Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The Government's position in relation to the UK-Mauritius treaty has been informed by legal advice throughout. A summary of the Government's legal position was set out on 22 May when the treaty was signed, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security. In accordance with the long-standing convention, adhered to by successive governments, whether or not the Law Officers have been, or will be, consulted, and the substance of any such advice is not disclosed outside government.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to recovering the loan when the British Council's finances allow, consistent with the requirements of the UK's subsidy control regime. We continue to work closely with the British Council and His Majesty's Treasury on the long-term restructuring of the loan and will update Parliament formally in due course. I also refer the Noble Lord to the evidence provided to the Public Accounts Committee on 2 July 2026 by the interim Permanent Under-Secretary, where these issues were discussed in greater depth.

The International Strategic Framework, launched at the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, sets out how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will deliver its standalone Women and Girls Priority by placing them at the centre of the UK's international work. We are prioritising action across four foundations: safety, prosperity, voice and choice (education and health). The UK is working with international partners to drive progress on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG), including announcing in May the new International Coalition to End VAWG. The coalition brings together eight countries to share expertise and drive practical action to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence, tackle online abuse, and strengthen global efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict and other forms of violence in humanitarian crises. The UK is committed to tackling violence domestically and internationally and remains committed to advancing women and girls' rights.

The International Strategic Framework, launched at the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, sets out how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will deliver its standalone Women and Girls Priority by placing them at the centre of the UK's international work. We are prioritising action across four foundations: safety, prosperity, voice and choice (education and health). The UK is working with international partners to drive progress on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG), including announcing in May the new International Coalition to End VAWG. The coalition brings together eight countries to share expertise and drive practical action to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence, tackle online abuse, and strengthen global efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict and other forms of violence in humanitarian crises. The UK is committed to tackling violence domestically and internationally and remains committed to advancing women and girls' rights.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is prioritising Official Development Assistance (ODA) where humanitarian needs are most acute - to reach those in greatest need and reduce the harm caused by violence and atrocities, including in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. With greater instability, humanitarian need growing, and poverty becoming more concentrated in places affected by conflict, we are increasing the proportion of spending in fragile and conflict affected states by around 13 percentage points to over 70 per cent of all FCDO country and regional spending by 2028/29, and will spend £1.4 billion per year in countries with the most humanitarian need over this Spending Review period. With this support, we want to see increased allocation of humanitarian resources to cost-effective, localised delivery mechanisms; and a more streamlined, prioritised and efficient multilateral humanitarian system.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is prioritising Official Development Assistance (ODA) where humanitarian needs are most acute - to reach those in greatest need and reduce the harm caused by violence and atrocities, including in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. With greater instability, humanitarian need growing, and poverty becoming more concentrated in places affected by conflict, we are increasing the proportion of spending in fragile and conflict affected states by around 13 percentage points to over 70 per cent of all FCDO country and regional spending by 2028/29, and will spend £1.4 billion per year in countries with the most humanitarian need over this Spending Review period. With this support, we want to see increased allocation of humanitarian resources to cost-effective, localised delivery mechanisms; and a more streamlined, prioritised and efficient multilateral humanitarian system.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is prioritising Official Development Assistance (ODA) where humanitarian needs are most acute - to reach those in greatest need and reduce the harm caused by violence and atrocities, including in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. With greater instability, humanitarian need growing, and poverty becoming more concentrated in places affected by conflict, we are increasing the proportion of spending in fragile and conflict affected states by around 13 percentage points to over 70 per cent of all FCDO country and regional spending by 2028/29, and will spend £1.4 billion per year in countries with the most humanitarian need over this Spending Review period. With this support, we want to see increased allocation of humanitarian resources to cost-effective, localised delivery mechanisms; and a more streamlined, prioritised and efficient multilateral humanitarian system.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has regular discussions with the Scottish Government on devolved issues, including their development programming. The FCDO offers support to the Scottish Government's development activity overseas, where such activities assist Ministers of the Crown under the terms of the Scotland Act.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. No existing FCDO International Climate Finance programmes have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

We are concerned by increasing tensions and instability across the West Bank. The UK has consistently made clear to the Government of Israel that any unilateral attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of Palestine is wholly unacceptable and would be inconsistent with international law. The UK remains firmly committed to a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a sovereign, viable and free Palestine. We continue to engage with Israeli counterparts on developments in the West Bank.

