Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the destruction of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government supports the Interim Government's agenda to restore law and order, ensure accountability and promote national reconciliation. While we have not had discussions with the Interim Government of Bangladesh regarding the destruction of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum specifically, we have encouraged all sides to work together to end the cycle of retributive violence. In February, UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, visited Bangladesh. She discussed a wide range of human rights concerns with the Interim Government. We continue to work with the Interim Government as it charts a peaceful transition to an inclusive and democratic future.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason his meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 23 July 2024 was not included in the transparency data entitled FCDO ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, July to September 2024, published on 30 January 2025; and if he will update that record.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As per standard practice, the Government Transparency data for July-September 2024 records the Foreign Secretary's meetings with external organisations. Bilateral meetings between the Foreign Secretary and other Governments are not required to be disclosed as part of this exercise.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK continues to step up for Ukraine as new funding announced to bring war criminals to justice, published on 29 December 2024, if he will publish a summary of his Department's legal advice on war crimes committed by Russia during its war on Ukraine.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since the start of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2021, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has recorded over 150,000 incidents of alleged war crimes committed during the conflict. The UK government is committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to document and investigate these atrocity crimes. As set out in our funding announcement of 29 December 2024, we are focussing efforts through practical support co-ordinated via the Atrocity Crimes Advisory group, established with our US and EU partners. We have also provided support to the International Criminal Court, which established its own investigation into the situation in Ukraine in March 2022, and been an active member of the Core Group of countries, working to explore options to establish a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37160 on Blue Belt Programme: Finance, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for the Blue Belt programme on the UK's commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Blue Belt Programme has been instrumental in supporting the UK's global ocean commitments, including the Global Biodiversity Framework, where the Convention on Biological Diversity has been extended to the UK Overseas Territories. Future funding considerations are subject to the ongoing Spending Review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's latest estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, including (a) annual payments to Mauritius, (b) total projected expenditure over the 99-year lease period and (c) any upfront costs.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed agreement with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory will contain (a) provisions and (b) timescales when costings can be reviewed; whether a measure of indexation will be used to uplift UK payments to Mauritius for the lease; what currency will payments be required to be made including the relevant exchange rate provision; at what point will the UK need to give notice of it’s request to extend the lease; whether the Mauritius Government will be able to set the cost of the exercise of the extension provisions; and whether arbitration processes will be in place to arbitrate potential disputes over the costs of exercising the lease extension provisions.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any organisations collecting and preserving evidence of atrocity crimes in Darfur.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UN Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), established following UK-led Security Council resolution, is the most effective mechanism to support accountability in Sudan. The FFM published its first report in September 2024 and concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by both warring parties constituted war crimes and, in the case of the Rapid Support Forces, additionally crimes against humanity. The UK is also supporting the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), a research body gathering open-source evidence about the conflict in Sudan with a view to supporting future accountability. The CIR has been able to assist the FFM in verifying reports of violations through its use of digital information. The UK also strongly supports the International Criminal Court's (ICC) active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023. We welcome the ongoing cooperation between the ICC and the FFM and the significant progress made by the ICC in investigating and prosecuting past and current crimes in Darfur. The conclusion of the Ali Kushayb trial in December 2024 marks a historic milestone as the first trial concluded based on a Security Council referral.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding he plans to allocate to the Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa 2 programme in the (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27 and (c) 2027-28 financial year.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa 2 programme is a five year programme which is saving lives and reducing the impact of disease outbreaks on populations in Africa. Now in its second year of implementation, the programme is strengthening regional health security capacity and leadership to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies, protecting populations around the world, including the UK. We have signed a 3-year agreement to support Africa Centres for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation's Joint Emergency Action. We have offered significant support to the response to mpox in Africa through the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and UNICEF Burundi. Our support to UNICEF Burundi alone will directly benefit about 20,000 people in communities, including 1,800 children through mpox case management, mental health and psychosocial support, infection prevention and control, and WASH and risk communication activities.

The impact on specific programmes of the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of GNI to 0.3 per cent of GNI in 2027 is being worked through. We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. Announcements will be made following the completion of the ongoing Spending Review process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the meeting of the UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council between 19 and 21 November 2024, what progress has been made on the implementation of public registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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 (BVI), 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. I have recently spoken with the Premiers of BVI and Bermuda on this issue.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 29154 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, what index the annual payments will be linked to.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand on establishing a formal diplomatic alliance between those countries and the UK.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has not held any discussions about establishing a new diplomatic alliance with these countries. However, Australia, Canada and New Zealand are among the UK's closest and most-valued allies, and we continue to deepen our partnership, including through established alliances and initiatives such as the Commonwealth, 5EYES, NATO, AUKUS and G7. The Foreign Secretary speaks with his Australian, Canadian and New Zealand counterparts regularly.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which development programmes he plans to maintain funding for after the planned reduction of the Official Development Assistance budget is implemented.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

ODA allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% in 2027.

We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money.

