Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will request from the Serbian authorities the results of any (a) investigation into the death and (b) autopsy of Alexei Zimin.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is providing consular support to Alexei Zimin's family following his death in Belgrade. Local authorities decide whether to conduct postmortems and investigations following deaths. Not all deaths are investigated, for example if it is clear the death was of natural causes. The results of investigations may take months. Families can request information via local authorities. If families wish us to do so, FCDO officials can formally register interest in an investigation on the family's behalf which may result in local authorities sharing information with families directly or via FCDO. If a British national's body is repatriated to England and Wales, HM Coroners may ask for information from overseas authorities. The FCDO can place a request on their behalf. HM Coroners cannot hold inquests in cases of burials or cremations overseas.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are deployed in each Overseas Territory.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence has UK military personnel across various UK Overseas Territories. The approximate* breakdown of military personnel permanently based in UK Overseas Territories is as follows:

In addition to this, across all UK Overseas Territories, there are also personnel deployed on operations.

While there may be other categories of personnel in other UK Overseas Territories, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

* Personnel change over and transition on a regular basis. With leave and other commitments (such as training), specific numbers may fluctuate.

** This figure excludes the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG), around 270 personnel whose home base is Gibraltar.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department is responsible for defence policy on the Overseas Territories.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I am the lead Defence Minister for Overseas Territories.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK police were deployed in each Overseas Territory in November 2023.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

UK Policing is operationally independent and continues to support the development of policing capabilities across the Overseas Territories.

In November 2024, authorisations were provided for the deployment of three police officers to Bermuda, two to the Falkland Islands, one to Anguilla, one to Gibraltar and seven to the Sovereign Base Areas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister in her Department is responsible for relations with the Overseas Territories.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Lord Hanson of Flint is the Home Office minister responsible for relations with Overseas Territories.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK police are deployed in each Overseas Territory.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

UK Policing is operationally independent and continues to support the development of policing capabilities across the Overseas Territories.

In November 2024, authorisations were provided for the deployment of three police officers to Bermuda, two to the Falkland Islands, one to Anguilla, one to Gibraltar and seven to the Sovereign Base Areas.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will increase the number of British military personnel deployed to KFOR following the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal on 28 November 2024.

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

The size and shape of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission is an operational matter for NATO. The UK would consider any request from NATO, through its established process and procedure, for an increase in the number of military personnel deployed to Kosovo. We remain a key part of KFOR - including with our Strategic Reserve, which deployed for three months at less than five days' notice after the attack at Banjska in the north of Kosovo in September 2023.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal in Kosovo on 28 November 2024.

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

Following the 29 November attack on critical infrastructure in northern Kosovo, our immediate priorities are to demonstrate our support and solidarity with Kosovo; to work with Kosovo and international partners to ensure a credible, evidence-based investigation is conducted; and to manage down risks of escalation. I spoke to Kosovo's Prime Minister Kurti and Serbia's Foreign Minister Djuric on 1 December and urged against rhetoric that increases tensions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has discussed the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal in Kosovo with the Foreign Ministers of (a) the EU, (b) the USA, (c) France, (d) Italy and (e) Germany.

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

I discussed the attack on critical infrastructure in northern Kosovo on 3 December with French Minister for European Affairs. I also discussed the situation with fellow NATO members at the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on 3 December. On the same day, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy, Lord Peach, discussed the attack with EU Special Representative Lajcak. This followed the immediate engagement of our Ambassadors in Pristina and Belgrade with their EU, French, Italian, US and German counterparts, with whom we are working to encourage a full and evidence-based investigation to establish the facts of the attack, and to urge against rhetoric that heightens tensions. I will continue to engage with counterparts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department last discussed the Banjska attack with the Serbian Government.

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

We continue to engage at senior levels with the Serbian government to urge Serbia to bring to account the perpetrators of the September 2023 Banjska attack and the May 2023 attack on Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops. Most recently, I underlined the importance of accountability for these attacks in my conversation with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric on 1 December. I also made this point to Foreign Minister Djuric in the margins of the Berlin Process Foreign Ministers' meeting in October.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Kosovan counterpart on the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal on 28 November 2024.

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

The Foreign Secretary messaged Kosovo's President Osmani on 30 November and on 1 December I spoke to Kosovo's Prime Minister Kurti, following the attack on critical infrastructure in northern Kosovo the previous day. We expressed our shock and welcomed the swift work of emergency engineers to contain the damage. We underlined the importance of a full, evidence-based investigation and set out the UK's staunch support for Kosovo as it works to bring the perpetrators to account and, in coordination with the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), works to prevent further attacks.

Found: _NC1 Alicia Kearns Chris Philp Katie Lam .

Found: _NC1 Alicia Kearns Chris Philp Katie Lam .

Found: New Amendments: 25 to 28 and NC1 and NC2 _NC1 Alicia Kearns Chris Philp Katie Lam ★.

Found: Appointed 25 January 2024 Mr Richard Burn - Appointed 25 January 2024 Mr Timothy Danaher Ms Alicia Kearns

Found: Appointed 25 January 2024 Mr Richard Burn - Appointed 25 January 2024 Mr Timothy Danaher Ms Alicia Kearns

Submit Evidence (by 15 Jan 2025)

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching a follow-up inquiry into the funding of public services in Northern Ireland.

No description available

Submit Evidence (by 31 Jan 2025)

The committee is undertaking an inquiry into the operation of the Windsor Framework in Northern Ireland, scrutinising the implementation of commitments from the movement of goods to rights obligations.

Submit Evidence (by 5 Feb 2025)

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry into Government policy on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.