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Written Question
Global Survivors Fund
Thursday 8th May 2025

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the year-on-year commitment of the £7.85 million provided to the Global Survivors Fund since 2019; and what was the country breakdown of this year-on-year commitment.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Since 2019, the UK Government has supported the Global Survivors Fund to provide life-saving support and reparative measures for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence around the world.

UK funding to the Global Survivors Fund has supported thousands of survivors, including in Ukraine, Colombia, Iraq, South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Turkey, East Timor, Nigeria and Nepal among others. Projects have included the provision of psychosocial, educational and livelihood support, as well as technical support to Governments.

A year-on-year breakdown of funding is as follows:

• From Financial Year (FY) 2019/20 to 2021/22: £2.7m

• FY 2022/23: £1.5m

• FY 2023/24: £1.85m

• FY 2024/25: £1.8m


Written Question
Syria: Kurds
Monday 10th March 2025

Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)

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 secure help peace between Kurdish forces and the Syrian government; and what support he is providing to the Kurdish diaspora in the United Kingdom.

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

We support a Syrian-led political transition process leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government that includes representative figures from across Syria, including Kurds. We emphasise this in our diplomatic engagement with the interim Syrian authorities, through Ministers as well as our Syria Envoy. We will judge them by their actions.

More broadly, the UK supports Kurdish communities in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, as well as diaspora groups, promoting their rights and integration within their home countries. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office maintains engagement with a range of Syrian groups and individuals, including Kurds, in the UK.


Written Question
Chevening Scholarships Programme
Monday 10th February 2025

Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish a breakdown of the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) recipients by nationality of the Chevening Scholarship in each of the last five years.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds

Chevening Scholarships provide fully-funded postgraduate masters awards at UK universities for future global leaders from approximately 140 eligible countries and territories.

Chevening Programme Expenditure

Financial year

Total programme expenditure

2019 - 2020

£57,744,779.51

2020 - 2021

£50,397,000.00

2021 - 2022

£59,233,000.00

2022 - 2023

£58,994,000.00

2023 - 2024

£59,330,000.00

Annual costs for Chevening Scholarships can be found in the FCDO Annual Reports and Accounts on GOV.UK. The cost for each Chevening scholar varies between individuals, depending on factors including the cost of tuition fees, accommodation and flights.

Breakdown of recipients by nationality of the Chevening Scholarship for the last 5 years:

Country/Territory

Awards made in 2019 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Awards made in 2020 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Awards made in 2021 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Awards made in 2022 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Awards made in 2023 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Awards made in 2024 (incl. full/part partner funded awards)

