Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

I have no ambition in that direction, Mr Speaker, but thank you all the same. With permission, I will make a statement on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Antigua and Barbuda from 1 to 4 November. The Prime Minister led the United Kingdom delegation, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary and me. We joined Heads of Government and more than 30 Foreign Ministers from member states across the organisation. His Majesty the King, as head of the Commonwealth, and Her Majesty the Queen also attended.

This was an important summit for the Commonwealth. At a time when the world is divided and uncertain, CHOGM reminded us of the value of the Commonwealth and what this enduring partnership of nations can achieve. It connects 56 countries and a third of the world’s people to address shared challenges and work together for practical solutions. This meeting also gave the United Kingdom an invaluable opportunity to strengthen important bilateral relationships and build coalitions around shared priorities.

The Prime Minister described CHOGM as the “most successful” Commonwealth meeting of recent times. We took forward important discussions on economic growth, democratic resilience, climate and ocean action, and the needs of small and vulnerable states. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Commonwealth charter and supported a Commonwealth that is more focused, effective and capable of delivering practical results.

I pay particular tribute to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, which is the smallest country ever to host CHOGM. Organising a summit of this scale was a mammoth task, but our hosts delivered it with warmth, energy and ambition. There could be no better summary than His Majesty’s words at the opening ceremony: “Small island, big vibes.”

The Caribbean setting brought into sharp focus the priorities of many Commonwealth members, particularly on growth, investment, climate resilience, debt and access to finance. This CHOGM placed greater emphasis than previous summits on trade and investment, which is in line with the UK’s approach. Governments, businesses and investors came together for the Commonwealth business forum, and for a dedicated investment summit to consider how the Commonwealth can become a modern economic partnership that mobilises private capital, removes barriers to trade and creates opportunities across all its members. The United Kingdom supported that ambition with a substantial package of practical measures. We announced a new partnership between British International Investment and the Inter-American Development Bank to unlock private investment across the Caribbean. We increased our support for the Commonwealth investment network, to help Commonwealth small island states attract climate-positive investment.

We announced a new resilient infrastructure programme worth up to £40 million, building on the UK Caribbean infrastructure fund. The new programme will support renewable energy and infrastructure that can withstand the growing effects of climate change. We announced initiatives worth up to £8.7 million through the global clean power alliance finance mission. Working with the World Bank, these measures will support cleaner and more resilient energy systems across the Caribbean.

We also signed a four-year partnership to support Jamaica’s National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority post Hurricane Melissa. This Government-to-Government partnership will support Jamaica in unlocking up to $6 billion of capital investment for resilient infrastructure, delivered with the expertise of world-leading UK firms, and could become a model for UK-supported reconstruction in the region and beyond. These initiatives will make a practical difference to our partners and their people. They can also create new opportunities for British investors, banks, insurers and professional services.

CHOGM was not a stand-alone diplomatic event; it formed part of the United Kingdom’s wider multilateral approach, and built momentum ahead of COP31 and our G20 presidency next year. The Commonwealth allows us to hear directly from countries that often struggle to have their voices heard. At CHOGM, we worked with partners on climate resilience, debt, development finance and reform of the international financial system. We were pleased that former Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined those discussions in Antigua, and we will carry those conversations forward into the major international meetings ahead.

Our aim is clear: a more representative international system that delivers growth, stability and opportunity, including for small and climate-vulnerable states. Democracy, good governance and the rule of law remain central to the Commonwealth. At CHOGM, we announced a partnership with Australia to protect parliamentarians from online abuse and support democratic participation. This will bring together technology, expertise and practical solutions, with a particular focus on the abuse faced by women in public life.

Formal leaders’ and ministerial meetings were only one part of CHOGM. The Foreign Secretary addressed a United Kingdom-supported event on blue finance and innovation, alongside the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, highlighting the need for ambitious action on green shipping, stronger ocean governance and protection, and scaling up blue finance.

I spoke at the Commonwealth women’s forum about our shared responsibility to combat violence against women and girls. I joined a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association panel on safeguarding democracy, alongside colleagues from Malta, the Commonwealth Secretariat and accredited organisations, and I was delighted to see a number of hon. Friends and colleagues in the audience. UK Ministers participated in discussions on small states, civil society, investment, climate finance and ocean protection. UK youth delegates participated in the Commonwealth youth forum, recognising that the Commonwealth’s future rests with young people. These events ensured that the summit gave voice to business, civil society, women and young people, as well as Governments.

We are clear on the value we place on strong relationships with Commonwealth partners, on facing down shared challenges together, on seizing opportunities together, and on sharing our values to build a safer world for all of us, but as the Prime Minister set out ahead of CHOGM, if we are to meet these challenges of the future, we need to be ready to face up to the past. For years, those members of the Commonwealth affected by the transatlantic slave trade have wanted an honest conversation about the legacies of slavery. Before the summit, the Prime Minister set out how this Government intend to respond to those calls. He expressed sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering caused, and offered a new, structured dialogue with Caribbean and African partners. This dialogue needs to be co-designed with partners affected, and will involve listening with respect. It will be time-bound and inclusive. It will consider remembrance, education, culture and calls for a formal apology, to which the Government are open. It will also look to the future and support practical co-operation on the challenges faced by affected partners today, though our position on financial reparations has not changed.

This approach was warmly received by partners. It helped create a positive and forward-looking discussion at the summit. It was welcomed in the CHOGM communiqué. Our focus now is on turning that solemn and sincere commitment into meaningful action.

This CHOGM gave the Commonwealth renewed energy. It showed that this diverse family of nations can work together on the issues that matter most to its people: jobs, investment, climate resilience, democracy and opportunity. It also demonstrated the kind of partner the United Kingdom wants to be: outward-looking, reliable and respectful. We listened to the Commonwealth members, strengthened relationships across the global south and backed our words with practical commitments. We will now work with our partners to deliver on those commitments, carry their priorities into international moments ahead, and ensure that the Commonwealth fulfils its potential as a modern network for practical co-operation. I commend this statement to the House.

[Mr Speaker]

Can I just say that, while I thank the Minister for coming, I would have thought that it would be the Foreign Secretary making a statement on such an important conference as CHOGM? But I thank the Minister for coming, and for being so open and honest. I call the shadow Foreign Secretary.

[Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge) (Con)]

Like you, Mr Speaker, I expected the Foreign Secretary. The Minister has been a friend these many years, and nobody is happier to see him than me, but it does somewhat surprise me—no doubt it surprises him, too—that the head of our delegation at the Heads of Government meeting has decided that it is not worth his effort to come and brief this House. Clearly he has better things to do than answer to the British people, whom I thought he was sent to represent.

Anyway, we shall move on, because the understudy’s understudy is in their place. This statement, much like the meeting, will not answer the questions that we need answered if we are to shape a future for us all. It has instead, sadly, been overshadowed. Let me set out why. First, our Government, by failing to be clear right at the beginning—before CHOGM began, in fact—about their position on reparations, allowed the discussion to be diverted from the future and towards the past. I will not rehearse the arguments; Members will already know my position on the tragedy of slavery, and the endurance of this abhorrent crime against humanity—in Mauritania, for instance, where it continued until 1981, which is two years before the Minister was born, and in the Arabian peninsula, where slavery existed right up until the 1960s. Nor will I rehearse the slave raids from Algiers on to the Cornish coast or the courage of those sailors and soldiers who fought the evil slave trading kingdoms of Dahomey, which King Ghezo referred to as the glory of his people. Of course, Britain’s part in the slave empires was shameful; the past of the whole of humanity in slavery was shameful. The pride of Britain is that the Royal Navy, the West Africa Squadron and our people fought it when others were still defending it.

