Every parliamentary written question tabled by Wendy Morton this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,741–1,760 of 1,873 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19316 on Development Aid: Review, what progress he has made on consideration of the Development Review.
The Foreign Secretary has read the review in detail and is now considering the recommendations with myself and his officials.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications of the number of asylum seekers entering the UK in December 2024 for (a) community cohesion and (b) the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers.
This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. The Home Office works in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised. Any incident relating to security or community cohesion is reported to the Home Office immediately, so any necessary changes can be made as soon as possible.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19316 on Development Aid: Reviews, when he received the Development Review.
The Development Review was submitted to the Foreign Secretary alongside the Global Impact and Economic Diplomacy reviews at the end of 2024. Once the Foreign Secretary has considered their recommendations, he will consider how best to communicate the independent reviews' findings.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of an international investigation into the recent Azerbaijan Airlines crash.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died. We support Brazil, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in their work to ensure a comprehensive and independent investigation into the tragedy. My officials remain in close contact with officials in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19313 on BBC World Service: Foreign Relations, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Soft Power Council.
The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport have agreed to co-chair the Soft Power Council, and will host its first meeting on 15 January. A Written Ministerial Statement will be issued, setting out the Council's remit and membership.
Pursuant to her oral contribution of 12 December 2024, Official Report, column 1045, what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (b) the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and (c) other Cabinet colleagues on the west midlands pension fund.
As the Hon. Member will know from my correspondence with her, following the Business Question on the 12th December 2024, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the 20th December 2024 and asked that this matter be looked into.I understand that the Hon. Member has now received an update from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on this matter.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) engagement and (b) consultation he (i) has had and (ii) plans to have with parliamentarians on the treaty with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
As well as responding to numerous parliamentary and urgent questions regarding negotiations with Mauritius around the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) treaty. In December 2024 I met with the Chagos All party Parliamentary Group (APPG) where I briefed members of both houses on the deal. That month Baroness Chapman briefed Liberal Democrat Peers and Harriet Matthews, deputy chief negotiator for the BIOT treaty, briefed the Foreign Affairs Committee. In November 2024 the Foreign Secretary also appeared before the commons select committee on Foreign Affairs.Later this month I will be briefing the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories APPG where I will further answer questions around the treaty.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of accession by China to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership on his Department’s policies on UK-China relations.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership is open to all economies able to satisfy the Auckland Principles: preparedness to meet the agreement's high standards; a demonstrated pattern of complying with trade commitments; and recognition that decisions are dependent on the consensus of the CPTPP membership. Discussion among CPTPP members is progressing on how to take forward accessions. Until a decision is reached by CPTPP members on this, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of any other economies' interest in the agreement.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 18873 on Sudan: Humanitarian Aid, what steps he is taking to ensure the protection of civilians.
On 11 October 2023, the Human Rights Council adopted the UK-led 'Sudan Core Group' resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to ensure the credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses by all sides are investigated impartially. The UK led lobbying for the renewal of the FFM mandate in October, which passed with an increased vote margin and support from two African states. The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023. This support has included the secondment of expert investigators to support the ICC's work in several countries.The UK is also funding the Sudan Witness project delivered by the Centre for Information Resilience, which gathers open-source evidence on harms against civilians and civilian infrastructure, with a view to future accountability efforts. As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, the UK co-led a protection of civilians resolution on Sudan with Sierra Leone in November, which was cynically vetoed by Russia. We continue to work with the UN, key regional stakeholders and Council members to ensure the Council continues to act in support of peace in Sudan.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 19318 on British Nationals Abroad: Detainees, whether he has made changes to his Department's (a) processes and (b) services in respect of supporting British nationals abroad since July 2024.
The government is committed to strengthening consular services, including through introduction of a right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations and the appointment of an envoy. My department is considering a package of measures to achieve this, which we will announce in due course. The FCDO continuously reviews its processes to provide better service for those who require consular assistance, including through feedback, insight and lessons learned. Recently we have introduced an improved service to book appointments and a new FCDO digital triage AI tool which provides British nationals quick, efficient responses to their questions online.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on a treaty with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
I have had regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on issues related to a treaty with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory. HM Government remains committed to reaching an agreement with Mauritius in the best interests of both parties.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory of his recent discussions with his counterpart in Mauritius.
