Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help provide humanitarian support at the Rafah crossing.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. Our focus must be on practical solutions that save lives. We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.
The Foreign Secretary discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week. We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has also appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department plans to take to respond to the death of Alexei Navalny in Russian custody.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has publicly expressed our outrage and made clear that we hold the Russian state fully responsible for the death of Alexei Navalny. Russia must release Mr Navalny's body to his family and hold a full and transparent investigation into his death. On Friday 16 February, the day of Mr Navalny's death, we summoned the Russian Embassy to demand answers. The UK has now sanctioned six heads of the penal colony where Mr Navalny died following years of mistreatment at the hands of the Russian state. The UK is the first country to impose sanctions in response to Mr Navalny's death.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made with international counterparts of the extent to which foreign states were involved in the drone attack on the Tower 22 US base in Jordan on 28 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We strongly condemn attacks by Iran-aligned militia groups against US forces. We continue to urge Iran to de-escalate in the region. Our thoughts are with those US personnel who have sustained injuries, as well as their families.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle violence against women and girls in conflict zones.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Tackling gender-based violence (GBV) is a priority for the UK, including in conflict zones. We have committed £60 million to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, including to the development of international guidance such as the Murad Code and support to survivors. At the Global Refugee Forum in December 2023, we pledged £2 million to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women to tackle violence in crisis situations, including conflict. In November we announced a new £15 million programme to prevent and respond to GBV in Somalia. We will continue to prioritise efforts to address the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to support the Overseas Territories with climate change adaptation.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening our partnership with the Overseas Territories (OTs) to protect and sustainably manage our unique and globally significant environments, and to tackle climate priorities.
The FCDO is working in partnership with the Territories to develop Climate Security Assessments through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. Our Blue Belt Programme has provided over £35 million since 2016 to enhance marine protection and build climate change resilience. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), as the lead UK Government Department in this area, continues to make support available through Darwin Plus for biodiversity and conservation projects in the OTs which aim to improve resilience to climate change.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
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 support the development of proposals to establish new high seas marine protected areas under the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK was pleased to be among the first signatories to the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement when it opened for signature at the UN on 20 September 2023 and the Agreement was laid before Parliament for scrutiny on 16 October 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the provisions of the Agreement into UK law before we can ratify the Agreement. The UK will continue to be proactive in preparing for implementation and entry into force and will work with international partners and stakeholders to identify potential areas for High Seas Marine Protected Areas. The UK is also funding a project to develop a shortlist of potential area-based management tools that could be developed into future proposals once the BBNJ Agreement comes into force.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
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 help ensure the safe evacuation of British nationals from (a) Israel and (b) Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
My [Minister Rutley] thoughts are with those families who are facing unimaginable uncertainty and fear because of these despicable attacks and kidnappings. This is a fast-moving situation, and we are not commenting on individual consular cases. The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority. We are using all the tools available to us in our diplomatic toolkit to maximise our chances of bringing innocent British nationals back home to their loved ones. The Foreign Secretary is working with his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts, along with international partners to establish a safe passage for British nationals out of Gaza.
British Nationals in need of help should contact +972 (0)3 725 1222 or +972 (2) 5414100. If they experience technical difficulties or if they are in the UK, call +44 20 7008 5000. British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, are advised to register their presence with the FCDO.
https://www.register.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/israel-20231009/tell-the-uk-government-youre-in-israel-or-the-occupied-palestinian-territories
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department plans to visit Afghanistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth 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 level of terrorist threat posed by extremist groups operating in Afghanistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to support people in Afghanistan in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.