Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of steps being taken to ensure that vessels transiting Scottish and UK territorial waters are not carrying sanctioned cargo.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
In delivering maritime security in the UK Marine Area, the UK operates a layered approach to coastal and maritime defence, including onshore resources and surveillance capabilities, to detect those seeking to smuggle illicit goods or to facilitate illegal entry into the UK. Through the Economic Deterrence Initiative, the Government is investing in the maritime intelligence capability of the Joint Maritime Security Centre to enhance sanctions enforcement. For vessels transiting through UK waters, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) details the right of innocent passage and freedom of navigation. The UK remains fully committed to upholding UNCLOS.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will meet with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to discuss UK support for global child vaccination.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials are in regular contact with Gavi and sit on the Gavi Board & Committees. I [Minister Mitchell], last wrote to Gavi's interim-CEO in December 2023. We welcome the Gavi Board's decision to appoint Dr Sania Nishtar as Gavi's new CEO. I will meet with her once she takes up post in March 2024.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide an additional £70 million for the treatment of wasting for acutely malnourished children in East Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Humanitarian needs across East Africa are at critical levels with a growing caseload of malnourished children. The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response in the region having invested over £1 billion in humanitarian aid alone since 2019. UK funded programmes are saving lives and making a difference. Last year in Somalia approximately 50,000 people received urgent nutrition and health services. A further 200,000 malnourished women and children benefited from UK assistance in Ethiopia. We will share details of our planned humanitarian budgets for East Africa for financial year 2023/2024 in due course.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 Cabinet colleagues on allegations that the Chinese Government is operating unofficial police stations in London to track down dissidents and force them to return to China.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. To this end, any foreign country operating on UK soil must abide by UK law. We will not tolerate interference in UK communities from any foreign country. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as well as other government departments in ensuring that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for those who choose to settle here.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 Cabinet colleagues on taking diplomatic steps to help encourage the Government of Bahrain to release Hasan Mushaima and other political prisoners in Bahrain.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Officials and ministers have regular discussions with senior Bahraini counterparts on human rights, including most recently during the former Minister for the Middle East's Amanda Milling visit to Bahrain from 2-3 July. We continue to follow and discuss the case of Hassan Mushaima and others, as necessary, with the Bahraini Government as well as with the independent oversight bodies.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made assessment of the implications for her policies of the risk of Iran being engaged in espionage and terrorism in the UK through its embassy, intelligence operatives and diplomats.
Answered by Amanda Milling
We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters or specific threats. The safety and security of our citizens is the Government's top priority. As we made clear in the 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, we are committed to addressing growing threats from Iran, as well as other states. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect the UK and our interests from any Iran-linked threats.