Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that international law is upheld in the current situation in Iran.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force monitoring the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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].
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to apply sanctions in relation to withholding of aid from Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK keeps all options under review in response to the withholding of aid to Gaza. While we do not speculate on future sanctions, as doing so could reduce their effectiveness, we remain committed to upholding international humanitarian law. On 10 June, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions against Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for inciting violence towards Palestinians. On 20 May, we also sanctioned individuals, illegal settler outposts, and organisations supporting violence in the West Bank. These measures demonstrate our readiness to act. We continue to urge Israel to allow unhindered humanitarian access and comply with international humanitarian principles.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that more programmes delivered by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative receive multi-year funding.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to revive steel production in Port Talbot.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to commence the electrification of the Crewe to Holyhead railway line.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to remove the remaining sanctions in relation to Syria, in the light of US plans to do so.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current restrictions on aid going into Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what aid they provided to Gaza in May.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contribution they have made to the UN's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan in 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - 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.