Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs<p>There has never been any question that this Government’s policies on animal welfare are driven by the fact that animals are sentient beings. However, the Government has been very clear that we will make any necessary changes required to UK law in a rigorous and comprehensive way to ensure animal sentience is recognised after we leave the EU.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2019-07-25false2019-07-25T15:44:16.6Z13Environment, Food and Rural AffairsEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs2019-07-25Animal Welfare1House of CommonsIf he will bring forward legislative proposals to recognise animal sentience.falseNorth TynesideMary Glindon912198Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>The FCDO fulfils the requirement, established since 2010, for government departments to publish transparency data in line with the Ministerial Code. The full set of FCDO published transparency returns, which include ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs (since the department's formation in September 2020), can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings#2020 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-senior-officials-business-expenses-and-hospitality-april-to-june-2022.</p><p>Historic transparency data detailing ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs for the Department for International Development can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-the-department-for-international-development and https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfid-senior-executives-business-expenses-gifts-travel-and-meetings.</p><p>Similarly, ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data#2011 and. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pus-data.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2022-12-0295769false2022-12-02T14:44:26.213Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2022-11-24Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Aviation1House of CommonsTo ask Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on private charter flights in each of the last five years.falseTottenhamMr David Lammy95774Women and Equalities<p>Ministers and senior officials have raised the concerns of LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities at all levels, and will continue to engage on this issue during the World Cup. Qatar has repeatedly committed that "everybody is welcome" to the tournament. We will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights, and identify what action the Qatari authorities are taking to match their commitment.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2022-11-30902545false2022-11-30T13:51:20.073Z31Women and EqualitiesWomen and Equalities2022-11-30Football: LGBT+ People1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policies of the decision by FIFA to ban the One Love rainbow armband at the World Cup.falseLichfieldMichael Fabricant902543Women and Equalities<p>Ministers and senior officials have raised the concerns of LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities at all levels, and will continue to engage on this issue during the World Cup. Qatar has repeatedly committed that "everybody is welcome" to the tournament. We will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights, and identify what action the Qatari authorities are taking to match their commitment.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2022-11-30902543false2022-11-30T13:51:20.12Z31Women and EqualitiesWomen and Equalities2022-11-30Football: LGBT+ People1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she is taking steps to promote LGBT+ rights during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.falseCarshalton and WallingtonElliot Colburn902545Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>On 21 March, Foreign Minister Cohen and the Foreign Secretary signed the 2030 bilateral roadmap, which sets out how we will strengthen our cooperation over the coming years. We are delighted that negotiations to upgrade our trade agreement, launched last year, with two rounds of negotiations now completed.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-06-13false2023-06-13T15:49:38.093Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-06-07Israel: Foreign Relations1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Israel.falseChipping BarnetTheresa Villiers905357Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>We have no means of independently verifying exact casualty numbers, and it is difficult for organisations like the UN to accurately verify estimates in Gaza. We recognise that there have been significant civilian casualties. We have been consistently clear that all sides must make all possible efforts to protect civilians and must abide by their international obligations and respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK is continuously assessing needs and advocating for access routes to be established into Gaza, sufficient levels of humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza and calling for humanitarian pauses to allow aid to be safely distributed within Gaza. The UK Government has already announced £30 million in humanitarian funding and has sent more than 51 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-11-20false2023-11-20T17:58:06.1Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-11-14Israel: Palestinians1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths of Palestinian civilians (a) without a ceasefire and (b) with weekly pauses between 14 November and 14 December 2023.falseOldham East and SaddleworthDebbie Abrahams1883Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and welcome the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visits to the region, including to Western Sahara. We will continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-11-20false2023-11-20T17:58:59.773Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-11-14Western Sahara: Conflict Resolution1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UNSC resolution 2703, if his Department will act as a mediator with (a) Algeria and (b) other stakeholders to help find a solution to the Western Sahara conflict.falseShrewsbury and AtchamDaniel Kawczynski1848Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>The UK Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, as we regularly make clear to the parties. We have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We regularly discuss migration and treatment of refugees with partners, including through our embassies, and we remain committed to supporting them to manage this effectively.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-11-20false2023-11-20T15:22:49.143Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-11-14Algeria: Migrant Camps1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the ACAPS Briefing Note: Algeria: Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf, published on 9 January 2022, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help ensure (a) independent and (b) continuous human rights monitoring in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.falseShrewsbury and AtchamDaniel Kawczynski1847Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>The UK condemns all forms of terror, including Hamas' 7 October massacre, and we are clear that Hamas can have no future in Gaza. Hamas does not represent the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. The entirety of Hamas has been a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK since November 2021. The FCDO carries out thorough due diligence assessment of all aid donations and ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds including specific controls to ensure that cash/food assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries. Additionally, FCDO Humanitarian assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories operates with an enhanced sensitivity and existing additional safeguards to protect against any possibility of aid diversion. These safeguards include measures on verification and mapping of downstream partners, non-payment of local taxes and enhanced due diligence processes.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-11-23false2023-11-23T16:03:25.453Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-11-14Gaza: Humanitarian Aid1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that British humanitarian aid to Gaza is not used by Hamas.falseRomfordAndrew Rosindell1834Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office<p>We are grateful to the honourable Member for bringing this matter to our attention. Whilst we are unable to locate the correspondence of 20 October (it would be appreciated if this could be re-sent to fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk), the Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, will reply to the honourable Member's correspondence of 31 October in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. We remind the honourable Member that we provide MPs with a dedicated hotline for enquiries of a more urgent nature.</p>MacclesfieldDavid Rutley2023-11-20false2023-11-20T15:02:30.68Z208Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office2023-11-14Members: Correspondence1House of CommonsTo ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Harrow West of 20 October 2023 and 31 October 2023 on the the detention of his constituent overseas.falseHarrow WestGareth Thomas177110012987