Today, we can share the blame or we can look at the future. Instead of looking at the past, why are we not focused on the truth of modern slavery: the Uyghur detention facilities in Xinjiang; and the human trafficking enabled by Moscow that sees so many die in the Sahara and the Mediterranean? Let us not go over that; instead, let us focus on where we should be with the Commonwealth. Half of the Commonwealth is India. What lessons has the Minister—perhaps even the Foreign Secretary—drawn from the non-attendance of the Indian Prime Minister at this CHOGM and indeed past CHOGMs?

What has the hon. Member learned about the importance of African nations in the Commonwealth membership? Countries like Nigeria demonstrate such vibrancy and such energy and could benefit from the capital of London. What has he learned from the green energy projects of Kenya about future opportunities in shared data networks and opportunities for growth? Indeed, given that the Prime Minister met the leaders of both Kenya and Nigeria, why have we heard nothing more about that? What is going on with an Africa strategy that would tie us together and give Britain an opportunity to develop the depth of relationship that is, sadly, being taken by China?

Furthermore, where is the consistency in our dealings? What lessons have been learned about the Prime Minister’s swapping sides again and again on Chagos? First, he agreed with the Mauritian Prime Minister; then he agreed with the US President; and now, in echoes of what I can only describe as the Blairite 2000s, there is a consultation and a pledge waiting for resolution at the end of the year. Perhaps the Prime Minister will honour us by outlining what he has made a promise to do this time; perhaps he will have the grace to tell Parliament instead of hiding again.

Given that the importance of the Caribbean to Britain is one subject on which I think we can all agree, what conversations has the hon. Member had on reversing the Chinese infiltration of those islands in the Americas so that we see islanders treated with the dignity they deserve—not, sadly, like the islanders Joshua Wong and Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong?

It is always a pleasure to see the hon. Member for Bridgend. I hope that he enjoyed his trip in the sun. Sadly, he has returned without even a tan and with little else to show for his troubles. At least we have all learned one thing: while our Government waffle and waver, the King commands respect for his clarity and leadership. Thank God, at least, for that.

[Chris Elmore]

It is always a pleasure to see the shadow Foreign Secretary in his place. It is nice that he checked Wikipedia to see when I was born. The statement is about CHOGM, so while it was nice that he took a canter through the various continents of the world, may I take him back to the substantive point?

I set out in quite significant detail the success of the CHOGM summit. The right hon. Gentleman is right to raise the importance of the impact on China—that is the whole point of the structured dialogue. Part of the challenge is about the influence of China around these continents and in these countries. To have constructive dialogue, we need to accept our past, work through it and look forward to the future. I think he would almost agree with me on that very point. [Interruption.] He had his chance and he did not ask that question. If we are to look for improved influence and at better infrastructure investment to allow British industry to influence and develop across the Caribbean and Africa, that piece of work will be crucial in the months and years ahead.

It is always nice to debate with the right hon. Gentleman, and I am sure we will do so again in the months and years ahead. As I have huge respect for the House, I will explain one further point: the Foreign Secretary is at G7 meetings in France; I am delighted that I have the confidence of the Prime Minister to address the House on one of my areas of responsibility, which include the Commonwealth.

[Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for his statement. Alongside CHOGM, the first ever global summit on eye health was held, bringing together world leaders to address the global challenge of avoidable sight loss. With more than 2 billion people worldwide living with sight loss, the challenge is clear: we must ensure that everyone has access to good-quality eye healthcare. Already, 41 countries have made this commitment, with pledges exceeding $1 billion. Now we need the UK, as a world leader in eye healthcare, also to make this commitment. Will my hon. Friend the Minister agree to meet me to discuss this?

[Chris Elmore]

I was delighted to be at the eye health summit with my hon. Friend, and I want to put on record my congratulations to her on her dedication in leading this work on tackling global eye health. I know how truly committed she is to this process. I am more than happy to meet her and to sit down and engage on this subject, not just because it is important to her but because it matters across the Commonwealth and across nations beyond the Commonwealth. I am very happy to do that.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)]

It remains crucial that the Government engage wholeheartedly with our friends and partners in the Commonwealth, especially now, in an insecure world, when other partnerships may be fraught. While I am pleased to see CHOGM emphasising the challenge of food insecurity, protecting our oceans and tackling climate change, it added up to warm words but sharp cuts in UK aid to Commonwealth nations. The aid budget to the Commonwealth has been slashed from £546 million in 2024-25 to £131 million in 2028-29, with over half of that going to Nigeria alone. All this is happening while humanitarian crises are continually underfunded and El Niño is already causing havoc around the world and is likely to force many millions more people into acute food insecurity over the next year. The King attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative, but the UK Government failed to make a contribution. These cuts to official development assistance are hurting our partnerships in the Commonwealth, our international understanding and our influence.

The Prime Minister has talked about Labour values driving his agenda and not making the mistake of wearing too many Tory clothes. Does the Minister agree that presiding over the deepest aid cuts this century—deeper than Donald Trump’s in America—looks like trying on the last Conservative Government’s clothes, and that Labour values would involve a return to the 0.7% aid target, which has been legislated for by this House? Will the Minister lay out a timeline to do this? I applaud the Foreign Secretary’s desire to take action on development finance and tackle unsustainable debt, but with the G20 fast approaching, will the Minister make a statement on how he will do this, alongside taking action on illicit financial flows and multilateral development bank reform, and with COP31 in Antalya this week, will he reassure the House that the UK will uphold its commitments to tackling the climate crisis?

[Chris Elmore]

I thank the hon. Lady for her various questions. I agree with her on food security and I hope she knows the importance that the Government, and particularly the development Minister, place on that. She is right to challenge me on ODA funding. We do not agree, however. We have made difficult decisions in relation to defence spending and ensuring that the defence of this country is a first and clear priority. We have 0.3%, and we have set out on multiple occasions that the ambition is to return to 0.7%. I am not going to set out a timeframe for that from the Dispatch Box. I talked in my statement about the priorities around the G20, and I said that CHOGM was the first in a series of events, including COP, that the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister will be in attendance for as we build towards the G20. I can confirm to the hon. Lady that we have allocated additional support in relation to pressures around El Niño. She is right to mention this, and the UK Government will always be supportive of tackling the climate crisis, however we are able to.

[Alan Gemmell (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his statement. He may not know that I am a former chief executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, which is responsible for the business forum. I hear that that was a great success this year, and I want to put on record my congratulations to Sam Cohen, its chief exec, and her team. If the Minister is keen to do a teach-in for the shadow Foreign Secretary on his learnings from India and Nigeria and our relationships with the Commonwealth, I would be very happy to join. Does the Minister agree that trade should be at the heart of our Commonwealth relationships, and that with such a trusted network of 56 countries with shared values, we should be supercharging trade around the Commonwealth and improving the lives and jobs of the nearly 3 billion people who are Commonwealth citizens?

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Elmore]

My hon. Friend is right that the benefit of the Commonwealth is a significant part of our work and that trade should be at the front and centre of that. I am confident that the shadow Foreign Secretary is always keen for some educational improvement, so I am sure, between the two of us, we could give him some lessons on the work of the Commonwealth.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

I call the Father of the House.

[Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con)]

Shamefully, some 12.5 million slaves were sent across the Atlantic during the slave trade, and it is reckoned that 90% of them were captured and traded in horrific circumstances by African kings. Does the Minister agree that it would be ridiculous to hold the descendants of those African kings responsible for the sins of their fathers? Should we not learn from the King, our chief diplomat, by expressing sorrow from the depth of our soul, but not getting involved in apologies, let alone reparations?

[Chris Elmore]

I reassure the Father of the House that, as I said in my statement, there is no plan for, and our position has not changed on, reparations. I will not comment on any other countries’ part in the slave trade or any other type of offence, whatever the grievance, but this constructive dialogue is a clear way forward to engaging with Commonwealth nations, including African countries. It is about working and moving forward in the best way possible, and in a way that is honest and straightforward. I would argue strongly that those are British values. This is about a hope that this country can look forward, move forward and ensure that the Commonwealth is fit for the future, and does not simply focus on the past.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

I wholeheartedly thank my hon. Friend the Minister for his statement. If he casts his mind back, he will remember the many conversations we had about Hurricane Melissa. I thank the Minister for the strengthening of partnerships among the 56 Commonwealth countries, but what steps are the Government taking to bolster the climate resilience of Commonwealth partners, particularly those on the frontline of climate change?

[Chris Elmore]

My hon. Friend is right about the many conversations that we had on behalf of her constituents during Hurricane Melissa and about the response of the UK Government. A succession of Administrations have worked to deliver climate resilient infrastructure that can withstand the impact of multiple hurricanes; I saw that myself when I was the first international Minister to visit Black River following the hurricane in December last year. We will continue that focus on climate resilience investment, and in some cases we can use procurement to offer British firms that work in individual countries. That will always remain a priority, and it is something that we take extremely seriously.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I gently remind right hon. and hon. Members that “Erskine May” is very clear, in paragraph 22.20, that the King’s name should not be used to try to influence debate.

--- Later in debate ---

[Richard Tice (Boston and Skegness) (Reform)]

What was noticeable about the Minister’s statement was that there was no reference to discussions that the Prime Minister had with the Prime Ministers of Nigeria or Mauritius. Did he raise the issue of the more than 4,000 Christians killed in Nigeria this year? Did he raise the fact that my constituents, and the vast majority of the millions of people in this country, do not want to surrender the Chagos islands?

[Chris Elmore]

It is a matter of record that Ministers, including me—I am the ministerial lead on freedom of religion or belief—frequently raise with other countries the abuses of people of Christian and other faiths. I cannot comment on the individual conversations the Prime Minister has had, but I assure the House that these issues, including on all the various human rights abuses that take place internationally, are raised at the highest levels.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank the Minister for his statement. Like everyone across the House, I find it deplorable that any person can think they have the right to own another person and treat them like property, whether that is a historical or current injustice. What conversations has the Minister had with our Commonwealth allies about defence and security, which my Harlow constituents take very seriously? As I visited the BBC World Service recently, may I emphasise its importance to our soft power and influence?

[Chris Elmore]

My hon. Friend is quite right to raise the importance of defence and national security, particularly in relation to the Caribbean and other parts of the Commonwealth. He is also right—as the Minister within the Foreign Office responsible for the World Service, I wholeheartedly agree with him—about tackling disinformation. The investment we were able to secure during the spending review round to tackle Russian and other state interference, as well as misinformation, is absolutely crucial to the wider work of the Commonwealth and beyond.

[Sir Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con)]

I mean no disrespect to the Minister when I say that this statement should have been made by the Prime Minister. The Government have rightly championed the value of Commonwealth partnerships, but is the Minister aware that the Global Health Partnerships scheme set up by the coalition Government at a time of economic austerity—that has been enormously valuable to Commonwealth countries, as well as enhancing Britain’s national interest and our health services—now faces being defunded thanks to the savage cuts to the international development budget made by the last Government? Will he personally look at whether this great scheme can be saved?

[Chris Elmore]

I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman for the work he has done across the international development space for many years. I take no offence from his requirement for the Prime Minister, but I am afraid he will have to put up with me. I am more than happy to review the matter. He will know of the difficult decisions we have taken in relation to ODA funding and the challenges it faces, as I said in answer to the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding). These decisions are not easy. However, we take them extremely seriously and will keep them under review, particularly if at some point in the future we are able to move back towards higher ODA allocations.

[Brendan O’Hara (Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber) (SNP)]

We are told that one of the core areas of discussion at last week’s meeting was climate resilience. Given that building climate resilience is now absolutely critical, particularly for small countries in the global south, could the Minister tell the House how he explained to them his Government’s decision to cut overseas aid by more than £1 billion last year? Could he share with the House what impact he was told that cut has had on many of our Commonwealth partners, many of which are having to live with and mitigate the worst effects of climate change, despite having contributed virtually nothing to creating the problem in the first place?

[Chris Elmore]

We are still investing in critical infrastructure and climate resilience developments right across the Caribbean and further afield. That work is not changing; it is still a focus of the Government. As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby), I have seen this work up close. One of the ways in which we are mitigating some of the ODA funding cuts—I think he is aware of this—is by channelling our influence with philanthropic donations to ensure that we can work in this space and offer additional support. I know that it does not please him, but our support for Caribbean nations on climate resilience funding is warmly welcomed across the Caribbean, and that did not change in CHOGM.

[Sir Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere) (Con)]

Nobody disputes the evil of slavery, but I would caution the Government that they are being somewhat naive about going down the path towards an apology, because I fear that it will be seized on, as other pronouncements have been, by left-wing dominated international institutions and courts for which the ideology of decolonisation and the hostility to Israel is axiomatic. Before we know it, we will find ourselves going down a path whereby a Minister will stand at the Dispatch Box in a few years’ time and say, “I’m terribly sorry—we have no choice but to offer reparations.” We will find ourselves in exactly the same absurd position that the Church of England finds itself in; it is paying £100 million in reparations when its buildings are falling down. Can I urge the Minister not to go down this path? It is a very risky path indeed, as I know from Chagos and other negotiations.

[Chris Elmore]

I have huge respect for the right hon. Gentleman—he is a former Deputy Prime Minister of this country. I do not, however, agree with him on the path that he has somehow managed to weave in this Chamber by focusing on what may or may not happen. This constructive dialogue is time limited with a clear purpose, working with international partners. It is about trying to learn from our history but, crucially, to move forward into the future. As I said in my statement, our position on reparations has not changed.

[Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)]

Does the Minister think that an apology for the slave trade issued by a Government who have absolutely no responsibility for it having happened, on behalf of a country in which there is no one alive who has any responsibility for what happened 300 and more years ago, will make the people who are seeking reparations more likely or less likely to intensify their demands?

[Chris Elmore]

I can say to the right hon. Gentleman that the response of international partners has been nothing but positive, and progress has been made on the constructive dialogue. We will not agree on this, I am sure, but the adult approach—the UK approach—is to respect and understand our past and move forward.

[Sir Julian Lewis]

It is not our past.

[Chris Elmore]

I am afraid it is indeed our past; the right hon. Gentleman might want to read a history book if he does not think it is the United Kingdom’s past. We will do this with an open mind and work towards a constructive solution over the coming year or so.