We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered using official development assistance as part of the financial arrangements for the Chagos Islands deal.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the inclusion of children in multilateral events such as the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The safety and security of children globally spans across all six of the Foreign Secretary's priorities. At the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are funding Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Organisation (CSO) network advocacy work to elevate youth participation and representation at the summit, directly facilitating their inclusion and highlighting the experience and needs of mothers and children in their communities. FCDO also are funding a UK and a global south partner country youth delegate to attend the Commission on Population and Development summit. FCDO continues to strengthen CSO partnerships, ensuring grassroots voices are heard and amplified globally, as the Foreign Secretary outlined in his Human Rights Day speech in December 2024.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether UK aid to Sudan will include support for refugees who flee Sudan into other countries in the region.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The conflict has created a displacement crisis with more than 3 million Sudanese refugees seeking safety in neighbouring countries, and a further 8.8 million people internally displaced within Sudan. In November 2024, the Foreign Secretary announced a £113 million aid package, which doubled the UK's aid commitment to £226.5 million. This package will assist over 600,000 people in Sudan and 700,000 people in neighbouring countries who had fled the conflict, including Chad and South Sudan. Education Cannot Wait will also receive UK support to provide safe learning spaces and psychosocial support for 200,000 vulnerable children in refugee and host communities in Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Uganda.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reasons his Department took seven years to respond to freedom of information request entitled FCO 37/3979 Training of the Sri Lankan military in the UK.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) received a request for access to information held on file reference FCO 37/3979 in June 2018. A response was issued four months later in October 2018. The material in question is subject to ongoing legal proceedings under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We cannot comment on ongoing legal cases.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35684 on Development Aid: Reviews, whether he has considered including hon. Members in additional consultations.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The review recommendations are now being considered as part of the Foreign Secretary's wider work to reform the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Parliamentarians will be included as part of any approach to further consultation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK-Canadian Critical Mineral Dialogue is still on-going.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Canada are the closest of allies. We have shared values and are committed to ensuring critical mineral markets are diverse, ethical, fair and transparent. We continue to engage with Canada including through the Critical Minerals Dialogue, the Minerals Security Partnership, the International Energy Agency, and the G7.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of comments made by Georges Pierre Lesjongard on 15 February 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's position is clear - we do not and will not pay reparations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office median age for its laptop estate issued to officials is currently 1 year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he has taken to help develop international (a) norms, (b) rules and (c) principles on responsible behaviours in space since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has been advocating and building international support for norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours at the United Nations to tackle threats to space systems, reduce the risk of conflict and preserve strategic stability. Since 5 July 2024, the UK has:

Secured support for the UK-led resolution on responsible space behaviours at the UN General Assembly.

Ensured the mandate of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in all its Aspects (PAROS) included norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours.

Used the International Security Fund to support diplomatic engagement with a broad range of countries on how responsible space behaviours can address space threats.

Shaped discussion on responsible space behaviours in the Conference on Disarmament.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to (a) expedite and (b) delay the ratification of the Chagos sovereignty transfer to Mauritius.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago which protects the long-term effective operation of the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.   Once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance (CRaG) process in the usual way.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the future of the Iran nuclear deal, in the context of the withdrawal of the United States from that agreement.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and his predecessors have engaged the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) participants, and the US. The Foreign Secretary and our officials continue to engage France, Germany, Iran, China and the EU as JCPoA participants, as well as the US, in support of a diplomatic solution.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37768 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries, what estimate he has made of the level of financial assistance that will be provided to the Government of Mauritius to implement a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Further engagement on the details of the Marine Protected Area will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterpart on restoring the ceasefire conditions between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the recent Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department have made to the interim government of Syria on the protection of (a) Alawite, (b) Christian and (c) Druze people.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the (a) arrest of Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin in Wenzhou and (b) treatment of religious leaders in China.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).

More broadly, this Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the People's Republic of China's Nine-dash line in the South China Sea on the maritime sovereignty of Commonwealth nations.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are concerned about China's excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea, which have been ruled inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK opposes any maritime claims which are not founded in UNCLOS. We take no sides in sovereignty disputes but we encourage parties to settle disputes peacefully through existing legal mechanisms, particularly UNCLOS.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34791 on Iran: Democracy, whether he has met with Iranian pro-democracy campaigners in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) elsewhere since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide the future of Iran. We regularly engage the Iranian diaspora and human rights organisations to better understand the lived experiences of Iranians. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart and we continue to hold Iran accountable at the UN Third Committee and Human Rights Council.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of UK aid to Sudan that (1) reaches recipients via emergency response rooms, and (2) supports emergency response rooms.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Sudan conflict has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with over 30 million people in need of assistance. This financial year the UK will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. Since the conflict started more than 2.5 million people have received UK funded humanitarian aid. As part of this, we are one of the largest donors of the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which provides support to local and national responders, Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and a consortium of international non-governmental organisations. Last year, we provided £23 million to the SHF. We continue to diversify our funding to ensure it reaches local responders such as the ERRs. We are unable to provide more detailed information around how many people the UK's aid reaches through the ERRs specifically.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are considering to address the persecution of Uyghur refugees in China, including coercive birth control measures; and what steps they are taking to engage with international partners to address these concerns.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively). We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners and work in multilateral fora to hold China to account for human rights violations. Most recently we raised the persecution of Uyghurs within our Item 4 statement at the Human Rights Council.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey and President Erdoğan about the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul; and what information they have about the legitimacy of the reasons for which he has been detained.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As a close friend and ally of Turkey the Government is closely monitoring the situation. Recent arrests are subject to ongoing domestic Turkish legal process. The UK expects Turkey to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including swift and transparent judicial processes. We regularly engage with the Turkish government and there has been Ministerial contact with counterparts in recent days to raise these issues. The UK supports democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the world and will always support the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and peaceful protest.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in the People's Republic of China on the execution of four Canadian nationals earlier this year.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. This Government believes that the death penalty's use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.

