Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1194147

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Emergency Powers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking with his international counterparts to ensure that states use their emergency powers proportionately during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mhairi Black
uin	902376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is playing a major role in the global response as we galvanise support for our Four-Point Plan: 1) co-ordinating the global health response; 2) accelerating the search for a vaccine, treatments and testing; 3) securing a sound economic response; and 4) bringing our people home.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary and Ministerial team are carrying out extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement, including with G7/G20 counterparts, and working with international companies to tackle the crisis.</p><p>We are also working closely with UN Security Council members and the UN Secretary-General to address pandemic and secondary impacts, including instability.</p><p>Through our international engagement, we have repeatedly made clear that measures taken by States to tackle CV19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 15:59:58 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4421 label Biography information for Mhairi Black

1194148

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent diplomatic steps he has taken with his overseas counterparts to tackle the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	902385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is playing a major role in the global response as we galvanise support for our Four-Point Plan: 1) co-ordinating the global health response; 2) accelerating the search for a vaccine, treatments and testing; 3) securing a sound economic response; and 4) bringing our people home.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary and Ministerial team are carrying out extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement, including with G7/G20 counterparts, and working with international companies to tackle the crisis.</p><p>We are also working closely with UN Security Council members and the UN Secretary-General to address pandemic and secondary impacts, including instability.</p><p>Through our international engagement, we have repeatedly made clear that measures taken by States to tackle CV19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 16:00:44 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

1194149

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UN Security Council in tackling the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Bournemouth East
tabling member printed	Mr Tobias Ellwood
uin	902387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is playing a major role in the global response as we galvanise support for our Four-Point Plan: 1) co-ordinating the global health response; 2) accelerating the search for a vaccine, treatments and testing; 3) securing a sound economic response; and 4) bringing our people home.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary and Ministerial team are carrying out extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement, including with G7/G20 counterparts, and working with international companies to tackle the crisis.</p><p>We are also working closely with UN Security Council members and the UN Secretary-General to address pandemic and secondary impacts, including instability.</p><p>Through our international engagement, we have repeatedly made clear that measures taken by States to tackle CV19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 16:01:23 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood

1194167

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Human Rights and Surveillance: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, What diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) safeguard human rights and (b) prevent surveillance overreach overseas during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	45204
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned by reports that some governments are using the current crisis to fail to comply with their human rights obligations, including in relation to the use of surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protection of civil liberties remains fundamental to our democratic way of life. Through our international engagement, we will continue to make clear that measures taken by States to tackle COVID-19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed.</p><p>On 9 April, the UK participated in the UN Human Rights Council's first ever virtual conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discussion focused on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 crisis; both the immediate impact of the response on human rights around the world, and the social and economic consequences, including the prospect of greater inequality. In his statement to the Council, our Ambassador to the UN in Geneva stressed the importance of ensuring that parliaments, media and civil society all play their role to scrutinise the actions of governments and international agencies, and that we make use of the international human rights frameworks. We support the call made by the UN Secretary-General in his message of 22 April that human rights must be at the front and centre of the COVID-19 response and recovery. The UK Government remains committed to standing up for human rights and supports all efforts by the UN to minimise long-term damage to global economies, societies, politics and freedoms.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 20/05/2020 14:57:26 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1194168

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Human Rights and Journalism: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to support (a) human rights defenders and (b) overseas journalists during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	45205
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK published the document 'UK Support for Human Rights Defenders' in July 2019, which sets out our ongoing dedication to supporting and protecting human rights defenders worldwide. The UK will continue to give strong support to human rights defenders worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to carry out their work safely and without fear, and we regularly assess how we can enhance our ability to make a positive difference. Our diplomatic network regularly engages with Non-Governmental Organisations representatives and human rights defenders to address the challenges which they face and how the UK can help overcome them. Media freedom is vital to open societies and journalists must be able to investigate and report without undue interference. We must oppose all attempts by any state to use the pandemic to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation. When he addressed the Alliance for Multilateralism on 16 April, the Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon highlighted the UK's commitment to human rights and media freedom, particularly during the crisis. To mark World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), the Foreign Secretary issued a statement with his German, French and Dutch colleagues, calling on governments to defend media freedom, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK also signed a statement issued by the Media Freedom Coalition on WPFD and supported a Dutch social media campaign publicly highlighting cases of journalists who have been killed or imprisoned.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 21/05/2020 13:43:09 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1194188

