Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on waiving dependent visa fees for foreign and commonwealth veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 January 2026, to Question 101187.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has held with his Spanish counterpart regarding the application of Spanish airspace or basing policies in ways that could affect Gibraltar or UK access to the territory.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Defence and Foreign Secretaries meet regularly with their Spanish counterparts to discuss a range of issues of shared strategic interest. These recent interactions have not included discussion on the transit through Spanish airspace of UK military aircraft arriving at or departing from RAF Gibraltar.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will have discussions with his counterparts in the European Union on case number INFR(2021)2001 relating to Poland's obligations in relation to the Brussels IIa Regulation.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Government has no plans to discuss this infringement case with Ministers from EU countries. Officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have been in contact with officials in the European Commission, which issued the infringement notice. Ministers and officials continue to raise relevant international child abduction cases with the Polish authorities at every appropriate opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Bates (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 23 February (HLWS1349), how much Official Development Assistance will be allocated to (1) the Media Freedom Coalition, and (2) the Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments programme, in (a) 2026–27, (b) 2027–28, and (c) 2028–29.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Foreign Secretary and myself - UIN HLWS1431 - on 19 March outlining the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for the period up to 2028-29, and to the accompanying documents setting out the detail of those allocations. Funding for specific organisations over the period in question will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will seek a United Nations (a) Security Council and (b) General Assembly discussion of the human rights, humanitarian, political and security situation in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 April in response to Question HL16049, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK continues to use its penholder role at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis. We convened four Council meetings in 2025 to spotlight the crisis and one most recently in March this year. We welcome the report of the UN Special Rapporteur, and condemn airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as we did at the UK-convened meeting of the UNSC on 22 December 2025. The statement made at that meeting by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, is reproduced below:
"This morning, the Security Council will meet privately to discuss the situation in Myanmar. We will hear updates from ASEAN Special Envoy Othman Hashim and the UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop.
"Nearly five years since the Myanmar military overturned the democratically elected government, the UK remains deeply concerned at the ongoing violence. The military must de-escalate and cease its violence, including airstrikes on civilians. Targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop. We strongly condemn the recent airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine State this month, which killed more than 30 civilians.
"The humanitarian situation in Myanmar also remains catastrophic. Over 16 million people will require life-saving assistance in 2026. The UK has provided over $100 million this fiscal year. But financial support can only have real impact if access is granted.
"Finally, the UK is clear: any meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue amongst all parties concerned. And there are no indications that the planned elections will be perceived as free or fair. Elections under current circumstances risk provoking further violence and make a long-term solution more elusive.
"The UK reiterates our support for ASEAN's central role in pursuit of a solution to the ongoing crisis. We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their desire for a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic future. We will keep the Myanmar crisis on the Council's agenda."
In addition, we continue to consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Myanmar Sanctions Regulations, as guided by the evidence. It is the UK's long-standing policy not to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of (a) the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger in Mauritius and (b) his allegations of corruption.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None of the issues raised by the Rt Hon Member are matters for the UK Government, and none of them have any bearing on the future status of the Diego Garcia base, or the treaty negotiated with Mauritius.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the timing of the public commentary by the government of Mauritius on the Iranian missile attack on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None of the issues raised by the Rt Hon Member are matters for the UK Government, and none of them have any bearing on the future status of the Diego Garcia base, or the treaty negotiated with Mauritius.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support is available for UK-based not-for-profit organisations developing innovative health technologies for use in the developing world.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) routes funding for the development of innovative health technologies for use in low and middle income countries through public-private Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) or similar organisations. These organisations work in partnership with academia, the public and private sectors (including not-for-profit) to develop products where commercial markets fail. Our portfolio includes support to the Liverpool based Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), TB Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). FCDO research funding opportunities, including for new health technologies, are advertised through the usual government procurement channels. PDPs collaborate with numerous UK partner organisations. CEPI alone has over 20 UK partners in academia and industry.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
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 impact of changes to Official Development Assistance funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on (a) global efforts to eradicate polio, (b) child health outcomes in endemic and at-risk countries and (c) the risk of resurgence of poliovirus.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to question 126356 on 20 April.
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 assessment she has made of the value for money of payments from the Government to Inter Mediate since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Programming Operating Framework (ProF), published on gov.uk explains the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office's approach to assessing value for money.