Tag: Hilary Benn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 11278, who is currently responsible for impeding humanitarian access to people in need in Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne

All parties to the conflict are responsible for impeding humanitarian access to people in need in Yemen. Intense fighting on the ground is making it increasingly hard for agencies to reach those in need within Yemen. This is compounded by restrictions on imports of commercial and humanitarian supplies into the country, including fuel. This in turn is hampering the distribution of humanitarian supplies within country, including essential food and medicines.

The UK continues to call on all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered access to all people in need in Yemen. The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis and has announced £75m to respond to the crisis in Yemen. UK aid is providing vital medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelter, working with trusted and impartial actors who have a strong track record in delivering assistance in difficult and dangerous places. We also support a UN-led process on access negotiations and the establishment of the Access Working Group where partners report cases of obstruction and accessible routes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has had discussions with the Chairs of the Business, Innovation and Skills, International Development, Foreign Affairs and Defence select committees on their re-establishment of the Committees on Arms Export Controls.

Chris Grayling

No. The re-establishment of the Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) is a matter for the relevant committees under Standing Order No. 137, which allows for the concurrent meeting of any select committee with another for the purpose of deliberating or taking evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of allegations that the Saudi-led coalition is impeding and preventing commercial vessels from docking at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond

Intense fighting and insecurity on the ground in Yemen has resulted in restrictions being placed on commercial and humanitarian shipping. This is exacerbating the difficulty of distributing food and fuel to those who need it, making the humanitarian situation even worse.

The most important action to address the humanitarian situation, beyond a ceasefire, is to open up access for commercial and humanitarian goods. All parties to the conflict have a responsibility to ensure that any restrictions do not impede humanitarian access, and to facilitate immediate access to life-saving supplies, both into and within Yemen. The UK supports the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which is now being established to address commercial shipping needs and we urge that this is implemented as soon as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that arms exports to the parties to the conflict in Yemen are compliant with the Arms Trade Treaty and UK domestic law.

Mr Philip Hammond

The UK operates one of the most thorough and robust export control and licensing systems in the world. All applications for strategic export control licences for military and dual-use goods are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Government’s Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, in a manner consistent with the UK’s international obligations, including under the Arms Trade Treaty.

The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria were updated in March 2014 before the UK’s ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty to ensure they were consistent with both the Treaty and the EU Common Position on Arms Exports. A licence will not be issued if doing so would breach the Criteria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage other nations to make a greater contribution to humanitarian aid for people affected by the situation in Syria.

Mr Philip Hammond

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11278, what recent conversations she has had with the parties to the conflict in Yemen about facilitating unimpeded and immediate humanitarian access to all people in need in that country.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The Secretary of State hosted an international meeting on Yemen’s humanitarian crisis in New York on 28 September at which she emphasised that all parties to the conflict should facilitate unimpeded and immediate humanitarian access to all people in need in Yemen. Members of the Governments of Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other Coalition partners, amongst others, were in attendance. The Co-Chairs statement from the meeting can be found here: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/co-chairs-statement-ministerial-yemen-meeting-monday-28-september-2015.

The UK is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen. We regularly raise commercial and humanitarian access with parties to the conflict.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11278, which instances of restrictions on imports to Yemen of humanitarian supplies provided by the UK (a) directly and (b) through the UN are known to the Government.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK does not maintain a list of instances of restrictions on imports of humanitarian supplies. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) publishes regular snapshots on humanitarian and commercial imports to Yemen on its website.

The UK continues to call on all parties to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to allow access to Yemeni ports for commercial and humanitarian goods, including fuel for civilian use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has taken steps to ensure that contractors used by his Department do not instigate investigatory proceedings against staff for writing directly to him about their employment conditions or pay.

Mr Philip Hammond

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has had with cleaners working in his Department’s premises to discuss payment of the living wage.

Mr Philip Hammond

There have been no meetings between Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and the cleaners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Minsk Agreement in reducing fighting in Ukraine.

Mr Philip Hammond

A renewed attempt in early September by the Minsk signatories to ensure a comprehensive ceasefire has resulted in a considerable reduction in fighting along the line of contact in Eastern Ukraine, compared with the levels in previous months. Since September, casualties have mainly resulted from land mines and unexploded ordnance rather than direct shelling, which has practically ceased.