We raise our concerns about human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 17 March 2025 on G7, Official Report, column 41 and 46, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK is fulfilling its obligations under international humanitarian law.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As soon as the Foreign Secretary took office, he ordered a review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which concluded that there was a clear risk that UK export items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations IHL. I also receive legal advice as appropriate on the UK's obligations. The IHL assessments continue and we are closely monitoring developments in Gaza and will keep this position under review. The UK has raised compliance with IHL with Israel at the most senior levels and has discussed it with G7 partners.

We have suspended relevant export licences to Israel for use in military operations in the Gaza conflict. We have continued to review export licences for items to Israel and assess that there are no extant licences for items that might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL. This is subject to the specific measures set out before Parliament excluding exports to the global F-35 programme from the scope of the suspension.

Our longstanding position is that it is for the courts to determine whether or not a crime has been committed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) suppression of the freedom of (i) religion or (ii) belief, (b) persecution of people who convert to Christianity and (c) the targeting of house churches on Christians in Iran.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We condemn Iran's severe repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief including against Christians. The UK was integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity, to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities as part of a religious minority group, and to ensure religious rights are upheld. We will continue to raise human rights issues directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on reports of the deaths of minorities in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I discussed the recent violence in Syria with my Turkish counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, during our meeting at the Syria Donors' Pledging Conference in Brussels on 17 March. The Foreign Secretary also discussed this issue with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on 10 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting cooperatives in developing countries.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Poland in countering Russian pressure.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are taking coordinated action with allies to respond to the growing threat to Europe from Russian hybrid activity. This includes exposing the activities of the Russian Intelligence Services, expelling intelligence officers, and sanctioning individuals. We will continue to work at pace, including through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), to hold Russia accountable, to counter the threat posed by Putin's regime and to increase our resilience to Russian malign activity. As set out in the Prime Minister's joint statement with Prime Minister Tusk following his visit to Warsaw on 17 January, the UK and Poland co-operate closely on defence and security, including on the joint training of Ukrainian troops and the development of integrated air defence.

There is currently a squadron from the UK deployed to Poland as part of the US-led NATO battle group. In addition to this, the UK is providing 4-6 Eurofighter Typhoon jets for Air Policing missions in Polish airspace and a new Polish-British Joint Programme Office in the UK will be established later this year to support greater defence industrial co-operation. The UK is also offering support to Poland's East Shield project to further strengthen its border through a number of infrastructure and security tasks.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Europe and (b) the United States on (i) the lifting of sanctions on Syria and (ii) reported mass killings of minorities in Latakia Governorate.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary met European and US counterparts 12-14 March at the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Canada, where they discussed next steps on sanctions and the recent violence in coastal areas of Syria. In my statement in Parliament last week, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with international partners and the interim Syrian authorities.

On 6 March the UK Government revoked 24 designations under the Syrian sanctions regime. These changes will support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability. We keep all our sanctions regimes under close review to ensure that they are used as a responsive tool.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on increasing the number of days British citizens with property can stay in Spain without a residence permit.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials and Ministers regularly engage Spanish counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals, including on visa matters. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. Applications for visas to visit or stay for longer periods of time would be processed according to the rules of individual Member States.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of25 February 2025 to Question 28896, whether his Department has now received and processed all outstanding invoices for external legal costs relating to (a) sovereignty matters and (b) migration issues on the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024; and if he will publish a full breakdown of the total costs incurred.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Due to the ongoing issues highlighted in the answer to his previous Parliamentary Question (28896), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is still to receive a number of invoices for these costs, and it is not possible to provide an accurate figure at this time.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help promote freedom of religion and belief in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the World Summit for Social Development 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK recognises the significance of the second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), marking 30 years since the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995 which set strong foundational principles on poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and equalities and social inclusion as interconnected priorities - with people at the centre. WSSD will be an important moment to reinvigorate and modernise the priorities set out in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, aligning them to the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Effective modern partnerships will be essential to deliver on commitments.

As we are eight months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending the World Summit for Social Development at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to key social development agendas.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria will be used to determine allocations from the John Bunyan Fund.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund provides funding to overseas posts to support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world. UK posts are invited to submit applications that support the central objective of the fund: to curtail FoRB violations and abuses. Diplomatic missions have full control over the exact design and scope of project work to best develop an intervention that suits their specific in-country context and priorities and is complementary to any other financing they receive. Projects must provide value for money, have a clear strategic focus and realistic, tangible outcomes in keeping with FCDO priorities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the Financing for Development Conference 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK views the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) as a pivotal moment to secure global consensus on a modernised development finance landscape that addresses the interlinked challenges our world is facing: be that climate change, stagnating growth, stalling poverty reduction, increasing vulnerability or rising conflict. Reforming the Global Financial System must be at the heart of our efforts.

