theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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John Glen:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of disputes involving religious communities in the Bukovina region of Ukraine; and what steps he is taking to support freedom of religion or belief in the area. \p Stephen Doughty: We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Ukraine. Ukraine's democracy is well known for its commitment to religious pluralism. The UK regularly engages with Ukrainian religious groups and the Government of Ukraine on this issue, including on Law 8371 which mandates that religious organisations must cut ties with the Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate. The Ukrainian Government and religious leaders have offered reassurances that the law responds to clear national security threats. In February, a delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches met Parliamentarians and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials to discuss religious persecution in the temporarily occupied territories, and Law 8371.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60851 on Gibraltar: Sovereignty, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the sovereignty clause on Gibraltar. \p Stephen Doughty: The sovereignty clause safeguards UK sovereignty over Gibraltar. It makes clear that the Treaty is explicitly not about Gibraltar's sovereignty. We are steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, which remains a critical part of our wider UK family.

This Government is fully committed to the double lock: we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. And we will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60276 on Development Aid, when he expects to complete the resource allocation process. \p Stephen Doughty: We expect to publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's final 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts on the 21 July.

And over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Russia on the airstrike on the Dnipro Theological Seminary of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; and what diplomatic steps he is is taking to (a) support the protection of religious minorities and (b) uphold freedom of religion or belief in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), as well as the damage done to places of worship and religious significance. Ukraine's democracy is well known for its commitment to religious pluralism. The UK regularly engages with Ukrainian religious groups and the Government of Ukraine on this issue, including on Law 8371 which mandates that religious organisations must cut ties with the Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate in response to clear national security threats. In February, a delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches met Parliamentarians and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials to discuss religious persecution in the temporarily occupied territories.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports about the treatment of (a) non-Orthodox and (b) minority faith groups in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation. \p Stephen Doughty: We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Orthodox Church of Ukraine clergy, Crimean Tatars, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Protestant Churches suffer repression and physical abuse, including the prohibition of religious literature and arbitrary arrests and detentions. Religious figures are reportedly subjected to torture. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned altogether. The UK condemns Russia's attempt to destroy Ukraine's religious and belief communities. We engage regularly with Ukrainian religious groups on this issue. In February, a delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches met Parliamentarians and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials to discuss religious persecutions. I was personally appalled to hear and see evidence of Russian actions against the religious communities in Bucha during their earlier occupation when I visited earlier this year and met with local civic and religious leaders.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether papers from the previous Government were disclosed to Ministers in the Administration relating to the UK-Mauritius negotiations. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government has complied with the guidance set out in the Cabinet Manual on the access to papers of a previous administration.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of (a) prosecutions of opposition party leaders and (b) levels of repression of civil society groups in Georgia. \p Stephen Doughty: I am seriously concerned by the recent sentences imposed on several prominent Georgian opposition figures. These are clearly politically motivated and aimed at blocking the political opposition from future elections. On 23 June I called on Georgian Dream to end its misuse of the courts to silence dissent, and free all political prisoners. In addition, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summoned the Georgian Chargé d'Affaires on 30 June, to make clear the UK's firm opposition to Georgia's increasingly harmful trajectory. We continue to keep the worsening situation in Georgia under close review. On 1 July I chaired an emergency meeting with like-minded European democracies on Georgia to discuss our assessment of the situation and actions in response.

On 15 May I raised my wide-ranging concerns about recent repressive legislation on civil society and the media; restrictions on freedom of assembly and arbitrary arrests; and growing anti-Western rhetoric from high-level representatives of Georgian Dream. On 18 June I discussed my concerns about Georgian Dream's repressive legislation to restrict civil society, media, and opposition voices with Georgian 5th President Zourabichvili, and expressed my support for her work supporting democracy in Georgia. On 26 June our Ambassador to Georgia raised concerns about attacks on civil society, media and non-governmental organisations with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Botchorishvili. We continue to keep a range of options under active review working with our partners to respond to the latest actions.

