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, what recent discussions he has had with his Slovenian counterpart on media freedom.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Our Embassy in Ljubljana monitors media freedom in Slovenia, and officials regularly discuss media freedom and ways to build on the Global Pledge on Media Freedom with Slovenian hosts.
The Foreign Secretary attended the first annual Ministerial meeting of the Media Freedom Coalition in November 2020, alongside Slovenia and other members of the Coalition. The discussion covered a range of policy options and best practices to strengthen media freedom worldwide.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Worcester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries are observers to the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are three categories of participation in the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (Alliance): Members, Observers, and Friends. Members are states which have joined the Alliance and are invited to participate at Ministerial level during the annual Ministers' Forum; Observers are organisations, institutions, or entities which actively advance freedom of religion or belief globally: and, Friends are states or organisations that are considering joining or becoming observers.
The current Members are Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Estonia, The Gambia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Togo, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States; the current Friends are Canada, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and Sweden; the current Observers are the Sovereign Order of Malta and the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates were issued for dogs entering the UK in 2020; which countries those dogs originated from; and how many dogs were imported under the Pet Travel Scheme during the same period.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
45,447 Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) were issued for dogs entering the UK in 2020 from the following countries:
Country of Origin | ITAHCs |
Austria | 8 |
Belgium | 13 |
Bulgaria | 16 |
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) | 135 |
Cyprus | 4,277 |
Czech Republic | 108 |
Denmark | 2 |
Estonia | 8 |
Finland | 7 |
France | 13 |
Germany | 86 |
Greece | 355 |
Hungary | 3,739 |
Ireland | 2,804 |
Italy | 230 |
Latvia | 6 |
Lithuania | 94 |
Malta | 4 |
Poland | 3,415 |
Portugal | 242 |
Romania | 24,499 |
Slovakia (Slovak Republic) | 83 |
Slovenia | 4 |
Spain | 5,268 |
Sweden | 12 |
Switzerland | 1 |
The Netherlands | 18 |
There were 165,890 dogs imported under the Pet Travel Scheme during the same period. Figures for December 2020 will be confirmed once all relevant information has been submitted by pet checkers and carriers.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) UK national, and (2) locally engaged, staff were employed in the British embassies in (a) Slovenia, (b) Croatia, (c) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (d) Serbia, (e) Montenegro, (f) North Macedonia, (g) Kosovo, and (h) Albania, in the (i) 2015/16, (ii) 2016/17, (iii) 2017/18, (iv) 2018/19, (v) 2019/20, and (vi) 2020/21, financial years.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As at 31 March 2020, the FCDO UK based headcount band for each Embassy requested is set out in the table below.
| (i) 31st March 2016 | (ii) 31st March 2017 | (iii) 31st March 2018 | (iv) 31st March 2019 | (v) 31st March 2020 | 31st December 2020 | ||||||
Country and Embassy (PQ HL12645) | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band | FCDO UKB staff- Band | FCDO CBS- Band |
a) Slovenia | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | fewer than 10 | fewer than 10 | fewer than 10 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
b) Croatia | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
c) Bosnia and Herzegovina | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
d) Serbia | fewer than 10 | 50-59 | fewer than 10 | 50-59 | 10-19 | 50-59 | 10-19 | 50-59 | 10-19 | 50-59 | 10-19 | 50-59 |
e) Montenegro | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
f) North Macedonia | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 | fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
g) Kosovo | fewer than 10 | 30-39 | fewer than 10 | 30-39 | fewer than 10 | 30-39 | fewer than 10 | 30-39 | fewer than 10 | 30-39 | fewer than 10 | 30-39 |
h) Albania | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 | fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
UKB – UK Based Staff
CBS – Country Based Staff
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) UK national, and (2) locally engaged, staff are employed in the British embassies in (a) Slovenia, (b) Croatia, (c) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (d) Serbia, (e) Montenegro, (f) North Macedonia, (g) Kosovo, and (h) Albania.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As at 31st December 2020, the FCDO UK based headcount band for each Country requested is set out in the table below.
Country and Embassy (PQ HL12645) | FCDO UK Based staff- Band | FCDO Country Based Staff- Band |
a) Slovenia | Fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
b) Croatia | Fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
c) Bosnia and Herzegovina | Fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
d) Serbia | 10-19 | 50-59 |
e) Montenegro | Fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
f) North Macedonia | Fewer than 10 | 10-19 |
g) Kosovo | Fewer than 10 | 30-39 |
h) Albania | Fewer than 10 | 20-29 |
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to change the number of (1) UK national, and (2) locally engaged, staff employed in the British embassies in (a) Slovenia, (b) Croatia, (c) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (d) Serbia, (e) Montenegro, (f) North Macedonia, (g) Kosovo, and (h) Albania.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The future size and shape of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is yet to be established. This, and any prioritisation process, will be determined in coming months through the ongoing organisational design work, and the spending review and the integrated review.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 126854 on Embassies: Staff, how many UK-based staff there are in each UK embassy in each EU Member State, by headcount band.
