Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated for second round bids for the International Fund for Ukraine.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania and Iceland have contributed a collective total of more than £520 million to the International Fund for Ukraine, of which the UK has contributed £250 million. As previously announced, the first package of capabilities to be procured through the Fund has an expected value of around £200 million.
Over £300 million remains within the Fund and will be drawn down to fund capability packages resulting from Urgent Bidding Round two and subsequent rounds. Such decisions are taken by the Executive Panel (comprising the UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden) which oversees the Fund, rather than by the Ministry of Defence.
We continue to seek further funding pledges from our international partners to grow the fund to meet future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which safe countries individuals have been returned to when they have been removed due to an inadmissibility decision on their asylum application.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We are clear that those who fear persecution should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and not put their lives at risk by making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. Controlled resettlement via safe and legal routes is the best way to protect such people and disrupt the organised crime groups that exploit migrants and refugees.
Inadmissibility is a longstanding process, intended to support the first safe country principle and is an established part of international asylum procedures. Those who choose to travel from a safe third country and then claim asylum in the UK may find their asylum claim treated as inadmissible to the asylum process. That means that the UK will not consider the substance of the person’s claim and will seek their return to a safe third country.
Since 1 January 2021 returns have been made to Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Information on the return of those who claims are deemed inadmissible is routinely published and can be found online at: How many people do we grant protection to? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to offer safe and legal routes for asylum seekers coming from countries without an active resettlement scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Between 2015 and December 2022, just under half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK– including those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine as well as family members of refugees.
This includes the granting of approximate 45,000 family reunion visas to the family members of refugees.
This also includes over 28,200 refugees resettled through the government’s refugee resettlement schemes. The UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.
The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through existing resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Further information on existing safe and legal routes is available below:
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the legal methods for refugees who are citizens of Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to apply for asylum in the UK when they are (1) living in the country of their citizenship, (2) living in a safe third country, or (3) living in an unsafe third country.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Asylum is for people in danger in their home country. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Between 2015 and December 2022, just under half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK– including those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine as well as family members of refugees.
This includes over 28,200 refugees resettled through the government’s refugee resettlement schemes. Our family reunion policy has also reunited many refugees with their family members; we have issued over 44,659 visas under our refugee family reunion Rules since 2015. The UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.
The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through existing resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Further information on existing safe and legal routes is available below:
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the amount spent on (a) peacebuilding and (b) conflict-prevention initiatives compared with other countries in Europe.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to conflict prevention and we welcome Independent Commission for Aid Impact's recent recognition of the UK's meaningful contributions to peacebuilding. The UK is one of the biggest supporters of the UN's Peacebuilding Fund, having committed over £175 million since the Fund's inception in 2006. We are among the top 10 donors alongside Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark for 2020-24.
Following the Integrated Review Refresh, a new Integrated Security Fund will have a budget of almost £1 billion.
There are no plans to assess the UK's overall spend on peacebuilding and conflict prevention against other European countries.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to source artillery from international partners.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 16 March 2023, the UK has agreed a government-to-government sale with Sweden for the procurement of Archer artillery systems following the Granting in Kind of AS90 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ownership of the Archer artillery systems will be transferred to the British Army this month and be fully operational by April 2024.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled British Army announces new artillery deal with Sweden, published on 16 March, what proportion of the workshare for the Archer artillery system contract announced in that release will be based in the UK.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The agreement for the purchase of artillery systems from Sweden, is for 14 Archer systems which were originally built by BAE Systems Bofors in Sweden. As these units have already been built and are being transferred from Sweden to the British Army, there is no workshare to apportion.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled British Army announces new artillery deal with Sweden, published on 16 March 2023, what the (a) procurement and (b) whole life cost to the public purse was of procuring the 14 Archer artillery systems announced in that release.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 16 March 2023, the UK has agreed a Government-to-Government sale with Sweden for the procurement of Archer artillery systems following the Granting in Kind of AS90 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is intended that the first 14 Archer will have ownership transferred from Sweden to the British Army this month and will be fully operational by April 2024, forming an interim capability replacement until delivery of the long-term Mobile Fires Platform later this decade.
The contract for the procurement of the Archer platforms, including ammunition, support and training packages will be signed with Sweden shortly. It would be inappropriate to provide further information on in and out of service dates, costs, and future procurement options at this time.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled British Army announces new artillery deal with Sweden, published on 16 Marc 2023, whether he has plans to procure further Archer artillery systems beyond the 14 announced in that release.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 16 March 2023, the UK has agreed a Government-to-Government sale with Sweden for the procurement of Archer artillery systems following the Granting in Kind of AS90 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is intended that the first 14 Archer will have ownership transferred from Sweden to the British Army this month and will be fully operational by April 2024, forming an interim capability replacement until delivery of the long-term Mobile Fires Platform later this decade.
The contract for the procurement of the Archer platforms, including ammunition, support and training packages will be signed with Sweden shortly. It would be inappropriate to provide further information on in and out of service dates, costs, and future procurement options at this time.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled British Army announces new artillery deal with Sweden, published on 16 March 2023, what the expected (a) in-service and (b) out-of-service date of the 14 Archer artillery systems announced in that release is.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 16 March 2023, the UK has agreed a Government-to-Government sale with Sweden for the procurement of Archer artillery systems following the Granting in Kind of AS90 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is intended that the first 14 Archer will have ownership transferred from Sweden to the British Army this month and will be fully operational by April 2024, forming an interim capability replacement until delivery of the long-term Mobile Fires Platform later this decade.
The contract for the procurement of the Archer platforms, including ammunition, support and training packages will be signed with Sweden shortly. It would be inappropriate to provide further information on in and out of service dates, costs, and future procurement options at this time.