Every parliamentary written question tabled by Sarah Green this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–8 of 8 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking diplomatic steps to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid convoys through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her (a) Israeli and (b) American counterparts on reinstating the United Nations-led aid delivery system in Gaza.
We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her US counterparts on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that medical aid reaches civilians (a) at the Nasser Hospital and (b) elsewhere in Khan Younis.
We remain deeply concerned about the impact of Israel's aid block and military operations activity on healthcare in Gaza. Medical staff and facilities must be protected, and civilians should be able to safely access medical treatment. On 21 March, the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement with the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany, in which they called on Israel to ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. The Foreign Secretary called Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Minister for Strategic Affairs Dermer on 20 and 21 March to press Israel to restore humanitarian access and raise serious concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza. Since 7 October 2023, the UK has provided £5.5 million in funding to UK-Med, enabling them to provide vital care to over 373,000 Gazans, including critical limb and life-saving surgeries, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that reductions in Official Development Assistance spending do not disproportionately impact children.
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) G7 and (b) EU counterparts on increasing enforcement of the price cap policy on Russian oil.
The action taken by the UK and partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with Russia forced to shoulder a 24 per cent reduction in oil and gas revenues in 2023 compared to 2022. We are working to close loopholes and crack down on ever more desperate forms of sanctions circumvention, including by sanctioning vessels which use reckless practices in an attempt to undermine our impact. The UK has led in the G7 to target oil and LNG tankers, and we will continue to work closely with EU and G7 counterparts to monitor the effectiveness of the Oil Price Cap.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of Chevening scholarships available for students from Gaza.
The Chevening programme is currently open for applications and closes on 5 November. Given the difficulty potential applicants from Gaza face and evolving situation on the ground, the FCDO will review exact numbers from Gaza for the 2025/26 academic year in spring 2025 once all applications have been received. The 2024/25 cohort includes 11 Palestinians, of which one is from Gaza. The FCDO recognises the challenging situation facing many Palestinian applicants, and as such, we have offered to defer arrival for specific cases.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for the British Council’s Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians scheme.
The Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) programme is delivered by the British Council, with funding and support from the Department for Education, UK universities and a range of other UK and international funders. The decision to increase funding lies with these organisations. The HESPAL programme demonstrates UK commitment to education for young Palestinians, helping to create the next generation of senior academics who can maintain international quality standards at Palestinian universities and develop renewed and sustainable links between Palestinian and UK universities. More information can be found here: https://www.britishcouncil.ps/en/study-uk/scholarships/hespal