Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 April (HL Deb, col 464), what assessment they have made of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh in international law.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's long-standing position has been to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally-recognised borders, which include Nagorno Karabakh. At the same time, the UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh; we welcome the recent participation of Armenia and Azerbaijan in negotiations to work towards settling all outstanding matters between them, and urge them to build on this momentum.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Azerbaijan regarding that government’s (1) continuing attempts to resolve the status of Nagorno-Karabakh militarily, and (2) failure to respond to His Majesty's Government's calls to respect international calls for a political solution.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's longstanding position is that there is no military solution to this conflict and that Armenia and Azerbaijan must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable peaceful settlement. The Minister for Europe Leo Docherty underlined this message when he visited Baku in February. We welcome the peace talks that took place recently in Washington and Brussels and will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding their imprisonment of prisoners of war and civilians following the ceasefire agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia concluded in September 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomed the most recent return of prisoners of war in November 2022 and return of remains of the deceased in December 2022. In engagements since 2020 with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, UK Government representatives, including successive Ministers for Europe, have urged the parties to prioritise the return of all prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased. We will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months to resolve all outstanding issues relating to the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan about (1) that government’s artillery, mortar and drone attack on the village of Sotk in Armenia on 11 May, and (2) the continuing blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which has isolated at least four local communities; and whether they will consult the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross about effective remedies.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Although we have not specifically raised the 11 May incident in Sotk with the Azerbaijani government, the UK's longstanding position is that there is no military solution to this conflict and that Armenia and Azerbaijan must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable peaceful settlement. The Minister for Europe Leo Docherty underlined this message when he visited Baku in February, and I, [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon], met with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister in Reykjavik on 17 May, where he raised the importance of unfettered access to the Lachin Corridor and encouraged continued negotiations with Armenia. The UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months. We have called for the reopening of the Lachin corridor through interventions at the OSCE and are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the situation on the ground, including the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking with international partners to help facilitate the lifting of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor, including at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 20 December 2022 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna on 17 January and 27 April 2023. This message was conveyed by the Minister for Europe during his visit to Azerbaijan in February, and was discussed during his visit to Armenia in May. The UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his international counterparts on taking steps to ensure that people affected by blockages along the Lachin corridor are able to access (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) energy.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor and publicly highlighted humanitarian concerns, including through multilateral fora such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the UN Security Council and we regularly engage with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments, including on humanitarian issues. I [Minister Docherty] discussed the situation in Lachin during my visit to Azerbaijan in February and with Prime Minister Pashinyan on my visit to Armenia in May. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the situation on the ground. Additionally the START FUND, a humanitarian response fund to whom the UK is a significant donor, allocated £350,000 to the region to support those effected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount of state pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK is; and if he will provide a breakdown of the average state pension payment in each country in which recipients reside.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In November 2020, the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK was £70.61 per week.
Table 1. Average Amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, November 2020
Residency | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Outside United Kingdom | £ 70.61 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Below is a table of the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, broken down by country of residence, in November 2020.
Table 2. Average Amount of State Pension by Country of Residence, November 2020
Country of Residence | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Abroad - Not known | £ 112.62 |
