Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the (a) Pakistani and (b) Indian authorities to encourage de-escalation of military tensions along the line of control.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that recent developments do not lead to uncontrolled escalation. We encourage India and Pakistan to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region. Alongside international partners, the UK will continue to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. The Foreign Secretary is in regular dialogue with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to encourage all parties to take a measured approach. He is also in contact with US Secretary Rubio, French Foreign Minister Barrot and Gulf Partners to discuss the situation.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 support civil society organisations working on (a) human rights and (b) democratic freedoms in Venezuela.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK firmly supports the right of civil society to operate freely in all countries, including Venezuela. We remain deeply concerned by restrictive legislation brought into law last year and publicly raised our concerns about the bill. We actively engage with civil society and human rights defenders in Venezuela, and run local projects to deliver UK objectives. We repeatedly call for human rights to be protected and for the cooperation of the Venezuelan authorities in bringing about a democratic transition, most recently at the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2025.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador on the recent occupation of further territory in Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Officials regularly meet and discuss with our Moroccan partners, in addition to regional and international partners, on the issue of Western Sahara. The UK continues to support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and the UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 whether the delivery of aid to Gaza compiles with the UNHCR's Humanitarian principles, as endorsed UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 58/114; and whether he has made representations to his international counterparts that such aid is delivered only through (a) UN and (b) international humanitarian agencies.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I told the House on 14 May, Israel's denial of aid is appalling. Israel must lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. Humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. Baroness Chapman met with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated our support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to promote cultural exchange programmes between the United Kingdom and Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions limit links between UK and the north of Cyprus. However, the UK supports appropriate measures aimed at reducing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and has funded various local projects aimed at bringing together Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities, including art exhibitions, film festivals and wider youth engagement initiatives. The Minister for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories met representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community on his recent visit, and discussed a range of matters with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders at the UN settlement talks on 17-18 March.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to (a) facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and (b) ensure the safety of aid workers in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April. On 23 April, we issued a statement, together with France and Germany, calling for Israel to immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed our outrage at recent strikes on humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel to ensure aid workers are protected and able to carry out their lifesaving work, to urgently restore deconfliction systems, and to call for full and transparent investigations and accountability for attacks on humanitarian workers.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (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 Mauritius regarding conservation and restoration of seabird islands in the Chagos Archipelago, including regarding eradication of rats and vegetation management, as part of negotiations over the islands.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Diego Garcia base agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius on conservation. This partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that consular support is available to British tourists travelling in Pahalgam following the attack near Pahalgam on 22 April 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has processed over 2000 consular enquiries since the escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan. We continue to monitor developments closely and British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities. British nationals affected can contact the FCDO for emergency help both in country and from the UK, 24/7. Travel Advice advises against all travel to the region of Jammu and Kashmir, including Pahalgam.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided guidance to the Inter-American Development Bank on the financing of infrastructure in Caribbean nations as an alternative to Chinese state-backed loans.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.
The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 China’s Belt and Road initiative investments in Caribbean states on the UK's strategic interests in the region.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.
The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.