3 APPG Memberships
Beer, Immigration Detention, Modern Conflict2 Former APPG Officer Positions
Foreign Affairs, KoreaDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
(2 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(2 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
Lord Roberts of Llandudno has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debateLords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Roberts of Llandudno, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
1 Bill introduced by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
A bill to make provision for unaccompanied asylum seeking children to receive legal advice and for extending the deadline for an unaccompanied asylum seeking child to appeal an asylum decision
Lord Roberts of Llandudno has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)The Government is a government of service and it is committed to restoring trust and confidence in public life. The Prime Minister will soon issue his Ministerial Code which outlines the standards expected of all Ministers.
In addition, the Government will establish a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission, with its own independent Chair. We will ensure that this Commission has the powers and remit necessary to fulfil its responsibilities.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Lord Roberts of Llandudno
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
16 October 2024
Dear Lord Roberts,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of knife-related homicides between 2000 and 2024 were by machete (HL1510).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes figures on crime in England and Wales based on two main data sources: police recorded crime data, and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). As a victimisation survey, the CSEW cannot ask respondents about their experience of homicide. Homicide data is supplied to us by the Home Office as part of police recorded crime.
We publish breakdowns of the type of weapon used in homicide by a sharp instrument in table 9 of our Homicide in England and Wales appendix tables1. These breakdowns were introduced to the Homicide Index in April 2022. The latest period for which data are currently available is the year ending March 2023. These data have been presented in Table 1 below.
Of the homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was used, 5.7% of them were carried out using a machete in the year ending March 2023. See table 9 for a full breakdown. Data for the year ending March 2024 is provisionally scheduled for release in February 2025.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
1https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/appendixtableshomIcideinenglandandwales
Table 1: Number and percentage of offences currently recorded as homicide by a sharp instrument[1],[2].
Type of sharp instrument | Apr 2022 to Mar 2023 | Percentage |
Axe | 2 | 0.8 |
Combat / Rambo / Military style knife | 5 | 2.0 |
Flick knife | 6 | 2.5 |
Hunting knife | 4 | 1.6 |
Kitchen knife | 101 | 41.4 |
Lock knife | 7 | 2.9 |
Machete | 14 | 5.7 |
Sword | 3 | 1.2 |
Zombie knife | 7 | 2.9 |
Other knife[3] | 37 | 15.2 |
Other sharp instrument | 6 | 2.5 |
Sharp instrument involved but type not known/not recovered | 52 | 21.3 |
Total | 244 | 100 |
Source: Homicide Index from the Home Office
[1]As of 12 December 2023; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.
[2]Type of sharp instrument was introduced in the Homicide Index on 1 April 2022.
[3]Other knife includes those which do not fit into the other published headings.
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Steel is a top priority for this Government and there are clear plans to continue steel production at Port Talbot. After just 10 weeks in office, we negotiated an improved deal with Tata, with £500m of Government funding for the transformation of Port Talbot to Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking. The project to build a new Electric Arc Furnace will ensure that steelmaking remains at the heart of Port Talbot’s future and plays a vital role in building a modern, low-carbon UK steel industry.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is not for the UK to comment on another country's trade relationships. Clearly there are ongoing discussions between the US and Commonwealth countries on their relationship and interests. The UK deeply values its strong trading ties with both the US and the Commonwealth countries, and we will continue to build on these relationships in the future.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK-US relationship is very strong, with trade of around £300 billion, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023. The Prime Minister and President Trump met on 27 February and agreed to deepen this relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Trade Secretary has also been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries, and will continue to make every effort to support British business.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK-US relationship is very strong, with trade of around £300 billion, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023. The Prime Minister and President Trump met on 27 February and agreed to deepen this relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Trade Secretary has also been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries, and will continue to make every effort to support British business.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2 Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Questions
(View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno's DESNZ questions)As a Party to the Paris Agreement, the UK is committed to contributing to global emissions reductions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees and to pursue efforts towards 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The level of our Sixth Carbon Budget, which the Climate Change Committee recommended, aligns with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
The Government has already taken action to combat climate change through its Clean Energy Superpower mission, for example by delivering 131 clean energy projects powering the equivalent of 11 million homes at the Sixth renewables auction. The Government encourages all countries to bring forward ambitious, economy-wide 1.5°C aligned NDCs that take into account the outcomes of the Global Stocktake by the 2025 deadline.
