Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India about the detention of Associate Professor Hany Babu.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has a broad and respectful dialogue with Indian interlocutors about human rights and rule of law. In the case of Professor Babu, it was reported in December that he has now been released from detention on bail.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information she holds on the reasons for China’s recent mobilisation of fishing boats to form floating barriers.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of media reporting regarding a recent mobilisation of Chinese fishing vessels in the East China Sea. The UK has enduring interests in the Indo-Pacific and is committed to maintaining regional security and stability. We are committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to strengthen the UK's relationship with Indo-Pacific partners.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to my speech at the launch of the Asia House Outlook 2026 on 15 January, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/asia-house-outlook-2026-keynote-speech. Additionally, my speech at the 2025 Indo-Pacific Conference at King's College London is available on GOV.UK here: 2025 Indo-Pacific Conference: Minister Malhotra keynote speech - GOV.UK
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to recognising Somaliland as an independent state.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It is the UK's long-standing position that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for authorities in Mogadishu and Hargeisa to decide through a consultative process and dialogue, in line with the principles of the UN charter.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with her counterparts in the Commonwealth to help support Zimbabwe rejoin the Commonwealth.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he received on 23 June 2025 in response to Question 57617. We will update the House if there are any new developments.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the security situation in northern Kosovo.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We follow political and security developments in Kosovo closely, including in the northern municipalities, with British Embassy staff travelling and engaging with communities across the country. We also work closely with international partners, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Kosovo Force (KFOR), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the EU to monitor developments and support efforts to reduce tensions and maintain stability.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 potential implications for her policies of Georgia’s latest legislative reforms for its Euro-Atlantic integration.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer she received on 20 January in response to Questions 104701-02.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 December 2025 (HL12793) and 5 January (HL13110), and with reference to paragraph 223 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work and paragraph 1.6(d) of the Ministerial Code, what is the public interest basis in terms similar to those in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for neither confirming or denying whether Lord Mandelson has received a severance payment in relation to his role as Ambassador to the USA.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It has been the normal practice under successive governments, including the one in which the Noble Lord served, for the details of individual severance payments received by ministers to be disclosed on a named basis in departmental annual reports, but for payments made to senior officials, special advisers and other employees to be disclosed anonymously.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to make a written or oral statement to the House on progress towards ratification of the UK-EU Treaty on Gibraltar, including the remaining steps and expected timescales.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The final text will be brought before the House in due course for scrutiny in the normal way pursuant to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government’s anticipated timetable is for laying the UK-EU Treaty on Gibraltar before Parliament for scrutiny and ratification.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The final text will be brought before the House in due course for scrutiny in the normal way pursuant to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.