Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 6 July (HL1287), whether their reference to the “clear protections” provided by international humanitarian law means that they consider the law sufficiently clear regarding the responsibilities of armed forces towards civilian casualties in areas under their effective control; and, if so, what they consider those responsibilities to be.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a cornerstone of the UK's commitment to the rule of law. The Government draws upon a range of expertise and sources to inform our approach towards IHL, such as the Chatham House report of 11 June 2026. We are committed to upholding and promoting the clear protections set out under IHL for the wounded and sick during armed conflict, as well as medical personnel and facilities. We believe IHL provides a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of hostilities and sets out the balance of considerations, informed by the operational context, that must be addressed by parties to the conflict with a view to upholding the principles of distinction, proportionality, and rule of precaution.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 6 July (HL1288), whether their statement that international humanitarian law provides “clear protections” means that they consider the law sufficiently clear on what constitutes a hostile act by a wounded or sick person receiving medical treatment; and, if so, what definition of a hostile act they apply in that context.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a cornerstone of the UK's commitment to the rule of law. The Government draws upon a range of expertise and sources to inform our approach towards IHL, such as the Chatham House report of 11 June 2026. We are committed to upholding and promoting the clear protections set out under IHL for the wounded and sick during armed conflict, as well as medical personnel and facilities. We believe IHL provides a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of hostilities and sets out the balance of considerations, informed by the operational context, that must be addressed by parties to the conflict with a view to upholding the principles of distinction, proportionality, and rule of precaution.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 6 July (HL1289), which recommendations in the Chatham House report, published on 11 June 2026, Addressing the Crisis of Medical Care in Armed Conflict they (1) accept, (2) partially accept, or (3) reject; and what steps they plan to take in response to those that they accept.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a cornerstone of the UK's commitment to the rule of law. The Government draws upon a range of expertise and sources to inform our approach towards IHL, such as the Chatham House report of 11 June 2026. We are committed to upholding and promoting the clear protections set out under IHL for the wounded and sick during armed conflict, as well as medical personnel and facilities. We believe IHL provides a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of hostilities and sets out the balance of considerations, informed by the operational context, that must be addressed by parties to the conflict with a view to upholding the principles of distinction, proportionality, and rule of precaution.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 1 July (HL1362), which international initiatives specifically addressing conflict-related sexual violence the United Kingdom currently leads or co-leads; and, for each initiative, what are the UK's role, objectives and expected measurable outcomes.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Central funding to tackle CRSV has been protected at £3.85 million per year for the next three financial years, through to April 2029. The Government has also stepped up our support to survivors of CRSV this year in contexts including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Whilst our work on CRSV and gender-based violence runs through different programmes in these countries, we announced a multi-year £20 million programme to specifically support survivors of CRSV to access medical and psychological support in Sudan. In March, the UK announced £7.3 million in extra humanitarian support to communities affected by escalating conflict in eastern DRC and the wider region. This includes £2 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross providing emergency healthcare, including trauma surgery and specialist support for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence in the DRC.
Survivor reach is calculated using implementing partners' monitoring data against agreed programme results frameworks. The form of assistance and duration vary according to programme design. Partners are required to apply agreed reporting methodologies and safeguards which minimise double counting.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 April (HL5685), what assessment they have made of the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, published on 18 July 2024; and of its conclusion that sexual assaults committed by parties to an armed conflict will almost always constitute torture.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government notes the report and welcomes all contributions to international discussions on strengthening survivor-centred accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. As set out in the answer to HL5685, conflict-related sexual violence is prohibited under international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international criminal law. Some forms of conflict-related sexual violence, such as rape, may also constitute torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The Government continues to work with partners to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence and strengthen justice for survivors.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 27 June 2025 (HL8607), whether the indicative multi-year allocations referred to in that Answer were subsequently published; and what funding has been allocated to Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative programmes for each financial year from 2026–27 onwards.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Central funding to tackle CRSV has been protected at £3.85 million per year for the next three financial years, through to April 2029. The Government has also stepped up our support to survivors of CRSV this year in contexts including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Whilst our work on CRSV and gender-based violence runs through different programmes in these countries, we announced a multi-year £20 million programme to specifically support survivors of CRSV to access medical and psychological support in Sudan. In March, the UK announced £7.3 million in extra humanitarian support to communities affected by escalating conflict in eastern DRC and the wider region. This includes £2 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross providing emergency healthcare, including trauma surgery and specialist support for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence in the DRC.
