Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the return of Ukrainian children unlawfully deported by the Russian authorities.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We call upon Russia to cease these deportations immediately and return all Ukrainian children. In June 2022, we sanctioned the Russian Children's Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, and in June 2023, we announced new sanctions against 10 Russian officials and one entity involved. We have provided funding to the International Criminal Court and support to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The UK is also now a member of the 'International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children'. We are determined to hold to account those responsible for forcibly deporting and attempting to indoctrinate Ukrainian children.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
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 the Director of Operations at UNRWA on (a) the precision of air strikes in Gaza and (b) whether Hamas tunnels ran near or under UNRWA schools.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK takes allegations of neutrality violations extremely seriously, including in relation to UN installations such as schools. The FCDO also monitors this closely through our annual assessment of UNRWA. When violations have been identified, UNRWA has taken action, including raising the issue with relevant parties.
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. Their independent investigations include assessment of the policies and systems UNRWA has in place to ensure neutrality.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with UNRWA on alleged threats made to their senior operations staff by Hamas.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are not currently aware of any threats made to senior UNRWA operations staff by Hamas.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Foreign Secretary met the Sharabi and Popplewell families on 16 January to hear about their relatives' horrendous ordeals at the hands of Hamas. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary also met with hostage families on 21 January.
We will continue to do all we can to secure the release of all hostages. We need a humanitarian pause now to allow for the release of hostages. We will continue to do all we can.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the alleged use of child soldiers by Hamas.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We condemn the recruiting and use of children in armed conflict and want to see an end to this abhorrent practice.
The UK is an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. The Working Group issues calls and concrete requests to those governments and armed groups listed in the Secretary-General's annual report, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the alleged construction of cross-border tunnels into Israel by Hezbollah.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has repeatedly condemned Hizballah's destabilising activity in the region, including the construction of tunnels and the stockpiling of weapons, in breach of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. Such activity presents a threat to the security of both Israel and Lebanon and risks an escalation that is in nobody's interests.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the potential implications for his policies of claims made by the Israel Defense Forces that they have located a Hamas rocket-making facility inside a mosque in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during his visit to Israel on 23 November 2023. Discussions centred on the urgent need for humanitarian aid to access Gaza during the humanitarian pause and how UK efforts can help alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Kingdom is outraged at Hamas' terror attacks in Israel, and supports Israel's right to self-defence, in line with International Humanitarian Law. We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. The UK supports equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union on rising levels of anti-Semitism.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Antisemitism has no place in our or any society. The UK Government is committed to international cooperation to promote education, remembrance and research about the Holocaust. Lord Pickles, the UK's Special Envoy for post-Holocaust issues, visited Warsaw in October to engage with civil society, historical institutions and the Jewish community on post-Holocaust issues. The UK Government has engaged closely with counterparts in the EU institutions and Member States following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October, including as part of a meeting between the Prime Minister and Commission President von der Leyen on 2 November.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of direct Iranian involvement in the conflict in Gaza; and what steps he is taking to deter such involvement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is clear that Hamas is fully responsible for these appalling acts of terror in Israel. We are also clear that Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel. We have long condemned Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. During his visit to the Middle East, the Prime Minister discussed the risk of regional escalation extensively with partners and we have deployed UK military assets to the region to carry out surveillance and act as a deterrent. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
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 Palestinian on security control in Jenin.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to closely monitor the security situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The Foreign Secretary discussed the security situation in Jenin in his call with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on 5 July. We unequivocally support the Palestinian Authority's independent role in securing Area A of the West Bank, as agreed in Oslo. The UK continues to support the Palestinian Authority to develop capable, responsible security forces that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people. We call on the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel to cooperate in securing the safety and protection of civilians across the OPTs.