The UK's support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations remains steadfast, and we stand ready to assist in a return to its European values and democratic norms.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 7 October 2024 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations, Official Report, column 46, on what evidential basis he stated that the UK has the right to extend the 99 year period. \p Stephen Doughty: As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement in October 2024, the UK negotiated a right to extend the duration of the Treaty beyond 99 years. This formed part of the negotiations with the Government of Mauritius and was subsequently included in Article 13 of the Treaty.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, report to Parliament 2024 to 2025, published on 17 June 2025, what support the UK is giving to a ‘Special Funding Window on Conflict and Crises with respect to tackling Gender-Based Violence. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to tackling gender-based violence at home and overseas, including in areas of conflict and crises. We have been a proud contributor to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) since 2014, with the UK committing £2 million to their special funding window on conflict and crisis in 2023. New grantees within the UNTF were announced in 2024 and included organisations working in Myanmar, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - under the latest funding cycle, over 20% of the UNTF's new and diverse portfolio of grantees will target support to displaced and refugee women. The UK's support will fund civil society organisations to respond and prevent various forms of violence, including conflict-related sexual violence and violence against women in refugee or displaced persons camps.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) places of worship and (b) religious sites (i) damaged and (ii) destroyed in Ukraine since February 2022; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of contributing to international efforts to (A) restore and (B) protect those sites. \p Stephen Doughty: We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and the damage done to places of worship and religious significance. As of April 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has verified damage to 149 religious sites. The UK remains committed to the protection of cultural heritage sites jeopardised by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's reconstruction, starting with early recovery measures, remains a key priority. We have committed up to £283 million in bilateral assistance for 2025/2026 to fund humanitarian, energy, stabilisation, recovery and reconstruction programmes. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) International Cultural Heritage Protection (ICHP) Programme continues to fund protection of cultural heritage. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, DCMS's ICHP has supported Ukraine funded NGO 'Blue Shield' to carry out war-crime investigations, capacity building programmes for the Office of the Prosecutor General and funding the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Heritage Crime Task Force in Ukraine.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, what reforms he plans to drive in the multilateral system, whether he plans to do this in concert with allies; and what his planned timeline is for starting work on this. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is a strong supporter of the international system, but we want to see reform. That is why we are prioritising multilateral organisations with our spending in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions. This will help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient.

No nation can tackle global challenges alone, and the multilateral system offers scale, value for money and impact. We are in regular discussion with our allies on reform, including on the UN80 process. We are using our voice and influence to push for greater efficiency and clearer coordination.

We will continue to support multilateral development banks and invest in multilateral funds like Gavi, working with our partners and allies on reform. At the recent Gavi Leaders Summit, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK will invest £1.25 billion in Gavi and called for reform of the multilateral global health system.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, which multilateral organisations he will prioritise funding. \p Stephen Doughty: We will prioritise multilaterals in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform of the multilateral system to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions - to help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient. We will publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Annual Report and Accounts on 21 July. Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support (a) parents and (b) teachers who are concerned about smartphone use (i) children and (ii) teenagers. \p Feryal Clark: By the end of this month the Online Safety Act will bring in protections for children to make sure their experiences are appropriate for their age.

Ofcom – the Act’s regulator - has set out measures for services to take to comply with the Act’s child safety duties, and will consider parental controls for future iterations Codes.

The Department for Education has issued guidance on mobile phones in schools to support teachers, and the UK Chief Medical Officers have published advice to support parents on children’s screen use.

This is the foundation, we will not hesitate to go further, to ensure the children’s safety online.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Horizon Europe funding has been allocated to organisations in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire since the programme began. \p Feryal Clark: Since the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, UK researchers and businesses can confidently participate in this programme which runs until 2027. Making the UK’s association to Horizon Europe a success is the Government’s priority. The Government has been providing extensive assistance to the UK’s R&D communities to maximise their chances of applying and succeeding with Horizon Europe. Constituents in South Holland and the Deepings, and wider Lincolnshire can participate in these initiatives.

The Honourable Member can access the data on how much Horizon Europe funding has been allocated to organisations – across both the South Holland and the Deepings constituency, and Lincolnshire – via the public EU Funding and Tenders Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/horizon-dashboard. This data can be found in the R&I Projects section of the Funding and Tenders Portal, under the Key Figures page, using the relevant filters.
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Sir Jeremy Hunt:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on AI collaboration with Anthropic since 14 February 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The Department has continued to deepen its collaboration with Anthropic as part of its broader strategy to strengthen the UK’s sovereign AI capabilities. This partnership forms part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring the UK is an AI maker, not just a taker. Through the Sovereign AI Unit, DSIT is working with Anthropic and other frontier AI companies to shape the development of strategically important capabilities, leveraging the UK’s strengths in talent, data and investment to secure economic and technological advantage.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how he plans to update hon. Members on the progress of the expert working groups on (a) transparency, (b) licensing and (c) other technical standards mandated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The Government has committed to establishing expert stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.

The Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are convening the first meeting of these stakeholder working groups on 16th July. Information relating to this group will be published on GOV.UK, which will include further details and a list of working group members.

The Government has also committed to set up a Parliamentary working group for members to engage with and feed views into this process.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on the expert working groups on (a) transparency, (b) licensing and (c) other technical standards mandated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The Government has committed to establishing expert stakeholder working groups to inform the development of policy on copyright and AI.

In line with debates in Parliament on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are convening the first meeting of these stakeholder working groups on 16th July. The Government will publish details and a list of working group members in due course.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local LGBT+ youth groups on supporting young LGBT+ people. \p Stephanie Peacock: Through our work on the National Youth Strategy, we’ve engaged with over 20,000 young people across the country — each with diverse and valuable lived experiences — to better understand their interactions with youth services and their hopes for the future.

In May and June, we conducted a series of in-depth ‘Deep Dive’ sessions, including one with LGBTQ+ young people. These were small, confidential discussions designed to create a safe space for more sensitive and honest conversations.

Our interim report, Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Nation, will be published shortly, with the full Strategy to follow in the autumn.
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Valerie Vaz:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Creative Industries Sector Plan does not include the publishing sector; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating that plan to include that sector. \p Chris Bryant: The Creative Industries Sector Plan is a growth plan for all creative sectors, including publishing.

It recognises the vital role of publishing in the creative ecosystem, and provides substantial support for all creative businesses, including publishers, with cross-cutting measures for access to finance, innovation, IP protection, skills development, and export support.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support seaside tourism in Eastbourne constituency. \p Chris Bryant: With coastal and countryside destinations making up 25% of domestic day trips and 31% of domestic overnight stays in 2023, DCMS recognises tourism as a key sector with the potential to contribute strongly to economic growth and pride in place of an area.

DCMS and VisitEngland have transformed England’s visitor economy landscape through a new and robust structure of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) – sharing priorities, resources and targets to help attract more visitors who stay for longer. Over 40 LVEPs have now been accredited, including the East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex LVEP, aiming to drive investment and spend across regions and support the government's devolution agenda.

VisitBritain’s GREAT-funded international marketing campaign launched at the beginning of this year. ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ has used the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Britain, including many rural and coastal destinations.
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Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's consultation outcome entitled Consultation on a registration scheme for short-term lets in England, updated on 19 July 2024, when she will publish a full response to the consultation. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS has commenced the second phase of digital development, with public testing due to start in September. The full consultation response will be published alongside the necessary secondary legislation.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help grow the tourism industry in Eastbourne. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is implementing the most significant overhaul of regional destination management in a generation, creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country, including in rural and coastal areas.

The East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex LVEP are included in this partnership, and works collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners to communicate investment opportunities and to showcase Eastbourne’s strengths as a place to live, work, study and invest in, as well as a premier destination for visitors.

DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain/VisitEngland to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience. VisitBritain’s new GREAT-funded international marketing campaign, ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Britain, including many rural destinations.
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Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many full-time equivalent staff will be needed to enforce the short-term lets database. \p Chris Bryant: Detailed operational requirements, including staffing levels, are being determined as part of the development process.
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Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using artificial intelligence in the regulatory process for short-term lets. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is committed to being at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation across public services and regulatory processes. Decisions about which technologies, including potential AI applications, will best support the Short Term Lets registration scheme's effectiveness are being determined during the design phase. Any specific assessment of AI applications in the registration process would be a matter for DCMS as the lead department for this policy area. Public testing on the register is due to start later in 2025 and a full version of the scheme in 2026.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with UK broadcasters on ensuring that television coverage of the Tour de France remains available to UK viewers. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises concerns raised about losing free-to-air coverage of the Tour de France. Ensuring live cycling can be enjoyed by a wide reaching audience is important to growing the sport and inspiring the next generation of cyclists. Professional cycling, in particular the Tour de France, (men’s and women’s Tours) captivates fans with its exciting races and inspires people across the country to get on their bikes every weekend.

It is the responsibility of broadcasters and rights holders to think carefully about the balance between generating revenue and ensuring access to sports coverage for their viewers.