As we are three months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending FfD4 at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to the financing for development agenda.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what further incentives they will offer to UK businesses to help deliver, through investment, joint venture or partnership, education and children's safety programmes, such as Sustainable Development Goal 4, including programmes supported by the FCDO, Unicef, the British Council, the Commonwealth of Learning, and the World Bank.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is increasingly working alongside the private sector and philanthropies to deliver Sustainable Development Goal 4. We are a founding donor of the new International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), which unlocks additional finance from multilateral development banks, amounting to $7 for every $1 of Official Development Assistance. IFFEd is also similarly partnering with philanthropies to unlock further funding. In addition, the Girls' Education Skills Partnership (GESP) programme is another UK-funded initiative working with the private sector to provide high-quality skills training to young women aged 13 to 24 in Nigeria and Bangladesh. GESP draws on resources of the private sector (including companies such as Unilever, Pearson, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Microsoft, Accenture, Standard Chartered, Vodafone and Cognizant) combined with the technical experience of UNICEF to support girls' learning so that they can earn a living.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following concerns raised at the UN Human Rights Council’s 58th regular session about the continued presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray, what steps they are taking to ensure that Eritrean and other non-Ethiopian federal forces honour the terms of the 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and fully withdraw.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict in the region by supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. On 13 March, the UK issued a joint statement with the EU and 23 countries emphasising our support for the agreement and urging all parties to refrain from violence and engage in urgent dialogue. We regularly engage with all parties and the African Union guarantors, to reiterate the importance of implementation and encourage political dialogue to overcome obstacles on the return of internally displaced persons and other outstanding issues.

The UK provides support for the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration process, funds international and Ethiopian human rights monitoring and supports investigatory capacity building across the country. The UK is aware of reports of illicit trade contributing to tensions in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of illegal gold mining and human trafficking in Tigray, and of the impact of divisions between the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray and the Tigray People's Liberation Front on law and order.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict in the region by supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. On 13 March, the UK issued a joint statement with the EU and 23 countries emphasising our support for the agreement and urging all parties to refrain from violence and engage in urgent dialogue. We regularly engage with all parties and the African Union guarantors, to reiterate the importance of implementation and encourage political dialogue to overcome obstacles on the return of internally displaced persons and other outstanding issues.

The UK provides support for the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration process, funds international and Ethiopian human rights monitoring and supports investigatory capacity building across the country. The UK is aware of reports of illicit trade contributing to tensions in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to ensure the Tigray peace process is not undermined by infighting between the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray and the Tigray People's Liberation Front; and whether they are monitoring the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and threats to political stability.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict in the region by supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. On 13 March, the UK issued a joint statement with the EU and 23 countries emphasising our support for the agreement and urging all parties to refrain from violence and engage in urgent dialogue. We regularly engage with all parties and the African Union guarantors, to reiterate the importance of implementation and encourage political dialogue to overcome obstacles on the return of internally displaced persons and other outstanding issues.

The UK provides support for the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration process, funds international and Ethiopian human rights monitoring and supports investigatory capacity building across the country. The UK is aware of reports of illicit trade contributing to tensions in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure sustained medical and psychosocial support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Africa, particularly through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative; and how they are working with international partners to strengthen long-term policy provisions for survivors in conflict-affected regions.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We put survivors at the heart of everything we do, including through regular collaboration with the Survivor Advisory Group and Survivor Champions. Since 2019, the UK has committed up to £7.85 million to the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) to support the delivery of interim reparative measure projects globally. Through this support, GSF has enhanced access to health and psychosocial care, education and financial support for over 1000 survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Sudan, we are working with United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisations partners to provide safe spaces, mobile clinic treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services for survivors. We will continue to work with international partners, including through the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence and to provide the holistic support survivors need.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the implications for Tigray; and what diplomatic steps they are taking to prevent further escalation.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict in the region by supporting the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. On 13 March, the UK issued a joint statement with the EU and 23 countries emphasising our support for the agreement and urging all parties to refrain from violence and engage in urgent dialogue. We regularly engage with all parties and the African Union guarantors, to reiterate the importance of implementation and encourage political dialogue to overcome obstacles on the return of internally displaced persons and other outstanding issues.

The UK provides support for the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration process, funds international and Ethiopian human rights monitoring and supports investigatory capacity building across the country. The UK is aware of reports of illicit trade contributing to tensions in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the suspension of USAID funding on the UK's HIV and AIDS prevention programmes.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat. The US decision to suspend USAID, pending a review, is a matter for the US. Progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending HIV and AIDS by 2030, requires collective action. The UK will continue to work with all international partners toward that vision.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children in Sudan who are (1) affected by malnutrition, and (2) no longer in education, due to the war.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The conflict in Sudan is having a devastating impact on children. In 2024, admissions for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rose by nearly 44% compared to 2023 with an unprecedented 431,000 children treated by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Actual numbers of SAM are likely to be higher, but access constraints and insecurity complicate the ability of relief organisations to assess needs and deliver aid. In late 2024 UNICEF assessed that nearly 90% of Sudan's school age children (17 million against a population of 19 million) were no longer in school with armed violence a key driver. Both malnutrition rates and the number of children out of education will continue to rise whilst the fighting continues.