The Government sees fighting climate change as a priority and has already taken actions to address it while delivering for communities through its Clean Energy Superpower mission, for example by delivering 131 clean energy projects powering the equivalent of 11 million homes at the Sixth renewables auction. The level of our Sixth Carbon Budget, which the Climate Change Committee recommended, aligns with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
This Government will set out how it intends to deliver these commitments in its response to the Climate Change Committee Progress report in the autumn and its updated Carbon Budget Delivery Plan in spring next year.
1 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Questions
(View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno's DSIT questions)This department takes very seriously the threat which misinformation and disinformation related to the conflict in the Middle East can pose. We have taken a multi-faceted approach and work in lockstep with various organisations, including social media companies and other government departments such as the Foreign Office.
Ministers have been clear that major social media platforms should remove illegal content, including hate speech, along with content which is in breach of their terms of service. The major social media platforms will be bound by these responsibilities when the Online Safety Act comes into force, and ministers have been clear that platforms should not wait for regulation to be in force before taking relevant action.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
2 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno's Defra questions)The Government is committed to protecting and restoring nature. In England, we are committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reversing it by 2042. We are also committed to reducing the risk of species extinction and restoring and creating more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042.
Delivering these targets sits at the very heart of our mission to ensure nature’s recovery. To meet them we will create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitat, reduce pressures on species including from pollution and climate change and take targeted action to recover specific species, working in partnership with civil society, communities and business.
On 30 July, we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to be completed before the end of the year to make sure it is fit for purpose. We will develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery to meet each of our Environment Act targets.
Ministers are reviewing new policies which will be announced in the usual way.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A key recommendation of Zero Hour’s “Creating a Nature-rich UK” report is for the Government to develop a coordinated plan to implement nature-based solutions, to tackle climate change and support nature recovery.
The Government is committed to protecting and restoring the environment and recognises the role of nature-based solutions in achieving this aim. We have set out our intention to accelerate progress to net zero, tackle the pollution of our rivers and seas, expand nature rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests, and make our environmental land management schemes work for both farmers and nature.
On 30 July we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to be completed by the end of the year. We will develop a new statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery to meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets. It will focus on cleaning up our waterways, reducing waste across the economy, planting millions more trees, improving air quality, and halting the decline in species by 2030. We will consider the use of nature-based solutions in delivery of these aims.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The previous government committed to electrification of this line, however no funding was ever made available to begin exploring the costs and benefits of such an enhancement.
This government has recognised the lack of investment in Welsh railways and made a real commitment, via the recent Spending Review, of at least £445 million over the next ten years for the country’s long-term rail infrastructure needs. We will work with the Welsh Government to agree how this is applied to routes across Wales and the Borders.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2 Department of Health and Social Care Questions
(View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno's DHSC questions)NHS England holds integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service providers to account for the delivery of national priorities and statutory functions, and oversees them via the NHS oversight framework. NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each integrated care board, in respect of each financial year, and publish a summary of its findings. Annual assessments for the financial year 2023/24 have been completed and NHS England will summarise the outcomes of all annual assessments and publish a report.
In addition, the Government published Professor Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England on 12 September 2024, which includes an assessment of the progress of and challenges facing ICBs. The Government has committed to the development of a new 10 Year Health Plan which will build on the findings of the report published by Professor Lord Darzi.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
One of the Government’s five missions is to ‘build an NHS fit for the future’, with a greater emphasis on prevention, to support people in living longer and healthier lives.
This will involve working across the Government to tackle the underlying determinants of preventable ill health and giving people the information and support they need to make healthy choices. It also means shifting the National Health Service away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to a model focused on prevention, with more services delivered in local communities. We will intervene earlier in life to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history, giving every child a healthy start in life. Our future funding plans will be confirmed as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
36 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Questions
(View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno's FCDO questions)The UK has engaged with a wide range of partners during the current crisis, emphasising that stability, de-escalation and restraint are key, and urging all parties to seize the opportunity for a diplomatic solution. We have consistently stressed that all sides must abide by international law.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our Plan for Change, this Government remains resolutely committed to preventing sexual violence in conflict. Over the last year, UK funding through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) has helped over 55,000 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) to access justice and rebuild their lives. The Spending Review confirmed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 2026/27 onwards. We will work through how the ODA budget will be used, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has been clear that the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) remains vital for stability at this pivotal moment for Syria and the wider region [we said this at the last public meeting on UNDOF in January - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-will-continue-to-support-unifils-essential-role-in-maintaining-calm-along-the-blue-line-uk-statement-at-the-un-security-council] and we have called for all parties to respect the terms of the Agreement. We participate regularly in UN Security Council Meetings on UNDOF, most recently consultations on 12 June 2025. In December 2024, the Prime Minister reiterated, along with G7 partners, his support for UNDOF. [G7 Leaders' Statement on Syria: 12 December 2024 - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g7-leaders-statement-on-syria-12-december-2024].
