Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue to economically and politically support Sudan.

The UK provides no direct financial support to the Government of Sudan. Instead, the UK provides humanitarian assistance and support to a range of programmes focused on political and economic reform, Sudan's peace process and UK development objectives. Our bilateral political engagement with Sudan takes place principally through the British Embassy in Khartoum and through biannual Strategic Dialogues between senior officials. We have raised, both publicly and directly with the Government of Sudan, our deep concern at the government's violent response to recent protests in Sudan. As we made clear with Troika partners (the USA and Norway) and Canada in our statement of 8 January, the Government of Sudan's actions and decisions over the coming weeks will have an impact on our approach to future. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to undertake much needed economic and political reforms to support prosperity and the rights of the people of Sudan and continue to stand ready to assist these efforts.