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) effectiveness, (b) potential and (c) adequacy of relations between the UK and sub-Saharan Southern Africa.

The Foreign Secretary launched a five-month consultation to inform the UK's new approach to the African continent during a visit to Nigeria and South Africa in November 2024. Our goal is a fundamentally transformed partnership that delivers mutual long-term benefits, driving our domestic economic growth and addressing migration priorities. The UK enjoys warm relations with the different countries in sub-Saharan Southern Africa, illustrated by the numerous visits to the region by me, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Africa in 2024. The Minister for Africa has upcoming trips to Botswana and Tanzania in January 2025.