Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the security situation in Kosovo in the context of recent tensions between the governments of Kosovo and Serbia.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK, with international partners, devotes sustained political and diplomatic effort to securing progress in the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, and to de-escalating tensions, including through active engagement by the PM's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach. We welcome recent agreement on the use of Identification Documents, helping to defuse tensions over the summer, and encourage a similarly constructive approach in tackling further outstanding issues. The UK remains committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all in Kosovo, underlined by our continued commitment to NATO's KFOR mission.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Lebanese counterpart on the launching of drones by Hezbollah towards Israel’s Karish gas facility.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Our commitment to Israel's security is unwavering. Lebanon and Israel are important regional partners for the UK and we collaborate closely on issues of defence and security. This includes regular discussions at the highest levels on the destabilising threat posed by Hizballah activity across the region. We condemn Hizballah's activity which directly threatens regional stability and endangers civilians in Lebanon and Israel.
FCDO Minister of State, Lord [Tariq] Ahmad of Wimbledon most recently discussed regional security with Lebanese Foreign Minister Bou Habib on 6 July. The Former Foreign Secretary also raised this issue during a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid on 22 June.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement in policy document Ambitious, Safe and Responsible: Our approach to the delivery of AI enabled capability in Defence, published on 15 June, that global governance for autonomous weapons systems is "a difficult task", how they plan to respond strategically to identified challenges of global governance in this area; and, in any such strategic response, how they intend to fulfil the aims set out in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published on 16 March 2021, in relation to international legal, ethical and regulatory standards on responsible development and use of artificial intelligence.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Department is developing its plans to implement its Defence AI Strategy, to address broader strategic issues arising from the Integrated Review. We will work with partners to mitigate the potential impacts of AI, including its proliferation, misuse and potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation.
Particularly relevant fora include the UN-brokered discussions under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), AI Partnership for Defence and NATO; as well as broader discussions on the development of AI within the Global Partnership on AI, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Compliance with International Humanitarian Law will remain at the core of our current and future standards, which will be rigorously applied to all AI use in Defence.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many principals with confirmed eligibility under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme have not been relocated to the UK for more than 6 months since confirmation of that eligibility.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 31 August 2022, we are aware of approximately 240 Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) eligible principals, who received an eligibility decision either on or prior to 28 February 2022, that have not been relocated to the UK. We are relocating individuals and their family members as quickly as possible and have relocated over a thousand individuals over the summer period. There are a range of potential issues which can delay the movement of individuals, including documentation and security considerations but we are actively communicating with all individuals to remove these barriers as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of security threats facing Israel from Lebanon.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Our commitment to Israel's security is unwavering. Israel is an important strategic partner for the UK and we collaborate closely on issues of defence and security. The Government condemns Hizballah's destabilising activity in the region, including their stockpiling of weapons in Lebanon, which is a breach of UNSCRs 1559 and 1701. The Foreign Secretary discussed the security situation in Lebanon with Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid on 22 June and I reiterated UK commitment to Israel's security in my meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll during my visit to Israel in June.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following bilateral discussions at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), what plans they have, if any, to negotiate a diplomatic settlement with Mauritius concerning (1) the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, and (2) resettlement of those Chagossians who wish to return to the islands.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As close friends and Commonwealth partners we remain open to dialogue with Mauritius on issues of mutual interest, including the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago , which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the Archipelago and we do not recognise its claim. However, we have a long-standing commitment, first made in 1965, to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.
In November 2016, the UK Government announced that resettlement of Chagossians could not be supported on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British taxpayer. The decision not to support resettlement followed an independent feasibility study of the practicalities of resettlement (published in February 2015 http://qna.files.parliament.uk/ws-attachments/178757/original/Feasibility%20study%20for%20the%20resettlement%20of%20the%20British%20Indian%20Ocean%20Territory%20Volume%201.pdf) and a public consultation (results published in January 2016 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/biot-resettlement-policy-review-consultation).
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Maliand (MINUSMA) mandate and other parameters in relation to the (a) availability of air support within MINUSMA with cooperation from authorities in Mali and (b) adequacy of human rights due diligence processes on the (i) safety of UK personnel taking part in missions within MINUSMA and (ii) efficacy in increasing security and preventing abuses of future UK participation in MINUSMA.
Answered by James Heappey
We dynamically review the UK's deployment to MINUSMA including on the basis of risk to personnel, continued ability to deliver against our mission, and issues such as restrictions on movement imposed by the Malian Transitional Authorities. On the basis of those assessments the UK deployment continues. Support from MINUSMA to non-UN security forces in Mali must comply with the UN's Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP). We flag consistently with the UN the importance of strict compliance and regular reporting on its implementation. UK forces are not providing support to the Malian Transitional Authorities, and any potential plans to do so would need to be HRDDP compliant.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to support Israel with security from potential aggression from Iran.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Our commitment to Israel's security is unwavering. Israel is an important strategic partner for the UK and we collaborate closely on issues of defence and security. This includes regular discussions at the highest levels on the threat posed by destabilising Iranian activity across the region. The Foreign Secretary most recently raised this issue during a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid on 22 June.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling parliamentarians to (a) discuss contracts with and (b) visit the facilities of defence companies currently contracted to his Department.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Parliamentarians can raise issues with industry relating to contracts placed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). However, the scope of such interaction is governed by the need to protect issues such as national security, commercial confidentiality and personal data, and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Visits by Parliamentarians to facilities owned by suppliers contracted to the MOD are primarily a matter for the relevant company, but access to certain areas or discussions touching on certain subjects during the visit may be constrained by the security or confidentiality requirements incumbent on the company.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, working with international allies, to provide Ukraine with security assurances against further attacks by Russia, after the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In a statement on 8 May, the Prime Minister, along with other G7 leaders, confirmed our readiness to undertake further commitments to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future, such that Ukraine can defend itself now and deter future acts of aggression. We will pursue our ongoing military and defence assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including through training and material, continue supporting Ukraine in defending its networks against cyber incidents, and expand our cooperation, including on information security. We will also continue to support Ukraine in improving its economic and energy security. We remain in close contact with President Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian leaders on these issues, including during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Kyiv.