Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he has taken to help reduce the (a) import and (b) processing of illicitly mined Sudanese gold by third countries.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The trade of illicit gold funds conflict, undermines the rule of law, and perpetuates human rights abuses. The UK Government engages with the gold industry as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. Since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict, the UK has frozen the assets of nine commercial entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Two of these sanctions target gold mining companies linked to the warring parties. In 2023, the UK also sanctioned three Russian-linked gold mining entities operating in Sudan. These sanctions were designed to disrupt the financial networks fuelling the war, press the parties to engage in a sustained and meaningful peace process, allow humanitarian access and to commit to a permanent cessation of hostilities. Although we do not speculate on future designations, our sanctions policy is continually under review. Furthermore, in our international engagement, we emphasise with all countries the need to refrain from actions that prolong the crisis, including those that may financially benefit the warring parties.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps through the UN to help reduce the role of the illicit international gold trade in financing Sudan's civil war.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The trade of illicit gold funds conflict, undermines the rule of law, and perpetuates human rights abuses. The UK Government engages with the gold industry as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. Since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict, the UK has frozen the assets of nine commercial entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Two of these sanctions target gold mining companies linked to the warring parties. In 2023, the UK also sanctioned three Russian-linked gold mining entities operating in Sudan. These sanctions were designed to disrupt the financial networks fuelling the war, press the parties to engage in a sustained and meaningful peace process, allow humanitarian access and to commit to a permanent cessation of hostilities. Although we do not speculate on future designations, our sanctions policy is continually under review. Furthermore, in our international engagement, we emphasise with all countries the need to refrain from actions that prolong the crisis, including those that may financially benefit the warring parties.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his United Arab Emirates counterparts on the import of illicit gold from Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The trade of illicit gold funds conflict, undermines the rule of law, and perpetuates human rights abuses. The UK Government engages with the gold industry as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. Since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict, the UK has frozen the assets of nine commercial entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Two of these sanctions target gold mining companies linked to the warring parties. In 2023, the UK also sanctioned three Russian-linked gold mining entities operating in Sudan. These sanctions were designed to disrupt the financial networks fuelling the war, press the parties to engage in a sustained and meaningful peace process, allow humanitarian access and to commit to a permanent cessation of hostilities. Although we do not speculate on future designations, our sanctions policy is continually under review. Furthermore, in our international engagement, we emphasise with all countries the need to refrain from actions that prolong the crisis, including those that may financially benefit the warring parties.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of the cessation of the notification and coordination systems for aid workers moving through Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned that the deconfliction system in Gaza, designed to protect humanitarian workers from harm, is no longer functioning. Gaza remains the most dangerous place for humanitarians in the world, with over 400 killed since 7 October 2023. We are appalled by recent reports of attacks on humanitarian workers, including the UN and Palestine Red Crescent. This is why the UK and France called a Security Council meeting on 28 March on the protection of aid workers in Gaza. Humanitarian personnel must be protected and never targeted. At the UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we urged Israel to urgently restore effective deconfliction, to allow aid workers them to operate without coming under attack, and conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel and ensure accountability for those responsible.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the situation in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with all relevant counterparts, including Israeli, on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. He last held discussions with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on 21 March, and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer on 20 March. The UK made statements in the UN Security Council on Thursday 3 April, Friday 21 March and Tuesday 18 March and joined a G7 Foreign Ministers' statement on 14 March. The UK also issued a statement with E3 Foreign Ministers on Friday 21 March calling on all parties to re-engage with negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full and becomes permanent.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Prime Minister last had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the humanitarian situation in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year. He welcomed the release of hostages, highlighted that it was vital to ensure humanitarian aid could flow uninterrupted into Gaza, and stressed the need to work towards a permanent and peaceful solution. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel, including via the Foreign Secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Sa'ar on 21 March, about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank, including the need to return urgently to a ceasefire and to restore the flow of aid in Gaza, and to ensure civilians are protected across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to appear before the International Development Committee.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials are in contact with the International Development Committee clerks to identify a date for the Foreign Secretary to give evidence.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to retain his Department's role overseeing (a) in-country migration costs and (b) other official development assistance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Home Secretary is committed to ensuring that asylum costs fall and has already acted. The Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog, reform the asylum accommodation system to end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period and increase detention capacity to facilitate more asylum removals. Whilst there will always be volatility in asylum forecasts, we expect these decisions to drive down overall in-donor refugee costs over the next Spending Review.
Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments. The ODA Board's first meeting in February 2025 focused on in-donor refugee costs. The co-chairs, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and former Minister for Development, were joined by the Minister for Border Security and Asylum.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what percentage of Gross National Income he plans to allocate to overseas spending in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Given the multi-year nature of many international development spending commitments, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is currently reassessing its ODA spending plans for the financial year of 2025/26 to ensure they deliver maximum value for money in the context of the transition to spending 0.3 per cent of gross national income on ODA by 2027. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the value is of the humanitarian reserve (a) as of 17 March 2025 and (b) in each of the next three years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The £50 million Humanitarian Crisis Reserve (HCR) has been fully allocated and spent for financial year 24/25. The value of the HCR in future years is yet to be determined.