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 28 April, the UK announced a package of support for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £101 million for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform. A significant portion of our Financial Year 2024/25 funding has already reached Gaza, including life-saving medical supplies. Some remains prepositioned at border crossings or in regional warehouses. Due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, it is difficult to quantify the volume of aid currently awaiting entry. We continue to urge Israel to immediately allow the United Nations and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations to operate in line with their principles.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In April, the UK lifted sanctions on some sectors, including trade, energy production, transport and finance, and de-listed 12 government and media entities, including the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior. This followed the removal of asset freezes on 24 entities, including the Central Bank of Syria. The majority of remaining sanctions are on individuals and entities linked to the former regime. Sanctions on military goods and technology; chemical weapons; and those related to gold, precious metals, diamonds, luxury goods, and the interception and monitoring services also remain in place. We will keep our sanctions regime under review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Israel's announcement that it will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. 2.1 million people are in dire need of food, healthcare, water, and shelter. As the Minister for the Middle East stated on 4 June, Israel's newly introduced measures for aid delivery are inhumane, foster desperation and endanger civilians. No one should risk death or injury to feed their family. The UK will not support any mechanism that endangers civilians or politicises aid. Israel must immediately allow the United Nations and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a major humanitarian donor to Sudan with £226.5 million provided in financial year (FY) 2024/25 and a further £120 million in support this current FY which the Foreign Secretary announced at the London Sudan Conference on 15 April. Since the start of the conflict in April 2023, millions of Sudanese civilians have benefitted from UK-funded humanitarian programmes including survivors of sexual violence. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials are now determining how funding for FY 2025/26 will be allocated and further information will be provided in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
According to the United Nations Financial Tracking Service, as of 9 May the UK has contributed $260.4 million to UN-coordinated appeals in 2025 so far. Of this, $198.9 million went to Humanitarian Response Plans and Needs and Response Plans. This data is gathered and reported by the UN; The UK's official Statistics on International Development, covering the whole of 2025, will be published in autumn next year.
The UK will continue to play a key humanitarian role, including in Sudan, in Ukraine, and in Gaza. For example, last month we announced £120 million in new support for Sudan, which will target over 600,000 people with lifesaving assistance.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the recent earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.
The UK's earthquake support is funding local actors on the ground, who can directly access affected populations. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 300,000 people so far.
Since the 2021 coup the UK has provided more than £170 million in live-saving humanitarian assistance, emergency healthcare and education support, and support to civil society and local communities, in Myanmar.
Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government does not recognise the term "scholasticide". "Scholasticide" is not a standalone international crime, though certain breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) involving schools and educational facilities may be war crimes. Promoting IHL compliance is central to the Government's humanitarian policy, and IHL compliance provides protections for civilian objects, such as schools.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has consistently pressed Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, including children, and for all parties to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law. In the last financial year, we announced £6 million for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support vulnerable families in Gaza, and £41 million funding for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), supporting their delivery of essential services including education across Gaza, the West Bank and to Palestinian refugees in the region. £5.8 million of the UK's contribution to the Global Partnership for Education has been earmarked to support essential education service delivery in Gaza and the West Bank. Through our partnership with UK-Med, they have provided over 405,000 patient consultations in Gaza since January 2024. The UK also supported delivery of Polio vaccination campaigns protecting over 600,000 vulnerable children across Gaza through funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. As the Prime Minister has said, the UK will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Gaza.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We urge all parties to return urgently to talks, implement the ceasefire agreement in full and work towards a permanent peace. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Our priority is urging all parties to return urgently to dialogue and to ensuring the ceasefire agreement is implemented in full and work towards permanent peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
Since the hostilities resumed, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, EU High Representative Kallas and the UN emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary spoke to his Israel counterpart Gideon Sa'ar, and he plans to speak to Palestinian PM Mustafa shortly.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2019, the UK Government has supported the Global Survivors Fund to provide life-saving support and reparative measures for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence around the world.
