Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 whether Hamas is meeting the Quartet Principles.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Quartet Principles call on parties to renounce violence as a means of achieving their goals. Hamas continues to embrace violence. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001 and the UK maintains a no contact policy with Hamas in its entirety.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 reports of Iran-linked attacks against Israeli-owned naval vessels.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping and to maintaining the principle of freedom of navigation. Growing tensions around strategic maritime choke points threatens the ability of trade to safely pass through international waters. The UK continues to underline the need for a reduction in tensions on all sides.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 E3 counterparts on the triggering of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism in January 2020 in response to Iran’s nuclear activities.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK, with France and Germany, triggered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA's) Dispute Resolution Mechanism on 14 January 2020 in response to Iran's systematic non-compliance with the deal. Our priority continues to be to bring Iran back into compliance with its commitments and to return the US to the deal. Negotiations on a return to the JCPOA are currently ongoing in Vienna.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 27 January 2020 to Question 6055 on Developing Countries: Genito-urinary Medicine, if he will publish details of foreign governments funding UK grassroots organisations to change UK laws on abortion.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not track foreign governments funding of UK grassroots organisations to change UK abortion laws so is unable to provide this information.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 27 January 2020 to Question 6055, on Developing Countries: Genito-urinary Medicine, on what basis his Department allocates funding to grassroots organisations in other countries for sexual and reproductive health services and rights.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is proud to defend universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. Investing in SRHR can reduce some of the factors that lead girls to drop out of school, such as early pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, period poverty and shame.
Grassroots organisations are critical to achieving lasting transformation. The barriers to achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights are multi-dimensional and complex, and particular to a country or community context. Grassroots organisations are well placed to understand this context, to be a voice for people affected by these barriers and to define where actions should be focused. An example of UK support is to the Robert Carr Fund which supports networks of grassroots organisations that seek to serve key populations affected by HIV, and ensure that their issues and concerns are raised and addressed.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will review its relationship with the British Red Cross charity in response to that charity's recent criticisms of Government policy.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government's relationship with the British Red Cross is established under the BRC's Royal Charter. There are no current plans to review this relationship.