Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the global level of antisemitism; and how the protection of Jewish communities is reflected in the UK’s foreign policy.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Antisemitism is completely abhorrent and has no place in our or any society. The global rise in antisemitism is deeply concerning and the UK is taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms at home and overseas.
In a speech marking Holocaust Memorial Day on 26 January, the Foreign Secretary underlined her commitment to working with partners around the world to tackle antisemitism, including close collaboration with Canada and Australia in the wake of recent attacks. She also announced that Jon Pearce MP would be appointed as the UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues.
This appointment represents the UK's unwavering commitment to the protection of the Jewish community in the UK and abroad. The Envoy will ensure that the UK continues to play a prominent role in international discussions on all Holocaust related matters, including working with international partners, and representing the UK in relevant international fora, including as Head of the UK Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
In 2024, the UK supported the development of new Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, which are largely based on the UK's best practice in tackling antisemitism. We continue to urge countries to adopt these guidelines, as well as the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of Chevening Scholarship and Fellowship recipients who have studied at Universities in Essex in the last 10 years.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which universities have enrolled the highest number of Chevening Scholarship and Fellowship recipients.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether independent evaluations of the Chevening programme have been commissioned in the last ten years.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme on building lasting positive relationships between the UK and the home country of students.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the annual budget is for the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme; and how this compares with the previous five years’ budgets.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships have been granted in each of the last five years.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that a Christian researcher in Egypt has been sentenced under blasphemy laws, including the potential impact on religious minorities freedom in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 Egyptian counterpart on the potential impact of the use of Egyptian national identity cards to record a person's religion on the level of religious discrimination.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the proportion of people who were awarded the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme and went on to work as (a) government officials and (b) industry leaders in their home countries.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.
In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.
In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:
Year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
No. of Scholarships | 1,401 | 1,332 | 1,359 | 1,396 | 1,630 |
We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.
An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.
190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.
In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.