Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the Hon. Member for West Lancashire of 17 March 2021 on foreign aid in India, reference ZA55927. .
Answered by Nigel Adams
A response to this letter is currently being expedited and will be sent out shortly.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with AstraZeneca and Oxford University on their commitment to the WHO Covid-19 Technology Access Pool.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) provided initial details on the COVID-19 technology access pool (C-TAP) in October 2020, the UK has led the way in bringing industry and the research community to the table. During our G7 presidency, we will continue this work with stakeholders, including the WHO as it establishes the governance structures, and refines the operating model for C-TAP. This includes pharmaceutical sector representatives, and research institutions such as Oxford University.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is working closely with key development partners in vaccines, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccines Alliance, WHO, and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), along with development finance institutions, and the private sector to catalyse investments into vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK passport holders stranded abroad during the covid-19 outbreak are able to access extended visas to comply with travel advice without incurring additional charges.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are advising British Nationals stranded abroad, to contact the relevant authority in the country they are located with regards to their visa. In a number of countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, we have provided British National travellers with expiring visas, letters and information notes from the Consulate to support their visa extension requests.
We are also lobbying countries to ensure that individuals who are unable to leave the country because of COVID-19 related travel restrictions, will not be regarded as over-stayers; will not suffer any immigration detriment in the future; and will not be pursued during the crisis.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the statements made by the Saudi Government that (a) the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi was a rogue mission and not state-sponsored and (b) the Saudi Government is are taking effective action in relation to that murder.
Answered by Alistair Burt
There remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened on 2 October and thereafter. The Prime Minister made this point when she spoke to King Salman of Saudi Arabia on 24 October.
The UK has made clear that Saudi Arabia must cooperate with Turkey and conduct a full and credible investigation. We ask for both the Turkish and Saudi investigations to be carried out thoroughly until responsibilities are clearly established and that there is proper accountability and due process for any crimes committed.