Kenya, including in the counties of Marsabit and Isiolo. In response to the ongoing drought, 30,500 children have received life-saving nutritional assistance due to the UK's support. UK-supported programmes have also reached over half a million people in Kenya in drought-prone areas. The UK-supported Hunger Safety Net Programme has reached over half a million people in Kenya in drought-prone areas. This programme has targeted over 7,000 households in Isiolo and over 19,200 households in Marsabit who receive regular cash transfers, building resilience to climate-related shocks.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Ukraine on that country's child protection process as it relates to inclusion of and support for disabled children.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK engages closely with the Government of Ukraine on Ukraine's child protection process, and works with international organisations and partners to champion support to Ukraine on this issue. We are co-chairing the National Recovery Working Group on Social Protection, and provide technical advisory support on disability inclusion and inclusive care reform. UK funding to Ukraine and the surrounding region aims to prioritise support to the most vulnerable, including people with disabilities and children. We have pledged over £140 million to UN and Red Cross Agencies, including £15 million to UNICEF and £25 million in matched funding to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
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 prioritise the safety and protection of institutionalised children in Ukraine; and what protocols are in place for the safe evacuation of children from institutions, including those with disabilities.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The safety of the 100,000 children confined to nearly 700 institutions across Ukraine, is of concern. Half of these children are estimated to have disabilities. Adults and children in institutions are experiencing care, food, water, essential medication and fuel shortages, and institutions are reported to have been direct targets of Russian attacks.
The UK will continue to help to protect people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The UK has committed £220 million of humanitarian assistance to save lives and protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine, including children, and help those who have been forced to seek safety in neighbouring countries.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will publish (a) the number of resignations received from staff in (i) his Department and (ii) the Department for International Development during the merger of those Departments and (b) the reason for each staff resignation during that period.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Data about departing staff is collected as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) cross government data collection, and published by the Cabinet Office. Data for FCDO leavers by government department and leaving cause can be found in Table 42 of https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1006364/Statistical_tables_-_Civil_Service_Statistics_2021.xlsx. Neither FCDO, nor legacy departments, collect data on the reasons for staff resignations.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes. We expect to issue invitations to partner governments, civil society representatives, including faith and non-faith leaders, and others interested in the international FoRB agenda over the next few weeks.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries have been invited to attend the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes. We expect to issue invitations to partner governments, civil society representatives, including faith and non-faith leaders, and others interested in the international FoRB agenda over the next few weeks.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to use the Global Partnership for Education replenishment fund to help ensure that there is equitable education financing for the most marginalised children, including children with disabilities.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has made strong commitments on inclusive education for children with disabilities, and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is an important vehicle for improving mainstream education systems to be inclusive of all learners. The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta of Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education in London this July. A well-funded GPE will be central to delivering the two global objectives endorsed by G7 Foreign and Development Ministers - to get 40 million more girls in school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years.
As one of the biggest donors to GPE, the UK has been instrumental in ensuring equity and gender is hardwired throughout GPE's new strategy for 2025. During the pandemic, GPE funding has targeted the most marginalised children, with 54 countries including interventions for children with disabilities and special needs in their Emergency Response Plans. For example, in Nepal, fast-tracked GPE funding guaranteed accessible remote learning content with captioning, interpretation, and inclusive examples that do not stigmatize.