Afghanistan

15

23

29

18

21

13

Albania

16

6

14

11

11

10

Algeria

8

9

9

8

7

7

Angola

9

4

7

8

8

7

Anguilla

2

2

3

5

6

5

Antigua and Barbuda

2

3

3

0

1

2

Argentina

25

19

24

21

15

30

Armenia

9

3

9

7

4

4

Australia

3

3

0

2

3

4

Azerbaijan

9

8

11

9

6

5

Bahamas

2

1

1

1

4

5

Bangladesh

13

14

20

15

21

22

Barbados

3

2

2

1

2

1

Belize

5

3

4

5

5

5

Benin

1

1

1

1

0

0

Bermuda

0

1

0

0

0

0

Bhutan

3

4

5

5

5

6

Bolivia

7

5

9

8

4

6

Bosnia and Herzegovina

13

5

9

8

4

5

Botswana

9

5

7

4

4

6

Brazil

57

46

53

47

46

36

Brunei Darussalam

1

1

0

1

1

3

Burkina Faso

2

Burundi

5

5

5

4

4

5

Cambodia

17

9

13

11

12

9

Cameroon

15

12

10

5

8

8

Canada

2

1

4

1

2

3

Cape Verde

0

4

0

1

0

1

Cayman Islands

1

0

0

0

0

0

Chad

0

2

1

1

0

1

Chile

7

2

5

4

4

4

China

60

37

41

33

30

17

Colombia

25

14

16

14

14

14

Congo, Republic of

0

0

1

1

0

0

Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The

7

8

9

2

4

8

Costa Rica

5

3

9

4

5

6

Côte d’Ivoire

6

7

6

8

4

8

Cuba

12

11

11

6

8

8

Djibouti

3

2

2

4

0

1

Dominica

0

1

1

2

1

3

Dominican Republic

11

10

14

11

10

8

Ecuador

9

4

5

6

4

6

Egypt

45

33

39

32

31

29

El Salvador

6

2

3

2

2

3

Equatorial Guinea

0

0

1

1

0

0

Eritrea

1

1

0

0

0

2

Ethiopia

16

24

21

13

18

17

Falkland Islands

0

0

1

0

0

0

Fiji

2

4

5

6

6

7

Gabon

0

0

0

0

0

0

Georgia

13

9

15

15

13

10

Ghana

22

21

19

16

17

14

Greece

2

1

1

0

0

0

Grenada

0

1

1

2

4

3

Guatemala

4

3

5

3

4

1

Guinea

1

6

6

1

4

4

Guyana

10

6

5

5

4

4

Haiti

4

2

1

2

1

4

Honduras

3

3

3

3

2

2

Hong Kong

2

2

2

1

2

2

Iceland

2

1

1

0

1

0

India

47

38

41

46

38

36

Indonesia

60

50

58

45

42

39

Iraq

22

21

26

22

19

18

Israel

2

1

2

1

1

0

Jamaica

18

14

17

16

14

13

Japan

1

1

0

1

2

3

Jordan

15

12

16

11

7

10

Kazakhstan

8

8

8

6

9

12

Kenya

33

39

38

37

36

30

Kingdom of Eswatini

9

6

4

3

3

4

Kiribati

1

0

0

0

0

1

Kosovo

5

11

10

9

5

6

Kyrgyzstan

6

4

5

2

4

6

Lao People's Democratic Republic

8

7

9

8

8

8

Lebanon

9

6

11

9

10

10

Lesotho

5

3

5

3

6

6

Liberia

6

3

3

1

4

6

Libya

18

15

17

18

12

11

Madagascar

11

8

3

9

5

6

Malawi

13

8

9

8

6

7

Malaysia

38

37

40

38

34

31

Maldives

4

5

6

6

7

8

Mali

0

2

0

1

2

4

Mauritania

1

3

4

4

4

5

Mauritius

9

8

7

6

6

5

Mexico

53

39

40

39

37

33

Moldova, Republic Of

7

6

5

7

6

5

Mongolia

7

12

8

11

13

16

Montenegro

9

6

8

7

4

5

Montserrat

4

1

2

1

1

3

Morocco

11

11

13

9

10

10

Mozambique

8

8

11

11

9

9

Myanmar

12

9

16

8

10

10

Namibia

9

14

15

11

13

11

Nauru

0

0

0

1

0

1

Nepal

11

12

17

10

12

13

New Zealand

3

1

1

1

2

3

Nicaragua

4

3

5

4

2

1

Niger

0

2

0

0

2

4

Nigeria

56

46

46

44

44

30

North Macedonia

7

7

7

7

6

6

Oman

1

1

1

0

0

0

Pakistan

49

34

51

47

46

43

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

26

20

23

14

13

10

Panama

7

4

11

5

5

5

Papua New Guinea

3

2

3

5

8

3

Paraguay

15

13

13

14

16

16

Peru

18

7

15

12

9

10

Philippines

28

16

34

23

22

21

Republic of Korea

24

21

13

12

18

12

Rwanda

19

10

9

8

5

5

Saint Helena

0

1

0

0

0

1

Saint Kitts and Nevis

0

0

1

1

0

0

Saint Lucia

3

1

5

4

4

3

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines

2

1

2

4

3

3

Samoa

2

2

1

3

3

4

Sao Tome And Principe

0

0

0

0

2

0

Senegal

8

5

6

5

4

6

Serbia

15

10

10

6

7

10

Seychelles

3

2

3

2

2

3

Sierra Leone

6

5

4

6

5

6

Singapore

4

2

4

3

5

3

Solomon Islands

4

0

3

6

3

7

Somalia

11

10

11

11

14

16

South Africa

44

33

46

35

42

28

South Caucasus

3

2

4

3

0

2

South Sudan

6

5

5

6

5

6

Sri Lanka

6

7

13

8

9

10

Sudan

16

17

18

17

17

16

Suriname

2

1

0

0

0

2

Syrian Arab Republic

22

21

24

22

20

19

Taiwan (Republic of China)

4

6

3

4

5

5

Tajikistan

4

3

3

4

3

5

Tanzania

18

15

15

16

17

9

Thailand

24

15

22

17

22

21

The Gambia

10

9

8

5

5

6

Timor-Leste

4

2

0

2

2

2

Tonga

2

0

1

2

3

4

Trinidad and Tobago

3

1

2

2

2

2

Tunisia

14

11

11

8

6

7

Turkey

24

21

23

18

22

23

Turkmenistan

4

1

0

6

2

1

Turks and Caicos Islands

1

0

3

1

2

4

Tuvalu

1

0

1

0

1

0

Uganda

16

16

24

18

24

17

Ukraine

21

20

19

42

26

23

Uruguay

9

7

9

8

10

9

Uzbekistan

9

8

8

5

6

15

Vanuatu

0

0

0

3

1

2

Venezuela

10

7

9

7

7

6

Vietnam

24

19

25

19

23

22

Virgin Islands (British)

0

1

0

2

2

0

Yemen

9

6

14

8

5

9

Zambia

23

14

14

12

13

12

Zimbabwe

30

10

12

7

6

8

We are withholding some country specific information under Section 38 (Health and Safety) exemption (1) (a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, which provides that information is exempt if disclosure would or would be likely to endanger the physical or mental health of any individual or endanger the safety of any individual.


Written Question
Syria: Refugees
Thursday 6th February 2025

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 estimate he has made of the number of Syrian refugees (a) in the UK and (b) globally who are returning to Syria.

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

The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers and refugees who come to the UK in the 'Immigration System Statistics' quarterly release. The Home Office does not track the addresses of individuals once they have been granted refugee status, and refugees are free to move around or leave the UK.

As of 30 January, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimate that some 237,000 Syrians have returned to Syria since the fall of Assad. These figures include Syrians returning from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, as well those transiting from beyond the region.


Written Question
Syria: Sexual Offences
Tuesday 28th January 2025

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 23 December 2023 (HL3321), what assistance was provided by the Global Survivors Fund to the 800 Syrian survivors of sexual violence and over what timeframe.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The impacts of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) on survivors, their families and communities are varied and long-lasting. The UK is committed to tackling CRSV globally and, since 2019, has committed up to £7.85 million to the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) to enhance access to holistic redress for thousands of survivors, including in DRC, Iraq, and Turkey. In Turkey, since 2022, the UK has supported the provision of medical, psychosocial, legal and financial support to over 800 Syrian survivors. Projects are delivered by civil society organisations and survivor networks and are developed with survivors of CRSV to reflect their needs.


Written Question
Kurds: Turkey
Monday 5th August 2024

Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)

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 improve relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Türkiye.

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

Our diplomatic missions are in regular contact with the authorities in Turkey, as a close NATO ally, and Iraq. We reiterate to all parties the need for dialogue and cooperation between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians.

The UK recognises Turkey's right to self-defence but also fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. It is critical that Turkey and Iraq reach a way of addressing their security concerns that does not lead to greater regional instability.


Written Question
Turkey: Iraq and Syria
Monday 20th May 2024

Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of Turkey’s military activity in Syria and Iraq.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani

As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage the Turkish government on regional stability, including in Syria and Iraq. The Minister for the Middle East discussed this issue with the Turkish National Security Advisor on 11 April. The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourages restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life.

Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent the worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.


