Lord Boateng

The government has not made an assessment, and has not raised the return of contested sacred objects with British Museum trustees.

The British Museum operates independently of the government. Decisions relating to the care and management of its collections, including the Ethiopian tabots, are a matter for its trustees.

The British Museum has a longstanding and cordial relationship with senior members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, both in Ethiopia and in London. The museum recognises the significance of the tabots and has held meaningful talks with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on this issue. The tabots are housed in a special location in the museum which is maintained in consultation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and overseen by a committed curatorial and conservation team. The tabots are available to be visited by Ethiopian Orthodox priests and prelates which is reflective of Church practices.

The museum’s stated ambition is to lend the tabots to an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the UK where they can be cared for by the clergy within their traditions.

The government has not made an assessment, and has not raised the return of contested sacred objects with British Museum trustees.

The British Museum operates independently of the government. Decisions relating to the care and management of its collections, including the Ethiopian tabots, are a matter for its trustees.

The British Museum has a longstanding and cordial relationship with senior members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, both in Ethiopia and in London. The museum recognises the significance of the tabots and has held meaningful talks with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on this issue. The tabots are housed in a special location in the museum which is maintained in consultation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and overseen by a committed curatorial and conservation team. The tabots are available to be visited by Ethiopian Orthodox priests and prelates which is reflective of Church practices.

The museum’s stated ambition is to lend the tabots to an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the UK where they can be cared for by the clergy within their traditions.

Museums which have public collections are independent of government and decisions related to their collections are for their trustees to make.

The Human Tissue Act 2004 allows national museums to remove human remains from their collections provided that they are reasonably believed to be remains of a person who died less than 1,000 years before the day the relevant section came into force.

DCMS issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums in 2005 which encouraged museums to establish an advisory framework to assist in determining repatriation claims and provided a set of criteria which need to be taken into account in assessing claims.

A number of museums have returned human remains over the last few years, including the Pitt Rivers museum to Aboriginal communities in Australia, the Natural History Museum to the Moriori community in New Zealand, and the National Army Museum returning locks of hair of Emperor Tewodros II to Ethiopia.

It is for businesses and auction rooms to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004. Those who sell or purchase human remains may also be subject to their own professional standards and codes of conduct.

Museums which have public collections are independent of government and decisions related to their collections are for their trustees to make.

The Human Tissue Act 2004 allows national museums to remove human remains from their collections provided that they are reasonably believed to be remains of a person who died less than 1,000 years before the day the relevant section came into force.

DCMS issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums in 2005 which encouraged museums to establish an advisory framework to assist in determining repatriation claims and provided a set of criteria which need to be taken into account in assessing claims.

A number of museums have returned human remains over the last few years, including the Pitt Rivers museum to Aboriginal communities in Australia, the Natural History Museum to the Moriori community in New Zealand, and the National Army Museum returning locks of hair of Emperor Tewodros II to Ethiopia.

It is for businesses and auction rooms to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004. Those who sell or purchase human remains may also be subject to their own professional standards and codes of conduct.

Music and dance are both important parts of a rich and broad school curriculum, underpinned by the existing national curriculum programmes of study for music from age 5 to 14 and for physical education (PE) from age 5 to 16, which incorporates dance.

The government recently announced the independent expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review. This will seek to deliver a broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.

The Review will ensure that the new curriculum provides breadth of opportunity for every child and young person, including supporting their cultural development and allowing them to develop their creativity.

The government will also take more immediate action by launching a National Music Education Network to help parents, teachers and children to find courses and classes. In addition, the department will enable children to be more active by protecting time for PE. We will also support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16 and ensure accountability measures reflect this.

The UK congratulates Somalilanders for peacefully exercising their right to vote on 13 November. We commend the National Electoral Commission for conducting a transparent voter registration and candidate nomination process and note that the preliminary assessment from observers has been that the election process was largely credible, transparent and inclusive. We stand ready to work alongside Somaliland to further strengthen democracy and accountability in the future.

The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence. It is for authorities in Mogadishu and Hargeisa to resolve Somaliland's status through dialogue and broad consultation.

The UK recognises the important role that African Union (AU) peace support operations play in delivering peace and security in Africa. The UK has voluntarily contributed £70 million to the AU mission in Somalia since 2022, in addition to providing £68.7 million through UN Assessed Contributions due to the mission's UN mandated support. The UK has also long provided technical advice on peacekeeping to the AU and helped train peacekeepers for the AU Mission in Somalia through the British Peace Support Team (Africa).

The UK is monitoring the increase in terrorism and violent extremism in Burkina Faso. Rising insecurity has contributed to an alarming increase in identity-based violence and atrocities, including by Islamic extremist groups and state forces.

I have discussed the impact of the security challenges faced by Burkina Faso and the Sahel with regional neighbours, including Senegalese PM Sonko, Ghana, Algeria, Mauritania and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.

The UK is providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year, to provide humanitarian support and address the drivers of conflict.

The UK is aware of reports of massacres of civilians by Burkinabe military forces in late February in the villages of Nondin and Soro in Burkina Faso's Yatenga province. On 29 April, the UK and USA issued a joint statement condemning the alleged violence against civilians and the subsequent media suspensions by the Burkinabe authorities. We have called on the Burkina Faso authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of these massacres and hold those responsible to account.

UK technical and diplomatic support has been instrumental in the establishment of the anti-war, pro-democracy Taqaddum coalition, led by former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. I have recently met Hamdok and the UK will continue to support civil society groups seeking to alleviate suffering, protect civilians and end the conflict in Sudan.

The death and destruction in Gaza are intolerable. The UK is pushing for an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop, the hostages must be released and much more aid must enter Gaza. A deal is on the table and we are urging both sides to show flexibility. The civil society organisations we work with are valuable partners of the government and we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with them closely.

Civil society organisations in Burkina Faso also play an important role in conflict resolution and peacekeeping, despite facing significant challenges. We are supporting efforts by civil society organisations to facilitate land conflict resolution, promote gender and social inclusion, and support survivors of gender-based violence.