[Luke Taylor (Sutton and Cheam) (LD)]

Overseas aid is critical to improving our security not just at home but around the world. It improves resilience, strengthens institutions and enables our Commonwealth brothers and sisters to thrive. The Minister references defence and national security spending decisions. I am sure he recognises how ODA investment makes our interests at home and overseas more secure. I am particularly concerned to see the cuts to funding for countries with existing programmes from £546 million to £131 million. Can the Minister explain in more detail how those cuts have been assessed and what impact they may have on programmes that are already in progress and on our security at home and overseas?

[Chris Elmore]

I am more than happy to explore in more detail with the hon. Gentleman individual country profiles and work, although this is published in the usual way in terms of the impact of decisions on countries. I will make a wider point, and he touched on it in his question: these are difficult decisions—I am not shying away from that—but I believe they are the right ones.

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

Today the Prime Minister has not come to the House to answer questions on his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Not answering questions is becoming a pattern. The Prime Minister broke with convention by not allowing journalists with him on the trip to ask questions on this matter. Is it because he is running scared and only likes to answer soft-soap questions on social media, or is it because he is partway through changing his mind on giving reparations to these countries, just like he changed his mind on Brexit and let down the country and his Makerfield constituents?

[Chris Elmore]

It is interesting that the right hon. Lady says there were no journalists there, because I am pretty sure the political editor of the BBC was there, along with a number of other journalists, but maybe she and I have different views on what we class as a journalist. I hasten to add that the last CHOGM statement was given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds), not the Foreign Secretary or the Prime Minister, and that in 2022, which is the last time the statement was made when the Conservative party was in government—I hope it is the last for some considerable time—it was delivered by a Member of the House of Lords. Frankly, we have seen more leadership from my Prime Minister than the several dozen we went through in the 14 years when the Conservatives wrecked this country and left us the mess we have inherited.

[Robin Swann (South Antrim) (UUP)]

First, I thank the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the opportunity to attend CHOGM as a Member of this House, along with the hon. Members for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) and for South East Cornwall (Anna Gelderd). I know the Minister is here in place of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, but I want to congratulate him on how he handled himself in the panels that he spoke on, which were about some very challenging topics for this Government. As we all agree on the value of the Commonwealth, what steps will the Government take to enhance the resilience of supply chains across the Commonwealth, to ensure that every part can benefit equally?

[Chris Elmore]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind comments about my panel performance; I do not do them often, so it is nice to know that when I do, there is at least one person in the audience who is glad of it. He is quite right to talk about the importance of supply chains. Part of our focus is ensuring that all Commonwealth nations, no matter how small or large—but crucially, the smaller states—have these tangible and meaningful benefits of being a member of the Commonwealth family.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

The Minister played a significant role in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch and internationally prior to his appointment. Were there any discussions at CHOGM about the role that Parliaments and parliamentarians across the Commonwealth can play in the future shape of the Commonwealth?

[Chris Elmore]

The right hon. Gentleman is my successor as the Opposition ranking member in CPA UK, and it is nice to know that he probably does a better job than I ever did. [Hon. Members: “Aw!”] I have got the sympathy vote, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I was very glad to meet the secretary-general of CPA International to take part in a panel on democracy and the need for improved scrutiny, as well as support for Clerks, Speakers and Deputy Speakers, and I pay tribute to the work that Mr Speaker and his deputies do in this space. We see it as an absolute focus of how we can improve future CHOGMs, and of how—between CHOGMs—we can work internationally with Commonwealth Parliaments right across the globe. It is a crucial part of our work and the work of CPA UK and CPA International.

[Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Reform)]

The only thing that is exceptional about Britain’s record on slavery is that we were the first country in the world to abolish it. We are the country of William Wilberforce. We are the country of the West Africa Squadron. Why are we entertaining this performative far-left nonsense? Why does the Prime Minister not just focus on what the British people actually want, which is to cut the cost of living and do something that helps our own constituents? [Interruption.] Government Members can groan as much as they want, but I wager this: what I am saying is more in tune with the people of this country than anything that we have heard from them today.

[Chris Elmore]

If the right hon. Gentleman is looking for performative nonsense, he should engage a mirror. In relation to this work, I know it is difficult for him to comprehend, but two things can be true at the same time. I am extremely proud of the work that the Royal Navy, the Government and William Wilberforce did—I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the history lesson—but we can also say that there is an important piece of work to do around acknowledging our past and moving forward. As I say, I know that is difficult for him, but nevertheless that is really what is going to happen.

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

I draw the Minister’s attention to the comments that he made about the conversations with world leaders at CHOGM and not being able to engage. Half of the Government’s written statement on CHOGM was about conversations with Navin Ramgoolam around Mauritius and the Chagos deal. The Government are prepared to discuss a shared handover plan before Christmas with regard to Chagos. Last year, they also cited the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as the main and most proximate threat to our ownership of the Chagos islands. Yet today and tomorrow, the Attorney General and six King’s counsel are in Hamburg at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea discussing British sovereignty claims. Why are the Government prepared to defend against ITLOS with regard to the Falkland Islands, but are prepared to give the Chagos islands away due to the potential threat of ITLOS?

[Chris Elmore]

I understand the connection that the hon. Gentleman makes, but I am going to disappoint him and not bite. The reality is that if he wishes to engage in this matter, he should engage with the Attorney General directly and, more importantly, with the Minister for the Overseas Territories, who I am sure would be happy to speak to him.

[Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) (Your Party)]

I thank the Minister for his statement, and I am pleased that he put on record his thanks to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for hosting the conference. The issue of slavery obviously came up. Many in this House do not want to discuss it, but the reality is that the slave trade and slavery made a lot of wealthy people in this country even wealthier, the compensation paid was massive, and many big British companies still benefit from the profits of it. That leads to the issue of the systemic debt that many former colonies have, the imbalance of trade, the inequality and the poverty. The issue of reparations will not go away just because the Minister wishes it to go away; it is live, strong and will be debated for as long as it takes to get some kind of global justice.

[Chris Elmore]

The right hon. Gentleman is right to raise the issue of debt relief. That is part of the work that happened at this CHOGM, and the whole point of the constructive dialogue is to look at some of the Caribbean Community asks and wider pieces of work on culture, heritage and education. However, to be clear, our position on reparations has not changed. I refer him to the fact that various Governments around the Caribbean, and indeed in west Africa, have warmly welcomed this dialogue from the Prime Minister and accept that there are parts of this work on which Britain will have clear positions. That does not mean that we cannot set up a constructive dialogue jointly and work on the priorities together, but our position on reparations is not going to change.

Jagtar Singh Johal

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire (Douglas McAllister) for securing this important debate, his continued attention to the case, and his support for Mr Johal and his whole family. He has advocated relentlessly for Mr Johal since he became the MP for West Dunbartonshire in 2024. I also thank all hon. Members who have intervened during the debate. I pay particular tribute to my hon. Friends the Members for Ilford South (Jas Athwal) and for Wolverhampton West (Warinder Juss), who made further contributions. I am grateful for all the thoughtful interventions. Most of all, I want to acknowledge Jagtar’s family, including his wife and his brother.