Survivor reach is calculated using implementing partners' monitoring data against agreed programme results frameworks. The form of assistance and duration vary according to programme design. Partners are required to apply agreed reporting methodologies and safeguards which minimise double counting.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 March 2025 (HL5277), what funding has subsequently been allocated to programmes addressing conflict-related sexual violence in (1) Sudan, and (2) the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and how those allocations compare with the previous financial year.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Central funding to tackle CRSV has been protected at £3.85 million per year for the next three financial years, through to April 2029. The Government has also stepped up our support to survivors of CRSV this year in contexts including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Whilst our work on CRSV and gender-based violence runs through different programmes in these countries, we announced a multi-year £20 million programme to specifically support survivors of CRSV to access medical and psychological support in Sudan. In March, the UK announced £7.3 million in extra humanitarian support to communities affected by escalating conflict in eastern DRC and the wider region. This includes £2 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross providing emergency healthcare, including trauma surgery and specialist support for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence in the DRC.
Survivor reach is calculated using implementing partners' monitoring data against agreed programme results frameworks. The form of assistance and duration vary according to programme design. Partners are required to apply agreed reporting methodologies and safeguards which minimise double counting.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they calculate the number of survivors supported through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative; what forms and duration of assistance qualify a survivor for inclusion in that number; and what steps they take to avoid double counting.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Central funding to tackle CRSV has been protected at £3.85 million per year for the next three financial years, through to April 2029. The Government has also stepped up our support to survivors of CRSV this year in contexts including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Whilst our work on CRSV and gender-based violence runs through different programmes in these countries, we announced a multi-year £20 million programme to specifically support survivors of CRSV to access medical and psychological support in Sudan. In March, the UK announced £7.3 million in extra humanitarian support to communities affected by escalating conflict in eastern DRC and the wider region. This includes £2 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross providing emergency healthcare, including trauma surgery and specialist support for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence in the DRC.
Survivor reach is calculated using implementing partners' monitoring data against agreed programme results frameworks. The form of assistance and duration vary according to programme design. Partners are required to apply agreed reporting methodologies and safeguards which minimise double counting.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 1 July (HL1361), what specific criteria and indicators they use to assess the effectiveness of the United Kingdom’s work on preventing conflict-related sexual violence; how frequently that effectiveness is assessed; and whether the results are published.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains a Government priority. It is an important part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's women and girls priority as reflected in the International Women and Girls Framework, published in May 2026. Work is underway to refresh the UK's approach to preventing sexual violence in conflict. We will set out our approach in due course.
Since launching the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012, the UK has helped strengthen international standards, improve the documentation and investigation of CRSV, support survivor-centred justice and reparations, and drive greater international action to prevent and respond to these crimes.
The PSVI programme has robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements, including quarterly partner reporting, ongoing outcome tracking and annual reviews (which are published on DevTracker). The Independent Commission for Aid Impact has reviewed PSVI, informing the UK's 2022-25 PSVI Strategy, and independent Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning reviews have been conducted to inform our CRSV programming and policy development, most recently in March 2026. The UK's work on CRSV will also be reported through the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan.
The recently appointed UK Special Envoy on PSVI will champion survivor-centred approaches and support global efforts to prevent CRSV and improve accountability. Success will be measured through strengthened prevention, survivor support, accountability and international engagement.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 1 July (HL1363), whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office holds data enabling it to assess progress made by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative since its launch in 2012; if so, what measurable outcomes are demonstrated by that that data; and, if not, why the Initiative has not been evaluated across its lifetime.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains a Government priority. It is an important part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's women and girls priority as reflected in the International Women and Girls Framework, published in May 2026. Work is underway to refresh the UK's approach to preventing sexual violence in conflict. We will set out our approach in due course.
Since launching the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012, the UK has helped strengthen international standards, improve the documentation and investigation of CRSV, support survivor-centred justice and reparations, and drive greater international action to prevent and respond to these crimes.
The PSVI programme has robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements, including quarterly partner reporting, ongoing outcome tracking and annual reviews (which are published on DevTracker). The Independent Commission for Aid Impact has reviewed PSVI, informing the UK's 2022-25 PSVI Strategy, and independent Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning reviews have been conducted to inform our CRSV programming and policy development, most recently in March 2026. The UK's work on CRSV will also be reported through the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan.
The recently appointed UK Special Envoy on PSVI will champion survivor-centred approaches and support global efforts to prevent CRSV and improve accountability. Success will be measured through strengthened prevention, survivor support, accountability and international engagement.