Asked by: Baroness Sugg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there has been Ministerial level contact between the UK Government and the Mauritian Government since 20 January; and if so, which Ministers and which interlocutors.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There has been no Ministerial level contact between the UK Government and the Mauritian Government since 20 January.
All ministerial meetings with external organisations, and relevant Special Adviser meetings, are published in the usual way on gov.uk. Details of ministerial overseas visits are routinely published in each department's quarterly transparency releases
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial and strategic implications of transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has set out its assessment on numerous occasions, including in the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanied the Diego Garcia Treaty. Maintaining long-term operational control of the Diego Garcia base is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Treaty.
Asked by: Lord McLoughlin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have (1) had contact, and (2) held meetings with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; and, if so, in what capacity, and on which occasions.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is a valued partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). FCDO Ministers and officials routinely hold meetings with counterparts to discuss shared priorities such as global health, education, climate change, and women and girls. Our engagement with the CIFF includes co-hosting the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, alongside South Africa and British International Investment, and a range of co-funded initiatives. For example, the CIFF is working with the FCDO's Women's Integrated Sexual Health Dividend programme in West and Central Africa by providing over $150 million in parallel funding through the 'Challenge Fund'.
Asked by: Lord McLoughlin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation has received in grants, subsidies, or any other public funding.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is a valued partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). FCDO Ministers and officials routinely hold meetings with counterparts to discuss shared priorities such as global health, education, climate change, and women and girls. Our engagement with the CIFF includes co-hosting the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, alongside South Africa and British International Investment, and a range of co-funded initiatives. For example, the CIFF is working with the FCDO's Women's Integrated Sexual Health Dividend programme in West and Central Africa by providing over $150 million in parallel funding through the 'Challenge Fund'.
Asked by: Baroness Sugg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will seek new legal advice on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory following the appointment of a new Attorney General on 20 July.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's position in relation to the UK-Mauritius treaty has been informed by legal advice throughout. A summary of the Government's legal position was set out on 22 May when the treaty was signed, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security. In accordance with the long-standing convention, adhered to by successive governments, whether or not the Law Officers have been, or will be, consulted, and the substance of any such advice is not disclosed outside government.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the case of Naama Asfari with the government of Morocco.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of reports concerning the case of Naama Afsari and continue to monitor this. The UK remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally. Officials, including up to ambassador level regularly engage on human rights issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities, most recently during the visit of the UK's Human Rights Ambassador in June 2026. At the most recent UK-Morocco Human Rights Dialogue in November 2025, officials discussed various human rights issues, including freedom of expression, rights of minorities, women's rights, media freedom, and judicial reforms.
Asked by: Baroness Sugg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the conversion of international finance grants to loans remains classed as official development assistance; and, if not, whether the official development budget will decrease.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Loans are classed as Official Development Assistance (ODA) where they meet the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) criteria for ODA eligibility, including being provided on concessional terms and having the promotion of economic development and welfare as their primary objective.
Under current OECD rules, only the grant-equivalent element of an eligible loan is recorded as ODA, rather than the full value of the loan.
Asked by: Lord Reay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding provided through British International Investment to Frontier Energy II Delta K/S in Sierra Leone will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, how much funding is affected, and what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.
Asked by: Lord Reay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding provided through British International Investment to Fourth Partner Energy will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, how much funding is affected, and what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.
Asked by: Lord Reay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding provided through British International Investment to Skye Renewables will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, how much funding is affected, what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.