Found: In March 2025, Baroness Harman KC, hosted a meeting with HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, spotlighting

Found: The appointment of Baroness Harman and of Lord Collins to represent the UK at the UN Commission on

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 potential merits of further sanctions on Russia that target the network of camps being used for indoctrinating Ukrainian children.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."

Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

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 potential merits of placing further sanctions on people attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."

Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

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 European counterparts on joint sanctions for people attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."

Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the release of the Ukrainian children held in Russia and its occupied territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 15 October: "The forcible deportation - and kidnapping - of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war. We have been supporting organisations such as Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine, which are supporting efforts to return Ukrainian children. Just two weeks ago, Baroness Harman attended the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children event at the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children."

Last month, the UK announced sanctions against those supporting the forcible deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. Our sanctions aim to hold those responsible to account and shed light on those crimes. UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his regime. We work closely with EU partners, and where appropriate, we seek to align our approaches to sanctions, including against those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking with his counterparts in multilateral organisations to (a) defend and (b) advance sexual and reproductive (i) health and (ii) rights.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works with multilateral organisations including the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organisation and the Global Financing Facility, alongside governments and civil society and provides targeted funding, technical partnership and diplomatic engagement to defend and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Earlier this year on International Women's Day, the Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls, progressing our foreign policy and development objectives to protect women and girls' rights, including SRHR. In June 2026, she met with international counterparts and programme partners at Wilton Park, expressing the UK's commitment to defending and advancing SRHR.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on improving sexual and reproductive health by implementing the programme entitled Strengthening grassroots organisations and countering efforts to roll back.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with other governments globally to protect and progress sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including through diplomacy and ODA programming. In December 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme, which includes support to high-level cross country political coordination to defend and progress SRHR. The programme also works with other government donors in support of pooled funds, including the Robert Carr Fund, which strengthens, connects and amplifies bottom-up efforts to change laws and policies, improve accountability and expand access to services, including for the most marginalised people.

The Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls on 08 March 2025. She met international counterparts and programme partners at a Wilton Park meeting on SRHR in June 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to counter efforts to roll back the rights of women and girls globally.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting women and girls around the world and countering the rollback of their hard-won rights and freedoms. We will continue to be a champion for women and girls across the world by showing up and making our voice heard, including though our influence at the UN and other multilateral organisations and through the work of Baroness Harman as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls. We will stand in solidarity with women's rights organisations who are on the frontline of tackling rollback, including by driving innovation to generate sustainable funding flows for women's rights. We remain committed to promoting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including safe abortion, in the face of global rollback.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, report to Parliament 2024 to 2025, published on 17 June 2025, what representations were made to the Special Envoy for Women and Girls by the women human rights defenders (WHRDs) from (a) Afghanistan, (b) Sudan and (c) Syria on potential steps the government might take to tackle threats and reprisals against WHRDs.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In March, during the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls, Baroness Harman, hosted a closed meeting which gathered States, UN, and civil society representatives to highlight the shocking level of threats and reprisals against women human rights defenders (WHRDs). Baroness Harman heard powerful testimonies from WHRDs from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Syria who called on the international community to take greater action to support women's participation free from reprisals, and to condemn the alarming prevalence of such retaliatory acts.

The UK recognises the essential role that WHRDs play in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and is steadfast in its commitment to women's full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in all spheres of decision-making.

Found: presented on a cross-party basis in the previous parliament by then Labour MP Harriet Harman (now Baroness Harman

Found: The move delivers on the long-term campaign of Natalie Fleet MP, Baroness Harman and Jess Asato MP and