Written Question
Iraq: Turkey
Thursday 16th May 2024

Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on recent Turkish military operations in Sinjar.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani

The UK recognises Turkey's right to self-defence, while fully supporting Iraq's territorial integrity. We encourage restraint from activity that could lead to loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure. We welcome recent high-level engagement between both countries, including President Erdoğan's visit to Iraq on 22 April. As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage Turkey on regional stability. The UK Ambassador to Turkey discussed this issue with Turkey's Director General for South Asia on 27 March as did the UK National Security Advisor with his Turkish counterpart in London on 11 April.


Written Question
Iraq: Turkey
Thursday 2nd May 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Turkey, in relation to Turkish military attacks on Sinjar.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK recognises Turkey's right to self-defence, while fully supporting Iraq's territorial integrity. We encourage restraint from activity that could lead to loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure. It is critical that Turkey and Iraq reach a way to address security concerns that does not lead to regional instability. We welcome recent high-level engagement between both countries, including President Erdoğan's visit to Iraq on 22 April. As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage Turkey on regional stability. Most recently, the UK National Security Advisor discussed this issue with his Turkish counterpart in London on 11 April.


Written Question
Diplomatic Service
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many requests for consular support were made to each British Embassy or Consulate in 2023; and how many of those were responded to by officials within a period of 24 hours.

Answered by David Rutley

Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK who need support. In 2023, in addition to long running cases, we provided support to around 22,000 British nationals, see breakdown by Post in the table below. The FCDO reports publicly on consular delivery through the FCDO Outcome Delivery Plan [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-commonwealth-development-office-outcome-delivery-plan]. Publishing our transparency data is currently on hold while we embed a new Case Management system.

COUNTRY

2023

Afghanistan

22

Albania

63

Algeria

23

Angola

Argentina

34

Armenia

8

Australia

414

Austria

92

Azerbaijan

12

Bahrain

48

Barbados

113

Belarus

6

Belgium

152

Bolivia

12

Bosnia and Herzegovina

12

Botswana

15

Brazil

88

Bulgaria

166

Cambodia

112

Cameroon

30

Canada

181

Chile

21

China

143

Colombia

73

Congo (Democratic Republic)

22

Costa Rica

39

Croatia

114

Cuba

29

Cyprus

441

Czechia

141

Denmark

88

Dominican Republic

67

Ecuador

13

Egypt

383

Estonia

19

Ethiopia

104

Fiji

21

Finland

49

France

1027

Georgia

27

Germany

662

Ghana

85

Greece

936

Guatemala

43

Guinea

Guyana

17

Hong Kong SAR

110

Hungary

131

Iceland

17

India

360

Indonesia

196

Iraq

46

Ireland

104

Israel

39

Italy

411

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

179

Japan

167

Jerusalem

61

Jordan

71

Kazakhstan

14

Kenya

146

Kuwait

30

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

29

Latvia

20

Lebanon

34

Liberia

Lithuania

23

Luxembourg

10

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

138

Malta

106

Mauritius

14

Mexico

207

Moldova

13

Mongolia

6

Montenegro

33

Morocco

222

Myanmar (Burma)

8

Namibia

9

Nepal

21

Netherlands

287

New Zealand

127

Nigeria

74

Norway

149

Oman

50

Pakistan

376

Panama

17

Paraguay

Peru

58

Philippines

283

Poland

242

Portugal

524

Qatar

96

Romania

89

Russia

28

Rwanda

7

Saudi Arabia

166

Senegal

21

Serbia

29

Seychelles

11

Sierra Leone

15

Singapore

105

Slovakia

38

Slovenia

17

South Africa

195

South Korea

40

Spain

4143

Sri Lanka

86

St Lucia

21

Sudan

34

Sweden

110

Switzerland

157

Taiwan

22

Tajikistan

6

Tanzania

36

Thailand

1383

The Gambia

48

Trinidad and Tobago

40

Tunisia

75

Turkey

947

Uganda

52

Ukraine

56

United Arab Emirates

658

United States

1649

Uruguay

10

Uzbekistan

8

Venezuela

Vietnam

188

Zambia

22

Zimbabwe

26

NB We do not publish data where figures are 5 or below to comply with GDPR