This financial year (2024-2025), the UK will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. As part of this, we support UNICEF who are providing lifesaving nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable children in Sudan. The UK also supports Education Cannot Wait, providing safe learning spaces and psychological support to 200,000 vulnerable children in refugee and host communities in Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, Central Africa Republic and Uganda. We are also one of the largest donors to the Global Partnership for Education who are delivering urgent support to children across Sudan.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department held discussions with the EU Commission on the development of the ReArm Europe plan; and whether his Department is taking steps with the EU Commission to establish a means through which the UK can (a) contribute to and (b) be supported through this plan.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We strongly welcome the ambitions of the ReArm programme and believe it is in the interest of European defence to create a structure that allows member states to partner with the UK. Officials and Ministers frequently engage EU counterparts, including High Representative Kaja Kallas, who met with the Defence and Foreign Secretaries in London last month, the first visit by an EU High Representative since the UK left the EU. During which they discussed the need for EU defence financing and wider defence industrial initiatives to be inclusive of third countries like the UK and we will continue to do so.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 26 February (HL5029) on Stonewall funding, what steps they are taking to ensure the efficacy and utility of each project mentioned in respect of value for taxpayer money.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's LGBT+ rights programme aims to transform the lives of millions of LGBT+ people around the world. This is done by tackling systematic violence, persecution, and exclusion by addressing outdated discriminatory laws, promoting protective legislation, empowering civil society organisations, and supporting the most vulnerable LGBT+ people in conflict and crisis. All programme proposals are required to set out how they will deliver and measure value for money. Successful partners are required to submit reports for the rigorous monitoring and evaluation process. These reports include a results framework or log frame to track progress against targets of the project alongside quarterly and annual progress reports, which allow us to look at the effectiveness, efficiency, efficacy, and utility of any work supported. All the information received from the partner and ongoing conversations throughout the years which the project is active allows us to track value for money.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help protect the natural world.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government remains strongly committed to tackling the international climate and nature crises. The UK played a key role at the Biodiversity COP16 Conference in February, which agreed a strategy to mobilise more finance for nature. We are working closely with a wide range of partners to build global ambition on nature ahead of London Climate Action Week in June and COP30 in Brazil.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Nicaragua on the suppression of (a) human rights and (b) religious freedoms in that country.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We share widespread international concern about the relentless suppression of democratic, religious, and other freedoms in Nicaragua. We continue to urge the Nicaraguan authorities to re-establish democratic freedoms in our engagements with the Nicaraguan Embassy and in Managua, as well as through our public statements in international fora. Most recently, on 28 February at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, we raised our grave human rights concerns, including relating to freedom of religion and belief, and arbitrary detentions. Nicaragua's declaration on 27 February that it is leaving the UN Human Rights Council does not change the need to hold the authorities accountable for the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure stable long-term funding for international nutrition programmes.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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.

The UK worked in close partnership with France to make the recent Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit in Paris a success. The Minister for Development was pleased to lead the UK delegation, and alongside the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and other partners, to launch the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration.

Partners have welcomed the Compact as a new initiative to drive change and a positive signal of the UK's continued leadership on the global stage. Over 80 countries and organisations have already expressed support for the Compact, signalling their commitment to embed nutrition objectives into investments across other sectors, such as economic growth, climate and health, to boost impact and leverage existing financing for nutrition.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the strategy in the UK Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan 2023–2027 which sets out how they propose to deliver on their global commitment to women, peace and security.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK remains resolute in its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The government intends to build on the approach and ambition displayed in the UK's fifth WPS National Action Plan, during this 25th anniversary year of UN Security Council resolution 1325. We will prioritise advocating for women's full, meaningful and safe participation, engaging with Women's Rights Organisations and tackling violence against women, including Conflict Related Sexual Violence.

We look forward to providing a written update to Parliament on the progress the UK has made towards the National Action Plan's five strategic objectives in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to support steps to help tackle malnutrition at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris in March 2025; and whether he plans to maintain funding for such programmes in the official development assistance budget from 2027.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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.

The UK worked in close partnership with France to make the recent Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit in Paris a success. The Minister for International Development led the UK delegation. Alongside the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and other partners, the Minister launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration.

Partners have welcomed the Compact as a new initiative to drive change, and a positive signal of the UK's continued leadership on development. We will continue to support new approaches like this as we modernise our approach to international development.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to determine the number and identity of people who were dismissed from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a result of the ban on homosexuality for serving officers in the Diplomatic Service; and whether they will apologise to those who were dismissed on these grounds.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have continued looking into this and I am eager to bring this to a resolution further to the apology for the ban from Sir Philip Barton (then Permanent Under-Secretary) in 2021. We continue to learn the lessons of the MOD's Etherton Review but it has become apparent how different the circumstances of the ban were, therefore requiring a different response. The FCDO are currently looking at the best way to address this, engaging with Cabinet Office and other relevant Government departments to find the best solution. Specifically, the new Permanent Under-Secretary is engaged on this issue and we are talking to officials and Ministers across Government to find the most appropriate solution.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support regional and sub-regional peace processes to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK has been active in supporting regionally led peace efforts. My first visits to Africa as Minister for Africa were to Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, to meet with heads of state and encourage engagement in good faith African-led peace processes. I also spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister to discuss the importance of an African led solution to the conflict. The Foreign Secretary met with President Tshisekedi in Kinshasa and President Kagame in Kigali on 21 and 22 February to urge them to meaningfully engage in African-led peace processes and honour their commitments from the Southern African Development Community-East African Community Summit. The Foreign Secretary has also spoken to South African and Kenyan Foreign Ministers. The UK remain in close contact with key partners across Africa, North America and Europe in support of regional peace processes to end the conflict in DRC.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had with the (i) Albanian, (ii) Polish, (iii) Romanian, (iv) Irish and (v) Jamaican Government to discuss increasing the number of foreign national offenders returned from UK prisons in the last six months.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Increasing the numbers of foreign national offender returns from our prisons is a priority for this government. We are working with international partners to achieve this.

