Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 P5+1 counterparts on the report of 4 September 2020 from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran’s stockpile of uranium is over 10 times the limit agreed in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is critical for our collective security. The Government remains deeply concerned by Iran's growing uranium stockpile and by Iran's actions to break other Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action limits. This is why the UK, with France and Germany, triggered the deal's Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) on 14 January. E3 Foreign Ministers discuss this regularly, including most recently at their meeting on 10 September. The findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency's report of 4 September was discussed at the Board of Governors meeting on 15 September, where the UK, France and Germany set out our concerns about the size of Iran's stockpile. We remain committed to working with partners to use the DRM to find a diplomatic way forward.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Since 2016, we and our Executive Agency, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services, have held annual external apprenticeship recruitment campaigns enrolling new entrants and existing staff, onto a range of programmes from level 2 to level 7 (post-degree). Our current apprenticeships include business administration, human resources and finance and accounting. In 2019, we opened our level 3 business administration programme to non-graduates only, to broaden opportunities to join our department.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the total amount of funding from the public purse given by his Department to (a) civil society and (b) campaigning bodies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nigel Adams
This information is not held centrally and to compile it would incur disproportionate cost
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on proposals to redraft the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to include provisions to curtail Iran’s international aggression and financing of terrorism.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) is the best means available to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. We remain committed to the deal and urge Iran to return to full compliance immediately. We, along with France and Germany, have made clear that we want to build on the JCPoA with a long-term successor that includes regional security issues and Iran's ballistic missile programme. The UK remains determined to work with Iran on a diplomatic way forward and believes discussion on these issues should take place while the current nuclear deal remains in place.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the reform partnership between the UK and the Kurdistan Regional Government; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK continues to enjoy a close relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq and to support economic and security reform. I reiterated our commitment to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq when I spoke to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on 8 January, and these messages were reaffirmed by the British Ambassador to Iraq when he met the political leadership of the Kurdistan Region on 16 January. As part of this support, we have contributed £16 million to a World Bank Trust Fund which can provide technical assistance to both the Government of Iraq and the KRG to deliver economic reforms. We are also supporting reform of the Kurdish Peshmerga reform including through a British Army officer based in Erbil.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department has taken to support peace and stability in (a) Iraq and (b) the Kurdistan region; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is working actively to support continued peace, stability and democracy in Iraq following recent events. Since early January Ministers have engaged closely with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including Iraqi President Salih, Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mehdi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hakim and KRG Prime Minister Barzani. In his conversation with his Iraqi counterpart on 6 January, the Prime Minister reaffirmed our strong support for Iraq's sovereignty and security. We have also reiterated the continued importance of the Global Coalition's role in supporting the Iraqi security forces including the Kurdish Peshmerga to prevent any resurgence of Daesh. The UK continues its support for the consolidation of democracy in Iraq including the Kurdistan Region. In light of ongoing protests in Iraq, we have encouraged political dialogue and emphasised the need to respect the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to support the development of democracy in (a) Iraq and (b) the Kurdistan Region in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is working actively to support continued peace, stability and democracy in Iraq following recent events. Since early January Ministers have engaged closely with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including Iraqi President Salih, Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mehdi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hakim and KRG Prime Minister Barzani. In his conversation with his Iraqi counterpart on 6 January, the Prime Minister reaffirmed our strong support for Iraq's sovereignty and security. We have also reiterated the continued importance of the Global Coalition's role in supporting the Iraqi security forces including the Kurdish Peshmerga to prevent any resurgence of Daesh. The UK continues its support for the consolidation of democracy in Iraq including the Kurdistan Region. In light of ongoing protests in Iraq, we have encouraged political dialogue and emphasised the need to respect the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what projects are in place under the reform partnership between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK continues to enjoy a close relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq and to support economic and security reform. I reiterated our commitment to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq when I spoke to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on 8 January, and these messages were reaffirmed by the British Ambassador to Iraq when he met the political leadership of the Kurdistan Region on 16 January. As part of this support, we have contributed £16 million to a World Bank Trust Fund which can provide technical assistance to both the Government of Iraq and the KRG to deliver economic reforms. We are also supporting reform of the Kurdish Peshmerga reform including through a British Army officer based in Erbil.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the Government has in the appointment of ambassadors to the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The appointment of Heads of Mission, both Ambassadors and High Commissioners, to the Court of St. James's is governed in international law by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961. Article 4(1) of the VCDR requires that the sending State must ensure that agrément for the person it proposes to accredit as Head of Mission has been granted by the receiving State, before that person may be permitted by the receiving State to undertake the role. Under the VCDR a receiving State is not obliged to give reasons to the sending State for refusal of agrément.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office reviews all requests for agrément from sending States. On the recommendation of the Secretary of State, Her Majesty The Queen gives formal approval of appointments and grants their credentials in a formal ceremony.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, which training providers the House of Commons works with to train apprentices.
Answered by Tom Brake
The House of Commons is participating in National Apprenticeship Week. This will include the production of a short film of former and current apprentices in conjunction with Amazing Apprenticeships. The film will be shown nationally in schools and Further Education colleges to promote apprenticeships in general and at Parliament.
Lifetime Training have been appointed as our Lead provider, together with Newham College. We also use Kaplan training who are managed by Lifetime.
In addition, we work alongside Amazing Apprenticeships who work with over 3,500 schools and colleges nationally.