Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his arms licensing policy in relation to Indonesia on the human rights situation in West Papua.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.
We assess all export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including Criterion 2 which requires us to consider the current human rights situation in the country which is the final destination of controlled exports, as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law.
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 (IHL). We also keep extant licences under constant and continual review on this basis.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action her Department is taking to tackle gender-based violence in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned by the restrictions imposed by the Myanmar military regime which limit access to essential health services and humanitarian assistance for women and girls.
UK-funded programmes, delivered through partners, are estimated to have provided essential health services to around 1.5 million people last year in Myanmar, including maternal care to 250,000 pregnant women, sexual and reproductive health to another 300,000, and the delivery of menstrual hygiene products to at least 45,000 women and girls. The UK is also supporting partners to provide specialised support to victims of sexual violence, including clinical management of rape, safe housing, mental health and psychosocial support.
However, regime-imposed access restrictions continue to limit delivery, including of basic hygiene products. We continue to press for safe humanitarian access, including in the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council, and we continue to support our partners on the ground to reach those most in need.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action her Department is taking to help women in Myanmar access period products in areas where the distribution of such products is banned.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned by the restrictions imposed by the Myanmar military regime which limit access to essential health services and humanitarian assistance for women and girls.
UK-funded programmes, delivered through partners, are estimated to have provided essential health services to around 1.5 million people last year in Myanmar, including maternal care to 250,000 pregnant women, sexual and reproductive health to another 300,000, and the delivery of menstrual hygiene products to at least 45,000 women and girls. The UK is also supporting partners to provide specialised support to victims of sexual violence, including clinical management of rape, safe housing, mental health and psychosocial support.
However, regime-imposed access restrictions continue to limit delivery, including of basic hygiene products. We continue to press for safe humanitarian access, including in the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council, and we continue to support our partners on the ground to reach those most in need.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action her Department is taking to promote women’s health in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned by the restrictions imposed by the Myanmar military regime which limit access to essential health services and humanitarian assistance for women and girls.
UK-funded programmes, delivered through partners, are estimated to have provided essential health services to around 1.5 million people last year in Myanmar, including maternal care to 250,000 pregnant women, sexual and reproductive health to another 300,000, and the delivery of menstrual hygiene products to at least 45,000 women and girls. The UK is also supporting partners to provide specialised support to victims of sexual violence, including clinical management of rape, safe housing, mental health and psychosocial support.
However, regime-imposed access restrictions continue to limit delivery, including of basic hygiene products. We continue to press for safe humanitarian access, including in the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council, and we continue to support our partners on the ground to reach those most in need.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK training of Indonesian military on the human rights situation in West Papua.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
In January, the Prime Minister and Indonesian President Prabowo launched the UK-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, founded on our shared democratic values and respect for human rights.
The Ministry of Defence assesses all training and assistance to foreign armed forces on a case-by-case basis to ensure it is in accordance with the UK's domestic and international legal obligations and HMG's policy objectives.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Human Rights Watch's report From Bogotá to El Fasher: The UAE’s Role in the Deployment of Colombian Fighters and Other Backing to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, published on May 25 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 1591 is being enforced.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that Colombian private military contractors transited through UAE bases before deploying in support of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports linking (a) the Global Security Services Group and (b) Mohamed Hamdan al-Zaabi to the (i) recruitment, (ii) hiring and (iii) deployment of private military contractors operating alongside the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of the report entitled Military Assistance to RSF Occurring at ENDF Base in Asosa, Ethiopia, by the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, published 8 April 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.