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, what progress she has made on legal options to pursue the Russian Shadow Fleet.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK and our action is having an impact. We have already sanctioned 595 shadow fleet vessels, and an estimated $4.5 billion less in Russian oil and oil products has been carried by these vessels as a result.
On 26 March, the Prime Minister announced that UK Armed Forces and law enforcement officers would now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters. Any action against these vessels would adhere to strict legal procedures and comply with both domestic and international law.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many foreign nationals claiming student loan or a maintenance loan dropped out of their courses in the last academic year for which data is available.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).
The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in this area and now hold reliable information on borrowers’ UK national status and nationality.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with exam boards on offering GCSEs in Tamil.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Tamil GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of mechanisms for parliamentary scrutiny of Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Mechanisms for parliamentary scrutiny are a matter for the House.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the UK’s international climate finance is delivered as (a) grants and (b) loans; and what steps she is taking to ensure that financial support to countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters is primarily provided in the form of grants rather than loans.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Between 2021/22 and 2025/26, 89 per cent of international climate finance (ICF3) was delivered as grants. We will continue to ensure grant finance delivered through ICF4 is targeted towards the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what interests Jonathan Powell declared whilst he was Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on BIOT negotiations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are established mechanisms in place for the management of interests. In line with long-standing practice, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not comment on individual cases.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have authorised any strikes on Iranian civilian medical facilities by US planes using UK military bases.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations.
Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. All UK operational support to allies and partners is considered in terms of legality.
Asked by: Lord Sedwill (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish auditable cost records for Afghan resettlement schemes.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Afghan resettlement is a cross-Government effort, with costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other Government departments including the Home Office, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
On 18 March 2026, the NAO published a report which detailed the costs of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) in response to the Department’s provision of information on MOD spending to the NAO. Part Three of this report sets out funding for the schemes, the costs incurred to date, and expected future costs. This report can be accessed via the link below:
The report lays out that, since 2021, His Majesty’s Government (HMG) has spent £3.1 billion on the ARP. HMG estimates a total cost of £5.5-6 billion on Afghan resettlement activity throughout the life of the programme. This figure is kept under review using the latest data available.
The MOD and its cross-Government partners will continue to update Parliament including the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in line with usual processes throughout the course of the ARP.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 14 October 2025 (HL10630), why the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office did not contribute to the established process to collate relevant information as part of the identification and selection of the appointee for the role of Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 14 October 2025 to question HL10630.
Asked by: Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure alignment between the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on critical minerals.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
His Majesty's Government recognises the strategic importance of strengthening the UK's critical minerals security. The Critical Minerals Strategy, published on 22 November 2025, sets out a cross-government approach involving the Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence and other partners. Ministers and officials already work closely together through established governance structures to ensure policy alignment and effective coordination. We continually review whether these arrangements remain proportionate and effective. At present, we believe the existing cross government ministerial oversight provides the appropriate mechanism for coordinating critical mineral security policy.