This case has been a matter of deep concern for successive Governments for many years. At the outset, I want to recognise the immense toll that the long-running case has taken on Mr Johal and his family. Nearly nine years in detention without a resolution to his legal proceedings has been an extraordinarily difficult experience. As we have discussed today, Mr Johal was released on bail on 1 October after almost nine years in pre-trial detention in India. This welcome development in the legal process represents an important step forward in Mr Johal’s case, after such a prolonged period of detention. As this House knows, we have consistently raised our concerns about the length of pre-trial detention and other issues, which I will come to shortly.

Since his release, officials at the British high commission in Delhi have met Mr Johal on two occasions. They will continue to provide him with consular assistance while he remains on bail, pending the conclusion of his trial. Additionally, officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and, as has been mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire, our envoy for complex consular detentions, Alistair Burt, a former and highly respected Member of this House, have maintained regular contact with the family here in the United Kingdom.

I should be clear that Mr Johal’s case is not over. While there has been progress in some respects—we welcome the progress represented by the earlier acquittal in the state court—eight cases against him remain outstanding before the Indian courts. It is crucial that those proceedings are resolved as quickly as possible within India’s independent legal system.

I have already made this point, but it bears repeating that the Government have consistently raised concerns about Mr Johal’s case with the Government of India at every opportunity. Engagement has spanned successive Governments and Ministers and has stressed our legitimate concerns regarding Mr Johal’s prolonged pre-trial detention, his very serious allegations of torture and mistreatment, and his right to a fair trial. Most recently, as my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire has mentioned, the Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal’s case with his Indian counterpart on 24 September during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. That sustained engagement demonstrates the importance that the Government continue to attach to this case, and our commitment to seeking a prompt and full resolution to the outstanding cases against him. At every stage, we have emphasised the need for due process, and for the legal cases to come to a resolution without delay.

As I have emphasised, Mr Johal’s release on bail does not mark the end of these prolonged proceedings. The Government share the view of Mr Johal’s family and many hon. Members that the legal cases should now move forward without continued delays. India is a sovereign democracy with an independent judiciary, and Mr Johal’s legal proceedings are a matter for the Indian courts. We have made clear to the Government of India our interest in the legal petitions put forward by Mr Johal’s defence team, and our expectation that they will be heard. We continue to raise our interest and concerns with the Government of India at every appropriate opportunity, pressing for a full and fair resolution through the courts, and that must include an investigation into his allegations of torture and mistreatment.

Let me cover some points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire and Members from across the House on two important areas. One is around the sustained campaign on Mr Johal’s case. I assure the House that I have seen the co-ordinated effort of Ministers, including many Prime Ministers. I do not say that in jest; it is a matter of fact that we have had a number of Prime Ministers in recent times. They go all the way from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the most recent former Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. The case has also been raised most recently by the Foreign Secretary. I argue that a sustained and co-ordinated piece of work is being undertaken by British Ministers of successive Governments of all colours to secure a way forward for Mr Johal.

My hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire rightly challenged me, as the Minister with responsibility in this area, on the work on the UK-India trade deal. That issue was also raised by a number of my hon. Friends. I assure the House that any support or negotiations on consular matters are not connected to our work on trade deals, and we continue to raise Mr Johal’s case.

Let me conclude by reiterating that the Government remain fully engaged in Mr Johal’s case. His release on bail after nearly nine years in detention is an important and welcome moment for him and his family, but significant legal proceedings remain outstanding. As I have said, we will therefore continue to press the Government of India for a prompt, full and just resolution to Mr Johal’s cases in India’s independent legal system, and we will continue to provide consular assistance. After nine painful years, Mr Johal and his family deserve to see these long-running legal proceedings move forward, and the Government will do everything that they can to support that outcome.

Question put and agreed to.

Nepal: UK Government Support

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Wednesday 14th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship for the first time, Ms McVey. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central (Matt Rodda) for securing this debate to discuss the devastating floods that struck Nepal in August. I thank Members for their contributions to what has been a thoughtful and well-informed debate and for the way in which they have spoken about the impact of this tragedy on the people of Nepal and communities here in the United Kingdom. May I pay my own tribute to the British Nepali community in the UK? Our long-standing friendship is one that we are deeply proud of, and I pay tribute to not just the people here today but those across our communities in the United Kingdom.

The UK stands with Nepal in its time of grief. Our deepest condolences are with those who have lost loved ones and their livelihoods. The scale of this tragedy has been immense. Thousands of families have been affected, communities destroyed and critical infrastructure damaged across some of Nepal’s most vulnerable regions. More than 1,455 people have tragically lost their lives, including British nationals, and many more remain missing. Our thoughts are with the thousands of Nepalis living in the UK, who have watched events unfold with deep concern and personal anguish, and I join Members in acknowledging the dedication of the search and rescue teams, emergency responders and volunteers who have worked tirelessly in extremely challenging conditions.

Against that backdrop, the United Kingdom moved quickly to support those affected. An FCDO rapid deployment team supported the consular response in the region. We are co-ordinating closely with Nepali and Chinese authorities, while specialist police family liaison officers are supporting British families in the UK. As many Members have referenced, we also announced £5 million in humanitarian assistance to support the immediate relief efforts. That funding is helping trusted humanitarian partners to provide emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation services, protection support, health assistance and other lifesaving interventions for those affected by the floods. To answer one of the shadow Minister’s questions, we are tracking the funding through those trusted UN partners and ensuring that the money is going to where it is needed. Humanitarian and engineering experts have also supported the response and assessment effort.

I would like to recognise, in particular, the remarkable response from the Government and people of Nepal. Faced with one of the most devastating disasters in the country’s recent history, Nepal’s authorities mobilised rescue operations at scale, supported displaced communities and began the immense task of recovery and reconstruction. We pay tribute to their professionalism, resilience and determination.

In answering Members’ questions as I go through my speech, I start with the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon). I thank him for his warm words about me; they are reciprocal. He is a constant force in this House and a constant advocate for freedom of religion and belief. He knows of my personal commitment as the Minister responsible for this particular area of policy. Nepal is officially a secular country, but I want to reassure him that we do offer support to communities, including Christian communities, to ensure that the humanitarian funding and aid we are allocating is received in the correct way in different communities.

The UK and Nepal have a long-standing partnership on climate action. Many Members, including my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) and my hon. Friends the Members for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas) and for Basingstoke (Luke Murphy), mentioned the need for us to have more collaboration in this space, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

In Nepal and globally, climate change is increasingly becoming a national security issue, and it has been at the forefront of the new Foreign Secretary’s focus. Melting Himalayan glaciers and more extreme weather across the Hindu Kush Himalaya are driving cascading disasters, threatening lives, infrastructure, energy systems and economic growth. The recent Rasuwa-Bhote Koshi floods showed how a single climate-related event can disrupt trade, hydropower, transport and livelihoods simultaneously.

To answer questions from my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East and my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow West on climate and disaster resilience, the UK Government believe that is central to how we deliver reconstruction and build our partnership with Nepal. That is not just through reconstruction but science, modelling, engineering and practical hazard intelligence and resilience.

I assure all Members that the next steps mean working bilaterally and multilaterally in a period of recovery on how we can build resilient infrastructure. Later in my speech, I will go further into how we can work multilaterally with the international financial systems to offer more support on wider reconstruction.

