International Development Committee House of Commons, London, SW1 A OAA • Tel: 020 7219 1223 Email: [email protected] Website: www.parliament.uk/indcom From Stephen Twigg MP, Chair
Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Foreign and Commonwealth Office 13 October 2016
Follow-up to emergency debate on Syria and Aleppo
Dear Boris,
Further to the debate on Tuesday on 'Aleppo and Syria' I am writing to seek detailed answers to questions I raised. These questions arise from the International Development Committee's work. I am copying in Priti Patel and Amber Rudd as some of my questions relate to DFID and Home Office responsibilities.
You may be aware the Committee published a Report on the Syrian refugee crisis in January of this year. 1 We recommended the Government should resettle 3,000 unaccompanied children from Europe in addition to the commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees from the region (para 63). It should also carry out resettlement quickly (para 65). In May 2016 in response to the amendments put forward by Lord Dubs to the Immigration Bill the Government announced that "Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will be resettled from Greece, Italy and France" .2 The Immigration Act 2016 contained commitments that:
1. The Secretary of State must, as soon as possible after the passing of this Act, make arrangements to relocate to the United Kingdom and support a specified number of unaccompanied refugee children from other countries in Europe. 2. The number of children to be resettled under subsection (1) shall be determined by the Government in consultation with local authorities. 3. The relocation of children under subsection (1) shall be in addition to the resettlement of children under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.
It would be very helpful if you could provide a detailed reply to the following questions raised during the debate to help inform the consideration of how the Committee might follow-up on its inquiry on the Syrian refugee crisis.
1. What progress has been made on the Government's pledge to take 20,000 vulnerable people for resettlement in the UK? 2. How many vulnerable children have been resettled from Europe under the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016?
1 http ://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/international-development com:rnitteelinq uiries/parliament-2015/inquiry-na.me/ 2 https://www.gov.uk/goyernment/newslunaccompanied-a ylum-seeking-children-to-be-re. ettled-from-europe 3. Can you confirm that there are no delays to resettling refugees due to Central Government not providing travel costs? 3 4. What is the UK government doing to encourage banks to swiftly process payments for NGOs working in Syria who are fully compliant with anti-terrorism legislation? 5. What discussions are the UK having with Turkey over allowing NGOs to set up and operate effectively in the south of the country?
In addition, it would be helpful if you could clarify your comments during the debate in response to the issue raised by Hillary Benn relating to "the French proposal that, in the case of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council should voluntarily undertake to give up their veto". You replied: "We are in constant touch with our French colleagues about this proposal. As I said earlier, I am personally very attracted to the idea of holding these people to account before the International Criminal Court, so that is certainly something that I would like to pursue.".
Members of the International Development Committee attended the World Humanitarian Summit in May this year and we have published a Report on the summit's aims and priorities for reform of the global humanitarian system. At the Summit, the UK unequivocally committed "not to vote against credible draft resolutions before the UN Security Council on timely and decisive action to end the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, or to prevent such crimes" .4
It would be helpful if you could confirm that your comments do not represent a softening of this important commitment.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible .
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Twigg MP Chair of the Committee
Copied to: Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, Secretary of State for International Development Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, Home Secretary
3 HC Deb 11 October 2016, col 189 4 http://www.agendaforlmmanity.org/commitrnent/3074