Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the future of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision of 8 February to expand Israeli control over the West Bank. The major changes to land, enforcement, and administrative powers proposed in the West Bank will harm efforts to advance peace and stability. The UK recognises the significance of the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs for the faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It is important that Israel respects the arrangements regarding the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and avoids taking actions contrary to those arrangements, or the wider interests of peace and stability. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department have had with the Israeli Government on the adequacy of the conditions for children who are detained in administrative detention without (a) charge and (b) trial.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 13 October to Question 76963.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide consular support to (a) British citizens and (b) the family members of British citizens in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have long advised against all travel to Iran. We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw our UK staff from Iran. Our Embassy will continue to operate remotely, and we maintain the ability to message the Iranian system directly. The UK Government will not be able to evacuate or provide face-to-face assistance to British Nationals (BN) in Iran. If BNs intend to depart Iran across a land border and consider it safe, they should check the travel advice of the country they intend to enter before travelling to the border, including visa requirements. BNs requiring assistance can contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 24/7.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make a request to his Azerbaijani counterpart for a UK delegation to visit the 23 Armenian prisoners being held by Azerbaijan in order to (a) verify their conditions and (b) ensure that international standards and conventions are being complied before COP29 in Baku in November.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has consistently urged the Azerbaijani authorities, including ahead of COP29, to ensure that those in detention are afforded a fair trial and are provided safe conditions, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations and commitments. We are in touch with the UK delegation visiting Azerbaijan for COP29 to ensure a smooth visit to the country, however we have not received a formal request for UK Government support to visit Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance his Department is providing to the families of UK citizens in Afghanistan.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Regular commercial flights to and from Afghanistan have resumed, simplifying travel to and from the country. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan. However, British people are choosing to travel to Afghanistan, against FCDO travel advice, and they are able to leave by commercial means. It remains very difficult to give an exact figure of how many British nationals or their dependents are in Afghanistan. The situation is fluid with British nationals entering and leaving all the time. There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide consular assistance in Afghanistan is severely limited. We have consular teams available in neighbouring countries who are able to offer limited remote consular support.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 number of (a) UK Citizens and (b) their dependents, who remain in Afghanistan.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Regular commercial flights to and from Afghanistan have resumed, simplifying travel to and from the country. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan. However, British people are choosing to travel to Afghanistan, against FCDO travel advice, and they are able to leave by commercial means. It remains very difficult to give an exact figure of how many British nationals or their dependents are in Afghanistan. The situation is fluid with British nationals entering and leaving all the time. There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide consular assistance in Afghanistan is severely limited. We have consular teams available in neighbouring countries who are able to offer limited remote consular support.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to repatriate UK citizens in Afghanistan.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Regular commercial flights to and from Afghanistan have resumed, simplifying travel to and from the country. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan. However, British people are choosing to travel to Afghanistan, against FCDO travel advice, and they are able to leave by commercial means. It remains very difficult to give an exact figure of how many British nationals or their dependents are in Afghanistan. The situation is fluid with British nationals entering and leaving all the time. There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide consular assistance in Afghanistan is severely limited. We have consular teams available in neighbouring countries who are able to offer limited remote consular support.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials in his Department worked in the Export Control Joint Unit in each year between 2018 and 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Between 2018 and 2022 inclusive, on average approximately between ten to twenty Foreign and Commonwealth Office (later Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) officials worked in the Export Control Joint Unit within each year.