Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Palestinian Government, published on 28 April 2025, what (a) safeguards and (b) conditionality measures his Department has put in place to ensure aid for education is used to support peace.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and robust controls against the diversion of aid. We select our partners for the strong safeguards they have in place, which reduce delivery risks and will ensure the maximum impact of UK aid for Palestinians.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what aid agencies he is working with to deliver the £120m in food aid for Sudan announced at the London Sudan Conference in April; and what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of those aid workers working in-country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During the London Sudan Conference, the former Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. This funding supports UN agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme to deliver a range of life-saving services including food, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene support. We also support the UN's Sudan Humanitarian Fund, which funds local responders including Emergency Response Rooms to reach hard-to-access areas, such as North Darfur. We continue to use our role as UN Security Council penholder to press all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure the safety of aid workers, and remove bureaucratic barriers to delivery. On 14 August, the UK joined 28 partners in a Joint Donor Statement on El Fasher calling for a pause in fighting to allow urgent unimpeded aid to reach civilians trapped by the Rapid Support Forces' siege and guarantees for the protection of civilians and aid workers.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 help support dialogue between Sudanese (a) civilian and (b) political forces.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Throughout the duration of the conflict in Sudan, the UK has continually advocated for a return to a civilian-led government that represents the interests of Sudanese people across the country. In our engagements with the warring parties and their aligned governance structures, we continue to reiterate the importance of engaging with a broad range of civilians to facilitate an inclusive transition that delivers peace and stability. We have also frequently engaged directly with a range of Sudanese civilian actors, notably in the run-up to the London Sudan Conference to ensure that Sudanese views on how to end the crisis were represented. In addition, the UK supports the neutral, anti-war element of the Somoud civilian coalition (formerly known as Taqaddum) with technical facilitation and logistics to help broaden its base and promote a more inclusive and unified civilian vision for Sudan. The UK will continue to champion the importance of Sudanese civilians, especially women and youth, as well as civil society, in any efforts to resolve the conflict and shape the future of Sudan.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the amount of humanitarian aid that reached (a) Chad, (b) South Sudan, (c) Egypt, (d) Ethiopia, (e) the Central African Republic and (f) other neighbouring countries to Sudan for supporting Sudanese refugees in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sudan is currently experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 12 million people displaced since the conflict began. As part of the UK's £120 million Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment this financial year, humanitarian assistance is being provided to Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries through key UN agencies such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF. In May, Baroness Chapman announced £36 million in support for over 260,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. The UK also supports Education Cannot Wait, which is delivering safe learning spaces and psychosocial support for 200,000 vulnerable children in refugee and host communities across Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Uganda. In total, UK aid reached over 700,000 people affected by conflict in Chad, South Sudan, Libya, and Uganda in the last financial year.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 ensure that the £120m in food aid for Sudan announced at the London Sudan Conference in April is reaching people who need it most.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During the London Sudan Conference, the former Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. This funding supports UN agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme to deliver a range of life-saving services including food, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene support. We also support the UN's Sudan Humanitarian Fund, which funds local responders including Emergency Response Rooms to reach hard-to-access areas, such as North Darfur. We continue to use our role as UN Security Council penholder to press all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure the safety of aid workers, and remove bureaucratic barriers to delivery. On 14 August, the UK joined 28 partners in a Joint Donor Statement on El Fasher calling for a pause in fighting to allow urgent unimpeded aid to reach civilians trapped by the Rapid Support Forces' siege and guarantees for the protection of civilians and aid workers.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 adequacy of the legal options available for (a) sanctioning and (b) prosecuting Russian officials involved in the forced (i) abduction and (ii) deportation of Ukrainian children.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are playing our full part in international efforts to reunite these children with their families. On 3 September 2025, we announced a fourth round of sanctions targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children. We do not comment on any potential future designations as to do so could lessen their impact. We welcome the progress the International Criminal Court is making in its active investigation, including the issuing of arrest warrants for individuals connected to the forced deportation of children. Legal action alone will not bring Ukrainian children home. We are also supporting efforts to return and rehabilitate forcibly deported children.
I have regularly discussed this issue with ministerial counterparts most recently with European counterparts at the Gymnich in Copenhagen on 29 and 30 August. We also welcome the strong emphasis the United States has placed on this issue including the efforts of the First Lady.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the speech by the Minister of State for International Development at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville on 2 July, what reforms are required for the UK Government to support a capital increase for the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government supports a capital increase for the World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and Development subject to reforms in three areas. Firstly, implementation of reforms aimed at boosting lending from the Bank's existing resources. Secondly, implementation of reforms to improve the Bank's efficiency, agility, shock-responsiveness and operations in fragile settings. Thirdly, reforms to make the Bank more responsive to the voice of the lowest income and most vulnerable countries, ensuring it can support their climate and development needs.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is providing support to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long supported efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. This is a manifesto commitment and a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary. UK experts played a key role in discussions within the 'Core Group', which devised the legal basis for the Tribunal. In May, the Foreign Secretary travelled to Lviv and endorsed the legal texts. In June, we welcomed the signing of the bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. All these steps help bring us closer to making the Special Tribunal a reality. We continue to offer technical, legal and political support as work progresses through the Council of Europe.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the funding provided in December 2024 to help support Ukraine’s capacity to (i) investigate and (ii) prosecute war crimes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to develop Ukraine's capacity to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes resulting from Russia's illegal invasion. Our coordinated approach with US and EU partners through the establishment of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group has ensured that support from international donors is efficiently coordinated and streamlined in close cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. We continue to review and refine our support, to ensure it is meeting Ukraine's needs.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to fund (a) disease diagnostics and (b) primary health care services in developing countries.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports disease diagnostics through investments in health services, and research and development. We invest in public-private Product Development Partnerships to create diagnostics for diseases like sleeping sickness, malaria, and Tuberculosis. Through our partnership with Institut Pasteur de Dakar we're advancing rapid tests for epidemic diseases such as meningitis, Marburg, and Ebola. Our investment though the Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa programme (TDDAP) strengthens surveillance and lab systems in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and DRC, and our investments in the Global Fund support testing, treatment, and prevention in low and middle-income countries, with 335 million malaria tests conducted in 2023. Our investment in Gavi is enabling the vaccination of 300 million children over 2021-2025 and supports diagnostics distribution, with £1.25 billion committed for 2026-2030 as recently announced.
On primary health care (PHC), the FCDO uses multilateral and bilateral investments, diplomacy and research to strengthen PHC systems. Multilateral support through Gavi, the Global Fund, WHO, UNICEF, UNITAID, and the World Bank complements bilateral partnerships. In Nigeria, for example, we're contributing £16 million with other investors to scale up PHC delivery for mothers, infants, and children, and to strengthen the health workforce.