Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which Taiwan fulfils the four requirements for statehood set out in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States: permanent population; defined territory; an effective government; and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan, as set out in the 1972 UK-China Communique, has not changed and remains the position of this Government.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Palestinian Media Watch, published on 11 February, that aid funding to the Palestinian Authority is still being paid to terrorists and their families.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer I provided on 13 November 2025 in response to Question HL11575.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether UK humanitarian aid for Gaza is diverted to Hamas or Hamas-linked individuals operating in Gaza.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We have robust processes in place to prevent the diversion of UK aid. All aid partners are subject to thorough due diligence checks, and programmes are continually monitored to make sure money is spent as intended.
Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, and funding or supporting it is a crime. We have been clear that Hamas must play no role in the future of Gaza, and no UK funding goes to Hamas or its affiliates.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to progress the Chagossian people's right to self-determination.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave on this issue in the Committee debate on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill on Tuesday 25 November 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Palestinian Authority through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative about reports of sexual violence against Israeli hostages in Gaza; and what support, if any, they have provided to Palestine to strengthen the prevention of sexual violence.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 19 December in response to Question HL12164.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports alleging torture and unlawful killing of civilians by Hamas in Palestine following the October ceasefire; and what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority about compliance with international law, including the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is concerned by reports of torture and unlawful killings of civilians in Gaza following the ceasefire. We condemn all such acts, and reiterate that international humanitarian law must be upheld by all parties. We urge full compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Protecting civilians is essential, and we support all efforts to uphold their fundamental rights.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the viability of an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine; and what contribution the UK will make to it.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It was announced on 9 December that the UK will host a key peacebuilding conference on 12 March next year, bringing together international experts and civil society organisations from the Middle East, to map existing peace-building work and support the establishment of an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine. Discussions will focus on the practical steps that the Peace Fund can best support, and the best practice that can be learned from other similar initiatives, including the International Fund for Ireland that helped support dialogue and reconciliation between unionist and nationalist communities more than a decade before the Good Friday Agreement. The fund will support activities that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to reduce violence, build trust, and create the conditions for a lasting and just peace.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have offered support in improving prison conditions through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo following reports of rapes at Makala Prison.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In total, the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) has supported over 1,000 survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to rebuild their lives, and access justice, and we continue to raise human rights violations and prison conditions with the Government of DRC, including the mass rapes that took place at Makala prison in September 2024.
In her role as a supporter of PSVI, the Duchess of Edinburgh raised the ongoing investigation into those rapes during her visit to the DRC in October, and secured a commitment from Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa, that the DRC Ministry of Justice will be pursuing accountability in these cases.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Somalia through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative about evidence of sexual violence by the Somali National Army; and what support, if any, they have provided to the government of Somalia to prevent further sexual violence.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Somalia, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and regularly raises these concerns with the Somali Government. Through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), the UK provides funding to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in Somalia to strengthen the capacity of Somalia's national security sector to prevent CRSV.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - 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 31 October (HL10875 and HL10876), and with reference to the Montevideo Convention and international law regarding recognition of a state, who they recognise as the government of the state of Palestine; where that government is located; and what are the boundaries of that state.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Palestinian Authority is the legitimate governing authority of the Palestinian state. The UK recognises Palestinian statehood over provisional borders, based on 1967 lines with equal land swaps, to be finalised as part of future negotiations.