As climate shocks become more frequent and unpredictable, they risk eroding hard-won development gains, as has been mentioned, increasing vulnerability and imposing significant economic costs. My hon. Friends the Members for Reading Central and for Harrow West challenged me on the point that climate damage does not happen only in coastal communities but in countries impacted by melting glaciers and the wider challenges of climate change. For Nepal, that could not be more stark. Nepal is a mountainous country, and climate resilience is, therefore, not just an environmental priority but a foundation for future prosperity and stability. That is why we are repositioning elements of our development partnership to support Nepal’s recovery and resilience agenda. I pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Feltham and Heston (Seema Malhotra) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as a former Indo-Pacific Minister. She is right to highlight some of the challenges that we must now put in the multilateral space.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East also challenged me on multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding), challenged me on words to action. That is why I am pleased to confirm that on 24 September, during UN High-Level Week, the Foreign Secretary convened a multilateral meeting of Ministers from Australia, Kenya and across the European Union, and announced a specific fund from the UK Government of £333 million for climate-driven instability and resilience projects for vulnerable communities impacted by climate change. That will, of course, apply to countries such as Nepal.

No bilateral donor can finance construction at the scale required. My hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke mentioned the World Bank; it has estimated that damage and reconstruction costs run into billions of US dollars. Our role is, therefore, not simply to provide aid but to help shape much larger flows of international finance.

The Foreign Secretary has made it clear that climate and development finance must increasingly focus on preparedness and resilience. Through our engagement with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and other institutions, we are encouraging approaches to invest earlier in resilience with early-warning systems, disaster-risk finance and climate adaptation, which are key to how we move our work forward internationally.

[Monica Harding]

Is the Minister confident that the work of British International Investment, particularly in Nepal, is targeted on climate resilience and adaptation?

[Chris Elmore]

It is the absolute focus. I will talk further about the Foreign Secretary’s engagement with the World Bank this week, and hope to answer her in more detail. We want international financial systems to become better at helping countries at risk to prepare for foreseeable climate shocks. That was an important part of the United Kingdom’s engagement at the UN General Assembly in September. I was pleased to meet the Nepalese Foreign Minister to discuss some of the challenges they are experiencing post the climate event, and how we can work more collaboratively.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the strong links between environmental pressures, climate vulnerability and broader security and stability challenges. The World Bank annual meetings this week provide another opportunity to advance progress on that agenda. The Foreign Secretary will speak alongside Nepal’s Finance Minister to highlight UK support for strengthening hazard intelligence and early-warning systems in Nepal, and for ensuring that crisis financing is available when countries need it most. To answer the Liberal Democrat spokesperson’s question, I do think so, because that work is being led by the Foreign Secretary at the World Bank this week with the Nepalese Finance Minister.

Alongside our work through international institutions, we have maintained close engagement with Nepal through the communities here in the United Kingdom. Many Members rightly raised that today. As has been mentioned, the Minister for Indo-Pacific visited Nepal in the immediate aftermath of the floods, becoming the first foreign ministerial visitor and demonstrating the UK’s solidarity with Nepal at a difficult moment. As our response has evolved, Ministers have maintained regular dialogue with Nepalese community leaders, group representatives and the all-party parliamentary group, to whom I pay tribute.

On 2 September, the Minister for Consular Services, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), visited the South London Sanatan Mandir in Coulsdon to convey condolences to the affected temple community. The Minister for Indo-Pacific, my noble Friend Baroness Winterton, also held an online meeting with representatives of the Nepalese diaspora in the UK on 4 September to update them on the UK’s support. Those conversations matter. The Nepalese community in the UK maintains deep family, cultural and economic ties with Nepal, and many have been personally affected by these events. Their experiences, insights and concerns continue to inform our understanding of the situation on the ground and of the support that will be required in the months and years ahead.

Many Members have paid tribute to the Gurkhas. I would like to add my own tribute for their long-standing solidarity, not just through the British military but through our shared history across conflicts since the first world war. On pensions, I will ensure that every Member, including the shadow Minister and my hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central, will get a written response from the Ministry of Defence. It is led by the Department, but I will ensure that a response is given to all hon. and right hon. colleagues.

Consular support is ongoing. UK police family liaison officers continue to support affected families in the UK where appropriate. FCDO officials continue to liaise with Nepalese and Chinese authorities to establish facts and support families, and we are aware of 36 British nationals who remain missing. As reconstruction progresses, we will continue to work through what more we can do to support families in the UK, particularly as we wait for the missing to hopefully be found.

I have some brief final points on trade and investment between Nepal and the UK. I reassure hon. Members that we are working with Nepal on what is important to them and I will keep the House updated on that work. Rather than committing to something today, it will be an ongoing piece of work that we will do with Nepal to see what works between us.

In moments of crisis, friendship is underlined not only through words of sympathy but through practical action. We will continue to use our voice in multilateral institutions and international forums to ensure that Nepal’s needs remain firmly on the international agenda. The Nepalese people have shown extraordinary courage in the face of immense tragedy and the United Kingdom stands with them as they begin to rebuild and look to the future.

Venezuela: Diplomatic Relations

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Tuesday 15th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

The United Kingdom has long supported the right of all Venezuelan people to shape their own future through a peaceful, democratic process. We remain steadfast in our commitment to free, fair elections, and the promotion of human rights and other fundamental freedoms in Venezuela.

Developments in Venezuela since 3 January have created an important opportunity for the international community to support the restoration of democracy. Working closely with the United States and with international partners, the UK considers that this moment calls for pragmatic engagement to help advance a credible transition and to encourage further reforms. We welcome the Venezuelan-led political talks between Jorge Rodriguez and Dinorah Figuera, and the progress already achieved through this process to date.

Accordingly, the Government have decided to upgrade their diplomatic relations with Venezuela. We will deepen our engagement with the Interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, and with her Government in pursuit of UK priorities. As part of this approach, the UK and Venezuela have agreed our intention to upgrade our representation to ambassador.

Upgrading our relations will strengthen our ability to play a constructive role in support of a democratic transition. It will enable us to advocate more effectively for the upholding of human rights, and play a role in the recovery and reconstruction of the country following the devastating earthquakes of 24 June. It will enhance our capacity to support British nationals, and promote UK businesses in Venezuela, and it will enable us to contribute positively to regional stability and the security of our overseas territories in the Caribbean.

This decision is part of a broader international re-engagement, in which key partners and multilateral institutions are also re-establishing or upgrading their relationships with Venezuela, based on a shared understanding that engagement, both constructive and challenging, is the best way to influence outcomes on the ground.

This approach does not represent any change in the UK’s assessment of recent electoral processes, including those held in 2024, nor does it signify endorsement of any party. The UK’s long-standing position is to recognise states, not Governments.

The UK’s priority remains working towards a peaceful, democratic transition that reflects the will of all Venezuelans. I will keep the House informed as our approach develops.

[HCWS349]

Nepal-China Flash Flooding

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Friday 11th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific (Baroness Winterton of Doncaster) has today made the following statement:

I am sure the whole House will join me in expressing our deepest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods following the devastating floods on the Nepal-China border.

I am writing to update the House on the impact of the floods and on the support the United Kingdom is providing in response.

The flooding has caused significant loss of life and extensive humanitarian need. As of 8 September, Nepalese authorities report 1,357 fatalities, 5,326 people missing, 6,827 injured and 13,583 rescued. As of 6 September, Chinese media report 43 dead and 519 missing. Damaged infrastructure and disrupted communications continue to hamper the delivery of assistance and the assessment of the disaster’s full impact. Immediate priorities include emergency shelter, food, safe water and sanitation, healthcare, essential relief items and protection services.