While I have regular discussions with UK broadcasters on a range of issues, decisions relating to coverage of particular sporting events - including the Tour de France - are ultimately a commercial decision for the relevant broadcaster and/or the rights holder, independent of government.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if his Department will consider commissioning a report on the potential merits of dual market access for businesses in Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: In the explanatory materials provided to Parliament ahead of the consent vote on the Windsor Framework last year, the Government set out its view that dual market access is important for economic life in Northern Ireland and that many aspects of economic activity rely on that access.

The Government has published a wide range of guidance and support for businesses and will continue to consider future opportunities to do so.

The Government will continue to communicate the unique advantages of dual market access that the Windsor Framework offers, alongside the beneficial outcomes of the UK/EU Summit, to businesses and traders in Northern Ireland and across the UK.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department. \p Ian Murray: We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across the civil service to break down barriers to opportunity. The Scotland Office considers the use of apprenticeships for all relevant recruitment campaigns.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by his Department. \p Ian Murray: The Scotland Office does not hold information in relation to the ethnicity of staff.

All staff that join the Scotland Office, do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers. All information in relation to protected characteristics, including the ethnicity of staff is held and managed by the employing departments.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within her Department. \p Jo Stevens: Apprenticeships are available to new and existing Wales Office staff and my Department promotes these opportunities through Ministry of Justice (MoJ) intranet bulletins and Wales Office staff newsletters. When vacancies arise, the Department also considers if posts may be advertised as apprenticeships.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by her Department. \p Jo Stevens: My Department is not an employer in its own right and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provide employment services on our behalf, including setting ethnicity data categories for collection.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on on (a) business hospitality, (b) grant in aid to arms length bodies, (c) recruitment, (d) transport equipment costs, (e) travel and (f) IT and communications in 2024-25; and how much has been budgeted for the 2025-26 financial year. \p Catherine West: The department spend for 2024/25 is still subject to audit and therefore may change. At the time of responding, we estimate the spend to be:

A

Business Hospitality

£10.5 million

C

Recruitment

£1.2 million

D

Transport equipment

£6.4 million

E

Travel

£84.9 million

F

IT and comms

£217.1 million

Final spends and part (b) grant in aid to arms length bodies for 2024/25 will be confirmed in the Annual Report & Accounts (ARA), due to be published in July.

The department is still working on budget allocations for 2025/26, therefore cannot respond on those figures yet.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help open new humanitarian aid routes into Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access. The UK continues to push for additional cross-border aid routes into Sudan, including through Aweil, Renk and Panakuach, as well as Adré. In addition, the UK continues to press for improved cross-line routes within Sudan. During last month's London Sudan Conference, chaired by the Foreign Secretary, attendees agreed to use their influence with the parties, and urged them to lift all impediments, and guarantee safe, rapid, and unimpeded access throughout Sudan for humanitarian supplies and personnel.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of conflict moving from Sudan to South Sudan on stability in that region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Sudan conflict continues to pose increased risks to South Sudan and the wider region which we are closely monitoring. We will support regional peace and mediation efforts undertaken by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the UN and the African Union in both countries.

South Sudan is majorly impacted by the conflict in Sudan with the influx of refugees exacerbating an already challenging humanitarian context. We welcome South Sudan's generosity in hosting significant numbers of refugees. The UK's humanitarian support of £69 million to South Sudan is helping to assist those who have fled violence from Sudan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to disburse famine aid quickly across Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access into and within Sudan. During last month's London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. An urgent improvement in access is required to enable aid to be delivered to those in need.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_5

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 39002 on Sudan: Children, what steps he is taking to help support children back to school in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: In late 2024, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) assessed that nearly 90 per cent of Sudan's school age children (17 million against a population of 19 million) were no longer in school with armed violence a key driver. UK funding to UNICEF, the Global Partnership for Education, and Education Cannot Wait is helping to provide schooling and psychosocial support to Sudanese children affected by the conflict including Sudanese refugees in Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, Central Africa Republic, and Uganda. In addition, UK funding to Emergency Response Rooms and a consortium of international non-governmental organisations is helping to deliver education services across Sudan.

