Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 potential responses to the Ugandan Government's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
I have expressed the UK's deep disappointment with the decision of the Parliament of Uganda on 21 March 2023 to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The UK is alarmed by the increasing criminalization of LGBT+ people in Uganda. This Bill threatens minority rights and risks persecution and discrimination of all people across Uganda. Amendments to the Bill, including introduction of the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality', are very worrying. The UK Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's programmes supporting refugees in Jordan address (a) water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure and (b) their impact on the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is one of the leading donors in supporting refugees in Jordan and has contributed over £704 million in bilateral development assistance to Jordan since 2011. We recognise the pressure of water scarcity in Jordan and are helping the Government of Jordan reform its energy and water sectors to be more financial and environmentally sustainable, which will benefit refugees and Jordanians alike. The UK is supporting Jordan's adaptation through the PHENOMENAL programme, which covers key sectors of the national adaptation plan. This includes a waste-water plant and technical support in water management. The UK does not currently deliver health sector programmes, including on antimicrobial resistance, in Jordan. However, we have funded water, sanitation and hygiene activities in both Za'atari and Azraq refugee camps.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department will take to support the provision of (a) health and (b) education services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK is one of the leading donors in supporting Lebanon in hosting both Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Since 2011, the UK has allocated over £780 million in humanitarian and development funding to Lebanon. Our humanitarian assistance will continue to promote access to education and provide those most in need with timely, flexible assistance and protection services to cover their basic survival needs and reduce gender-based violence, saving lives and reducing suffering.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the economic crisis in Lebanon on its covid-19 response and vaccination roll-out.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the economic crisis in Lebanon. The economic crisis in turn has impacted Lebanon's response to the pandemic and wider healthcare provision. The UK is at the forefront of support to Lebanon's response to coronavirus and has contributed nearly £4.5m for medical supplies via the World Health Organisation and support through the British Red Cross as well as funding 10 Covid-19 isolation centres.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 effect of the covid-19 pandemic on maternal and child health services in developing countries; and what steps he is taken to help mitigate that effect.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to put pressure on essential services, resulting in disruptions with significant impacts for maternal and child health services in developing countries. For example in a World Health Organisation (WHO) country survey, 56% of responding countries reported disruption to antenatal care services.
The UK Government remains committed to supporting child, newborn and maternal health interventions as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030. Globally we are working with agencies such as the WHO, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility to support governments to maintain health systems in affected countries, provide technical assistance and immunise children.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what rights UK nationals (a) arrested, (b) tortured and (c) detained abroad have to consular (a) assistance and (b) protection; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Our consular staff endeavour to give tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. We help around 30,000 British nationals abroad every year - 20,000 new cases and around 10,000 long running cases, such as those in detention. The UK Government has the power to grant consular assistance to British nationals abroad on such requests. Each request for consular assistance will be considered individually. The UK is a party to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which is a multilateral agreement setting out how States will cooperate in the support of their nationals in distress overseas including for example granting access to detained nationals. The Government's ability to provide consular assistance remains at all times dependent on other states respecting the VCCR and must be done in accordance with the laws of that country. The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). It includes further information on what we can seek to do for victims of torture and mistreatment, and for those detained overseas. The level and type of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case but we take all allegations of torture or mistreatment seriously, treat those who have made allegations of torture and mistreatment as vulnerable cases and follow up with action appropriate to the circumstances of each case. Consular assistance is often referred to as consular protection. It is distinct from diplomatic protection.