Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made with Cabinet colleagues on resetting the UK's relationship with the European Union.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our long‑term national interest requires a closer EU partnership, anchored in the Common Understanding and strengthened by new security and defence cooperation.
Our Security and Defence Partnership has delivered a step change in engagement, supporting Ukraine through coordinated sanctions, military assistance, training, and resilience.
While providing a long‑term framework for practical cooperation that protects our citizens and strengthens Europe’s collective defence.
This sits alongside wider progress, including Erasmus+ and negotiations on energy, youth experience, and food and drink.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the human rights situation in Somalia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Somalia, including the devastating conflict-related violence against women and children, and deteriorating media freedom.
The UK advocates for greater respect for human rights through targeted programmes and sustained engagement, holding the Federal Government of Somalia and other actors to account.
As co-chair of a Somalia-focused Human Rights Working Group, and joint penholder for the United Nations Human Rights Council mandate, the UK plays a leading role in keeping international partners’ attention and efforts focused on human rights issues in Somalia.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full-time equivalent civil servants were allocated to the China desk in each of the last three years for which data is available; and what were their grades.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In responding to the Hon Member's eleven detailed questions about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's relative focus on its public sector equality duty obligations compared to certain key foreign policy priorities, I refer him to the answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88798, and inform him that - by comparison - the Department currently has more than 400 staff in the UK and overseas working on various aspects of the Iran crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and our policies in respect of Russia and China.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure that Hamas is disarmed in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have always been clear that Hamas must disarm and have no role in the future governance of Gaza, and we are continuing to support international efforts towards that goal, as part of the wider transition process set out in Phase 2 of the Gaza Peace Plan.
We encourage all parties to work towards a stable and phased security transition including demilitarisation of armed groups, deployment of a new police force under the leadership of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces.
Asked by: Natalie Fleet (Labour - Bolsover)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international counterparts to help tackle organised immigration crime.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are determined to disrupt the small boats gangs and work with international partners more closely to take Organised Immigration Crime (OIC), and this is why the Foreign Secretary convened leading Foreign Ministers to discuss this at the Munich Security Conference in February.
In the 18 months to 31 January 2026, 58,539 foreign nationals were returned;
Last year, 3625 disruptions of OIC were recorded, up to 37% on the previous year.
With new agreements including with Ethiopia and Angola we are determined to remove those who have no right to be here further undermining the business model of people smuggling gangs.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the role of UK support in strengthening the (a) resilience and (b) long-term sustainability of independent media organisations across Africa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain steadfast in our commitment to media freedom in Africa and around the world, and recognise the vital role that journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting accountable governance, and protecting democracy. We have already taken significant steps to protect and promote media freedom globally, including increasing our funding for the BBC World Service by an additional £33 million over the next three years, taking our annual contribution to £148 million. We will continue to work with African partners to support and protect independent media and media freedom in their countries, with funding decisions kept under regular review.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the British Council in promoting UK soft power through the global dissemination of Shakespeare and related cultural programming.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Council plays a crucial role supporting the UK's interests around the world, supported by its work on UK education, as well as its work to promote UK arts and culture, and the English language, including a love of the works of Shakespeare. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is providing a non-Official Development Assistance uplift of £40 million across the Spending Review period to the British Council, which underlines our continued support for their important work.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many equality, diversity and inclusion related events the Permanent Secretary in her Department has attended since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In responding to the Hon Member's eleven detailed questions about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's relative focus on its public sector equality duty obligations compared to certain key foreign policy priorities, I refer him to the answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88798, and inform him that - by comparison - the Department currently has more than 400 staff in the UK and overseas working on various aspects of the Iran crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and our policies in respect of Russia and China.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many FTE civil servants were allocated to the Russia desk in each of the last three years for which data is available; and what their grades were.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In responding to the Hon Member's eleven detailed questions about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's relative focus on its public sector equality duty obligations compared to certain key foreign policy priorities, I refer him to the answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88798, and inform him that - by comparison - the Department currently has more than 400 staff in the UK and overseas working on various aspects of the Iran crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and our policies in respect of Russia and China.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many FTE civil servants were allocated to the Iran desk in each of the last three years for which data is available; and what their grades were.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In responding to the Hon Member's eleven detailed questions about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's relative focus on its public sector equality duty obligations compared to certain key foreign policy priorities, I refer him to the answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88798, and inform him that - by comparison - the Department currently has more than 400 staff in the UK and overseas working on various aspects of the Iran crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and our policies in respect of Russia and China.