In the last six months, the Foreign Secretary discussed criminal justice cooperation with Poland when he met Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in December 2024 and with Albania when he met Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani on 19 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of working with co-operative movements (a) in the UK and (b) globally.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 2 April 2025 to Question 41781 on Sovereignty: Greenland, what steps he is taking to support the the (a) Government of Greenland and (b) the Kingdom of Denmark.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.

We look forward to working with Greenland's new government and will continue to maintain strong ties with all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. I have met Greenland's Foreign Minister twice since taking office and have also discussed bilateral cooperation with the Faroese Foreign Minister. The Prime Minister hosted Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen in London on 4 February for bilateral discussions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what long term support the Government plans to provide the International Commission on Missing Persons to support their work in identifying those still missing from (a) the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and (b) the Genocide at Srebrenica.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports post-conflict reconciliation in the Western Balkans, through diplomatic and programmatic efforts. This has included funding for the International Commission on Missing Persons for work in the Western Balkans, including for Regional Co-operation through the Missing Persons Group. The UK allocated £150,000 to the International Commission on Missing Persons for the period 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2025. The UK does not currently have plans for funding beyond this period.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding the Government plans to provide to Regional Co-operation in Accounting for Missing Persons in the Western Balkans (The Missing Person Group) of the International Commission on Missing Persons in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial years.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports post-conflict reconciliation in the Western Balkans, through diplomatic and programmatic efforts. This has included funding for the International Commission on Missing Persons for work in the Western Balkans, including for Regional Co-operation through the Missing Persons Group. The UK allocated £150,000 to the International Commission on Missing Persons for the period 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2025. The UK does not currently have plans for funding beyond this period.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support British journalists who face arbitrary detention overseas.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to Media Freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. The Government takes allegations concerning the arbitrary detention of British nationals - including journalists - very seriously. We examine the circumstances of each case individually and develop tailored strategies based on careful judgements on what is likely to be most effective. Where appropriate, we seek to raise concerns with the local authorities and press for specific violations to be remedied or investigated. We expect all states to comply with their human rights obligations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential role of (a) co-operatives and (b) co-operation in his Department's approach to international development.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the terms of the agreement to lease the Chagos Islands differs from the deal that the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN offered to the United States in July 2020.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) process in the usual way.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has faced legal challenge on the use of assets derived from sanctioned (a) individuals and (b) entities.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

UK financial sanctions limit the provision of certain financial services and restrict access to financial markets, funds, and economic resources. Financial sanctions do not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds, or economic resources, nor are they confiscated or transferred to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation for safekeeping.

The G7 is providing Ukraine with $50 billion of funding as part of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration scheme. The first £752 million of the UK's £2.26 billion contribution was received by Ukraine earlier this month and will be used to strengthen their defence capabilities in the face of Russian aggression. The G7's funding will be repaid by the profits generated on holdings of immobilised Russian sovereign assets in the EU.

Separately, we continue our work at pace with allies to consider all lawful routes to ensure Russia pays for the damage it is causing Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary is having regular discussions with key partners on this issue, including at the Weimar+ Group on Monday 31 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the safety and well-being of family members of individuals who worked with the UK Government in Afghanistan prior to Taliban rule.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are continuing to support eligible Afghans who worked with us to resettle in UK. His Majesty's Government has welcomed over 31,000 eligible individuals, including family members, to the UK and continue to support relocation of the remaining eligible Afghans through our schemes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the [humanitarian OR security] situation in (a) Zamzam and (b) El Fashir in north Darfur.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The security situation in El Fasher and around the ZamZam camp remains tense and civilians are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The UK led a United Nations Security Council press statement on 31 January 2025 to condemn the intensifying assaults on El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital. This followed our leadership on resolution 2736 in June 2024 which demanded the RSF ends its siege on El Fasher, and that the crucial Adre border crossing be re-opened for humanitarian delivery. All sides must commit to protecting civilians. The UK continues to engage with all sides in this conflict to ensure this is the case.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) he has and (b) his ministerial colleagues have had with counterparts from countries in the Middle East on the ending of Hamas' role in the future governance of Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. Reconstruction efforts must be based upon a solid political and security framework that provides long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. We are committed to working with the Arab initiative, Palestinians and Israel, including on security and governance, and are engaging international partners to support efforts. We are clear there can be no role for Hamas. The UK supports a central role for the Palestinian Authority.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list which of his counterparts from countries in the Middle East region (a) he and (b) his ministerial colleagues have met with to discuss (i) the release of hostages held and (ii) securing a lasting peace in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Securing an immediate ceasefire and the safe release of all hostages has been a priority for this government since the start of this conflict. We will not stop until they are all home.

We thank Qatar, Egypt, and the US for their support in bringing these individuals' and their families' horrific ordeal to an end. Our thoughts are also with those still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones, including the family of UK linked hostage's. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March during which he urged that Israel do all it can to return to a ceasefire in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary also remains in regular contact with US Secretary of State Rubio.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has made clear the importance that all sides maintain a cessation of hostilities and work towards securing a lasting peace. This is the only way to restore security and stability for the people living on either side of the border. The UK continues to engage Israel and Lebanon to urge them to build on the progress made and implement fully the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to review the status of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a proscribed terrorist group.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government does not routinely comment on whether a group is being considered for proscription or de-proscription.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to prevent Iran from providing (a) weapons and (b) resources to terrorist proxies in the Middle East.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have both made clear to their Iranian counterparts that Iran must restrain its proxies and partners and cease providing them with weaponry and other resources.

