Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the changes to the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands on the protection of the marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 November 2025 in response to Question 90684.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken a investigation into the atrocities against the Yazidis; if so, what is the progress of that investigation; and, if so, what are the next steps further to those listed in the 2nd Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Accountability For Daesh Crimes: Government Response (HL Paper 121, Session 2024–25), including amending the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to include prosecutions for international crimes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Securing accountability for the atrocities committed against the Yazidi people is a priority for the UK, and our Embassy in Iraq regularly engages the Yazidi community, the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to that end. In July 2025, the former Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis, to understand the ongoing challenges faced by the community and what support the UK can provide.
As set out in the Government Response, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Act 2001 is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, holding perpetrators to account, and achieving justice for victims, and the UK is a strong supporter of the ICC and its mission.
Where the UK does not have jurisdiction, we seek to build domestic capability, supporting partners to deliver justice and hold perpetrators to account. To that end, the UK is working closely with Iraq's National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation to ensure that evidence of crimes can be used effectively to deliver justice for all victims of Daesh. We also continue to push for the full implementation of the Yazidi Survivor law which is crucial to securing justice for survivors and helping them rebuild their lives.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the last Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment was conducted for Syria; how the escalation of violence affects that assessment; and what practical steps they are taking to address the escalation of violence, in particular violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Syria, in particular the threat posed to ethnic and religious minorities in the country, following reports of the mass release of Daesh members.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports of a mass release of Daesh members in Syria, what assessment they have made of whether any of those released have British citizenship or residency.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to engage with the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces, and regional and international partners, to press for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a return to negotiations in support of a sustainable political agreement.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed these messages to Syrian Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January, and underlined the importance of developing a clear plan to secure control of the detention facilities and camps, and ensure the protection of Kurdish rights. We also reiterated these points at the UN Security Council on 22 January.
While we are keeping the situation in Syria under close review, we do not publicly comment on the timings or content of specific Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessments.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about the protection of religious minorities in northeast Syria.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS1285), I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
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 status of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); and what guidance her Department has issued to devolved institutions on engagement with that organisation.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to engaging respectfully and constructively with the Devolved Governments on international‑facing issues, recognising their interests and the value of working together where appropriate. Devolved Governments are appropriately briefed on the risks and opportunities of working with China. International relations, however, remain a reserved matter for the UK Government.
Engagement with China provides an important channel to address areas of concern and to cooperate where this aligns with UK interests.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department held with the Mauritian Government on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in (a) January 2009 and (b) July 2009.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The then government explained to Parliament in 2009 that the purpose of the meetings in 2009 was to establish a dialogue between the UK and Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory. Officials set out their respective views on the issue of sovereignty at that time. There were discussions on other issues, including fishing rights, environmental concerns, and future visits to the territory by members of the Chagossian community.
It was not until 2022, under the immediately preceding government, that negotiations regarding sovereignty began. That government then undertook 11 rounds of negotiations on sovereignty and related matters, with the last public update on progress being issued on 29 April 2024.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her planned timetable is for disbursing the humanitarian assistance package for El Fasher.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In response to the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, the Foreign Secretary announced on 1 November a £5 million uplift to UK humanitarian support, including £3 million to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund and £2 million to the International Rescue Committee. We also mobilised £23 million in existing UK humanitarian aid to further support the emergency response in North Darfur. In total, the UK has provided £146 million in this financial year.
The distribution of our funding is ongoing and we continue to work through a combination of multilateral organisations, international non-governmental organisations, and local responders to ensure that our support reaches those most in need, including people in hard-to-reach areas such as El Fasher, delivering life-saving food and health assistance, as well as support for survivors of sexual violence through partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and Cash Consortium Sudan.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Government of Rwanda on the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Agreement.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None. The UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Agreement agreed by the Rt Hon Member in April 2022 was scrapped in July 2024, having cost the taxpayer £700 million. During the period it was in place, 84,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, and the only individuals relocated to Kigali were four volunteers, each given five years of free housing, free food, free healthcare, and free university education, at a cost of £150,000 each.