Discussions between the UK and Mauritius on the future exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory remain ongoing. It is not appropriate to provide a running commentary on those discussions. We will continue to work closely with Mauritius to conclude a deal that is in both sides' shared interests.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 18873 on Sudan: Humanitarian Aid, what potential alternative cross-border routes beyond Adré for humanitarian aid delivery into Sudan he has identified.
The UK continues to push for additional aid routes into Sudan, including through Aweil, Renk and Panakuach, as well as Adré, to facilitate aid deliveries, particularly into areas held by the Rapid Support Forces, and for routes to be free of bureaucratic and administrative impediments. In addition, the UK continues to press for improved cross-line routes, including into Khartoum.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 December 2024 to Question 19307 on Syria: Humanitarian Aid, what assessment he has made of (a) the impact of the situation on civilians in Syria, (b) the need for humanitarian aid in Syria and (c) the best way to respond to the humanitarian situation.
Fourteen years of conflict in Syria has significantly impacted civilians, with over 16 million people needing urgent humanitarian assistance and 13 million people displaced. In response to recent events, humanitarian agencies have rapidly scaled up the ongoing international aid effort in Syria. The UK announced an additional £61 million to support this.Flexible humanitarian funding, strengthened co-ordination, and an updated assessment of needs are key for responding effectively. Unimpeded access, free from political interference or targeting of humanitarian workers, is essential to deliver assistance to those in need across Syria. We continue to advocate for this.
What estimate she has made of the number of small boat crossings of the Channel each day in December 2024.
The Home Office publishes information about Channel crossings on a daily basis. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) the Secretary of State for the Home Department and (b) other Cabinet colleagues to reduce the amount of Overseas Development Assistance spent on asylum hotels.
The Home Secretary is committed to ensuring asylum costs fall and has already taken measures to reduce the backlog and will end the use of expensive hotel accommodation. We expect these plans to create more space in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to spend on our international development priorities overseas. In-donor refugee costs will be published in the provisional Statistics on International Development publication in Spring 2025. The first meeting of the re-established ODA Board, chaired by me and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will focus on in-donor refugee costs.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 18873 on Sudan: Humanitarian Aid, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Sierra Leone following the Russian veto of the UN Security Council Resolution on protecting civilians.
The Foreign Secretary spoke with his Sierra Leonean counterpart on 9 January. During their discussion, the UK and Sierra Leone agreed on the urgent need for a political solution to the conflict in Sudan to prevent more needless civilian deaths and a further spread of famine. We continue to work closely with the UN, regional stakeholders, and Council members, including Sierra Leone, to ensure the Council continues to support efforts towards peace in Sudan.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing funding for the Nutrition for Growth replenishment campaign before the pledging event in Paris in 2025.
The UK is looking forward to the upcoming 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit and FCDO officials have been working closely with French counterparts to build momentum ahead of the summit. The FCDO has published an assessment of progress with the commitments that the previous government made at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2021. We will review this as we finalise our approach to N4G 2025. Despite the challenges posed by the current fiscal situation, which the spending review will address, the UK is committed to protecting the world's most vulnerable, including through the use of lifesaving nutrition interventions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 December 2024 to Question 19309 on Syria: Women, what plans he has to support education for women and girls in Syria.
Education in Syria, especially for girls, has been a continuing priority for the UK. The UK is a leading donor to the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait, providing critical support to children across Syria. Since 2017, our Syria Education Programme has supported over 625,000 children, 50 percent of which are girls. The programme prioritises inclusion and enhanced access to education for girls, including through building girls' confidence and reducing dropout risks. We remain committed to supporting education and are considering how changes in Syria present opportunities and risks.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2024 to Question 16959 on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Finance, whether he plans to announce a commitment in relation to the Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance’s replenishment campaign for the 2026-2030 strategic period ahead of the High Level Pledging Summit in Brussels in 2025.
The United Kingdom is one of the largest contributors to Gavi and aims to see a successful replenishment in 2025. Funding decisions will be made as part of the ongoing Spending Review and announced upon its conclusion.