UK funding to the Global Survivors Fund has supported thousands of survivors, including in Ukraine, Colombia, Iraq, South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Turkey, East Timor, Nigeria and Nepal among others. Projects have included the provision of psychosocial, educational and livelihood support, as well as technical support to Governments.
A year-on-year breakdown of funding is as follows:
• From Financial Year (FY) 2019/20 to 2021/22: £2.7m
• FY 2022/23: £1.5m
• FY 2023/24: £1.85m
• FY 2024/25: £1.8m
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government does not recognise the term "domicide". "Domicide" is not a standalone international crime, though certain breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) involving homes may be war crimes. Promoting IHL compliance is central to the Government's humanitarian policy, and IHL compliance provides protections for civilian objects, such as homes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly assess Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and our assessments continue to raise concerns about possible breaches of IHL in the areas of humanitarian access and treatment of detainees.
The UK's robust export licensing criteria state that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. On 2 September 2024 we took decisive action, suspending relevant licences for the Israeli Defense Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of IHL in Gaza. Further to the suspension decision in respect of the Gaza conflict, there are no extant licences for items that might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian law. Our International Humanitarian Law assessments continue.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on the future allocation of resources will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government is committed to strengthening justice for all survivors and victims of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and holding perpetrators to account. CRSV is prohibited under international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international criminal law. Some forms of CRSV, such as rape, can also be classified as torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Torture is defined and prohibited by multiple human rights treaties. We continue to work closely with partners to eradicate the use of torture and end all forms of CRSV.
Minister of State (Development)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed 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 and value for money.
Minister of State (Development)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed 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.
Minister of State (Development)
The decision to reduce the UK's international development budget was not taken lightly and is a reflection of the extraordinary security challenge the world currently finds itself facing, specifically on Ukraine. Establishing a Soft Power Council reflects the continuing UK commitment to work more strategically on soft power. The UK has enormous soft power strengths and at this time of extraordinary challenges it is even more important that we bring our hard and soft power together as a force for good, to reinvigorate alliances and forge new partnerships. As my Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary has noted, harnessing our soft power more effectively can help to build relationships, deepen trust, enhance our security and drive economic growth.
Minister of State (Development)
The UK enjoys a wide range of agreements with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. We keep all aspects of our relationships, including participation in any bilateral or multilateral agreements, under review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to responding to the rapidly escalating rates of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In Sudan, we have enhanced monitoring of CRSV and are working with UN and NGO partners to improve humanitarian access and aid delivery. In DRC, we have announced £79 million this financial year, enabling lifesaving assistance including support for CRSV survivors. This includes an additional package of £14.6 million of humanitarian assistance announced by the Foreign Secretary during his visit to DRC on 21 February.
Details on future programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance from 0.5% of Gross National Income today to 0.3% in 2027.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While we do not hold this specific information, the International Rescue Committee estimates that at least 17,000 children are estimated to be unaccompanied or separated from their parents in Gaza. The plight of children affected by the war in Gaza is deeply distressing. We continue to urge all parties to ensure that aid can safely and effectively reach those who need it in all parts of Gaza, including medical care and shelter equipment. Since the start of the conflict, we have announced £10 million in funding to UK-Med, enabling them to provide vital care to over 300,000 Gazans, including critical limb and life-saving surgeries, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation, in addition to £6m for UNICEF to provide lifesaving aid to vulnerable families in Gaza. We are the second largest donor to the 'Education Cannot Wait' fund which supports 5,000 children affected by the crisis.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We assess that Captagon production and supply chains inside Syria have decreased significantly since the fall of the Asad regime. However, illicit smuggling networks continue to operate across the Syria-Jordan border. We are working with international partners to raise awareness of and tackle the threats posed by the Captagon industry in the Middle East region.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has designated fourteen perpetrators of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) related crimes since 2022. These include perpetrators in Mali, Myanmar, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These designations under the UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime are narrowly targeted at individuals and groups for their involvement in CRSV.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The deaths of four British nationals in Gaza since 7 October 2023 have been reported to the FCDO.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The impacts of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) on survivors, their families and communities are varied and long-lasting. The UK is committed to tackling CRSV globally and, since 2019, has committed up to £7.85 million to the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) to enhance access to holistic redress for thousands of survivors, including in DRC, Iraq, and Turkey. In Turkey, since 2022, the UK has supported the provision of medical, psychosocial, legal and financial support to over 800 Syrian survivors. Projects are delivered by civil society organisations and survivor networks and are developed with survivors of CRSV to reflect their needs.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime designations target perpetrators oppressing fundamental freedoms across the world. Designations have targeted actors for their involvement in gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence. We consider targets guided by the objectives of the relevant sanctions regime and evidence. We keep all evidence and potential designations under review.
