The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) health and (b) economic effects of the UK withdrawing from the European Medicines Agency.
David Mowat
The Government is undertaking work to understand in full the impacts of withdrawing from the European Union including on public health. This is ongoing and will inform the Government’s approach to future negotiations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) staff of which grades and (b) desk teams were working on Russia in his Department in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr Philip Hammond
The FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate has one team working directly on Russia, and a significant proportion of the work across the Directorate is also focused on Russia. In addition, many teams and staff at all grades across the wider FCO and its overseas network have responsibilities which relate directly or indirectly, to Russia.
The breakdown of staff numbers for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate in 2013-15 (overseas and at home) is as follows:
31 March 2013 – 116
31 March 2014 – 106
31 March 2015 – 119
31 October 2015 – 114
Figures prior to 2013 are not available broken down by by Department. In 2014, following the crisis in Ukraine, we reinforced the FCO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate by increasing the number of senior staff and deputy directors, as well as expanding the Russia and Ukraine Teams. This included an SMS 2 Director, in addition to an SMS 1 Additional Director. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 the Director position was graded at SMS 1. Other Government Departments have also increased resources on Russia.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Russian airstrikes on (a) ISIL/Daesh targets on (b) non-ISIL/Daesh targets in Syria to date.
Mr Philip Hammond
The vast majority of Russian air strikes have been against Syrian opposition forces, not the terrorist organisation ISIL. Despite Russian government claims to the contrary, only a small minority of strikes have targeted locations where ISIL forces are present. Overwhelmingly, Russian air strikes have targeted Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo – areas where moderate opposition are concentrated. A map of Russian strikes is available on Twitter – @UKAgainstISIL. This is on the basis of reporting from international NGOs and actors on the ground.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what planning for post-conflict stabilisation and reconstruction in Syria the Government has undertaken.
Mr Philip Hammond
The UK has factored the need for post-conflict stabilisation and reconstruction into our planning from the beginning of the crisis and committed £1bn towards this. We are now working with international partners to coordinate stabilisation efforts as they develop, and to update our post-conflict planning to reflect the timeline envisaged in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) process. We are ensuring that an internationally coordinated stabilisation mechanism is ready for a scenario in which transition has taken place, when delivery of stabilisation efforts to support political transition will be necessary. This all rests on an inclusive political settlement, which is why the UK is pushing hard for the ISSG to deliver transition leading to a ceasefire and an inclusive government which represents all Syrians. The Syria Conference in February provides an important opportunity to advance stabilisation and reconstruction planning.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to publish the Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015.
Mr Philip Hammond
The FCO plans to publish the 2015 Human Rights and Democracy Report in April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Government first received the Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen.
Mr Philip Hammond
Although this is a leaked document, we are aware of the report and are looking at the conclusions carefully. We recognise the importance of the work of the UN Panel of Experts and we are taking the allegations raised in the report seriously.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government recognises the killing of the Yazidis by Daesh as genocide.
Mr Philip Hammond
I condemn the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Christians, Mandeans, Yezidis and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Iraq and Syria who continue to bear the brunt of Daesh’s brutality.
It is a long-standing policy of successive governments that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies.
Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bahrainian counterpart on the arrest and sentencing of Ebrahim Sharif by that government.
Mr Philip Hammond
We have raised Ibrahim Sharif’s case with the Government of Bahrain. We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain, and call on the Bahraini Government to act proportionately in all such cases to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression and assembly. I most recently raised the issue of human rights when I met with the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 4 February.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of barriers to humanitarian agencies reaching people in need in Yemen.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Conflict is making humanitarian access within Yemen extremely difficult. Humanitarian agencies report that they are constrained in reaching areas of greatest humanitarian need and delivering assistance for a number of reasons including bureaucratic requirements imposed by the authorities, access challenges for international staff, insecurity in a number of districts, and a proliferation of checkpoints across the country.
We continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We work with trusted and impartial partners such as UN agencies and NGOs who have good access and a strong track record of delivering and monitoring assistance in difficult and dangerous places.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to reports of his remarks in Ankara in January 2016, what recent estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who have (a) entered and since left, (b) entered and remained in and (c) been prevented from entering (i) Syria and (ii) Iraq since April 2013.
Mr Philip Hammond
Approximately 800 individuals of national security concern have travelled to take part in the Syria conflict since it began. Of these approximately half have returned. As I said when I visited Ankara in January, the UK and Turkey have worked together to prevent the travel of over 600 UK nationals to Syria and Iraq via Turkey.
The UK continues to work to prevent the flow of extremist travellers to Iraq and Syria, through domestic measures in the UK, and through co-operation with international partners including Turkey.