Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made towards the introduction of a new China Fast Stream.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made to the House by the previous Foreign Secretary on 24 June 2025. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is enhancing the talent pipeline of China experts by creating a specialised China Pathway within the FCDO's Fast Stream programmes. Starting with the 2026 Fast Stream intake, the China Pathway will enable a small number of new entrants to undertake a structured programme of China-focused jobs and training, including in Mandarin Chinese.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide specific (a) support and (b) funding to co-operative enterprises as part of its international aid strategy.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world.
Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.
Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.