Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of interference by the US in UK elections.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Government takes attempts by any country to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes. The Government has renewed the mandate of the Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF), which brings together Government Ministers, representatives from law enforcement and the intelligence community, to coordinate work to protect our democratic institutions and processes from threats, including foreign interference.
In April 2023, DDTF created the Joint Election Security and Preparedness (JESP) Unit, which sits jointly between Cabinet Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as a permanent function dedicated to protecting UK elections and referendums and coordinating work across government to respond to issues of protective security, cyber threats and mis and disinformation, including foreign interference.
In December 2025, the Secretary of State commissioned former permanent secretary Philip Rycroft to lead an independent review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review was published on 25 March 2026 and can be found here.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in the North West region.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department actively promotes foreign direct investment into the North West through the Office for Investment, which works closely with regional stakeholders to identify, shape and market regional opportunities.
The Government has placed the North West at the centre of its Northern Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy, using large public investments to attract private capital. This includes a multi‑billion‑pound investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail (including a new Liverpool – Manchester line via Manchester Airport and Warrington), as well as targeted investments such as the new Digital Campus in Manchester and the National Cryogenics Facility in Cheshire (Liverpool City Region), positioning the North West as a global quantum technologies hub.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve protections for journalists and media organisations in the UK against threats carried out by foreign states.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not comment on operational matters. I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 13 April to Question 125072.
The Government's top priority is our national security, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from state threats. Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, and will be thoroughly investigated.
The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect people identified as being at risk. The National Security Act 2023 provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats. The National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing will continue to provide protective security advice and support to individuals and organisations threatened by states.
It is vital that journalists are able to continue their jobs without the fear of attack or threat. A free and robust media is essential - for national security, for human rights, and for democratic governance. That is why we remain an important member of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), which we co-founded in 2019.
Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK supported the nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN Committee for Program and Coordination on 8 April 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Hon Member is misinformed. The Asia-Pacific Group of states agreed within their group to put forward Iran, India, Japan and Pakistan as candidates for the four available regional seats on the committee in question. As per normal practice, those regional nominations went forward without a vote, with no expression of support from the UK.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made with Cabinet colleagues on resetting the UK's relationship with the European Union.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our long‑term national interest requires a closer EU partnership, anchored in the Common Understanding and strengthened by new security and defence cooperation.
Our Security and Defence Partnership has delivered a step change in engagement, supporting Ukraine through coordinated sanctions, military assistance, training, and resilience.
While providing a long‑term framework for practical cooperation that protects our citizens and strengthens Europe’s collective defence.
This sits alongside wider progress, including Erasmus+ and negotiations on energy, youth experience, and food and drink.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the human rights situation in Somalia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Somalia, including the devastating conflict-related violence against women and children, and deteriorating media freedom.
The UK advocates for greater respect for human rights through targeted programmes and sustained engagement, holding the Federal Government of Somalia and other actors to account.
As co-chair of a Somalia-focused Human Rights Working Group, and joint penholder for the United Nations Human Rights Council mandate, the UK plays a leading role in keeping international partners’ attention and efforts focused on human rights issues in Somalia.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many courses were offered internally on (a) equality, diversity and inclusion, (b) culture and (c) wellness in each of the last three years.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In responding to the Hon Member's eleven detailed questions about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's relative focus on its public sector equality duty obligations compared to certain key foreign policy priorities, I refer him to the answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88798, and inform him that - by comparison - the Department currently has more than 400 staff in the UK and overseas working on various aspects of the Iran crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and our policies in respect of Russia and China.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of recent Israeli legislation introducing the death penalty.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes capital punishment in all circumstances, and we have raised our concerns directly with the Israeli Government about the recently-passed Death Penalty Bill.
In a joint statement with Australia, France, Germany, Italy and New Zealand on 29 March, we highlighted the discriminatory character of the bill, and urged the Government of Israel to abandon it.
And on 30 March, the Foreign Secretary raised the bill in a call with Foreign Minister Sa’ar, and highlighted Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 improve the humanitarian situation in Palestine.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, the Government of Israel committed to the full entry of aid without interference. It is unacceptable that over the last 6 weeks, volumes entering Gaza are only 35 per cent of the minimum targets agreed in the Plan.
This is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and risks undermining the Peace Plan. More crossings and aid corridors must therefore be reopened, and restrictions on humanitarian partners and supplies must be lifted. We will continue to raise these issues directly with the Government of Israel.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Lord Walney’s March 2026 report entitled Undue Influence: The Iranian Regime’s Abuse of the UK Charity System, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Charity Commission's powers to respond to concerns relating to hostile foreign state influence, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust and the Islamic Centre of England; and whether she plans to increase those powers.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Charity Commission is alive to the threat of hostile foreign state influence in charities and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. Any allegation or evidence of criminal offences, including terrorism, is referred to the police to investigate.
As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities will be extended. This includes automatically disqualifying individuals with a criminal conviction for hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and helping the Charity Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.
HMRC require that for a charity to qualify for an exemption from tax, their income and gains should be applied solely to charitable purposes. Charities may use Gift Aid funds for purposes that align with their charitable objectives and comply with UK charity law. Misuse would breach the Charity Commission rules and could result in regulatory action and tax charges.