To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
UNRWA: Finance
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what proportion of UK aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is spent on (a) food, (b) medicines, (c) other essentials, (d) salaries and (e) other costs for (i) UNRWA personnel and (ii) other employees.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was disbursed before the allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the appalling 7 October terror attack against Israel came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we are pausing any future funding of UNRWA.

We provided £19 million of unearmarked funding this financial year to UNRWA's programme budget. This enabled UNRWA to deliver education, health, relief and social services and protection to 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The UK also provided £16 million to UNRWA's Flash Appeal in response to the Gaza Crisis, supporting UNRWA to deliver humanitarian assistance, food, shelter, and non-food items for refugees in Gaza.

Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response.

Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands and we are supporting partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.


Written Question
UNRWA: Finance
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what proportion of his Department's aid to Gaza is channelled through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was disbursed before the allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the appalling 7 October terror attack against Israel came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we are pausing any future funding of UNRWA.

The UK provided £16 million this financial year to UNRWA's Flash Appeal in response to the Gaza Crisis, which constitutes 22% of the UK's total humanitarian allocations to Gaza. Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has had no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We are doing everything we can to get more aid into Gaza as quickly as possible by land, sea and air, working with partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.


Written Question
UNRWA: Finance
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what funds his Department contributed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK provided the following funding to UNRWA in each of the last five financial years:

FY 2019 - 20: £65.5 million

FY 2020 - 21: £65 million

FY 2021 - 22: £11 million

FY 2022 - 23: £18.7 million

FY 2023 - 24: £35 million

The UK provided £35 million to UNRWA this financial year, including an uplift of £16 million for the Gaza humanitarian response, all of which was disbursed before the recent allegations came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year. We are pausing any future funding of UNRWA.


Written Question
Nagorno Karabakh: Refugees
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to help ensure the right of return to Nagorno-Karabakh of Christian Armenians.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Government is clear that Azerbaijan must create the conditions for a safe and secure return of ethnic Armenians who were displaced during September's military operation and want to return. We welcomed Azerbaijan's provision of a registration portal, though more work is needed to assist those considering a return. Ministers and officials have discussed these issues with the Azerbaijani Government and encourage Azerbaijan to be proactive in enabling the return of those who wish to do so.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Refugees
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the ARAP eligibility standard operating procedure was first changed to give the relevant Other Government Department the power to reject a member of the Afghan (a) CF 333 and (b) ATF 444 unit applying to the scheme.

Answered by James Heappey

There is no ARAP eligibility standard operating procedure that provides a relevant Other Government Department with the power to reject an application.

When considering Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme applications under Category 4, Ministry of Defence (MoD) caseworkers seek input into decision-making from other parts of the MoD, Other Government Departments and governmental bodies, where they are likely to hold useful information relating to an individual's application.

Every individual application is considered on a case-by-case basis in line with our published ARAP criteria, including applications considered under Category 4.


Written Question
Sudan: Food Aid
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase multi-year funding to support the most food-insecure people in Sudan and Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to provide assistance to people in need in Sudan through our humanitarian aid package of £38 million for 2023-2024, The UK is providing more than £38 million in humanitarian funding in 2023-24, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for lifesaving nutrition activities. We are also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to support Sudanese refugees in South Sudan, including £3.5 million for food security in the Maban refugee camps and £15 million to Chad. In 2024/2025, the UK bilateral Official Development Assistance to Sudan will double to £89 million.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Refugees
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the reassessment of ARAP eligibility decisions for former members of the ATF-444 and CF-333.

Answered by James Heappey

We are currently providing a comprehensive package of training and guidance to the team of case workers which will carry out the case-by-case reassessment of Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme applications from applicants with credible links to Afghan specialist units. The individuals in the case work team are independent of those who took the initial eligibility decisions on this tranche of applications.

Systems and processes are now in place, and we are due to start reassessing cases imminently. Once we begin reassessing cases, we estimate it will take approximately 12 weeks to complete the entire review.


Written Question
South Sudan: Sudan
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in Abyei, following any conflict-induced internal displacements; and what support they will provide to enable the safe return of any internally displaced persons to their homes.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The influx of refugees and returnees fleeing the conflict in Sudan, inter-communal violence and recurrent flooding has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in Abyei. We are working with the UN and the humanitarian community in Sudan and South Sudan to address these immense humanitarian needs. De-escalation of violence and a sustained peace is essential to facilitate the safe return of internally displaced people to their homes. We continue to urge both the Governments of South Sudan and the de facto authorities in Sudan to regularise meetings of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee and agree joint security mechanisms to improve stability in Abyei until its final status can be agreed.


Written Question
UNRWA: Staff
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) statement entitled, At least one UNRWA staff killed when Israeli Forces hit UNRWA centre used for food and lifesaving supplies, published on 13 March 2024.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We are aware of this statement.

The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.

Israel must limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes. All parties must act within International Humanitarian Law.

The safety of humanitarian personnel and healthcare workers in Gaza is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most. Medics and aid agencies must be able to operate freely and reach people in need. We cannot separate this tragedy from the inadequate level of aid supplies. Israel must take action to allow more aid into Gaza, including:

  • an immediate humanitarian pause
  • increased capacity for aid distribution inside Gaza
  • increased humanitarian access through land and maritime routes
  • expanding the types of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza, such as shelter and items critical for infrastructure repair
  • and, a resumption of electricity, water and telecommunications.

The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected. Too many civilians have been killed. The Foreign Secretary raised the above issues with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz on 6 March.


Written Question
UNRWA
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Michael Shanks (Labour - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the contents of the interim report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services' review of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will be shared with Parliament.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has released an interim report to the UN Secretary-General.

We are pressing Catherine Colonna to produce a rapid interim report on the investigation into UNRWA's neutrality. The UN has said that her final report will be made public.