Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to ensure that bilateral and multilateral mineral-security initiatives signed by the United Kingdom include binding anti-forced-labour standards.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, we are working through bilateral and multilateral initiatives to promote transparent, sustainable, and responsible supply chains that uphold robust labour standards.
Last year the UK worked with multilateral partners to agree the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, and G20 Critical Minerals Framework. We support global standards such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which helps businesses operate responsibly in high-risk areas.
In addition, the Modern Slavery Act requires large businesses operating in the UK to report annually on steps taken to combat forced labour in their supply chains, and the Government is reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct as part of the Trade Strategy. This includes assessing the effectiveness of current measures and exploring alternative ways to prevent human rights abuses in supply chains.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 humanitarian situation in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November 2025, and to the most recent Urgent Question debate on 15 December 2025.
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 support her Department is providing to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government for the proposed airport expansion in Providenciales.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to expanding economic cooperation with the Overseas Territories, recognising the importance of sustainable economic prosperity to the whole UK family. The 2025 Joint Ministerial Council included discussions with UK Export Finance regarding their infrastructure offer and credit finance opportunities in the UK, as well as a business engagement session involving UK companies with infrastructure expertise, including airports.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will ensure that her Department has contingency plans in place to respond to any invasion or hostile act against Greenland by a foreign power.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy of the United Kingdom under successive governments never to speculate on hypothetical operational responses to hypothetical scenarios.
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.
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, pursuant to the British Embassy in Brussels' press release entitled Diplomat for a Day 2026 in Brussels: enter our competition' published on 9 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to UK taxpayers of this initiative.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The work experience competition referred to by the Hon Member is in its fourth year in Belgium, run by the UK embassy alongside their counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and not only provides an outstanding opportunity for the young women selected to take part, but an important means for the embassies involved to engage with high schools across their host country, and cement our strong relationships in that country for the future. The competition is delivered at minimal cost, shared across the four embassies, and while the Hon Member may take a different view, we believe in increasing the opportunities available to young women all over the world to play their full part in public life.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps are being undertaken to promote UK investment in critical minerals and other resources outside of regions where forced labour is a significant risk, such as Xinjiang.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, we are working through bilateral and multilateral initiatives to promote transparent, sustainable, and responsible supply chains that uphold robust labour standards.
Last year the UK worked with multilateral partners to agree the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, and G20 Critical Minerals Framework. We support global standards such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which helps businesses operate responsibly in high-risk areas.
In addition, the Modern Slavery Act requires large businesses operating in the UK to report annually on steps taken to combat forced labour in their supply chains, and the Government is reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct as part of the Trade Strategy. This includes assessing the effectiveness of current measures and exploring alternative ways to prevent human rights abuses in supply chains.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review sanctions on Russian assets: and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation licensing rules to require owners to maintain sanctioned properties.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We keep our sanctions powers, regimes, designations and measures under review to respond to new developments and changing circumstances.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) may issue general or specific licences on behalf of His Majesty's Treasury to allow activities otherwise prohibited by an asset freeze, such as payments for existing obligations or property maintenance. However, a licence only permits these actions - it does not require the designated person to carry them out. Maintenance or repairs will occur only if they choose to do so.
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, how many (a) residential and (b) commercial properties in the UK are owned by the Chinese state.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not control the purchase of private property within the United Kingdom, and keeps no central record of purchases made on behalf of individual nation states.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 potential implications for her policies of the humanitarian situation in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November 2025, and to the most recent Urgent Question debate on 15 December 2025.
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, how many (a) residential and (b) commercial properties in London are owned by the People's Republic of China.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not control the purchase of private property within the United Kingdom, and keeps no central record of purchases made on behalf of individual nation states.