Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is for laying the agreement with Mauritius before Parliament for ratification.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Following signature, the Treaty will be laid before Parliament in the usual way, consistent with the Constitutional Reform and Governance (CraG) Act 2010. The Government also intends to bring forward a Bill to implement the Treaty in domestic law, as soon as Parliamentary schedule allows.

We will keep the House updated.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support freedom of religion or belief for religious minorities in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians in Syria, including religious and ethnic minorities, publicly and in its engagement with regional and international partners. We are closely monitoring the treatment of religious minorities.

The UK continues to champion Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all in Syria, and beyond. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Promoting FoRB is critical to building a sustainable future for all Syrians, advancing the recognition of cultural and religious diversity, while ensuring equality and human dignity for all.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) public institutions and (b) the civil service in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the fast moving events in Syria, speaking regularly to regional and other partners about the situation. These early discussions have focused on protecting civilians, including minorities, and moving quickly to a political transition. The UK stands ready to support a transition process that leads to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that ensures respect for the rule of law, universal human rights, the protection of all Syrians, transparency and accountability. We are urging all those seeking a role in governing Syria to prevent the collapse of state institutions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he expects Baroness Shafik’s strategic review of international development to be (a) completed and (b) published.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Development Review has been submitted to the Foreign Secretary alongside the Global Impact and Economic Diplomacy reviews. The Development review is being considered by the Foreign Secretary and Minister for International Development. Consideration will then also be given to how best to communicate the independent reviews' findings which will be in the new year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the BBC World Service on UK soft power and diplomacy.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The former UN Secretary-General described the BBC World Service as 'perhaps Britain's greatest gift to the world'. Independent studies show that the BBC's global reputation contributes to perceptions of the UK as an attractive and trusted country. Against the backdrop of increased global competition, a new, hard-nosed strategy for soft power is crucial if we are to sustain the UK's international standing. The Foreign Secretary and Culture Secretary are establishing a new Soft Power Council to advise us on how we can support UK soft power at source and harness it effectively overseas. This will include the media. Tapestry Research carried out an international study in 2022, finding the BBC to be a particularly impactful British cultural export. It found, for example, that audiences who interacted with the BBC are more likely to want to visit the UK and invest in it.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of 5 December 2024, Official Report, column 519, what his planned timetable is for the introduction of a new right to consular assistance.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to strengthening consular services, including introducing a right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations. My department is considering a package of measures to achieve this, which we will announce in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK sanctions on Belarus.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Sanctions are carefully targeted to increase pressure over time. We regularly review our sanctions in order to maintain effectiveness. We therefore reserve the right to introduce further measures so that the Lukashenko regime continues to feel the consequences for its lack of respect for human rights and support for Putin's war. The UK will continue to work closely with our partners in holding Lukashenko to account.

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 his counterpart in Hong Kong on the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is clear that the National Security Law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong has eroded the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers. The Foreign Secretary met with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in October where he raised Hong Kong and human rights.

I also raised concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms, including under the National Security Law, with Hong Kong and Chinese officials during my recent visit to Hong Kong in November.

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 his counterparts in (a) Kosovo and (b) countries neighbouring Kosovo.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and I have engaged with counterparts in Kosovo and neighbouring states in the Western Balkans several times in recent months. With Kosovo, the Foreign Secretary messaged President Osmani on 30 November, and I spoke to Prime Minister Kurti on 1 December, following the 29 November attack on critical infrastructure in northern Kosovo. I spoke to Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric on 1 December on the same subject. On 3 December I met Albanian Foreign Minister Hasani, Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ibrahimović and Macedonian Foreign Minister Mucunski at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting, covering a range of bilateral and regional issues including security, growth and aspirations for Euro-Atlantic alignment. In October I also had substantive meetings with Foreign Minister Djuric and Foreign Minister Ibrahimović during the Berlin Process Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a strategy to tackle the detention of UK dual-nationals by foreign countries.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) assesses all requests for consular assistance in line with our public consular charter and broader consular and crisis strategy. This includes our assistance to British dual nationals, including those who are detained overseas. The FCDO seeks continuously to improve our processes and services to strengthen our support for British nationals abroad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure access of humanitarian aid into Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is calling on all parties to support humanitarian access, including access and protection for humanitarian workers in all regions of Syria. We are working closely with humanitarian and international partners to monitor the situation, assess impacts and needs, and determine how best to respond.