We will continue to work with our international partners to tackle this malign behaviour, including by holding Iran to account in multilateral fora and through sanctions; addressing Iranian weapons proliferation and illicit finance channels; and maintaining our permanent defence presence in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent a breakdown of the peace agreement in Tigray.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with partners to prevent a return to conflict in the region by supporting implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. On 13 March, the UK issued a joint statement with the European Union and 23 other countries emphasising our support for the agreement and urging all parties to refrain from violence and engage in urgent dialogue.

We regularly engage all parties and the African Union guarantors of the agreement, to encourage implementation on the return of internally displaced persons and other outstanding issues. The UK also provides support for the demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration process and funds the African Union's monitoring of the agreement as well as international and Ethiopian human rights monitoring. We also support investigatory capacity building across the country.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed funding reductions to (a) Overseas Development Assistance and (b) USAID on the rebuilding of Tigray following the cessation of the civil war in Ethiopia.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Women and girls are a priority focus of UK aid across Ethiopia. UK aid is providing safe spaces for women and girls as well as support across health, social and legal services.

Detailed decisions on how the future Official Development Assistance budget will be used will be determined as part of the ongoing Spending Review. We are assessing implications of the US funding pause across development sectors and geographic regions including Ethiopia. We are gathering information and working with donor partners to share analysis of the pause and understand its impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what development aid his Department is providing to Tigray in Ethiopia to help (a) support the victims of sexual violence and (b) tackle violence against women and girls.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Women and girls are a priority focus of UK aid across Ethiopia. UK aid is providing safe spaces for women and girls as well as support across health, social and legal services.

Detailed decisions on how the future Official Development Assistance budget will be used will be determined as part of the ongoing Spending Review. We are assessing implications of the US funding pause across development sectors and geographic regions including Ethiopia. We are gathering information and working with donor partners to share analysis of the pause and understand its impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to harmonise sanctions against Belarus with those imposed on Russia; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such harmonisation on (a) the protection of human rights, (b) support for political prisoners and (c) other UK foreign policy objectives in Belarus.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has sanctioned over 200 Belarusian individuals and entities to date, in response to both human rights abuses in Belarus, and the Lukashenko regime's support for Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There are also a range of broad UK sanctions measures in place in Belarus, targeting goods and technologies. We keep further sanctions against Belarus under review.

Sanctions are just one of the tools we use. Alongside our partners and multilateral organisations, the UK consistently calls for human rights abuses to be investigated and for the release of all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. In August 2024, the UK announced £2.5 million of funding to support the survival of Belarusian human rights and civil society causes in the face of continued political pressure.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the human rights situation in Egypt.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK. This informs our policies towards the country, and we do not shy away from raising our human rights concerns with the Government; our strong relationship with Egypt enables us to do so. The Prime Minister raised a human rights concern with President Sisi on 28 February. The National Security Advisor raised a human rights concern with the Foreign Minister Abdelatty on 2 March. The UK participated in the Universal Periodic Review of Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council on 28 January, expressing concern about the arbitrary detention of journalists, activists and human rights defenders, recommending that Human Rights Defender Alaa Abd El-Fattah be released, that all detainees held for exercising their right to freedom of expression are released, that restrictions on news and social media websites be lifted, and that the new Criminal Procedures Code guarantees fair trial standards, and ends the practice of 'rotating' detainees in pre-trial detention.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his policy on arms trade with Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have continued to review export licences for items to Israel and assess that there are no extant licences for items that might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. This is subject to the specific measures set out to Parliament excluding exports to the global F-35 programme from the scope of the suspension. There are a number of export licences which we have assessed are not for use by the Israeli Defense Forces in military operations in Gaza and therefore do not require suspension. These include military items such as components for trainer aircraft or components for air defence systems, and other, non-military, items such as food-testing chemicals, telecoms, and data equipment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether UK-made F-35 parts have been used in airstrikes in Gaza since 18 March 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's robust export licensing criteria states that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In September 2024, following an IHL review, we have suspended certain export licences to Israel where we have assessed there is a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of IHL. The suspension of relevant export licences for Israel will be kept under review and we hope to see evidence of sustained improvements that address concerns relating to IHL. We would not comment on speculation about future export licencing decisions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the International Criminal Court’s granting of arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and former defence minister.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. As the Foreign Secretary said last week, we urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. Our focus is on urging all parties to return to talks, implement the ceasefire agreement in full and work towards a permanent peace.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Iranian counterparts on the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur’s report A/HRC/58/49 on the obstruction of Baha’i burials in Iran; and whether he plans to call for international action to help tackle the desecration of Baha’i cemeteries and wider religious persecution in Iran.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the United Nations Special Rapporteur's report which details the severe repression Baha'is face in Iran. We continue to make representations to Iran in multilateral fora regarding our opposition to its treatment of Baha'is, including at the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2025. We were integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the United Nations Third Committee in November 2024, which spotlighted Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief, particularly the undue restrictions on burials carried out under religious tenets, and called on Iran to cease the desecration of cemeteries. The UK raised the ongoing repression of Baha'is at Iran's Universal Period Review on 24 January. We continue to raise human rights directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.