The UK stands with the people of Nepal and China through this tragedy. I pay tribute to the emergency responders, Government authorities, humanitarian organisations and community volunteers working tirelessly in extremely difficult circumstances.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the Prime Minister announced a £5 million package for lifesaving humanitarian assistance for Nepal. This support is being delivered through the Red Cross, Start Fund Nepal and UN agencies, providing clean water, sanitation, shelter, medical care and co-ordinated emergency support. A central part of the UK’s approach is to work through organisations that can reach affected communities quickly and effectively. UK contributions to pooled funds and multilateral development banks, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies disaster relief emergency fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, are also helping to mobilise large-scale financial support. A multidisciplinary UK humanitarian team has also been deployed to assess evolving needs and help ensure assistance is delivered effectively. The United Kingdom’s response is being delivered in support of, and in co-ordination with, the Government of Nepal’s relief and recovery efforts.

This support builds on the UK’s long-standing contribution to strengthening Nepal’s resilience to climate-related disasters, with more than £100 million provided over the last 15 years. UK-supported institutions, including Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and humanitarian logistics systems, are playing a central role in the current response. British science, research and technical expertise have also helped Nepal prepare for and manage natural disasters over many years, including through Met Office support on forecasting and work by Durham, Northumbria and Edinburgh Universities on early warning, contingency planning and glacier change.

The UK has not received a request for assistance from the Chinese authorities but stands ready to offer support to those affected.

I visited Nepal last week to demonstrate the UK’s solidarity and hear directly from those co-ordinating the response and recovery effort, including the Nepalese Government, the UN and other agencies.

The United Kingdom’s response has involved close co-ordination across Government, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Met Office and other departments.

Our consular teams continue to work intensively to support British nationals and their families. UK police family liaison officers are supporting affected families. We recognise that families understandably want clear and rapid answers. We have written to affected families and spoken to diaspora representatives, and we will continue to work with the Nepalese and Chinese authorities to pursue every credible avenue, while avoiding unverified information or false expectations. Travel advice for British nationals is being updated regularly to reflect the evolving situation.

We have reinforced the British embassies in Beijing and Kathmandu with additional staff and deployed two disaster victim identification experts to Kathmandu. They are engaging with the Nepalese authorities and assessing what further support may be appropriate.

As recovery efforts continue, the United Kingdom will remain a steadfast partner to Nepal. We will continue to help meet urgent humanitarian needs, support vulnerable people and contribute to longer-term recovery and reconstruction.

The thoughts of the Government remain with all those affected by this tragedy.

[HCWS336]

British Council: Long-term Restructuring

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

The FCDO, the British Council and HM Treasury have formally agreed the long-term restructuring of the British Council’s £197 million loan. This is underpinned by a five-year restructuring plan to bring the British Council back into profitability across its commercial business.

This agreement provides a balance between ensuring full repayment of the loan, and therefore protecting the interests of the taxpayer, while enabling the British Council to deliver as one of the UK’s most important soft power levers.

The core tenets of the agreement are:

the loan will be restructured for a 15-year term until 2041, with a pause on capital repayments for a five-year period;

from financial year 2031-32, capital repayments will be paid in equal instalments for the remaining 10-year period, ensuring full repayment of the loan;

the loan will be provided on commercial terms, as required by the Subsidy Control Act 2022, in recognition of the British Council’s commercial teaching and exams business;

where possible, and subject to legal compliance in local jurisdictions, the FCDO is supporting the British Council in accessing local currency trapped overseas due to exchange controls. This trapped cash is expected to substantially cover the annual interest charge due on the loan; and

the five-year restructuring plan involves a significant efficiency drive, including the sale of assets to the value of £130 million, which will be reinvested back into the British Council business.

The British Council is now able to refocus on delivering against the turnaround plan and core remit: to promote UK values and interests overseas through its work in arts and culture, education and the promotion of the English language.

[HCWS317]

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Tuesday 1st September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bradley Thomas (Bromsgrove) (Con)]

7. What assessment he has made of the level of threat China poses to UK interests.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

This Government fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, from cyber-attacks, foreign interference and espionage targeting our domestic institutions to the transnational repression of Hongkongers. Yet China, as the world’s second largest economy and the UK’s third largest trading partner, presents the UK with opportunities—not engaging is no choice at all. Our approach to China is consistent: we will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.

[Bradley Thomas]

It is good to hear the Minister acknowledge that China is a threat. The directors of GCHQ and MI5 have been clear that China presents the most significant state-based threat to the UK. The Government have previously talked about their China audit; will they commit to publishing it in full?

[Chris Elmore]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, there have been a series of questions on this issue in recent times. I am happy to update him again in writing.

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

We have all seen the corrosive impact of the Chinese Government’s policies in Africa, in the south Pacific and throughout the Commonwealth. That is as important for our national interest as it is for the countries affected. What are we doing about it?

[Chris Elmore]

We continue to work internationally. My hon. Friend will know that I am also the Commonwealth Minister, and part of that work involves showing that some of the United Kingdom’s most important relationships are with those countries, whether across Africa or in the Caribbean.

[Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)]

Nine weeks ago, the Government were told that Chinese embassy guards were brandishing prohibited electroshock weapons and threatening peaceful vigil holders with them. The Chinese Communist party either breached articles 41 and 27 of the Vienna convention, or it procured these weapons illegally in the UK. The Chinese Communist party will not waive diplomatic immunity, so when will Ministers stop hiding behind a dead-end Metropolitan police investigation and do something to deter future hostilities in the UK?

[Chris Elmore]

Let me be clear: any attempt by a foreign state to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm individuals on UK soil will never be tolerated, but the hon. Lady knows as well as I do that there is a live investigation by the Metropolitan police. Members of this House should respect the fact that the Metropolitan police are investigating. Frankly, she knows better, and I hope that she will wait for the investigation. That is when we will listen to what it has to say.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank the Minister for his comments about the terrible floods in Nepal. A number of residents in my constituency have lost family in the region, and they will be listening to what the Government have to say on the issue.

What work is the Minister doing with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the important issue of online disinformation? We know that a lot of that disinformation comes from bad state actors.

[Chris Elmore]

My hon. Friend will know that we work across Government to tackle disinformation. Within my portfolio we have increased funding for the BBC World Service, which is the most trusted newscaster across the world. That is a way in which the Foreign Office tackles disinformation.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

The new shadow Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge (Tom Tugendhat), is in Taipei, where Taiwan’s Defence Ministry has warned that an increasingly unpredictable China is intensifying preparations to blockade and encircle the island. That comes in the same week that the US exposed another extensive Chinese state-sponsored hacking operation against Government institutions and critical networks. With Beijing threatening Taiwan, targeting our allies and conducting espionage against this country, will the Foreign Secretary finally state plainly that China poses a threat to British interests, and will he place China in the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme?

[Chris Elmore]

The right hon. Lady knows that we keep all these things under review. As ever, I am happy to write to her.

--- Later in debate ---

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

T9. Around the world, countries such as Seychelles are leading the way in decriminalising same-sex acts, while others, such as Ghana, are passing appalling new laws that attack the LGBT+ community simply for being who they are. Can the Minister assure the House that the UK is doing all it can to work with like-minded countries around the world to advance equality and protect the fundamental rights of LGBT+ people?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this issue, and I was pleased to confirm to the House back in May the £21 million fund over three years to advance LGBTQ rights internationally. This Government will always support the international rights of LGBT people for evermore.

