Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Security Partnerships

Tuesday 25 January 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department is building a network of security partnerships to protect people, partners, and freedoms.
  • Ministers are working with global partners to support Ukraine through bilateral efforts and multinational institutions like NATO.
  • The Government has reduced overseas development assistance due to economic impacts of covid but plans to return to 0.7% expenditure.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Dehenna Davison
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from the need to ensure that the UK is taking proactive measures in diplomatic relations to enhance its security network globally.

Question

What recent diplomatic steps has the Department taken to help strengthen security partnerships with nations around the world?

Answer from James Cleverly

We are building a network of security partnerships to protect our people, our partners and our freedoms. My right hon Friend the Foreign Secretary has already outlined a number of interactions that she has had at multilateral and bilateral level, which echo conversations that the Prime Minister had last week. The Foreign Secretary was in Australia alongside the Defence Secretary for talks with our Australian counterparts, and on 12 January I was at the NATO headquarters alongside European and Atlantic allies for the NATO-Russia Council.

Answered
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Q2 Dehenna Davison
Ukraine
Context

The MP is concerned about the ongoing threats from Russia towards Ukraine and seeks confirmation on UK's support measures.

Question

Can my right hon Friend confirm that as Russia's threatening behaviour towards Ukraine continues and intensifies, he and all Ministers are working with our global partners to encourage further support for Ukraine?

Answer from James Cleverly

I can absolutely confirm that our support for Ukraine is discharged not only bilaterally, with training teams and defensive military equipment support, but with work at a multinational level through the Quad, which I attended recently, through NATO and through other international institutions such as the G7, to ensure that all countries support the principles of self-determination, territorial integrity, peace and freedom.

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Q3 Sarah Champion Lab Rotherham
Foreign Affairs Women & Equalities
Context

There is a concern that significant reductions in the conflict, stability, and security fund will undermine efforts to address poverty and instability overseas, affecting UK security.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the Government's cuts throughout overseas development are compromising UK security and global stability? What will the Government do to address that?

Answer from James Cleverly

We have spoken at length in this House about the economic impact that the country and indeed the world have felt from covid, which has forced us temporarily to reduce our expenditure on official development assistance. We have had confirmation that we will return to 0.7%. With respect to the historical reductions in key areas such as humanitarian aid and women and girls, we will ensure that that money is returned to the budgets, as the Foreign Secretary has made clear. The process for future budget allocations has not concluded; until it has, any talk about figures can only be speculative on the hon Lady's part.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific commitment to address current reductions in aid was avoided

How: Economic Impact From Covid, Speculative Discussion

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Q4 Andrew Bowie Con West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

Recent Russian naval activity has led Sweden to bolster its military presence in Gotland, prompting questions about UK support for vulnerable northern partners.

Question

What are the Government doing to support Baltic and Nordic countries, which feel very much in the frontline, against Russian aggression?

Answer from James Cleverly

I can confirm that the Defence Secretary has been doing a lot of work in that area. The Foreign Secretary was in Riga not so long ago. We absolutely recognise that our northern partners, the Baltic states and the Scandinavian countries, are in a geographically difficult and vulnerable place. I can assure my hon Friend that our support for freedom, democracy and peace extends to that part of the world, as well as to more high-profile issues such as those in Ukraine.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures being taken were not detailed; only recognition of their vulnerability was provided.

How: Doing A Lot Of Work, Not Specifying Actions

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