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Caribbean: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to repatriate British citizens stranded in (a) Cuba, (b) Barbados, (c) Grenada, (d) Montserrat and (e) Antigua and Barbuda as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	44977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe are able to return home. The UK Government is working closely with airlines, local authorities, and governments in the Caribbean region to help British travellers return to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March, with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.</p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working around the clock, through our Posts overseas and in London, to make sure all British people who need help are receiving the support and information they need. We have brought home over 32,000 people on 153 flights organised by the Foreign Office from 29 countries and territories. We have also supported over 11,000 people to return home from the Caribbean via commercial means.</p><p>There are currently no scheduled commercial flight options available to return to the UK from Cuba, Barbados or Grenada. We are aware of a commercial flight operated by British Airways which departed on Sunday 17 May and this was highlighted in our public messaging especially to those in Antigua and Barbuda and also to those in Montserrat who could benefit from this flight. Our consular network in the region continues to provide support to British nationals who require assistance.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 18/05/2020 15:45:10 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1194189

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Caribbean: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens still awaiting repatriation to the UK from countries in the Caribbean region due to the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	44978
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working around the clock, through our Posts overseas and in London, to make sure all British people who need help are receiving the support and information they need. We have now brought home nearly 31,000 people on 144 flights organised by the Foreign Office from 27 countries and territories.</p><p>The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe are able to return home. The UK Government is working closely with airlines, local authorities and governments in the Caribbean region to help British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. On 8 May, we brought back more than 300 people from Jamaica and Guyana on charter flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We have supported nearly 11,000 to return home from the Caribbean via commercial means.</p><p>We are aware that there are British nationals remaining overseas in the Caribbean region and our effort is focused on supporting their return as quickly and safely as possible.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 18/05/2020 15:48:07 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1194190

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Foreign Nationals: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise the return from abroad of non-UK nationals who are normally resident in the UK and who are (a) vulnerable and (b) classified as critical workers.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	44979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>Our objective remains to bring home British travellers who want to return to the UK, as soon as possible. British travellers will therefore be prioritised for seats on repatriation flights. From the outset, our priority for the charter flight programme has been getting British travellers home. But after we launched the charter flight programme, it became clear that there are people with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) who normally reside in the UK, and want to get back. So where possible, we are working to help vulnerable UK residents with ILR. This is beyond the scope of our standard consular assistance, which is usually just for UK nationals. But these are exceptional times. We are seeking to help vulnerable people with ILR wherever possible, provided that they have lived in the UK within the last year.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 18/05/2020 16:00:17 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1194191

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to repatriate UK travellers stranded in Yemen as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	44989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) suspended operations in Yemen in 2015. Since then our ability to offer consular assistance to British nationals in Yemen has been extremely limited. Since March 2011, the FCO has consistently advised against all travel to all parts of Yemen, and advised British nationals to leave the country. However, where possible, the FCO remains committed to doing what it can for those British nationals that remain in Yemen.</p><p>Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent restrictions put in place by the authorities in Yemen, FCO officials have been in contact with nine British nationals who have expressed a wish to return to the UK. Officials have worked with the UN and regional partners to arrange departures to neighbouring countries, from where onward flights to the UK have then been secured. To date, five British nationals have successfully left Yemen.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 18/05/2020 14:41:37 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1194192

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many applications for emergency repatriation loans have been rejected; and for what reasons those applications have been rejected.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	44990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>We estimate we have approved more than four times our annual average of emergency repatriation loans so far this year.</p><p>All of the following conditions must be met to be eligible for an emergency repatriation loan: the applicant must a) be a British national; b) live in the UK; and c) have exhausted all other options for getting funds to return home. Applications are rejected where these conditions have not been met.</p><p>Further information on our financial assistance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-assistance-abroad/financial-assistance-abroad#if-you-need-financial-help-abroad</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 18/05/2020 15:56:40 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David