Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to paragraph 2.22 of the National Audit Office's report entitled Progress with the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID), published on 25 March 2024, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusion that development capability has reduced since the merger.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The NAO report notes FCDO has made progress in key areas, including on development.
The White Paper on international development published in November set out UK ambition and commitment on this agenda. These commitments have begun to be implemented including through the appointment of a second permanent undersecretary focused on development and wider action on strengthening FCDO and HMG development capacity.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the meeting between China and North Korea on 13 April 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is clear that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) breaches of UN Security Council Resolutions, including its illegal ballistic missile launches and sanctions evasion, threaten global peace and stability. We are working closely with our partners to urge the DPRK regime to return to talks and take credible steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. Until then, we will continue to enforce sanctions against them. We urge North Korea to come back to the negotiating table, and for China to incentivise that path.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase collaboration with (a) French, (b) German and (c) US overseas development agencies.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Our recent White Paper sets out the importance we place on partnerships to support development. The UK has longstanding and close development relationships with France, Germany and the USA. We are strengthening our partnerships through bilateral Strategic Development Dialogues, held with France in October 2023, Germany and the US in February and March 2024 respectively. They allow in-depth exchange at senior levels, and are designed to strengthen collaboration and identify joint areas of action.
Strategic Development Dialogues are underpinned by regular engagement overseas and between capitals at official and Ministerial levels. I personally met Minister Zacharopoulou at COP28, spoke with Minister Keul in February and met USAID Administrator Samantha Power in Washington in April.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will increase multi-year funding to support (a) the most food-insecure people in Sudan and (b) Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK provided £42.6 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Sudan in 2023-2024, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for nutrition activities and approximately £23 million to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund for multisector response, including a high proportion of food security interventions. We also helped those fleeing to neighbouring countries in 2023-24, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan and £15 million to those in Chad. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million, including funding to UNICEF to provide emergency and life-saving food assistance. The UK will also be working with the World Food Programme to assist in the provision of assorted food commodities to people in Sudan.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral statement of 17 April 2024 on the Humanitarian situation in Gaza by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how his Department called for a wholly independent review of the killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers; and what (a) guarantees of independence and (b) investigatory powers he has sought.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
As the Prime Minister said in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 2 April, the UK was appalled by the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli airstrike on 1 April. The Prime Minister called for a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened. Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have stressed the importance of effective deconfliction.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled The Great Reversal: Prospects, Risks, and Policies in International Development Association Countries, published by the World Bank on 15 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We welcome the report recently published by the World Bank. The White Paper on International Development, published in November 2023, recognised the challenges faced by our partners, including International Development Association countries. It sets out how the UK will work with our partners to respond to these challenges, through action on seven priorities. The UK is focusing our efforts where they are most needed and most effective, aiming to spend over 50 per cent of our bilateral Overseas Development Assistance in the Least Developed Countries.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Djibouti on the (a) entry requirements for and (b) reasons for denial of entry of British citizens wishing to enter that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Information on entry requirements for those travelling to Djibouti is accessible though the travel advice pages on Gov.uk. Tourist visas are available online or on arrival, though the Djiboutian authorities always retain the right to allow or deny visas at their own discretion. In the last year, there has been one case of a British national being denied access to Djibouti by the authorities. Following a recent evaluation of our travel advice, there are no plans for the UK Government to seek further clarification on entry requirements.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what information his Department holds on the number of UK citizens that have been refused entry to Djibouti in the last year.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Information on entry requirements for those travelling to Djibouti is accessible though the travel advice pages on Gov.uk. Tourist visas are available online or on arrival, though the Djiboutian authorities always retain the right to allow or deny visas at their own discretion. In the last year, there has been one case of a British national being denied access to Djibouti by the authorities. Following a recent evaluation of our travel advice, there are no plans for the UK Government to seek further clarification on entry requirements.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what information his Department holds on the number of British citizens that were denied entry to Djibouti in the last year.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Information on entry requirements for those travelling to Djibouti is accessible though the travel advice pages on Gov.uk. Tourist visas are available online or on arrival, though the Djiboutian authorities always retain the right to allow or deny visas at their own discretion. In the last year, there has been one case of a British national being denied access to Djibouti by the authorities. Following a recent evaluation of our travel advice, there are no plans for the UK Government to seek further clarification on entry requirements.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the extent of Djibouti's entry requirements for British citizens.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Information on entry requirements for those travelling to Djibouti is accessible though the travel advice pages on Gov.uk. Tourist visas are available online or on arrival, though the Djiboutian authorities always retain the right to allow or deny visas at their own discretion. In the last year, there has been one case of a British national being denied access to Djibouti by the authorities. Following a recent evaluation of our travel advice, there are no plans for the UK Government to seek further clarification on entry requirements.