Albania | £ 110.57 |
Alderney | £ 126.99 |
Algeria | £ 62.41 |
Andorra | £ 94.96 |
Anguilla | £ 64.93 |
Antigua | £ 74.02 |
Argentina | £ 65.18 |
Aruba | £ 60.29 |
Ascension Island | £ 91.68 |
Australia | £ 50.09 |
Austria | £ 49.24 |
Azerbaijan | £ 166.77 |
Bahamas | £ 66.64 |
Bahrain | £ 97.27 |
Bangladesh | £ 39.49 |
Barbados | £ 116.97 |
Belarus | £ 111.17 |
Belgium | £ 63.62 |
Belize | £ 85.01 |
Bermuda | £ 81.36 |
Bolivia | £ 106.19 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | £ 73.12 |
Botswana | £ 75.98 |
Brazil | £ 81.20 |
Brunei | £ 121.78 |
Bulgaria | £ 122.47 |
Burkina Faso | £ 54.09 |
Cambodia | £ 119.76 |
Cameroon | £ 58.81 |
Canada | £ 46.34 |
Cape Verde | £ 52.18 |
Cayman Islands | £ 89.42 |
Chile | £ 72.13 |
China | £ 96.39 |
Colombia | £ 89.09 |
Cook Islands | £ 57.92 |
Costa Rica | £ 81.75 |
Cyprus | £ 122.54 |
Denmark | £ 58.40 |
Dom Commonwealth (Dominica) | £ 77.73 |
Dominican Republic | £ 107.52 |
Dutch Caribbean | £ 67.76 |
Ecuador | £ 85.95 |
Egypt | £ 78.64 |
El Salvador | £ 80.36 |
Equatorial Guinea | £ 142.11 |
Ethiopia | £ 88.34 |
Falkland Islands and Dependencies | £ 85.64 |
Faroe Islands | £ 33.01 |
Fiji | £ 73.66 |
Finland | £ 58.89 |
France | £ 113.52 |
French Overseas Departments | £ 84.34 |
French Polynesia | £ 55.84 |
Gambia | £ 91.46 |
Germany | £ 46.48 |
Ghana | £ 56.69 |
Gibraltar | £ 100.77 |
Greece | £ 109.44 |
Greenland | £ 23.21 |
Grenada | £ 77.33 |
Guam | £ 83.49 |
Guatemala | £ 77.73 |
Guernsey | £ 84.86 |
Guyana | £ 60.60 |
Honduras | £ 79.02 |
Hong Kong | £ 85.42 |
Hungary | £ 102.32 |
Iceland | £ 71.68 |
India | £ 50.10 |
Indonesia | £ 106.53 |
Iran | £ 70.85 |
Iraq | £ 64.11 |
Ireland | £ 66.41 |
Isle of Man | £ 127.85 |
Israel | £ 101.27 |
Italy | £ 56.79 |
Jamaica | £ 116.05 |
Japan | £ 46.97 |
Jersey | £ 70.02 |
Jordan | £ 67.90 |
Kazakhstan | £ 124.13 |
Kenya | £ 79.34 |
Kuwait | £ 103.54 |
Kyrgyzstan | £ 76.07 |
Laos | £ 100.66 |
Lebanon | £ 88.20 |
Lesotho | £ 59.64 |
Liechtenstein | £ 28.62 |
Luxembourg | £ 83.34 |
Macau | £ 77.52 |
Madagascar | £ 62.23 |
Malawi | £ 71.90 |
Malaysia | £ 77.87 |
Malta | £ 104.22 |
Mauritius | £ 108.25 |
Mexico | £ 74.98 |
Moldova | £ 124.94 |
Monaco | £ 111.96 |
Montserrat | £ 65.67 |
Morocco | £ 75.51 |
Mozambique | £ 74.56 |
Myanmar | £ 84.84 |
Namibia | £ 70.17 |
Nepal | £ 63.99 |
Netherlands | £ 55.81 |
Nevis, St Kitts-Nevis | £ 75.56 |
New Caledonia | £ 79.61 |
New Zealand | £ 46.44 |
Nicaragua | £ 79.72 |
Nigeria | £ 27.65 |
Norfolk Island | £ 55.18 |
North Macedonia | £ 24.20 |
Norway | £ 58.24 |
Oman | £ 89.53 |
Pakistan | £ 48.74 |
Panama | £ 96.96 |
Papua New Guinea | £ 75.49 |
Paraguay | £ 68.41 |
Peru | £ 88.02 |
Philippines | £ 138.86 |
Poland | £ 59.39 |
Portugal | £ 119.47 |
Puerto Rico | £ 77.32 |
Qatar | £ 113.55 |
Republic of Croatia | £ 62.10 |
Republic of Estonia | £ 78.98 |
Republic of Georgia | £ 129.54 |
Republic of Latvia | £ 68.34 |
Republic of Lithuania | £ 42.71 |
Republic of Slovenia | £ 60.38 |
Romania | £ 99.40 |
Russia | £ 85.51 |
Saint Helena & Dependencies | £ 89.27 |
San Marino | £ 29.33 |
Sark | £ 117.68 |
Saudi Arabia | £ 86.88 |
Senegal | £ 74.13 |
Serbia | £ 123.58 |
Seychelles | £ 79.10 |
Sierra Leone | £ 52.66 |
Singapore | £ 89.20 |
Solomon Islands | £ 79.08 |
Somalia | £ 44.20 |
South Africa | £ 56.52 |
South Korea | £ 41.69 |
Spain | £ 120.61 |
Sri Lanka | £ 59.98 |
St Lucia | £ 76.63 |
St Vincent & Grenadines | £ 80.10 |
State Union of Serbia and Montenegro | £ 53.44 |
Sudan | £ 71.27 |
Suriname | £ 151.95 |
Swaziland | £ 79.26 |
Sweden | £ 57.52 |
Switzerland | £ 51.98 |
Syria | £ 63.61 |
Tahiti | £ 77.00 |
Taiwan | £ 105.85 |
Tanzania | £ 87.61 |
Thailand | £ 119.10 |
The Czech Republic | £ 92.30 |
The Slovak Republic | £ 49.82 |
Togo | £ 50.10 |
Tonga | £ 73.36 |
Tours (Individuals on Tour) | £ 133.34 |
Trinidad & Tobago | £ 55.37 |
Tunisia | £ 88.16 |
Turkey | £ 132.24 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | £ 118.32 |
Uganda | £ 88.33 |
Ukraine | £ 115.86 |
United Arab Emirates | £ 107.46 |
United States | £ 74.19 |
United States Minor Outlying Islands | £ 75.89 |
Uruguay | £ 77.74 |
Vanuatu | £ 85.86 |
Venezuela | £ 67.62 |
Vietnam | £ 125.09 |
Virgin Islands (British) | £ 91.77 |
Virgin Islands (USA) | £ 72.74 |
Western Samoa | £ 34.12 |
Yemen | £ 42.90 |
Zambia | £ 75.67 |
Zimbabwe | £ 48.98 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken steps to press for the reopening of the Lachin Corridor; and what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the reopening of the Lachin Corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor, including at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 20 December 2022 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna on 17 January 2023. This message was also conveyed by the Minister for Europe during his visit to Azerbaijan in February 2023. The UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
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 impact of recent military tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan on civilian farmers in the village of Tegh.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Although we have not made a specific assessment of the impact of military tensions on civilians in Tegh, the UK Government condemns in the strongest terms any military action that puts civilian lives at risk. We continue to urge both parties to refrain from further escalation and to abide by all existing commitments.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help promote peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK's longstanding position is that there is no military solution to this conflict and that Armenia and Azerbaijan must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable peaceful settlement. I underlined this message when I visited Baku in February, and the UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months. We continue to support internationally facilitated negotiations to settle all outstanding matters.