Whilst the conflict continues the provision of schooling remains incredibly challenging. The UK is using all levers at its disposal to bring the fighting to an end.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_6

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of humanitarian need in Ethiopia. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Official needs figures for Ethiopia have not yet been finalised for this year, but the level of humanitarian need remains high. Last year an estimated 21 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. We continue to work closely with the Government of Ethiopia and other partners to support those most in need of humanitarian assistance.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_7

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what UK aid programmes are operating in Ethiopia; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to Official Development Assistance on these programmes. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK supports eight development programmes in Ethiopia. These programmes provide support focussed on health, nutrition, climate resilient water and sanitation services, emergency cash and education. Specific programmes include our humanitarian programme "Ethiopia: Crises 2 Resilience" (EC2R), development programmes such as 'Strengthening Climate Resilient Systems for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Ethiopia (SCRS-WaSH), and governance programmes including our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme (HARP). Other global and regional Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office programmes also have a footprint in Ethiopia. Decisions on the impact of changes to the Official Development Assistance budget will be determined as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_8

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support humanitarian efforts and (b) promote peace and stability in the Darfur region of Sudan; and what steps he is taking with international partners to help tackle (i) the ongoing conflict and (ii) human rights abuses in the area. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The human cost of the conflict in Sudan is appalling with the warring parties showing a total disregard for human life. The conflict has caused the largest and most severe crisis globally with 64 per cent of the population in urgent need of assistance. The UK is using all levers at its disposal to act. At last month's London Sudan conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million in UK funding which will target over 650,000 people with life-saving aid. The UK continues to use its position as the Sudan penholder at the UN Security Council to address civilian suffering and abuses. Last summer, the UK-led resolution 2736 demanded a halt to the Rapid Support Forces' siege of El Fasher and called on warring parties to implement an immediate cessation of hostilities and ensure safe, unimpeded humanitarian access. In November 2024, the Minister for Africa chaired an open Council meeting focused on protection of civilians in Sudan, laying the groundwork for the UK and Sierra Leone's co-led resolution. This resolution was shamefully vetoed by Russia.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_9

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the he is taking to help ensure aid reaches Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access into and within Sudan. During last month's London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_10

Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help secure a ceasefire in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are using all levers at our disposal to bring about an end to the conflict in Sudan. As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, the UK continues to call out atrocities committed in Sudan and press for a peaceful end to the conflict. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary gathered Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from 21 countries and multilateral bodies at the London Sudan Conference. Discussions focussed on how to make progress on shared goals of ending the conflict, protecting civilians and scaling-up the delivery of humanitarian aid. Participants agreed on the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. As detailed in the co-chairs' statement, this is not the end but the start of a process; the UK remains committed to working with the international community to secure a ceasefire in Sudan.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_11

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure humanitarian aid reaches (a) those who need it most and (b) women and girls in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The crisis in Sudan is the largest and most severe globally. Civilians, notably women and girls, are bearing the brunt of the violence. During last month's London Sudan Conference, chaired by the Foreign Secretary, attendees agreed to use their influence with the parties, and urge them to lift all impediments, and guarantee safe, rapid, and unimpeded access throughout Sudan for humanitarian supplies and personnel.  At the conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million in UK funding which will target over 650,000 people with life-saving aid including support for women and girls which will be delivered through networks of Sudanese responders. Through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutilation programme, UK funding will also support work on protection, prevention and care services in response to the increasing rates of gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence across Sudan and provide emergency support to survivors of these atrocities.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_12

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Eritrea on releasing prisoners of conscience detained without trial. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We consistently raise the human rights situation with the Eritrean Government, most recently by way of a statement at the 58th Human Rights Council in February and also during a senior Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) official visit to Asmara in April. We continue to advocate for the end of arbitrary detentions, including detentions based on religion or belief. Eritrea is a priority country in the FCDO Annual Human Rights Report and we support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2024. As we have stated at the Human Rights Council, all those who have been unjustly incarcerated must be released.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_13

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made any recent representations to Nigeria on the security situation for Christians in northern Nigeria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government regularly advocates for the protections of all vulnerable communities, including religious minorities, through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) directly with the Government of Nigeria. In his meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives on 22 January, the Minister for Africa raised the importance of FoRB and resolving intercommunal conflict and tensions. Additionally, through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme (SPRiNG) the UK is providing £38 million to help tackle the root causes of intercommunal conflict and reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_14

Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the planning application to Westminster City Council, reference number 25/01451/LBC, whether his Department plans to display Government Art Collection artworks that are not currently on display; and what the total cost is of the works to install picture rails. \p Catherine West: The outcome of the Listed Building Consent application is not yet known. A decision about artwork will be finalised after approval has been granted and the cost of purchasing and installing picture rails has been determined.
wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-07 conversation_15

Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the release of Dr Wang Bingzhang. \p Catherine West: The UK Government stands firm on human rights in China. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).

We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations and will continue to call on China to uphold its commitments under international law.