Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that embassies, high commissions and consulates provide adequate support to families when a family member dies when abroad temporarily.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2025, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) assisted families of over 6,500 British nationals who died overseas, with extra support for those in vulnerable circumstances such as bereavement through murder, manslaughter, or suspicious death. Assistance includes providing country-specific guides, which inform families of local procedures and information on how to bring a loved one back to the UK. The FCDO always welcomes feedback on the service provided, and seeks to learn lessons from it, especially when a bereaved family feels that they have not had the support they would expect.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Turkish counterpart on the pre-trial detention of Iain Guille, and what steps she is taking to help protect his welfare.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, has discussed Iain Guille's detention and welfare with his Turkish counterpart on two occasions, most recently in February 2026. UK Consular officials, in conjunction with their Canadian counterparts, have raised concerns about Mr Guille's welfare with the Turkish authorities, and will continue to monitor his health and welfare while he is detained, engaging with the relevant authorities as appropriate.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on the protection of Palestinian refugees and displaced communities in Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March, and her answers to the questions raised in response, which dealt with the current situation in Lebanon at length. We will provide further such updates to the House in due course as the situation develops.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure safe humanitarian access for aid organisations in Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March, and her answers to the questions raised in response, which dealt with the current situation in Lebanon at length. We will provide further such updates to the House in due course as the situation develops.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to secure an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March, and her answers to the questions raised in response, which dealt with the current situation in Lebanon at length. We will provide further such updates to the House in due course as the situation develops.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of foreign-owned technology platforms being subject to overseas jurisdictions on levels of UK data sovereignty; and what safeguards are in place to help prevent their use for intelligence-gathering purposes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All organisations processing personal data in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection framework, including the UK GDPR, regardless of where they are headquartered. This includes requirements that apply when personal data is transferred overseas, and organisations must ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place where required.
The UK has world-leading investigation and enforcement capabilities to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. The Information Commissioner’s Office has powers to investigate, issue fines and require corrective action where organisations fail to comply with the UK’s data protection framework, and individuals may seek redress if their data is misused.
As threats to UK data evolve our response will be agile and proportionate. We actively monitor threats to UK data and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our national security.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to engage with the Government of Iraq and regional authorities on the safe and voluntary return of displaced religious minorities, including Christians and Yazidis.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 March in response to Question 117286.
Asked by: Markus Campbell-Savours (Labour - Penrith and Solway)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Saudi counterpart on (a) freedom of expression, (b) the cases of arbitrarily detained journalists and (c) the recently reported arrest and detention of Mohamed El-Sayed.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.
The UK is concerned over the arrests and continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained for expressing their political views.
Asked by: Markus Campbell-Savours (Labour - Penrith and Solway)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her officials are having discussions with their counterparts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about the protection of the rights of migrant workers employed in preparation for the World Cup 2034.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.
The UK is concerned over the arrests and continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained for expressing their political views.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
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 weapons and ordnance manufactured in the UK are currently being used in conflicts in a) Lebanon, b) Iran and c) the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of UK export licences can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data. The UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. We assess all licences in line with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.