Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his (a) Israeli and (b) Maltese counterpart on the reported drone attack on the vessel Conscience in international waters.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
His Majesty's Government officials were in touch with the Maltese Authorities regarding the incident and understand there were no casualties and that no British nationals were aboard this vessel. We continue to discuss with Israeli counterparts the urgent need for the Israeli Government to permit the full and unhindered resumption of the flow of aid into Gaza. Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately. As we've said, the most effective way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale that is needed is via overland routes.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the seizure of the UK-flagged civilian ship Madleen by Israeli forces in international waters.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the interception of the Madleen and the arrest of its passengers by Israeli Naval Forces. We note that this happened without serious incident or injury to any passenger. We pressed the Israeli authorities in advance of the ship's arrival to ensure that any action they took would resolve the situation safely, with restraint, and in line with International Law. The UK continues to demand that the Israeli government permits the full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza immediately. By far the most effective way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale that is needed is via overland routes. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is appalling. We reiterate that Israel must immediately allow the UN and other agencies to deliver lifesaving aid to those in Gaza who so desperately need it.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will launch an investigation into reported drone attacks on the vessel Conscience in international waters off Malta.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of an incident in May regarding a vessel off the coast of Malta. His Majesty's Government officials were in touch with the Maltese Authorities regarding the incident and understand there were no casualties and that no British nationals were aboard this vessel. We are not planning an investigation into the incident but continue to be in contact with Maltese Authorities if any new information regarding the incident becomes available.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 58701 on USA: British Nationals Abroad, if he will make representations to his US counterpart on the potential merits of protecting the green card data of British citizens in line with GDPR standards, in the context of the work of the US Department of Government Efficiency.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary regularly discusses a range of bilateral issues with his US counterpart, and officials are regularly in touch with US authorities on consular and immigration issues which may affect British Nationals living in the US. Data collected by the US Government as part of their own processes is subject to US law, which is a sovereign matter for the US.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the his US counterpart on UK citizens with a green card data.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has not had any recent discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about green card data, or UK citizens with green cards.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the US paid for the sub rental of Diego Garcia in the last financial year.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As agreed in the US-UK Exchange of Notes which governs the US use of Diego Garcia, there is no direct payment between the US and the UK for use of the base. The US pays for the operating and maintenance costs of the Naval Support Facility on Diego Garcia, which are significant. The US supports the Treaty, with US Secretary of State Rubio publicly noting that the Treaty "secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia".
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK-US sub-rental of Diego Garcia atoll will be offset in the next financial year by the same year's equivalent payment of the UK's exit deal of the Chagos islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As agreed in the US-UK Exchange of Notes which governs the US use of Diego Garcia, there is no direct payment between the US and the UK for use of the base. The US pays for the operating and maintenance costs of the Naval Support Facility on Diego Garcia, which are significant. The US supports the Treaty, with US Secretary of State Rubio publicly noting that the Treaty "secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia".
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he bring forward legislative proposals to regulate maps used in the UK to ensure that the Gulf of Mexico is not referred to by other names.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to follow the guidance of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN) who advise His Majesty's Government on policies and procedures for the representation of geographical names for places and features outside the UK, excluding those of the Antarctic. For names of international maritime features beyond any sovereignty, PCGN usually advises reflecting the common English conventional name, which for this body of water is the 'Gulf of Mexico'.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of (i) lithium, (ii) nickel, (iii) cobalt, (iv) manganese and (v) graphite entering the UK from international mining operations that are potentially involved in human rights violations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to promoting responsible business practice to reduce and prevent human rights violations. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables business to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition, promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that imports of (a) lithium, (b) nickel, (c) cobalt, (d) manganese and (e) graphite do not come from mining operations that commit human rights violations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to promoting responsible business practice to reduce and prevent human rights violations. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables business to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition, promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.