Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
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 effect on UK aid efforts of the reduction in Official Development Assistance from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of national income.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Strategic framework for aid announced in November by the Foreign Secretary, sharpens the focus of our aid on seven priorities where UK support can make the most difference including on Covid and global health security; and open societies and conflict, in our overarching pursuit of poverty reduction and achievement of the sustainable development goals. This, alongside the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, uniting our world class diplomacy and development expertise will ensure we bring together the best of Britain's international effort bear on the world's global challenges.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the displacement of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
I publicised on 8 May outlining our concern over tensions in Jerusalem linked to the threatened eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. We continue to urge Israel to cease such actions, which in all but the most exceptional cases are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. I also spoke to the Israeli Ambassador and to the Palestinian Head of Mission in London to urge them to de-escalate, restore calm and reiterate our position on this issue. UK Officials at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to raise the issue regularly with the Israeli Authorities.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
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 implications for his policies of the ICC enquiry into war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is a strong supporter of the ICC and we respect the independence of the Court and its officials. In this instance we do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction. We continue to closely follow the ICC's work and are looking at the implications of this decision.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish (a) a list of aid programmes that the UK funds in Syria and (b) the proposed reduction in UK aid to those programmes in 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has spent over £3.5 billion in response to the Syria crisis since 2012, which includes support to over 30 implementing partners including UN agencies and International NGO partners.
Our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians, supporting refugees to remain in countries in the region, and enabling their host communities to accommodate them. Since the FCDO's response to the crisis began, our activities in the region have delivered more than 28 million monthly food rations, 14 million vaccines, 21 million medical consultations, 6 million cash grants and 10 million relief packages. The FCDO is working to finalise ODA budget allocations for financial year 2021/22 and until that is done will not be able to confirm individual country allocations. Final decisions have not yet been made.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of uprating the UK's 2021 offer of £205 million in aid to programmes in Syria to £400 million as allocated in 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The seismic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on aid. The FCDO is working to finalise ODA budget allocations for financial year 2021/22 and until that is done will not be able to confirm individual country allocations. Final decisions have not yet been made.
At last year's Brussels Conference, the UK pledged to provide 'at least £300 million' in 2020 for Syria and the region. We actually spent over £400 million in 2020, mobilising additional support in light of the increased humanitarian needs across the region. In addition to the UK's pledge of at least £205 million in 2021, the UK will continue to use its position at the UN Security Council to push for greater access into Syria and more sustainable, long-term solutions to increase the resilience of millions living in conflict.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Danish counterparts on the issue of stripping 189 Syrian refugees of residency permits in Denmark.
Answered by Wendy Morton
When we have concerns about humanitarian issues and conditions in a country, we raise these directly with the government concerned. Denmark is party to both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the 1951 Refugee Convention and we are confident that Denmark has a robust legal rationale to demonstrate this approach and is in compliance with its obligations under both Conventions.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with (a) Ali Mushaima, son of Bahraini political opposition leader, Hassan Mushaima, and (b) other UK-based members of the Bahraini Freedom Movement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Ministers have not had discussions with Ali Mushaima and other UK based members of the Bahrain Freedom Movement.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the (a) human rights and (b) civil liberties of the English-speaking minority in South Cameroon.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces. In a visit to Cameroon in March 2021, I [Minister Duddridge] met President Biya, Prime Minister Ngute and Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, where I [Minister Duddridge] set out the Government's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the crisis. I [Minister Duddridge] also met the President of the South-West Regional Assembly, civil society, political opposition and religious leaders, to hear the experiences of the affected communities.
As our International Ambassador for Human Rights set out at the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February 2021, the violence in the North-West and South-West regions must end and urgent, impartial investigations must hold the perpetrators to account. We are working with international partners to raise the crisis in multilateral fora. At the UN Security Council briefing on Central Africa on 9 December 2020 the UK representative reiterated the UN Secretary General's call for an end to violence and for all actors to refrain from attacks against civilians. We continue to call for an end to the violence, and for inclusive dialogue that addresses the root causes of the crisis. We have shared our experience of conflict resolution with the Government of Cameroon, and we call on all parties to remain engaged in Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks. We continue to urge the Government of Cameroon to engage fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights for all.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
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 promote the human rights and civil liberties of the English-speaking minority in South Cameroon.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces. In a visit to Cameroon in March 2021, I [Minister Duddridge] met President Biya, Prime Minister Ngute and Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, where I [Minister Duddridge] set out the Government's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the crisis. I [Minister Duddridge] also met the President of the South-West Regional Assembly, civil society, political opposition and religious leaders, to hear the experiences of the affected communities.
As our International Ambassador for Human Rights set out at the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February 2021, the violence in the North-West and South-West regions must end and urgent, impartial investigations must hold the perpetrators to account. We are working with international partners to raise the crisis in multilateral fora. At the UN Security Council briefing on Central Africa on 9 December 2020 the UK representative reiterated the UN Secretary General's call for an end to violence and for all actors to refrain from attacks against civilians. We continue to call for an end to the violence, and for inclusive dialogue that addresses the root causes of the crisis. We have shared our experience of conflict resolution with the Government of Cameroon, and we call on all parties to remain engaged in Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks. We continue to urge the Government of Cameroon to engage fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights for all.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2020 to Question 84707, on Developing Countries: Children, what steps his Department has taken to help end preventable deaths of (a) mothers, (b) newborns and (c) children around the world in 2021.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is committed to working with others to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030. As such we have pledged up to £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Over 2021-2025, Gavi will support the roll-out of the most comprehensive package of vaccines to the world's poorest countries, focusing on the hardest to reach children. We are also supporting delivery of quality antenatal and post-natal care, including through the Global Financing Facility in 36 countries, which is helping countries challenged by service disruptions due to the pandemic.
We know that improving education has a positive impact on health outcomes, which is why 12 years of quality education for girls is a major priority for this government. We will use our G7 presidency this year to rally the international community to step up support to girls' education and global health. Finally, UK Aid-funded COVID response and recovery programmes continue to provide heath support in 2021. For example our partnership with Unilever is on track to reach over 1 billion people with messages on the importance of hygiene.