Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help secure a ceasefire in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are using all levers at our disposal to bring about an end to the conflict in Sudan. As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, the UK continues to call out atrocities committed in Sudan and press for a peaceful end to the conflict. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary gathered Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from 21 countries and multilateral bodies at the London Sudan Conference. Discussions focussed on how to make progress on shared goals of ending the conflict, protecting civilians and scaling-up the delivery of humanitarian aid. Participants agreed on the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. As detailed in the co-chairs' statement, this is not the end but the start of a process; the UK remains committed to working with the international community to secure a ceasefire in Sudan.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to disburse famine aid quickly across Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access into and within Sudan. During last month's London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. An urgent improvement in access is required to enable aid to be delivered to those in need.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on ending military operations in the northern West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has raised the Israeli operations in the West Bank with his Israeli counterparts. As I made clear in Parliament on 25 February, the UK is seriously concerned by the expansion of Israel's operations in the West Bank. 40,000 Palestinians have reportedly been displaced. Palestinians must be allowed home. Civilians must be protected and the destruction of civilian infrastructure minimised. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. It is in no one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Japan to respond to longstanding correspondence relating to the sinking of the SS Tilawa.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The sinking of the S.S. Tilawa is a tragedy that has touched the lives of so many. Alongside the Prime Minister, I reiterate my heartfelt condolences to all the victims and families affected. On the 80th Anniversary of VEVJ Day this year, the UK will honour the lives lost in all conflicts, including those from the S.S. Tilawa on its important 83rd Anniversary. I cannot comment on the subject of correspondence to the Government of Japan regarding S.S. Tilawa, which is a private and reserved matter.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to mark the 83rd anniversary of the sinking of the SS Tilawa.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The sinking of the S.S. Tilawa is a tragedy that has touched the lives of so many. Alongside the Prime Minister, I reiterate my heartfelt condolences to all the victims and families affected. On the 80th Anniversary of VEVJ Day this year, the UK will honour the lives lost in all conflicts, including those from the S.S. Tilawa on its important 83rd Anniversary. I cannot comment on the subject of correspondence to the Government of Japan regarding S.S. Tilawa, which is a private and reserved matter.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) locally-led mutual aid networks and (b) civil society on funding for peacebuilding programmes.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers meet regularly with mutual assistance networks during their visits to countries facing humanitarian needs. During his visit to the Chad-Sudan border in January 2025, the Foreign Secretary announced £20 million in additional funding to support people in Sudan and Chad, including support to mutual aid groups, such as the Emergency Response Rooms. The previous Minister for Development also met with these networks during recent visits to both Sudan and Ethiopia where they are involved in both relief and peacebuilding, and where we have allocated UK Official Development Assistance to peacebuilding programmes in Tigray. A major purpose of the Integrated Security Fund is to provide support to civil society actors in conflict environments. Similarly, the UK continues to invest in the Peacebuilding Fund, the UN's primary mechanism supporting conflict prevention and peacebuilding activity in over 40 countries including Sudan, South Sudan, West Africa, and the Sahel. The FCDO engages regularly with civil society working on conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including on funding for programmes.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to encourage conflict parties in Sudan to remove (a) travel permits, (b) internal travel notifications for humanitarian staff, (c) unpredictable visa procedures and (d) other bureaucratic barriers to humanitarian access.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access and the bureaucratic impediments placed by the warring parties on relief agencies. At the UN Security Council in December 2024 and again in January this year, we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. The former Minister for Development also engaged directly with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response and the bureaucratic obstacles it faces. In recent bilateral engagements with the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, the UK lobbied against impediments including lengthy delays in the provision of visas for international humanitarian personnel.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help ensure that conflict parties in Sudan facilitate consistent humanitarian access through (a) cross-border and (b) crossline routes.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access. Through a commitment of £226.5 million we are delivering lifesaving aid to over one million people. In April, the Foreign Secretary will convene Foreign Ministers in London to host an event marking the two year anniversary of the conflict. The event aims to increase international attention to the human cost of the conflict and to help deliver a more effective and scaled-up humanitarian response, including more consistent cross-border and crossline access. In February, the former Minister for Development also convened a meeting with her counterparts which sought to strengthen the UN-led international humanitarian response and improve aid access.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) sectors and (b) regions he plans to prioritise following changes to Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consultations he plans to hold with (a) humanitarian and (b) international development (i) partners and (ii) stakeholders on changes to Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.
We are currently working through the details of the Prime Minister's announcement, including engagement with a range of stakeholders. We will continue to work with British International Investment to focus and maximise the impact of its work in line with our missions and the wider geopolitical situation.