Found: Given the important scrutiny role that the Committees play, I welcome your interest in the FCDO Spending

Found: The FCDO welcomed the decision by the Government of Israel in November 2024 to extend the required

Found: The FCDO welcomed the decision by the Government of Israel in November 2024 to extend the required indemnifications

Found: This year, the FCDO is carrying out a National Baseline Assessment (NBA) on the implementation of the

Found: (and timing of first audit cycle) Existing audit with significant scope change Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: Emma Hardy: With respect to Chagos, I will defer to the Minister from the FCDO.

Found: Emma Hardy: With respect to Chagos, I will defer to the Minister from the FCDO.

Found: We would strongly encourage the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and other government funders

Found: have been pivotal in the past in raising awareness for tackling FGM within affected communities  FCDO

Found: then I looked at the recent exchange of letters in the last month between this committee and the FCDO

Found: terms of the UK’s bilateral commitments, but what you have just mentioned is also the ability of the FCDO

Found: Will ODA funding for both the FCDO and the Home Office continue to be provided through a percentage

Found: terms of the UK’s bilateral commitments, but what you have just mentioned is also the ability of the FCDO

Found: Mark Chivers: There will also be a transparency on the FCDO foreign estate as well.

Found: Q416 Mr Bailey: The one Department that we have not met, which should be the biggest driver, is FCDO

Found: Our colleagues in the Home Office, DSIT, FCDO and a whole range of Government Departments play their

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29029 on FCDO: Speeches, what guidance his Department has issued on whether substantive and scripted Ministerial speeches in government buildings which are not ministerial residences can include party political content where such speeches are being broadcast live using government resources.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As outlined in the Ministerial Code, Government property should not generally be used for work that is in its essential nature about constituency or party political activities. The Permanent Secretary at the FCDO has explained that the essential nature of the speech in question was not party political. In line with the Government Communication Service Propriety & Ethics guidance, party political messaging should be removed before publication on gov.uk and was in this case.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether Poland's President will be invited to the 80th VE celebrations.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is leading the Government’s contribution to the VE and VJ Day 80 and is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to ensure appropriate representation at official events. The guest list for the commemorations has not been finalised.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37365, whether he is taking steps with other Departments to eradicate the use of forced labour in energy-related global supply chains.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are working across Government - particularly alongside the Home Office, Cabinet Office, DBT and FCDO - to comprehensively tackle the use of forced labour in global supply chains.

At present, the Government is considering how Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 can be strengthened, including possible penalties for non-compliance, and is working to update statutory guidance. The Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February, enables public sector contracting authorities to terminate contracts and reject bids from suppliers who are known to use forced labour themselves or anywhere in their supply chain.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what budget assumptions her Department has provided to the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential costs to the public purse relating to the proposed treaty with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

As usual, the OBR will include costs in its forecast once the approach to implementation of government policy is clear. In this case, that will be after any agreement has been scrutinised by Parliament and then ratified. Financial obligations arising from an agreement will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework by the lead departments, the FCDO and MOD, and no payments will be made until the treaty is legally binding.

Found: Britain and Northern Ireland, that has a Memorandum of Understanding currently in place with the FCDO

Found: Britain and Northern Ireland, that has a Memorandum of Understanding currently in place with the FCDO

Found: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) administers the scheme and issues ATAS certificates

Found: Ownership of actions:  DBT and FCDO: Lead on diplomatic missions to build international partnerships

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: Mitchell, Andrew - Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - ACOBA advice

Found: ,Customer Number: 811065 ,Invoice Date:28/01/2025161571FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE (FCDO

Found: Customer no: 811065161571FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE (FCDO)GOVERNMENTYSTANDARD174021.75Management

Found: FCDO Services prompt payment data January to March 2025

Found: FCDO Services: workforce management information on disability 2024 to 2025 quarter 4

Found: FCDO Services: workforce management information on gender 2024 to 2025 quarter 4

Found: FCDO Services: workforce management information on ethnicity 2024 to 2025 quarter 4

Found: FOI release: HR Systems This Freedom of Information request relates to HR systems used by FCDO

Found: spokesperson for Equalities and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: spokesperson for Equalities and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: Information on personal safety is available through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO

Found: The pay award was approved by the FCDO.

Found: Scotland House London No Scottish Business Network Catering £443.70 27/Feb/2024Scotland House London FCDO

Found: UK Government for ‘Wales In’ 2026 We are going through a period of increasing dialogue with the FCDO

Found: advertisement also states that the post holder will be “working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: due to a “change in the way in which the Welsh Government is now charged by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office

Found:  Anneliese Dodds MP as Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO

Found: Secretary, David Cameron, issued a letter which said the meeting breached protocols on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: due to a change in the way in which the Welsh Government is now charged by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office

Found: ministerial visits, requiring host governments to coordinate requests for devolved ministerial visits via FCDO

Found: programme budget is £4,684,000 and is for the running of the overseas network and includes rent, FCDO

Found: Anyone in the UK concerned about a British national in Myanmar or Thailand can contact the FCDO on +44

Found: We will work with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Business

Found: We will work with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Business

Found: • Does the Welsh Government have any say over the costs of accommodation or is this down to the FCDO