Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Russian interference in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes any attempts by Russia or other states to interfere in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The UK works with BiH authorities and international partners to counter destabilising Russian interference, including to address disinformation campaigns, dependence on Russian energy, and vulnerability to political and economic coercion. We are working to bolster independent media in BiH. This financial year we are investing £400,000 to improve BiH's cyber defences. The UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans reaffirmed our support for BiH's sovereignty during a meeting with BiH Presidency Chair Željko Komšić in London on 4 December.
I met Foreign Minister Konakovic on 5 December in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial meeting to discuss our continued support for peace and stability in BiH and the wider region.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support biodiversity in Colombia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports biodiversity in Colombia through the UK-Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth and a range of other programmes and initiatives, including the Blue Planet Fund, the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate, the Sustainable Forest Territories programme, the Darwin Initiative and Biodiversity Challenge Funds.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) civilian conflict resolution and (b) peacebuilding funding.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 October to question 80942.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to foster dialogue between India and Pakistan on peace in Kashmir.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 82344.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
India and Pakistan are both long-standing, important friends of the UK. We continue to encourage both to engage in dialogue and to find lasting political solutions to support regional stability. The UK has engaged extensively with both countries, as have other key states, in order to encourage India and Pakistan to return to diplomacy. I remain concerned by the potential for future escalation, which neither the region nor the wider world could afford.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of protections for journalists in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 3 October 2025 to question 76551.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
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 European counterparts on export tariffs for the British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise the impact tariffs have on the Overseas Territories exporting to the EU, particularly the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha. These tariffs stem from the fact that the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement agreed by the previous UK government did not cover the Overseas Territories.
We recognise the significant issue of these tariffs for the OTs and industry and continue to engage closely with the Overseas Territories on this and other issues to identify opportunities to improve their trading and business environment, not only with Europe but globally, including securing recent US Government agreement to reduce US tariffs on Falklands exports from a proposed 42 per cent to 10 per cent.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of protests in Nepal.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Nepal share a deep historic relationship. We are appalled at the recent violence and we continue to support fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights in Nepal, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have made public statements condemning the violence and calling for accountability and peaceful dialogue. We are closely monitoring events, alongside our international partners, and we will assess the impact fully when the situation has stabilised. The FCDO continues to support impacted British nationals.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support state-level institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the stability and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), including supporting its state institutions and the Office of the High Representative. On 17 June, the Foreign Secretary and I underlined that commitment to BiH Presidency Members Becirovic and Komsic. We continue to condemn secessionist actions by Milorad Dodik, former President of Republika Srpska, which undermine BiH's stability and state institutions. Our Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes also support the country's state institutions to deliver their mandates. Our projects provide support to the judiciary and have worked to combat corruption and serious organised crime.
I recently discussed the situation in BiH with the European External Action Service and regularly discuss our work to maintain peace and stability with Quint partners. We will host the Berlin Process this autumn.