Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure a gendered response to emergency aid given to those affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan and to ensure that no restrictions are applied to women helping the rescue effort in country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The aftermath of the earthquake in Kunar Province in Afghanistan has been truly devastating and will have a disproportionate and lasting impact on women and girls. We have released £1 million in emergency funding to help our partners deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most vulnerable, with a significant focus on women and girls. We continue to monitor the situation and will make further allocations if necessary. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will also continue to advocate for unimpeded access for female aid workers in all our communications with the Taliban and partners.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, as pen holder for Women, Peace & Security (WPS) at the United Nations, how they will mark the 25th Anniversary of the WPS Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1325).
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
25 years on from landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325, the UK is proud of its global leadership on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. It is important that we mark this milestone, with women remaining disproportionately impacted by high levels of global conflict. We are grateful to members of this House for their unwavering commitment to this agenda over the last quarter of a century. We are proud that the UK's strong track record on WPS is due to our meaningful cooperation across Government, Parliament, and UK civil society as we strive together to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325. The UK is working closely with our domestic and international partners, including utilising our global network of posts, to ensure we appropriately mark the anniversary around the world. The UK is steadfast in its commitment to the WPS agenda and will continue to demonstrate this during the 25th anniversary and beyond.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the occasion of the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
25 years on from landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325, the UK is proud of its global leadership on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. It is important that we mark this milestone, with women remaining disproportionately impacted by high levels of global conflict. We are grateful to members of this House for their unwavering commitment to this agenda over the last quarter of a century. We are proud that the UK's strong track record on WPS is due to our meaningful cooperation across Government, Parliament, and UK civil society as we strive together to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325. The UK is working closely with our domestic and international partners, including utilising our global network of posts, to ensure we appropriately mark the anniversary around the world. The UK is steadfast in its commitment to the WPS agenda and will continue to demonstrate this during the 25th anniversary and beyond.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the rights and needs of older people will be specifically reflected in the work of the High-Level Panel on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The High-Level Panel on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (FCAS) is exploring why social protection remains neglected in the places that need it most. To support this, the Panel launched a public enquiry to gather evidence, structured around seven questions, chosen for their political and operational relevance. One question focuses on equitable access, with expected input on marginalised groups such as older people, women and girls, and displaced populations. The Panel Secretariat has engaged widely with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UN agencies, academia, and civil society about the public enquiry - including a major age-focused NGO - and remains committed to ensuring an inclusive approach throughout its work.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the government of Libya's transition to democracy, including by assisting with the encouragement of national elections and providing advice on curbing the power of armed groups.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The status quo in Libya is unsustainable and deeply damaging for ordinary Libyans. It leaves Libya extremely vulnerable to third state actors set on pursuing control over Libya's security, politics and economy. The UK continues to support the UN's efforts to broker a Libyan-owned and led political settlement. We engage regularly with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and Libyan interlocutors in support of this effort, including discussing the role and influence of armed groups and security actors.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Yazidi community are able to return to Sinjar; how many aid projects they fund for that purpose; and how that aid is distributed, via the government of Iraq or the United Nations.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK's embassy and consulate-general in Iraq regularly speak to the Iraqi government about this issue. Most recently on 24 April, the Deputy Head of Mission met the Iraqi Prime Minister's adviser on Yazidi affairs to discuss the importance of the Sinjar agreement and reconstruction for the safe return of Yazidis to Sinjar.
The UK's 'Building Peace and Stability in Iraq' (BPSI) programme, extended to Sinjar in 2025/2026, supports the return and reintegration of internally displaced people into communities. BPSI funding is allocated to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Development Programme and the International Rescue Committee, not to the Government of Iraq. The UK also funds the UN Durable Solutions Adviser, who coordinates UN efforts on tackling displacement.
Until April 2025, UK funding through the IOM went towards strengthening Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs, ensuring they effectively deliver reparations and rehabilitation to Yazidi (and other minorities) survivors of Daesh violence as per the Yazidi Survivors' Law.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are providing assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh; and what steps they are taking to ensure that evidence collected by the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL can be used by prosecutors globally.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has not provided assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh. We would look at any proposal with interest but it would be vital to have wide international support, including from Iraq.
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council established the National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation (NCIJC) in October 2024. The centre is Iraq's legally-designated authority for international judicial cooperation and evidence-sharing on counter terrorism, and it holds the majority of evidence collected by the UN Investigative Team. All requests for evidence for foreign prosecutions go to the NCIJC, which will then arrange for evidence to be obtained and provided.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help find the missing Yazidi women and girls taken by Daesh in 2014.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Although the UK has not provided direct funding to help locate the missing Yazidi people, we have supported Iraq to develop capacity for Daesh accountability.
The UK strongly condemns atrocities committed against the Yazidis in Iraq by Daesh. We remain committed to the safety and security of the Yazidi community in north-east Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including those who have been displaced, are currently located in internally displaced peoples camps like al-Hol, and who face challenges returning to Yazidi communities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of proposed cuts to overseas aid spending, whether they plan to reduce the headcount of staff; and how they will ensure the necessary technical staff are retained to deliver on the UK’s commitments.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, all departments are expected to meet savings and efficiencies of more than 5% of their Financial Year 2025-26 budgets by the end of the period (Financial Year 2028-29). Detail of these proposals will be confirmed once the Spending Review concludes. The proposed cuts to overseas aid spending will also be confirmed through the Spending Review. The UK government is committed to ensuring it has the development capability and technical expertise needed to deliver its ambition on international development.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has already taken action. Since the merger, the department has strengthened the technical expertise required to boost capabilities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to honour their existing commitments to multilateral aid for the years of 2025, 2026 and 2027, and how much they anticipate this will be.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Reducing the overall size of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will necessarily have an impact on the scale and shape of the work we do. Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.
Multilateral cooperation is an important part of working through partnerships and allows a global scale of investment and delivery that outstrips what countries can achieve alone. However, with less money in the system, we must have a laser focus on delivering more effectively and efficiently.