Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has plans to open new High Commissions and Embassies in Africa; and if he will make a statement.

In a sign of our deep and long-term relationship with the continent, we are increasing the British diplomatic presence in sub-Saharan Africa so we can develop more effective partnerships and achieve our mutual goals. During her recent visit to Africa the Prime Minister announced that the UK would open new sovereign missions in Niger and Chad as a demonstration of our commitment to the Sahel region. This is in addition to the announcement made by the former Foreign Secretary in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April that we would be opening two new High Commissions in Lesotho and Eswatini. In May this year we also upgraded UK presence in Mauritania to an Embassy.