Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with its international counterparts to help resolve conflict in Kashmir.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting, political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions, but the pace and scope is for them to determine.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to support (a) India and (b) Pakistan with climate adaption and mitigation measures in those countries.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is fully committed to supporting India and Pakistan on both mitigation and adaptation.
Climate is one of the five pillars of the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK relations, signed in May 2021. During the Prime Minister's recent visit to India in April this year, the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their personal commitment to accelerate the clean energy transition, including welcoming joint UK-India progress on offshore wind energy, electric mobility, and ongoing cooperation on the development and deployment of affordable green hydrogen. The UK is also supporting domestic adaptation action in India through for example, the Infrastructure for Climate Resilient Growth Programme which is integrating climate risk and adaptation into social protection.
Pakistan is predicted to be the country 8th most-affected by climate change. We are working with Pakistan on high-level climate change policy, and at grass-roots level on adaptation and resilience. The UK played a leading role in tackling climate change through hosting COP 26 in November 2021 and remains COP Chair until COP 27 in November 2022. Our COP26 commitments are at the core of the UK's International Development Strategy, launched on 16 May.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani counterparts on the effects of the current heatwave in those countries.
Answered by Vicky Ford
India and Pakistan are facing significant environmental challenges, including heavy rainfall and flooding as well as heatwaves and droughts. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of these shocks. The UK is playing a leading role in tackling climate change, including through our COP Presidency. Ministers and officials regularly raise climate in discussions with their Indian and Pakistani counterparts.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much overseas aid her Department has allocated to (a) India and (b) Pakistan in each year between 2015 and year end 2022; and what amount will be allocated to (a) India and (b) Pakistan over the next five years.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) brought together the Department for International Development (DFID) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 2 September 2020. As the principal distributor of Official Development Assistance (ODA), these figures represent DFID expenditure until 2019, after which they represent FCDO expenditure.
Year | Department | ODA to India | ODA to Pakistan |
2015 | DFID | £150.391m | £351.379m |
2016 | DFID | £54.209m | £423.927m |
2017 | DFID | £47.691m | £366.579m |
2018 | DFID | £40.345m | £291.457m |
2019 | DFID | £15.417m | £259.770m |
2020 | FCDO | £49.097m | £179.059m |
Since 2015, the UK has given no financial aid to the Government of India. Instead, our development partnership with India is based on sharing skills, expertise, and development capital investments that help the poor and generate returns on our investment; our work reduces poverty, tackles climate change, and creates new partners and markets for the UK. To date £80.2 million of our ODA investment has been returned to HMG.
Between 2014 and 2019 Pakistan was the single largest recipient of bilateral UK aid. There has since been a downward trend in ODA funding to Pakistan from the high point of 2016 to reflect Pakistan's lower middle-income status.
FCDO will publish further details on our ODA spending in 2021 when this spending is finalised and will publish annual ODA spending statistics as these are finalised over the next five years. We are unable to provide projected future ODA allocations.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Pakistan on maintaining the status of Gilgit Baltistan apart from an overall settlement of the issue of the status of Kashmir; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting, political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions, but the pace and scope is for them to determine.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last discussed with the governments of (1) India, and (2) Pakistan, the resumption at the earliest opportunity of formal bilateral relations over Kashmir since the suspension of those relations in 2019.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
India and Pakistan are long-standing, important friends of UK. The UK has consistently encouraged both sides to ensure communication channels are load-bearing and provide a means to find a lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability. However, it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of Kashmiri people.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) consular services, (b) Visa Application Centres and (c) biometric submission capabilities are present (i) in-country (ii) regionally to process Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
There are no facilities in country in Afghanistan currently therefore individuals would need to travel to nearby countries, such as Pakistan or India, to apply.
The UK is working with international partners, including non-governmental organisations and other countries to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available, starting with those in most need.
The Government is committed to doing all it can to support those most in need and those at risk who have had to flee Afghanistan.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with what countries the carrier strike group has had (a) engagements and (b) military exercises to date; and what those engagements and military exercises were.
Answered by James Heappey
The table below sets out the countries and/or overseas territories that the UK Carrier Strike Group has interacted with during the 2021 deployment. This also includes activity undertaken by our Integrated Partners, the Netherlands and United States.