Answered by Nigel Adams
For security reasons, the FCDO provides headcount detail in bands. The FCDO was formed on 2nd September 20, with Legacy Departments continuing to use legacy systems for recording staff locations in the interim. People in former DFID roles are recorded at Country level with no ability to report at Post level currently available. Therefore the data provided is at Country level only.
As at 31st October 2020, the UK based headcount band for each Country in Europe is set out in the table below.
Data does not include Posts where there is no UKB presence, or Posts in Eastern Europe.
Country/Territory | FCDO Headcount at 31st October 2020 |
Albania | Fewer than 10 |
Austria | Fewer than 10 |
Belgium | 10 to 19 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Fewer than 10 |
Bulgaria | Fewer than 10 |
Croatia | Fewer than 10 |
Cyprus | 10 to 19 |
Czech Republic | Fewer than 10 |
Denmark | Fewer than 10 |
Estonia | Fewer than 10 |
Finland | Fewer than 10 |
France | 30-39 |
Germany | 20-29 |
Greece | Fewer than 10 |
Holy See | Fewer than 10 |
Hungary | Fewer than 10 |
Iceland | Fewer than 10 |
Ireland | 10 to 19 |
Italy | 10 to 19 |
Kosovo | Fewer than 10 |
Latvia | 10 to 19 |
Lithuania | Fewer than 10 |
Luxembourg | Fewer than 10 |
Malta | Fewer than 10 |
Montenegro | Fewer than 10 |
Netherlands | 10 to 19 |
North Macedonia | Fewer than 10 |
Norway | Fewer than 10 |
Poland | 10 to 19 |
Portugal | Fewer than 10 |
Romania | Fewer than 10 |
Serbia | 10 to 19 |
Slovakia | Fewer than 10 |
Slovenia | Fewer than 10 |
Spain | 10 to 19 |
Sweden | 10 to 19 |
Switzerland | 10 to 19 |
Turkey | 20-29 |
Turkey | 10 to 19 |
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what use they have made of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre's civil emergency response mechanism as a means of sourcing personal protective equipment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and whether they have made any requests for assistance to the Centre.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To date, seven allied and nine partner nations have requested international assistance through the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). In chronological order of requesting, these are: Ukraine, Spain, Montenegro, Italy, Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Colombia, Slovenia, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Iraq. Many of these requests were for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also asked for airlift support. The United Kingdom has not requested assistance through the EADRCC but we have responded to a small number of requests, including from Ukraine, Georgia, North Macedonia and Moldova, where PPE and medical equipment has been supplied. In these cases, equipment has been procured locally in the country concerned and within the constraints of our domestic response.
As part of the COVID-19 PPE team seconded to work with the Cabinet Office on PPE procurement, teams from Defence Equipment and Support have been using the NATO Support and Procurement Agency framework to order PPE for the National Health Service.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what use they have made of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency in attempting to procure personal protective equipment for the NHS.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To date, seven allied and nine partner nations have requested international assistance through the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). In chronological order of requesting, these are: Ukraine, Spain, Montenegro, Italy, Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Colombia, Slovenia, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Iraq. Many of these requests were for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also asked for airlift support. The United Kingdom has not requested assistance through the EADRCC but we have responded to a small number of requests, including from Ukraine, Georgia, North Macedonia and Moldova, where PPE and medical equipment has been supplied. In these cases, equipment has been procured locally in the country concerned and within the constraints of our domestic response.
As part of the COVID-19 PPE team seconded to work with the Cabinet Office on PPE procurement, teams from Defence Equipment and Support have been using the NATO Support and Procurement Agency framework to order PPE for the National Health Service.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2020 to Question 1876, on Extradition: Offenders, what discussions (a) officials and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with their (i) Austrian, (ii) German and (iii) Slovenian counterparts on the extradition of criminals during the transition period.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Home Office officials and Ministers regularly engage with their international counterparts in EU Member States on security cooperation. Engagement also takes place between the law enforcement agencies and prosecution services responsible for the execution of individual warrants, including with Austria, Germany and Slovenia where appropriate.