Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions to overseas aid on Jordan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jordan is one of the UK's most trusted allies and important humanitarian partners in the region. The Minister for International Development made Jordan her first official visit overseas in her new role in March 2025, and discussed the future UK-Jordan official development assistance budget with her counterpart HE Zeina Toukan, Minister for Planning and International Cooperation during the inaugural UK-Jordan Development and Growth Dialogue in May. While reductions in the UK overseas aid budget for Jordan are consistent with the gradual reduction in the UK official development assistance (ODA) budget over the next few years, we will continue to support stability and self-sufficiency for Jordan and tackle drivers of migration through our development and broader work.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the overseas aid budget is spent domestically.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the figures here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-oda-spend-2024.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the overseas aid budget is spent on asylum seekers in the UK.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 9 June to Question 56044.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received guarantees from the Government of Mauritius on (a) the territorial extent, (b) the level of protection and (c) the means of management of its proposed marine protected area around the Chagos Archipelago, under Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Treaty states, the support that the UK will provide Mauritius in establishing and managing the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area will be agreed between the Parties by a separate written instrument, as part of implementation of the Agreement.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to conclude a separate agreement with the Government of Mauritius on the support and assistance provided by the UK in the establishment and management of a new marine protected area, under Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Treaty states, the support that the UK will provide Mauritius in establishing and managing the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area will be agreed between the Parties by a separate written instrument, as part of implementation of the Agreement.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Mauritius on recognising the UK-established marine protected area around the Chagos Archipelago in advance of the transfer of sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Treaty states, the support that the UK will provide Mauritius in establishing and managing the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area will be agreed between the Parties by a separate written instrument, as part of implementation of the Agreement.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance the UK will provide as part of the separate agreement to be made with Mauritius on the new marine protected area, under Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Treaty states, the support that the UK will provide Mauritius in establishing and managing the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area will be agreed between the Parties by a separate written instrument, as part of implementation of the Agreement.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the marine protected area around the Chagos Archipelago since its establishment in 2010.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Indian Ocean Territory Administration has responsibility for the management and monitoring of its Marine Protected Area, which includes measures to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing and the monitoring of marine biodiversity.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any UK Government-funded humanitarian aid projects in Ukraine are scheduled to conclude in 2024; and what assessment has been made of the impact of discontinuation on the Ukrainian population.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are proud of our fast, flexible, and responsive support to Ukrainians living through Russia's invasion. The UK has provided £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion. The Prime Minister has recently said in Parliament that we will continue to support Ukraine's humanitarian needs. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing, which will prioritise support for those most in need. We continue to work with Ukrainian government systems, local organisations, international partners, and non-governmental organisations to respond to those needs.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of humanitarian aid funding to Ukraine beyond the 2025-26 financial year; and whether there are any forthcoming funding cliff-edges.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Prime Minister has said in Parliament, we will continue to support Ukraine's humanitarian needs. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing, and we will prioritise support for those most in need. We continue to work with international partners and non-governmental organisations to respond to those urgent needs. The second phase of the Spending Review is currently underway and will inform spending plans for 2026/27 onwards.