Supporting the rights of women and minority groups in Syria is a UK priority which we promote through our humanitarian work and via our support to the education sector. The UK's 'Syria Education Programme' has delivered quality, inclusive education to over 980,000 primary aged children in Northwest Syria since 2018, improving learning outcomes with a strong focus on gender equity and disability inclusion. We are providing technical assistance to the Syrian Ministry of Education to enhance national education policy and planning, building on areas of our technical expertise including inclusive education. We will continue to advocate that the process of curriculum change in Syria should be transparent and consultative, and, with other development partners, will continue to monitor significant changes.

The UK played a leading role in the establishment of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD) and remains committed to securing justice for survivors of Daesh crimes following UNITAD's closure. The UK paid its share of the UNITAD operating expenses on the UN budget. The UK continues to work with the Governments of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, alongside international partners, to help ensure that Daesh members are held accountable for the crimes they have committed. The UK also continues to support survivor-centred implementation of the Yazidi Survivors' Law (2021).

The UK remains committed to improving health outcomes for women and children globally, including in Sierra Leone. Over the last decade, the UK has helped improve maternal and child health services, including those highlighted in the Channel 4 documentary. This has contributed significantly to a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio from 1,682 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to an estimated 354 in 2025. The UK continues to work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone and multilateral partners, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, GAVI and the Global Fund, to strengthen the delivery of national health services and to increase domestic funding.

The UK is committed to supporting the humanitarian response in Sudan, providing vital healthcare, nutrition, and water. This is why we are providing £146 million of support this financial year and will uphold this figure over the spending period. We have also more than doubled our funding to Sudan's local responders, who are able to provide life-saving aid to communities in the hardest to reach areas, including Darfur. We continue to use all diplomatic levers to secure unimpeded humanitarian access, security guarantees for aid workers and the end to all siege tactics which block the free movement of civilians and aid.

The Government remains committed to multilateral institutions. I refer the noble Baroness to the reply to HL2775, which affirms the Foreign Secretary's commitment to international institutions, as set out in a statement on 21 July. On 27 July, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced that the Foreign Secretary will take on the role of UK Governor to the World Bank, which provides around $100 billion in finance per year. In the announcement, the Foreign Secretary stated that in taking on this role, he wishes to send an unambiguous signal regarding this Government's commitment to global leadership on development and climate.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

The UK has committed £315 million to Afghanistan in the new spending review period to address the most severe impacts of Afghanistan's protracted crisis and protect the most vulnerable. While reducing the size of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for Afghanistan will necessarily have an impact on the scale and reach of the work we do, we have taken steps to limit this. Women and girls will remain central to our approach, as highlighted in the UK international strategic framework on women and girls 2026. Funding allocations for Afghanistan are based on a robust Equalities Impact Assessment and aim to address the rights and needs of women and girls. We also remain steadfast in our commitment that at least half of those reached by UK aid in Afghanistan will be women and girls.

Planning for the UK's G20 Presidency in 2027 is underway, and the government will set out its priorities in due course.

The Government is committed to a modern approach to international development based on genuine respect and partnership with the Global South to support our common interests. In a statement on his appointment on 20 July, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the Government's commitment to strengthening international development partnerships and reforming international institutions so that they deliver more effectively for all countries, including the world's poorest people.

Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, which has protected our shared security for nearly 60 years. Maintaining long-term operational control and security of Diego Garcia is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Agreement. We will continue to work with the US and Mauritius to find a way forward that is in the UK's best interests and protects our national security.

The UK-Palestinian Memorandum of Understanding sets out the Palestinian Authority's (PA) commitment to reform. The PA is undergoing a multi-year curriculum reform in which textbooks are systematically being updated to meet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standards. We welcome initial progress since 2018 to strengthen alignment of PA textbooks with UNESCO recommendations but, we are clear that further progress is needed. We regularly engage the Palestinian Authority on the implementation of these commitments.

