Found: Other Members present: • Lord Collins of Highbury (attending under standing order 64) • Lord Vaux of

Found: November 2025 11.05 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: November 2025 10.55 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: November 2025 10.45 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: November 2025 10.35 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: November 2025 10.25 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: November 2025 10.15 am Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Gardiner of Kimble (The Chair); Lord Bichard; Lord Collins of Highbury

Found: Chair) Andy Haynes (Delivery Authority) (For Item 5) Simon Burton Andy Helliwell (Lords) Lord Collins of Highbury

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 1 April (HL5876), what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of these steps and of observing and monitoring the African Union on the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government monitors the environment for freedom of speech in Ethiopia, and has supported the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

We have also prioritised survivor-centred support for those affected by conflict-related sexual violence in Ethiopia, and we engage with civil society actors to strengthen protection and accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to address Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and deliver child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions.

In addition, we are supporting efforts to implement the African Union-led Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, including through funding for monitoring and compliance mechanisms, and the safe, voluntary and dignified returns of internally displaced people. On 12 December, the UK joined other nations in calling for a peaceful resolution of current disputes, and we will continue to work with international partners and the African Union to support stability and reconciliation across Ethiopia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 22 July (HL9363), what further steps they are taking, in coordination with international partners, to address ongoing gaps in support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Tigray, including children; and what role they plan to play in leading efforts, through engagement with civil society actors, to ensure survivors receive sustained medical, psychological and legal assistance.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government monitors the environment for freedom of speech in Ethiopia, and has supported the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

We have also prioritised survivor-centred support for those affected by conflict-related sexual violence in Ethiopia, and we engage with civil society actors to strengthen protection and accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to address Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and deliver child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions.

In addition, we are supporting efforts to implement the African Union-led Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, including through funding for monitoring and compliance mechanisms, and the safe, voluntary and dignified returns of internally displaced people. On 12 December, the UK joined other nations in calling for a peaceful resolution of current disputes, and we will continue to work with international partners and the African Union to support stability and reconciliation across Ethiopia.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to ratify the 2019 amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government's position on these issues was set out most recently by Lord Collins of Highbury in response to a House of Lords debate on the use of starvation as a weapon of war held on 16 October 2025.

Found: Baroness Smith of Basildon Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Lord Collins of Highbury

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Found: Hospitality (£) Baroness Smith of Basildon Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Lord Collins of Highbury

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Found: Hospitality (£) Baroness Smith of Basildon Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Lord Collins of Highbury

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Found: Baroness Smith of Basildon Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Lord Collins of Highbury

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Found: (FCDO);  Catherine West MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (FCDO); and  Lord Collins of Highbury