Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Doughty Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of future levels of uranium enrichment planned by Iran.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

We have raised the UK’s serious concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme, and that includes the Foreign Secretary raising it directly with Foreign Minister Araghchi. Iran has accumulated over 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60%—a level that goes beyond any credible civilian justification. Iran’s ongoing lack of International Atomic Energy Agency co-operation led us, together with 22 countries, to vote to report Iran to the UN Security Council for its continued non-compliance and refusal to allow inspectors access. A negotiated solution remains the way to address Iran’s nuclear programme, and we are working with partners on that.

[John Cooper]

Iran is tiptoeing towards a bomb. It is an existential threat for our friend and ally Israel. I cannot understand how glad-handing the despotic Tehranian regime and making fake TikTok videos in New York helps world peace. Surely we can do more.

[Stephen Doughty]

With the greatest respect, the Foreign Secretary raised very serious concerns at the highest levels about Iran’s nuclear programme and a series of other issues, just as previous Foreign Secretaries—including many Conservative ones—have raised serious concerns directly with Iran. We are absolutely clear: Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. We are committed to working with others to ensure that it does not.

[George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con)]

3. What assessment his Department has made of the level of strategic importance of the polar regions.

--- Later in debate ---

[Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)]

7. What support his Department is providing to Afghan women and girls.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

We are all deeply alarmed by the systematic discrimination and exclusion of women and girls from public life, education, employment and decision making in Afghanistan. That is why we are providing £105 million a year to support the Afghan people, and our aid reached 5 million Afghans last year, including 3 million women and girls. We continue to press the Taliban directly on women’s rights, and we work through our international partnerships to raise these important issues.

[Wendy Chamberlain]

During Evidence Week, I met Dr Sara Polo to discuss violence against women and girls in conflict areas, including Afghanistan. Although many aspects of the national action plan on women, peace and security are encouraging, academics such as Dr Polo have pointed out that there are areas for improvement, such as including victims of non-sexual violence in NEP initiatives. What discussions has the Minister had with academics about the NEP, and how can academics engage further?

[Stephen Doughty]

We engage with a wide range of experts on these issues, and I would certainly welcome a chance to discuss these matters with the academics the hon. Lady references, but I can absolutely assure her that the Department engages with a huge range of civil society and expert organisations. That is very important in informing our work on these issues.

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

It is not just Afghanistan where we see a rollback in the protection of women and girls. Last week, I was in Sierra Leone, working with parliamentarians there to try to prevent sexual-based violence. As part of that trip, we went to the maternal health unit in Freetown, where the UK has been supporting the health industry for the last 20 years. We cut all of our funding to that last year, which means there is now no money for procurement or for any healthcare in that country. What are we going to do for countries where we have cut all our funding to help them transition in a meaningful way, rather than presenting them, basically, with a death sentence?

[Stephen Doughty]

The Chair of the Select Committee is a long-standing champion on these issues, even before her time chairing the Committee, and she and I have discussed these issues on many occasions. We always welcome a conversation with her about these matters, and I am sure that the Minister for International Development, who has responsibility for Africa, and indeed the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Chris Elmore), who works on preventing sexual violence, would be happy to sit down and discuss these issues with her.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

8. What diplomatic steps he is taking to support UK nationals arbitrarily detained abroad.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

We take all allegations of arbitrary detention very seriously, considering all available information and any opinions issued by the UN working group on arbitrary detention. Our support is tailored to each individual, and may include raising welfare or concerns about process, where needed. Reflecting our commitment to supporting British nationals detained overseas, we have appointed the right hon. Alistair Burt as our first envoy for complex consular detentions to work on these matters, and I am working with him very closely on this.

[Douglas McAllister]

My West Dunbartonshire constituent Jagtar Singh Johal was released on bail 26 days ago, but Jagtar is by no means free. While he may have walked out of Tihar jail, having endured 3,254 days of illegal detention, torture and abuse, he still cannot return home to his family in Dumbarton, and still faces eight outstanding cases and the death penalty. Over the last 26 days, has the Minister escalated Jagtar’s case to the highest diplomatic level?

[Stephen Doughty]

I can confirm that, most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal’s case with his Indian counterpart on 24 September at the UN General Assembly. I will be very clear: we recognise the immense toll that nine years in detention have taken on Mr Johal and his family, and I thank my hon. Friend for his advocacy for his constituent. His release on bail is a welcome development, but we recognise that eight cases remain outstanding, and it is crucial that those processes are resolved as quickly as possible within India’s independent legal system. We consistently raise concerns about his case at every appropriate opportunity.

[Sir Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green) (Con)]

British citizens Ryan Cornelius and his partner have now been detained for 18—nearly 19—years, without due process, by the United Arab Emirates. The reality is that the UAE supports a huge amount of terrorism in Sudan, where it is responsible for huge loss of life. To make matters worse, it has nominated Lana Nusseibeh of the UAE to be UN Secretary-General. Apart from demanding the release of Ryan Cornelius and his partner, will the hon. Gentleman condemn the UAE for its brutal involvement in Sudan, and block its nominee for Secretary-General, who should never be allowed to take over the UN?

[Stephen Doughty]

As the right hon. Member knows, I take the case of Ryan Cornelius and Charles Ridley very seriously, as I do any of the other related cases. I have raised that case with the UAE at a high level, and I will continue to do so. Indeed, I have discussed it with our envoy, Alistair Burt, and I am very happy to discuss it further with him.

On Sudan, as the right hon. Member knows, the international community, including this country, must do more to tackle that crisis. Yesterday, my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend announced further sanctions against suspected perpetrators of sexual violence and other atrocities, including in El-Fasher. We continue to raise concerns with all the countries that are in any way involved in that conflict to urge them to de-escalate, stop arms supplies and bring peace to Sudan.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

When President Trump met Xi Jinping last month, the US President raised with the Chairman the case of imprisoned British citizen Jimmy Lai. Has the Minister had a readout from that conversation, and what can he tell us about his own efforts to bring about Jimmy Lai’s release?

[Stephen Doughty]

The Foreign Secretary and I take this case incredibly seriously, and the Prime Minister also raised it with President Trump. As I have said on a number of occasions, we condemn in the strongest terms the politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai. The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong to silence China’s critics. For someone who is 78, a 20-year sentence is tantamount to a life sentence. We are deeply concerned for his health. This is a priority for the Government, and we raise the case at every possible opportunity, both directly with China and with other partners.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

10. What steps his Department is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Palestine and Gaza.

--- Later in debate ---

[Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)]

With Israelis heading to the polls today, the world will be watching anxiously. Hard-line figures such as Ben-Gvir and Naftali Bennett are emerging as potential kingmakers in the next Government. Given that both have supported policies relating to settlement expansion and the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza, there is real concern that the next Israeli Administration could move even further away from compliance with international law. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that the UK’s commitment to international law is upheld in their relationship with any future Israeli Government?

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

I assure my hon. Friend that the UK’s commitment to international law does not depend on the outcome of elections. We have been clear that settlements are illegal under international law and that Israel must comply with its obligations. We have been clear that the occupation is unlawful.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

Firms such as Thales in Templecombe, Needles and Pins Aerospace in Somerton and Leonardo in Yeovil are at the heart of a Somerset aerospace and advanced engineering sector, yet Britain remains outside the SAFE defence fund. Will the Minister commit to securing UK participation in SAFE and any successor fund on fair terms so that our defence firms and the communities that depend on them are not left behind?