Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her international counterparts on the provision of support to Cuba in the context of sanctions imposed on Cuba by the US on 29 January 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to follow developments in Cuba closely, including the impact of the 29 January US executive order. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials engage regularly with UN agencies operating in Cuba, including the UN Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and UN Development Programme, as part of our broader commitment to humanitarian and development assistance. The UK also contributes to global humanitarian financing mechanisms such as the Central Emergency Response Fund and other pooled funds which can provide support where needs arise.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 provide humanitarian aid to people in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my Hon Friend to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February following her recent visit to the Chad-Sudan border.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While the UK keeps the list of proscribed organisations under close review, it has been the long-standing policy under successive governments not to comment on whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
On the wider issue of our response to the Iranian regime, I refer my Hon Friend to the Urgent Question debate on 3 February, and to the announcement on sanctions made the previous day: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-perpetrators-of-human-rights-violations-in-iran.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 international partners on supporting de-escalation and ceasefire negotiations in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 ensure access to humanitarian aid in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what data her Department holds on the allocation of Overseas Development Aid by country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
If my Hon Friend is seeking a breakdown by country of Official Development Assistance funding allocated by the UK, the latest published data - for Calendar Year 2024 - can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statistics-on-international-development
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 international partners on coordinated efforts to promote human rights in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my Hon Friend to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in the subsequent debate. I can also reassure my Hon Friend that staff from the British embassy in Tehran are continuing to discharge their duties remotely while the embassy is temporarily closed.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 assist British Iranians to access information about the welfare of family members in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my Hon Friend to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 13 January, and her responses to the questions raised in the subsequent debate. I can also reassure my Hon Friend that staff from the British embassy in Tehran are continuing to discharge their duties remotely while the embassy is temporarily closed.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 support UK NGOs that have been prevented from continuing their work in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to make sports partnerships part of the UK's diplomatic efforts in Small Island States in the Caribbean.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) recognises that sport can be an enabler of sustainable development, including through the promotion of tolerance and respect and through the positive contribution it makes to empowerment of women and girls, health, education and social inclusion. The UK has been one of the key supporters of the ABAS agenda in discussions with the SIDS group and at the United Nations.