The UK has announced four packages of sanctions containing conflict-related sexual violence sanctions - in December 2022, March and June 2023 and February 2024.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are alarmed by the disproportionate impact of the conflict on children in Gaza, including the severe disruption of education. Even with this welcome ceasefire, the impacts of the conflict remain devastating: we understand from the Education Cluster that all students in Gaza have not had access to school since 7 October 2023 and at least 88% of school buildings will need full or major reconstruction. Education for children is a right and is crucial for protection, health, and future prospects for peace. The UK is supporting the restoration of education services in Gaza, including through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UK opposes the Knesset legislation preventing UNRWA from operating and urges Israel to ensure a responsible transition after its implementation on 30 January, to ensure vital UNRWA services, including education, can continue without interruption.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In March 2023, Amjad Youssef was sanctioned, for involvement in repressing the civilian population in Syria, including through systematic rape and killing of civilians, as a member of '227 Region Branch'. In June 2023, Abdel Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim, former Chief of the General Staff of Syrian Army, was sanctioned. He was involved in the repression of the Syrian population through commanding military forces where there was systematic use of rape. Ali Mahmoud Abbas, former Syrian Minister of Defence, was also sanctioned in June 2023, for his commanding role of the Syrian armed forces who have systematically used rape against civilians.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Israel have said their presence in the buffer zone in the Golan Heights will be limited and temporary, and we have been clear that we expect them to adhere to this commitment. Israel's presence in the buffer zone must not become permanent.
The UK's position on the Golan Heights remains clear: they are occupied territory, and we do not recognise Israel's annexation. We continue to call on Israel and all actors to uphold their obligations to peace, stability, and security under international law.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen continues to face huge levels of severe food insecurity and malnutrition. In 2025 17.1 million people (49% of the population) are estimated to be severely food insecure, (a slight reduction from 17.6 million people in 2024), and 8.6 million of those will need nutritional support, (an increase from 7.7 million in 2024). An estimated 3.5 million children aged under 5 years, and pregnant and lactating women, face acute malnutrition due in many cases to insufficient purchasing power to buy available food. Nearly half of Yemen's children under five suffer from moderate to severe stunting. The 2025 UN led Humanitarian Response Plan launched last week requires $2.47 billion to address these challenges and wider humanitarian needs in Yemen.
Responding to Yemen's humanitarian crisis is a priority for the UK. This year, the UK will contribute £144 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen which includes supporting 864,000 people with cash transfers to buy food, and support 718 health facilities with the medicines, vaccines, and nutritional supplements they need to treat 700,000 severely malnourished children. The UK invests in responses that integrate health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and food security in areas in need through our two flagship programmes Women and Children (W&C) and Food Security Safety Nets (FSSN).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2020, data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed 12,492 humanitarian and 93,901 commercial trucks entered Gaza. In 2024, data from UNRWA showed that 32,763 humanitarian and 10,638 commercial trucks entered Gaza. In 2025, data from UNRWA shows that 523 humanitarian trucks have entered Gaza to date. The 2025 data from UNRWA is still subject to updates, and does not currently show commercial trucks. The UK continues to push for an immediate surge of aid into Gaza.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long supported the voices of Syrian civil society, a community that has stood ready to support a Syrian political process, accountability efforts and humanitarian work for years. During its Presidency of the UN Security Council, the UK invited a Syrian civil society briefer to share their views and experiences with the Council.
We support a Syrian-led process to bring stability and peace to the country, based on the principles set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. That includes compliance with international law, the protection of civilians, including minorities, access to humanitarian aid, a nationwide ceasefire, action against terrorism and disposal of chemical weapons - among other measures.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long supported the voices of Syrian civil society, a community that has stood ready to support a Syrian political process, accountability efforts and humanitarian work for years. During its Presidency of the UN Security Council, the UK invited a Syrian civil society briefer to share their views and experiences with the Council.
We support a Syrian-led process to bring stability and peace to the country, based on the principles set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. That includes compliance with international law, the protection of civilians, including minorities, access to humanitarian aid, a nationwide ceasefire, action against terrorism and disposal of chemical weapons - among other measures.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)