I recognise the significant contribution that non-EU NATO Allies make to European defence and security, including the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Norway and Canada. As NATO Allies, we share responsibility for collective defence and Euro-Atlantic security, providing substantial military capabilities, operational expertise and leadership that underpin the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture. The UK works closely with other non-EU NATO Allies to strengthen NATO's collective capability and readiness, including through major bilateral partnerships such as the UK-Norway Lunna House Agreement, which deepens defence cooperation and is supporting the delivery of a joint Type 26 frigate programme.

The UK engages regularly with NATO and EU partners to promote cooperation that complements NATO and enables non-EU NATO Allies to contribute fully to fundamental Euro-Atlantic security.

I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer on 30 July to question HL2205.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answers given to HL1340, HL1341 and HL1342 on 7 July 2026.

The UK remains committed to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030. Through programmes and partnerships across the Amazon, Congo and Indonesia forest basins, we support stronger governance, Indigenous Peoples' and local community rights, sustainable trade and finance mobilisation for forest protection.

On oceans, the UK continues to support global marine conservation through initiatives including the Blue Planet Fund, action to advance the 30by30 target, and ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement on 10 July 2026.

The UK fully supports United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) indispensable mission. On 30 June the UK announced £23 million to support UNRWA this financial year. The funding will help UNRWA continue delivering essential services for up to 5.9 million Palestine refugees across the region. The funding will also support civilians in Gaza, where humanitarian needs remain acute and families face displacement, food insecurity and limited access to basic services.

The Government is unwavering in its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda and is in the process of refreshing the UK's fifth Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plan. The refresh will retain transparent and proportionate governance, monitoring and evaluation arrangements, ensuring transparency, accountability and effective measurement of progress and impact.

While we do not comment on the use of Pegasus against individuals, to address the risks posed by the proliferation and misuse of commercial cyber intrusion capabilities (CCICs), the UK and France launched the Pall Mall Process in 2024 to promote responsible behaviour across the CCIC market, bringing together states, industry, civil society and academia. In 2025, it launched a voluntary non-binding Code of Practice for States, which set recommendations for governments as regulators, customers and users of these capabilities.

On 21 July 2026, the Process began negotiations on Industry Guidelines to establish voluntary expectations for organisations involved in the development, sale, purchase and use of CCICs. The Process rejects the participation of organisations and entities under international sanctions or similar restrictions.

We have an ongoing Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, our latest iteration was in November 2025. In our dialogue we discuss a range of issues bilaterally, including freedom of expression, rights of minorities, women's rights, media freedom, and judicial reforms.

I refer the Noble Baroness to my previous answer on 30 July to question HL2205.

I refer the Noble Lord to the FCDO travel advice for Gibraltar: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/gibraltar/entry-requirements UK citizens entering Gibraltar must have a passport issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after they depart either Gibraltar or the Schengen Area. They can spend up to 90 days in Gibraltar without a visa. This period will count towards the 90-day limit in any 180-day period for time spent in the Schengen Area. On arriving at the airport, they undergo two checks: Gibraltar immigration controls performed by the Gibraltar authorities, and Schengen immigration controls performed by the Spanish authorities.

Given the large number of posts and locations in the scope of the Noble Lord's question, I will arrange for a list to be placed in the library, containing details of: (a) the 150 locations classified as qualifying hardship posts for the purpose of additional journeys for staff posted overseas, at the time that the previous government left office in July 2024; and (b) the six locations that have subsequently been removed from that list.

The Noble Lord will see from the aforementioned list that these arrangements are not new, and indeed have applied consistently under successive governments for a number of decades.

Below, in reference to HL2091 (tabled on 14 July 2026), is a list of the 150 locations worldwide, which – at the end of the previous government’s term in office in July 2024 – were classified as qualifying ‘hardship’ posts for the purpose of additional journeys for staff posted overseas. In the subsequent two years, up to July 2026, six locations have been removed from the qualifying list: Bamako, Buenos Aires, Panama City, Pyongyang, Santiago and Sarajevo.

