Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential impact of any change in sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory on the legal status and administration of the .io top-level domain.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
My Department recognises the importance of the .io country code top level domain (ccTLD) and the need for its continuity and stability. We are engaging closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the potential impact of a change in sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory on the status of the .io ccTLD.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 29 December 2025 (HL12894), what specific plans they have, if any, to develop the work of the network of Women Mediators Across the Commonwealth in 2026.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We remain committed to UK leadership in defending and driving forward the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, including through our role as penholder on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The UK's WPS National Action Plan sets out the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's commitment to improving women's full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in political dialogue and peace processes.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an assessment of whether the cuts to the budget of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have impacted its effectiveness.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a leaner, more agile organisation, better able to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. Staff reductions are being made strategically, with decisions guided by an organisational prioritisation exercise.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of Somaliland in London in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with the Somali authorities, political parties and civil society, as well as the Somaliland Office in London.
Decisions on Israeli diplomatic recognition are a matter for the Government of Israel. The Foreign Secretary has had no specific discussions with her Israeli counterpart on this subject.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 Israeli counterpart on their diplomatic recognition of Somaliland.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with the Somali authorities, political parties and civil society, as well as the Somaliland Office in London.
Decisions on Israeli diplomatic recognition are a matter for the Government of Israel. The Foreign Secretary has had no specific discussions with her Israeli counterpart on this subject.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what changes will be made to FCDO due diligence processes for high-profile consular cases following the review announced by the Foreign Secretary.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2024-25, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) answered over 400,000 requests for consular support from British nationals overseas, and provided more detailed consular assistance to over 22,200 British nationals overseas, including support to families of more than 6,000 British nationals who had died overseas, and 3,500 who had been hospitalised.
The Hon Member's suggestion that the FCDO should withhold consular support in all these cases until checks have been conducted on each individual's social media history is not only completely impractical, and deeply inappropriate in the cases of families facing bereavement and individuals requiring emergency medical care, but would also violate the basic principle that consular assistance is provided primarily on the basis of someone's citizenship status and the circumstances they face.
Changes arising from the review of information processes initiated by the Foreign Secretary on 29 December will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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 discussions has she had with her Danish counterparts on support for the nation regarding the sovereignty of the territory of Greenland.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate, where she set out in comprehensive terms the UK's position on Greenland. The Foreign Secretary and I are in regular contact with our Danish counterparts.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to introduce mandatory social media checks for individuals receiving consular support.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2024-25, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) answered over 400,000 requests for consular support from British nationals overseas, and provided more detailed consular assistance to over 22,200 British nationals overseas, including support to families of more than 6,000 British nationals who had died overseas, and 3,500 who had been hospitalised.
The Hon Member's suggestion that the FCDO should withhold consular support in all these cases until checks have been conducted on each individual's social media history is not only completely impractical, and deeply inappropriate in the cases of families facing bereavement and individuals requiring emergency medical care, but would also violate the basic principle that consular assistance is provided primarily on the basis of someone's citizenship status and the circumstances they face.
Changes arising from the review of information processes initiated by the Foreign Secretary on 29 December will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has considered inviting the President of the Swiss Confederation for a State Visit to the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Hon Member is experienced enough to know, there are standard procedures for such matters. The Government's recommendations for State Visits are discussed at the Royal Visit Committee. These are then endorsed by the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister before being presented to His Majesty The King for formal approval.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
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 potential merits of providing security guarantees to Greenland outside the NATO framework alongside key European allies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate, where she set out in comprehensive terms the UK's position on Greenland.