Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kate Osborne this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take diplomatic steps to encourage the Government of Japan to (a) acknowledge the sinking of the SS Tilawa in 1942 and (b) provide goodwill closure to known survivors and victims.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of (a) co-operatives and (b) co-operation in the UK's apporach to international development.
The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that Overseas Territories adopt open and public registers of beneficial ownership.
Work is ongoing to improve beneficial ownership transparency in the Overseas Territories. At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.Every Territory is making progress towards these commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet the agreement made at JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories, and have discussed with the leaders of a number of OTs including Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands in recent weeks.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the levels of compliance by overseas territories on providing public registers of beneficial ownership.
At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest by June 2025, with the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions.Every Territory is making progress towards these commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet JMC agreements. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories, and have discussed with the leaders of a number of OTs including Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands in recent weeks.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of reports that the CUT trade union federation’s (a) regional secretary and (b) treasurer in Valle del Cauca, Colombia have received death threats.
We look to the Colombian authorities to investigate fully the threats against all citizens, including trade unionists, and to take appropriate action against those responsible. Through the Integrated Security Fund (ISF), the UK has historically supported the development of protection measures for human rights abuses, working with the Colombian government to strengthen the institutional capacity of the National Protection Unit and civil society organisations involved in the protection of social leaders, including trade unionists. During his visit to Colombia in November, Lord Collins, Minister for Human Rights, met with trade union representatives and other social and political leaders. In our UN Security Council statements, we regularly call on the Colombian government and its institutions to protect social leaders from threats.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with Unitaid on (a) licensing arrangements for lenacapavir and (b) potential steps to ensure the affordability of that treatment in (i) lower-income and (ii) middle-income countries.
The FCDO welcomes the extraordinary clinical trial results for lenacapavir, representing a significant breakthrough in HIV prevention and, potentially, treatment.The UK is a long-standing supporter of market-shaping initiatives in low- and middle-income countries and we are having ongoing discussions with our global health partners, including UNITAID, on how to best facilitate widespread access to lenacapavir. This includes the UK supporting UNITAID's ongoing investment, in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, in two pathfinder programmes for long-acting HIV PrEP in Brazil and South Africa. This work will shorten the time for effective adoption of lenacapavir, once available.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support peace and human rights in Colombia.
Supporting Implementation of the 2016 Colombia Peace Agreement is our priority. The UK has committed £80 million towards peace, stability and human rights in Colombia since 2016, leading efforts in the UN, including as penholder of resolutions in the UNSC.Colombia is a Human Rights priority for the UK. The UK is working with the Colombian Government and communities to raise our concerns and to support the victims of sexual violence and environmental crimes.