Country/ Overseas Territory | Engagement | Military Exercise |
Australia | N/A | Passing Exercise (PASSEX), air interaction, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. (Five Powers Defence Arrangements Exercise hosted by Malaysia with participants from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.) Maritime Partnership Exercise (with US and Japan). Press Release |
Bahrain | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. Press Release | N/A |
Bangladesh | Port Visit to Chattogram. Press Release | PASSEX with the Bangladeshi Navy, training with Bangladesh Special Forces. Press Release |
British Indian Ocean Territory | Port Visit to Diego Garcia. | N/A |
Brunei | Port Visit to Bandar Seri Begawan. | N/A |
Cambodia | Virtual Defence Engagement. | N/A |
Canada | N/A | Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean) South China Sea navigation in company. |
Cyprus | Port Visit to Limassol and Larnaca. | N/A |
Djibouti | Port Visit to Djibouti and support to Allied Appreciation Fly Past. Press Release | N/A |
Egypt | Port Visit to Alexandria, Defence Engagement. | N/A |
France | N/A | Exercises Atlantic Trident (North Atlantic) and Gallic Strike (Mediterranean). Press Release |
Georgia | Port Visit to Batumi. | At sea PASSEX with the Georgian Navy. |
Gibraltar | Port Visit and hosted reception at sea. | N/A |
Greece | Port Visit to Piraeus and Souda. | N/A |
Guam | Port visit to Guam. | N/A |
India | Port Visit to Goa and Mumbai. Defence Engagement | Maritime Participation Exercise in the Indian Ocean. Press Release Exercise Konkan Shakti. Press Release |
Indonesia | Port visit to Jakarta and Virtual Defence Engagement. | At sea PASSEX with the Indonesian Navy. |
Iraq | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Israel | Port Visit to Haifa. | Exercise Falcon Strike and Exercise Tri-Lightning (both in the Mediterranean). |
Italy | Port Visit to Augusta, Messina and Taranto. Defence Engagement, including a trilateral meeting between the UK, Italy and Turkey which was hosted by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Co Host – North Atlantic Council Defence Engagement. | Exercise Falcon Strike, transit in western Mediterranean. Press Release Cross Deck of F35 between ITS CAVOUR and HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. Press Release |
Japan | Port visits to Sasebo, Yokosuka, Funakoshi. Reception and capability demonstration. | Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean), quad carrier exercise (with two carriers from the USA, one from Japan and HMS Queen Elizabeth), South China Sea navigation in company. Maritime Partnership Exercise (with US and Australia). Passing Exercise in Indian Ocean. Press Release Press Release |
Jordan | Port Visit to Aqaba and participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | 16 Air Assault Brigade Joint Theatre Entry Exercise. Press Release |
Kenya | Port Visit to Mombasa. Defence Engagement supported by the Minister for the Armed Forces. | Exercise with Kenyan Armed Forces. Press Release |
Kuwait | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Malaysia | N/A | PASSEX, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. |
Malta | Port Visit to Valletta. | N/A |
Montenegro | Port visit to Bar, Reception and Capability Demonstration. Defence Engagement, including an event led by Minister of State (Lords). Press Release Press Release | N/A |
Netherlands | Integrated Partner. | Integrated Partner. |
New Zealand | Not Applicable. | South China Sea Transit in company, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. |
Oman | Port Visit to Duqm and Muscat which included Defence Engagement led by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | Exercise KHANJAR OMAN and Maritime exercises with the Omani military. Press Release |
Pakistan | Port Visit to Karachi. | Bilateral training exercise with the Pakistani Navy. |
Portugal | Port Visit to Lisbon. | N/A |
Qatar | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Republic of Korea | Defence Engagement - at sea reception and capability demonstration. | Search and rescue exercise. Press Release |
Romania | Port Visit to Constanta. | N/A |
Saudi Arabia | Port Visit to Jeddah and Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | At sea PASSEX with the Royal Saudi Navy. |
Singapore | Port visit to Sembawang. Reception and capability demonstration. | PASSEX including some limited air exercising, participation in Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. Press Release Press Release |
Spain | Port Visit to Alicante, Cartagena, Palma, Barcelona, La Coruna, and Rota. | F-35B Participation in Tactical Leadership programme (TLP). |
Sri Lanka | Port Visit to Colombo. | Search and Rescue Exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy. |
Thailand | Virtual Defence Engagement. | Co-ordinated maritime manoeuvres. Press Release |
Turkey | Port Visit to Istanbul, with Defence Engagement, including a trilateral meeting between the UK, Italy and Turkey which was hosted by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Press Release | N/A |
United Arab Emirates | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | Air support to Advanced Training and Leadership Course (ATLC). |
Ukraine | Port Visit to Odessa, with Defence Engagement led by the Minister for Defence Procurement. Press Release | At sea PASSEX with the Ukrainian Navy. |
United States of America | Integrated Partner. | Further to being an Integrated Partner, the Carrier Strike Group interacted with additional US assets in dual, tri and quad carrier exercises. Press Release Press Release |
Vietnam | Port Visit to Da Nang and virtual Defence Engagement. | At sea PASSEX with the Vietnamese Navy. |
NATO* | At-sea NATO Ambassadorial visit, hosted by the Minister for Defence Procurement, and capability demonstrations. Press Release | Exercise Steadfast Defender (North Atlantic), Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 - Operation Sea Guardian (Mediterranean). Press Release Press Release |
*Whilst not a country, assets from the UK Carrier Strike Group also participated in NATO-led military exercises and engagements.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Qatar, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) Tajikistan and (d) the UAE on improving safe routes of passage from Afghanistan for refugees.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We see regional countries as vital to the overall response, including Pakistan and Iran who host 2.2 million registered Afghan refugees. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation when she visited India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia over the autumn and Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, the Minister of State for South Asia, travelled to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in support of the resettlement process. Lord Ahmad also called on his counterparts in the region to discuss the humanitarian situation and the resettlement process.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) humanitarian and (b) diplomatic support she is giving to Afghan refugees with links to the UK who have fled Afghanistan and are in (i) Iran, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) India, (iv) Turkey and (v) other states in the region.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have doubled UK aid for Afghanistan to £286 million this year, including £50 million for emergency humanitarian support inside Afghanistan, and £30 million of life-saving aid for Afghans in neighbouring countries to support new and existing refugees and asylum seekers. So far, we have disbursed £10 million to support refugee preparedness and assistance in neighbouring countries as follows:
£4 million to Pakistan
£3 million to Iran
£2 million to Tajikistan
£1 million regional
We continue to support those individuals and families eligible for resettlement in the UK and to this end we have created a new Joint Afghanistan Casework Unit, staffed by officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Ministry of Defence.