Abidjan

Abu Dhabi

Abuja

Accra

Adamstown

Addis Ababa

Ahmedabad

Algiers

Al-Khobar

Almaty

Amman

Ankara

Antananarivo

Apia

Ascension Island

Ashgabat

Asmara

Astana

Asuncion

Baku

Bali

Bamako

Bandar Seri Begawan

Bangkok

Banjul

Beijing

Beirut

Belmopan

Bengaluru

Bishkek

Bogota

Brades

Brasilia

Buenos Aires

Bujumbura

Cairo

Cape Town

Caracas

Casablanca

Castries

Chandigarh

Chennai

Chisinau

Chongqing

Colombo

Conakry

Dakar

Dar Es Salaam

Dhaka

Djibouti

Doha

Dubai

Dushanbe

Freetown

Gaborone

Georgetown

Grand Turk

Guangzhou

Guatemala City

Hanoi

Harare

Havana

Ho Chi Minh City

Honiara

Hyderabad

Islamabad

Istanbul

Jakarta

Jakarta (ASEAN)

Jamestown

Jeddah

Jerusalem

Johannesburg

Kampala

Karachi

Kathmandu

Khartoum

Kigali

Kingston

Kingstown

Kinshasa

Kolkata

Kuala Lumpur

Kuwait

La Paz

Lagos

Lahore

Lilongwe

Lima

Luanda

Lusaka

Male

Manama

Manila

Maputo

Maseru

Mbabane

Mexico City

Minsk

Monrovia

Monterrey

Moscow

Mumbai

Muscat

Nairobi

N'Djamena

Nassau

New Delhi

Niamey

Nouakchott

Nuku'alofa

Panama City

Phnom Penh

Port au Prince

Port Moresby

Port of Spain

Port Vila

Pretoria

Pristina

Pyongyang

Quito

Rabat

Rio de Janeiro

Riyadh

San Jose

San Salvador

Santiago

Santo Domingo

Sao Paulo

Sarajevo

Shanghai

St George's

St John's

Stanley

Suva

Tashkent

Tehran

Tel Aviv

Tirana

Tristan da Cunha

Tunis

Ulaanbaatar

Victoria

Vientiane

Windhoek

Wuhan

Yangon

Yaounde

Yekaterinburg

Yerevan

In the vast majority of cases, the locations listed above have been classified as qualifying ‘hardship’ posts since that system of classification – and accompanying staff allowances – were introduced more than three decades ago. Assessments of ‘hardship’ take into account a number of factors that apply irrespective of the financial wealth and standard of living in each post, but which may mean that members of staff are required to take additional respite breaks for the benefit of their physical or mental health, in locations where – for example – there are high levels of air pollution (e.g. New Delhi or Beijing), high levels of crime (e.g. Port of Spain or Pretoria), or regular and ongoing security threats (e.g. Tel Aviv or Riyadh).

Our High Commissioner regularly raises human rights with the Cameroonian authorities, including respect for media freedom. We have also called for an end to arbitrary detentions and encouraged the government to investigate reports of unfair treatment. The UK believes that all journalists, including Tsi Conrad, should be able to work without fear of arrest or detention.

The UK is firmly committed to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Following the launch of Colombia's WPS National Action Plan, which the UK supported, we continue to work with the Colombian Government and civil society to support its implementation. UK funding has helped advance accountability and support for thousands of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Colombia over the last ten years. The UK continues to advocate for women's full and equal participation in peace negotiations in Colombia and on a global scale, which we made clear during the statement delivered by the UK's Chargé d'Affaires to the UN Security Council on 17 June.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I provided to the Lord Bishop of Sheffield to HL1510 on 7 July 2026. With regard to support for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UK provided $126.5 million (approx. £100million) to UNHCR, including a $41.9 million (£33 million) core, unearmarked contribution, making the UK the sixth largest bilateral country donor. In 2026/27, UK core funding will be $26.9 million approx. (£20 million).