[Chris Law (Dundee Central) (SNP)]

T5. It is beyond doubt that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories are illegal, and the Foreign Secretary has stated that sanctions for those who participate in illegal settlement expansion will be brought forward. Sadly, Labour MPs in this House are trying to prevent that on the basis that it could result in retaliatory measures from the US. Can the Foreign Secretary assure the House that the UK’s adherence to international law will not be traded away, that the rights of the Palestinian people are not bargaining chips, and that he will not be bullied by Back Benchers or President Trump into allowing continued settler violence and the deliberate destruction of the two-state solution?

Official Development Assistance: Programme Country and Regional Allocations

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

The Minister of State for International Development and Africa, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington, has today made the following statement:

The FCDO official development assistance programme allocations that I set out on 19 March 2026 (HCWS1425) reflect how we are modernising and improving our approach to international development, following a year spent reviewing our priorities and redefining how we work.

In that statement, we did not publish individual country allocations. This was to allow our teams across the network to communicate with their host Governments before we published country allocations. Today I am updating the House with the FCDO’s ODA programme country and regional allocations from 2026-27 to 2028-29.

As I set out in March, the world has changed dramatically in the last three decades. Crises and instability across the world undermine our security and prosperity at home, as we have seen play out in the strait of Hormuz. Poverty, insecurity and climate risks are increasingly concentrated in fragile and conflict-affected states. New actors are shaping global development, and the countries we work with today want genuine partnership, not the paternalism of the past.

In reaction to this, we are modernising and improving our approach to have the greatest impact abroad and secure the best value for money for taxpayers at home. We are sharpening our focus on priorities that align with partner needs, UK public interest, and where we can drive real change. The changes we are making are encapsulated in four shifts, as we move from donor to investor, from service delivery to systems strengthening, grants to expertise, and international intervention to local leadership. Our policy paper, published today on gov.uk. sets out our approach in greater detail.

Our bilateral programmes are being transformed. We will prioritise bilateral ODA where humanitarian needs are most acute, including fully protecting bilateral ODA allocations to Ukraine, Palestine and Sudan. The proportion of spending in FCAS will increase by around 13 percentage points to over 70% of all country and regional spending by 2028-29.

In other contexts, we will transition away from spending high levels of grant ODA, but our ambition and effort will remain high—our bilateral programmes will support partnerships with Governments to strengthen systems, leverage finance and move away from reliance on aid. Our work will be focused on areas that transform lives and build stability, and it will be demand-led, including: meeting the most basic need with lifesaving humanitarian assistance; supporting women and girls and helping them thrive; keeping children learning, even in conflict; upholding international humanitarian law and protecting vulnerable populations; strengthening health security; creating jobs and economic opportunity; and investing in climate action that protects people and prevents future crises.

We are limiting reductions of bilateral aid to humanitarian crises across the middle east and north Africa, and south Asia and Afghanistan, including in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. We will phase out FCDO bilateral country allocations to G20 countries, except in Turkey, where we help to share the burden on account of their hosting of refugees.

We expect that well over £1 billion per year of UK multilateral ODA will go to sub-Saharan Africa, as measured by imputed multilateral share statistics. That is because of our choices to increase our contribution to the World Bank’s International Development Association—which delivers around two-thirds of its work in Africa—and maintaining strong support for the African Development Fund. Factoring in imputed multilateral ODA and bilateral programmes that operate in sub-Saharan Africa but which are managed from the UK, we expect the share of FCDO ODA to sub-Saharan Africa to stay approximately the same—at around one third—compared to recent years.¹ Moreover, British International Investment—the UK’s development finance institution—invests 60% of its portfolio in Africa. The UK’s new Africa approach recognises that delivering strong partnerships requires looking beyond aid, consistent with our modern international development approach. It is a shift towards modern, equal partnerships based on shared interests and using the full range of UK tools, not just ODA.

This reflects the broader shift that we are making to our bilateral partnerships. To support progress on shared global challenges, we need long-term, resilient partnerships. Stakeholders increasingly expect a more equal partnership with the UK. We need a systematic and coherent approach to build trust and credibility and to shift toward genuine, equitable partnership. We need to build partnerships beyond short-term transactions; partnerships that foster long-term co-operation based on ideas of mutuality—mutual respect, interest, accountability and learning.

Although we will prioritise funding where humanitarian needs are most acute, in other countries our ambition and effort will remain high—shifting to a demand-led partnership model that makes the most of what the whole UK has to offer. Our country network will have the flexibility and autonomy to deliver development interventions in the sectors that our partners want and need.

Our bilateral allocations will be complemented by a full spectrum of work. We are increasing the share of FCDO ODA we spend through multilaterals, targeted strategically towards the most effective multilateral organisations, such as the World Bank’s International Development Association, where each £1 we invest unlocks £4 of additional finance. BII’s £6.6 billion portfolio will help deliver the UK’s shift from donor to investor. Our international climate finance will balance support between mitigation and adaptation and maintain a focus on nature. A range of communities of expertise will work with countries to access trusted policy advice and strengthen systems.

Setting three years of ODA programme allocations provides teams with the predictability required to manage the transition to spending 0.3% of GNI on ODA. All plans are subject to revision as, by its nature, the Department’s work is dynamic. Programme allocations are continually reviewed to respond to changing global needs.

See table “FCDO country and regional ODA programme allocations 2026-27 to 2028-29”, which is available at:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-07-16/HCWS287

¹ Based on internal FCDO analysis forecasting FCDO region specific bilateral spend and UK imputed multilateral share data, compared to 2022-25 statistics on international development.

[HCWS287]

Official Development Assistance Target

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa, the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington, has today made the following statement:

The FCDO’s annual report and accounts 2025-26 reports that in 2025, on a provisional basis, the United Kingdom did not meet its target to spend the equivalent of 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance.

The International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 envisages situations in which a departure from meeting the target of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA may be necessary, including due to economic circumstances, fiscal circumstances and circumstances arising outside the UK. The fiscal circumstances did not allow for ODA spending to be returned to 0.7% of GNI in 2025.

This Government are committed to restoring ODA spending at the level of 0.7% of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. The principles for a return will be met when, on a sustainable basis, the Government are not borrowing for day-to-day spending and underlying debt is falling. We will monitor future forecasts closely against these tests. The latest forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility indicates that the tests will not be met in this Parliament. The Government are working hard to create the conditions to enable the ODA fiscal tests to be met by prioritising growth—stronger growth will help in time to get underlying debt down.

As required by section 2 of the 2015 Act, an Unnumbered Act Paper has been laid before Parliament and is in the same terms as this statement.

[HCWS288]

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Chris Elmore Excerpts

Thursday 9th July 2026 Written Corrections

The following extract is from the Westminster Hall debate on UK Aid Policy: Global Funding Trends on 7 July 2026.

[Chris Elmore]

… I briefly want to answer the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West (Dr Cooper) about polio. I reassure her that we are doing our utmost by investing £1.5 billion in Gavi between 2026 and 2030.

[Official Report, 7 July 2026; Vol. 789, c. 68WH.]

Written correction submitted by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the hon. Member for Bridgend (Chris Elmore):

[Chris Elmore]

… I briefly want to answer the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West (Dr Cooper) about polio. I reassure her that we are doing our utmost by investing £1.25 billion in Gavi between 2026 and 2030.