Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their Gulf Strategy Fund Programme summary, published on 30 March, what human rights (1) due diligence, and (2) safeguarding, procedures are applied to Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) projects; what are the objectives of GSF funded projects in Bahrain aimed at (a) building the capacity of oversight bodies, (b) police reform, and (c) developing counter-terrorism capabilities; which organisations receive funding through the GSF; and how much has so far been (i) spent by, and (ii) allocated to, the GSF in the 2021/22 financial year.

The Gulf Strategy Fund allocation for 2021/22 is £10m. Individual country allocations are under consideration. Projects will be delivered through Government Departments and Agencies, commercial contracts and staff recruited on local contracts.

Due diligence around human rights considerations is considered through the use of Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments.

The objectives of the Bahrain projects are a) to support local oversight bodies to develop a complaints management system to ensure greater police accountability and enhance public confidence in Bahrain's transparency procedures, b) to contribute towards the Bahraini-led reform programme which includes promoting evidence-based police investigations in line with best international standards and c) to help develop Bahrain's thinking and capability around the prevention of extremist violence.