Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the reported attacks by the Armenian government against the Armenian Apostolic Church; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure its protection.

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

The UK is monitoring the situation between the Armenian Government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We expect all actions to comply with Armenia's constitutional and legal framework, allowing due process to take its course and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly under the law, with judicial proceedings remaining transparent and impartial. The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief worldwide.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether future UK-funded capacity-building programmes will be structured to (a) advance Palestinian statehood and (b) support the government of Palestine in building institutions capable of delivering public services across Palestine, including the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on the Middle East on 18 November, where support for Palestinian institutions was discussed. We will update the House in due course on any further developments.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Consul-General in East Jerusalem plans to present her credentials as Ambassador to the President of the State of Palestine; and whether she has had discussions with the Palestinian Authority on that process.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The British Consulate General in Jerusalem has had a special role working to promote and protect UK interests in Jerusalem for almost 150 years. The future status of the British Consulate General, and the Consul General, in Jerusalem will be determined in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will ensure equality of esteem and equal treatment in design, evaluation and implementation of UK-funded programmes in Palestine and Israel; and whether school textbooks in Israel and Palestine will be reviewed for racism and discriminatory content.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on the Middle East on 18 November, where support for Palestinian institutions was discussed. We will update the House in due course on any further developments.

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 policies of the death of Dr Hamza Shaheen in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We remain deeply concerned about incidents of violence in Syria, including the reports of Dr Shaheen's murder. We continue to advocate for an inclusive political transition, a greater focus in social cohesion, and protection of the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religious or ethnic background. When I met the Foreign Minister and Justice Minister in Damascus in August and during their inward visit in November, I underlined the need for the Syrian Government to ensure that the justice system serves all Syrians.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the expected timetable and procedural pathway for the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to be formally received by His Majesty King Charles III for the presentation of credentials; whether, at the point of presentation of credentials, the United Kingdom will recognise the Ambassador as the representative of the State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, as stated in Government policy; and whether the Letters of Credence, the Royal Decree of Agrément, and any associated documentation issued in connection with such recognition will explicitly reference the 1967 borders and the United Kingdom’s position on the applicability of international law, including the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinions on the illegality of the occupation.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK follows the standard diplomatic process of agrément and presentation of credentials, as set out in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We recognise Palestinian statehood over provisional borders, based on 1967 lines with equal land swaps, to be finalised as part of future negotiations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Vietnamese counterpart on the recent imprisonment of Kim Som Rinh, Thach Nga and Thach Xuan Dong; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary raised human rights including freedom of religion and belief with Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung on 30 October, building on my own discussions with the Vice Foreign Minister on 13 October. Our new UK-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reaffirms our shared commitment to continue sincere, frank and constructive dialogue on human rights issues, including through the UN Human Rights Council and Universal Periodic Reviews. The UK will continue to raise specific cases of concern including through the work of the UK envoy on Freedom of Religion and Belief, David Smith MP.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart concerning the recent detention of Afghan Christian, Teymur Hosseini; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure his release.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Further to the answer I gave on 29 October to Question 83265, we are concerned by the reported case of Teymur Hosseini, and we continue to monitor the situation for Christians in Iran.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16763, what discussions his Department has had with civil society organisations since 3 December 2024 to evaluate its approach to civilian harm mitigation and response.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

Mitigating civilian harm is central to Defence’s approach to human security. We work through multiple channels to promote human security, with a particular emphasis on protecting civilians. We actively engage with civil society organisations on this issue, recognising the value of their expertise and perspectives.

Since December 2024, engagement has taken place through in-person meetings and online discussions, as well as participation in civil society-led forums. We have also contributed to international workshops and conferences, including through the International Contact Group on Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response for which we are now co-chairs, and attending the Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas international conference.

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 policies of reports of the United Arab Emirates support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 5 November and the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, when these issues were discussed at length.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has raised reports of support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan by the government of the United Arab Emirates with her Emirati counterpart.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 5 November and the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, when these issues were discussed at length.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure no British-made weaponry is being used in the war in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 5 November and the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, when these issues were discussed at length.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Viet Nam following the extradition of Y Quynh Bdap from Thailand; and whether she has sought urgent clarification of his whereabouts, his health and wellbeing, and guarantees that he will be granted access to lawyers, family members, and independent observers.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 November in response to Question 83589.

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 concerns for the safety of Vietnamese human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap; and what discussions she has had with her Vietnamese counterparts on his wellbeing.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 November in response to Question 83589.

Councillor Jan Brown

Matthew Doyle's appointment to the House of Lords

75 years of Mebyon Kernow

Hunger strike by pro-Palestinian activists

Palestine Action hunger strike

Israel’s use of cluster munitions

Reduction to UK Official Development Assistance

Buying community energy locally