The UK continues to support those in need across Syria, where it is safe to do so. Through NGOs and UN organisations, we are providing food, healthcare and other life-saving assistance. The UK has announced an additional £61 million in funding since November 2024 to support vulnerable Syrians, in Syria and the region.

In addition, I announced in early December an additional £300,000 in funding to the White Helmets after meeting them to discuss their vital work across Syria. The funding will support search and rescue operations, facilitate humanitarian access, allow the expansion of their existing ambulance system and enable the safe removal of unexploded weapons.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure access to education for women and girls in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Support to women and girls is at the heart of the UK's policy and programmes in Syria, including through active engagement with women's rights activists, women-led organisations and women involved in the political process. Over the 2023-24 financial year, 53 percent of UK humanitarian programming in Syria was spent supporting women and girls. The UK will continue to engage closely with Syrian contacts, international and regional partners to support an inclusive political transition.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help safeguard the rights of women and girls in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Support to women and girls is at the heart of the UK's policy and programmes in Syria, including through active engagement with women's rights activists, women-led organisations and women involved in the political process. Over the 2023-24 financial year, 53 percent of UK humanitarian programming in Syria was spent supporting women and girls. The UK will continue to engage closely with Syrian contacts, international and regional partners to support an inclusive political transition.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Development in response to the Rt hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills during the Oral Statement of 28 November 2024 on UK Leadership on Sudan, Official Report, column 945, with which countries in the African Union he has had bilateral engagements on the situation in Sudan; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of those engagements in securing access to humanitarian aid within Sudan.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I have raised the issue of humanitarian access with key regional actors, including during my visit to South Sudan and Ethiopia in August, as well as in bilateral engagements with Egypt at the Humanitarian Forum in Cairo in December. The Foreign Secretary also engaged with the African Union and African Security Council members during his visit to New York in November, including at a roundtable he hosted where he urged states to use their influence with the warring parties to push for improved humanitarian access in Sudan. In December, Lord Collins also spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister on Sudan to seek views on how we can work more closely to support region-led mediation efforts, particularly with the African Union. He also hosted an open briefing at the UN Security Council (UNSC), during the UK's presidency in November, with a focus on the protection of civilians' recommendations. The UK also co-led a Resolution at the UNSC with Sierra Leone on the protection of civilians, which failed to pass due to a Russian veto. We welcome the recent diplomatic efforts including by the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) members such as Egypt to pressure the Sudanese authorities to keep the Adré border open. We will continue to use our engagements with African partners to push for Adré to remain open permanently, for alternative cross-border routes beyond Adré, and for greater crossline access.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure a peaceful political process in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to fast moving events in Syria, speaking regularly to regional and other partners about the situation. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria and a number of regional counterparts. I have also discussed the developments in Syria with regional partners and Syrian civil society actors.

The focus of discussions has been on protecting civilians, including minorities, and moving quickly to a political transition. It is essential that this transition is inclusive, comprehensive and most importantly determined by the Syrian people themselves. The UK will continue to engage closely with Syrian contacts, international and regional partners to support a peaceful political transition.

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 his counterparts in the Middle East on the situation in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to fast moving events in Syria, speaking regularly to regional and other partners about the situation. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria and a number of regional counterparts. I have also discussed the developments in Syria with regional partners and Syrian civil society actors.

The focus of discussions has been on protecting civilians, including minorities, and moving quickly to a political transition. It is essential that this transition is inclusive, comprehensive and most importantly determined by the Syrian people themselves. The UK will continue to engage closely with Syrian contacts, international and regional partners to support a peaceful political transition.

Found: Syria: Women 24 Dec 2024 | 19309 Asked by: Wendy Morton To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign