Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of conflicts resulting from global food insecurity.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Hunger has many causes, but conflict is a major driver and amplifier behind ten of the largest food crises in the past year. In turn, competition for resources such as land, food and water contribute to instability. Our Development White Paper sets out our vision, combining efforts in development, diplomacy and security, to both reduce food insecurity and tackle conflict.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral contribution of 15 April 2024 by the Prime Minister, Official Report, column 37, whether he plans to publish the interim findings of the UN review into UNRWA .
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.
The UN Secretary-General has not published these interim reports.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) Swedish and (b) Canadian counterpart on the decision of those countries to resume funding for UNRWA.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General. We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality.
We are working with allies, including Sweden and Canada, to try and bring this situation to a rapid conclusion, not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza, and the wider region.
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
Any future funding decisions will be taken after UNRWA's review has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) UN Office of Internal Oversight and (b) Catherine Colonna of the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General on when the rapid interim report will be made available.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General. We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality.
We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza and the wider region.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when he plans to decide whether to reinstate funding for UNRWA.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General. We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality.
We are working with allies, including Sweden and Canada, to try and bring this situation to a rapid conclusion, not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza, and the wider region.
We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again.
Any future funding decisions will be taken after UNRWA's review has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the contents of the interim report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services' review of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will be shared with Parliament.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General.
We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality. The UN has said that her final report will be made public.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1784 on Vladimir Kara-Murza, what progress his Department has made on securing the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the sanctions on the 13 individuals related to this case.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government has consistently condemned Vladimir Kara-Murza's politically motivated conviction and called for his release since his arrest. The Foreign Secretary met Mr Kara-Murza's wife and mother on 1 March to discuss our approach. We continue to raise his case with the Russian authorities at every available opportunity in London and Moscow, and call for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds for urgent medical treatment, including at ambassadorial-level, and in multilateral fora, most recently at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and UN Human Rights Council. Our sanctions are targeted, based on information from a range of sources and we continue to keep them under review.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Written Statement of 22 February 2024 on Post Office Update, UIN HCWS283, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on legislation to overturn the wrongful convictions of postmasters.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government has engaged regularly with the Scottish Government concerning the legislation to overturn the wrongful convictions of postmasters, including at the Inter-Ministerial Group for Justice on 25 January and a regular official-level working group. I discussed the UK Government's approach to overturning convictions with the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice on 22 February. The UK Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to enable them to progress their own approach for overturning convictions in their legal jurisdiction.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on his Department's potential role in the UK-Rwanda migration partnership.
Answered by James Heappey
Defence officials are working closely with the Home Office to identify where it would be appropriate for Defence to support the implementation of the UK-Rwanda migration partnership.
Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of diversity within charity leadership and trustee boards on those organisations.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Trustee diversity is essential for a thriving charity sector that reflects the people and communities charities serve.
During Trustees’ Week, which took place 6-10 November 2023, the Charity Commission encouraged people from all backgrounds to consider becoming a charity trustee.
A diverse range of experiences on a trustee board can create more opportunities for constructive challenge, and can help make a charity stronger.