Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2026 to Question 11747 on International Broadcasting, whether any Minister in her Department has had discussions with stakeholders on Western international broadcasting capacity in (a) Africa, (b) the Middle East and (c) South and South East Asia since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is not aware of any such discussions, but details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published by the FCDO in its quarterly transparency releases.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will include Freedom of Religion or Belief in any future Human Rights and Democracy Reports.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 19 June in response to Question 9575.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
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 level of violence faced by converted Christians in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 June in response to Question 10866 and to my written statement to the House on 29 April.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
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 how the UK can support the prevention of further violence against Christians in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 June in response to Question 10866 and to my written statement to the House on 29 April.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the £250 million in humanitarian assistance being given to Syria will directly or indirectly go towards supporting the inclusion of Syrian minority communities, and specifically religious minorities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 June in response to Question 10866 and to my written statement to the House on 29 April.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what dialogue she or her Department is undertaking with CARICOM, the United States, and regional partners, to help prevent inadvertent destabilisation for islands in the region from United States-Venezuela military activity.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses in that debate.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
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 regarding the potential risks posed to Commonwealth Caribbean states of increases in military activity between the US and Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses in that debate.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department issued guidance to (a) travel and (b) aviation companies on continuing flights to Jamaica after the Jamaican Government issued a hurricane warning.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is expected that airlines, travel operators and travellers will routinely consider the latest Travel Advice provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) before taking their travel decisions. The FCDO provided regularly updated information and advice in relation to Hurricane Melissa between 22 October and 2 November.
The FCDO arranged for one commercial charter flight to support British nationals and other eligible persons who wanted to return from Jamaica to the UK during that period, which departed from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport on Saturday 1 November. Commercial options were available shortly thereafter resulting in low demand for further FCDO flights.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many flights were arranged to bring UK citizens home from impacted areas following Hurricane Melissa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is expected that airlines, travel operators and travellers will routinely consider the latest Travel Advice provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) before taking their travel decisions. The FCDO provided regularly updated information and advice in relation to Hurricane Melissa between 22 October and 2 November.
The FCDO arranged for one commercial charter flight to support British nationals and other eligible persons who wanted to return from Jamaica to the UK during that period, which departed from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport on Saturday 1 November. Commercial options were available shortly thereafter resulting in low demand for further FCDO flights.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions his Department issues to staff who do not meet this target.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The Department does not routinely issue sanctions for not meeting the office attendance expectation. However, where a staff member refuses a reasonable management instruction - such as attending the office when required - this may be addressed through the Department's disciplinary procedures, in line with established HR policy. Such cases are rare and typically resolved before formal action is considered.