theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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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 Overseas Development Aid changes on the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) provides a comprehensive framework to coordinate the full spectrum of the UK's partnership with Nigeria in addressing shared security and defence challenges. Part of the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) approach in Nigeria is to prevent and reduce the systemic drivers of violent conflict such as weak governance, climate change, food insecurity, intercommunal violence and lack of access to basic healthcare and education. Nigeria was the third largest recipient of UK bilateral ODA in Africa in Financial Year 24/25, with an allocation of £117 million. ODA allocations for forthcoming years are currently being finalised. The SDP will remain a fundamental element of the UK-Nigeria bilateral relationship in the coming years.
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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the matters raised in the Breaking the Silence report entitled The Perimeter Soldier's Testimonies from the Gaza Buffer Zone 2023-24, published on 7 April 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We have regularly made clear that the Government of Israel must ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, most recently during a joint statement that the Foreign Secretary issued with his French and German counterparts on 23 April. We have also been clear that Israel must not reduce Palestinian territory in the course of its operations, and that permanent Israeli control of buffer or security zones is unacceptable.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take following the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025 to support countries neighbouring Sudan to (a) continue to keep their borders open and (b) address increased levels of migration. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Sudan is now the world's largest displacement crisis, with 8.6 million people estimated to be internally displaced and a further 4 million having fled to neighbouring countries since April 2023. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary co-hosted the London Sudan Conference alongside the AU, EU, France and Germany. A Co-Chairs' statement following the conference committed to increase the international attention on the human cost of this conflict, including its impact on neighbouring countries. We frequently engage with neighbouring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan and Chad to support and underline the vital role they play in hosting refugees. The Foreign Secretary's visit to Chad in January was an important part of the UK's engagement with neighbouring countries.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the additional £120 million in food aid to Sudan pledged by the UK for the 2025-26 financial year reaches (a) civilians and (b) women and girls. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The conflict in Sudan is having a devastating impact on the people of Sudan, particularly women and girls. At the recent London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a package of support budgeted at £120 million which will deliver life-saving services to more than 650,000 people. The UK continues to advocate for safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access so that the most vulnerable can be reached with aid.
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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 effectiveness of humanitarian aid distribution in (a) Sudan and (b) South Sudan; and what steps he is taking to help improve distribution. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Sudan is in the grip of the most severe humanitarian crisis globally with 30 million people requiring life-saving aid. The ongoing obfuscation of relief operations by Sudan's warring parties alongside continued fighting are imperilling tens of millions of people. 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.  At the conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million in UK funding.

South Sudan faces a parallel humanitarian crisis compounded by climate and conflict shocks and exacerbated by the over 1.1 million people fleeing Sudan since the onset of conflict in April 2023, including returnees and refugees. In August 2024, the former Minister for Development visited South Sudan and emphasised to senior South Sudanese ministers the need for effective humanitarian aid delivery. We continue to support the UN Mission in South Sudan, and non governmental organisation partners in their delivery of aid, and urge the government to improve the enabling of humanitarian assistance by reducing bureaucratic impediments, preventing aid diversion, ending unwarranted interference in recruitment, and ensuring safe and free movement of aid workers.
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Chris Curtis: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 the political situation in the Ivory Coast. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK maintains a strong relationship with Côte d'Ivoire, and we have shared interests in growth, security, and the fight against climate change.

As across Africa, the Government is focussed on building a modern partnership based on mutual respect and it is this principle which underpins our diplomatic engagement ahead of this year's important presidential election.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement his Department has had with the Sudanese diaspora in the United Kingdom. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Sudan is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Ministers and officials most recently engaged with members of the Sudanese diaspora during the run up to the 15 April London Sudan Conference. This included a roundtable with representatives of the Sudanese diaspora that the Minister for Africa, hosted at the FCDO on 31 March. The FCDO will continue to engage with members of the Sudanese diaspora as part of our ongoing work.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support African countries whose economies are affected by debt repayments. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Supporting all developing countries -including those in Africa - to tackle unsustainable debt is a key development priority of this government. We are working with all our partners to support sustainable debt and ensure all countries have the fiscal space to invest and grow. Where we are a creditor, we have fully engaged in multilateral negotiations with debtor countries via the Paris Club and G20 Common Framework mechanisms to put their debt back on a sustainable trajectory.

We welcome the G20 Common Framework debt agreements with Zambia and Ghana achieved last year but recognise these treatments took too long. We are therefore calling for efforts to strengthen, speed up and expand the Common Framework to all low and middle-income countries, whilst also building the enabling environment for more sustainable and transparent lending and strengthened public financial management. The Chancellor has recently announced the London Coalition on Sustainable Debt to progress these objectives with the private creditors.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Syria on the importance of protecting the Alawite community. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We welcome the Syrian Government's reassurances to the Syrian population and international community that they will protect all civilians in Syria, and their establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence in early March. I discussed these points in my meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March. We will continue to monitor the treatment of all civilians in Syria, and this issue will continue to be an important aspect of our engagement with the Syrian Government and with regional and international partners.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues on how the UK can help to protect the Christian minority in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Our Special Envoy for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), David Smith, met with the UN Special Rapporteur on FoRB in Geneva in March, where he reinforced the UK position that there is no space for religious intolerance in pluralistic, modern societies. He also made a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 March, highlighting our concerns regarding the coercion of non-Muslims in Sudan to change their beliefs through denial of work, food aid, and education. We continue to champion the right to FoRB for all by promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. We will continue to recognise the issue of Christian persecution globally, alongside the persecution of other individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned reduction in Official Development Assistance on intelligence gathering to facilitate aid provision in Afghanistan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments, and value for money.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bahrain on Bahrain’s political isolation laws. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this with his Bahraini counterpart.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he made of the potential impact of the reduction in Official Development Assistance funding on programmes in Ghana in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK remains committed to a modern development partnership with Ghana. Our development partnership has seen success in supporting the Government of Ghana to deliver smart reforms in good governance, revenue, economic transformation, forestry protection and improving public services. The impact on specific programmes is being worked through following the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of GNI to 0.3 per cent in 2027. Whilst reducing ODA will inevitably have an impact, the UK will continue to play a globally significant role in development, and work with Ghana to support growth and poverty reduction.
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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 reduced Official Development Assistance spending on support for Afghan women and girls. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review process. We intend to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts this summer. The FCDO is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way. Equality Impact Assessments - which consider impacts on women and girls - are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations. The UK remains committed to playing a significant role in international development.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with (a) the Government of Pakistan and (b) other international partners on incidents of Ahmadiyya Muslims being barred from congregational Eid worship; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of such incidents on levels of human rights in Pakistan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement overseas. We are concerned by the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, including reports they were prevented from offering prayers over Ramadan and Eid. I discussed the right of Ahmadi Muslims to practice their faith in a meeting with Pakistan's Minister of State for the Interior, Talal Chaudhry, on 31 March. On 16 April, Lord Khan of Burnley raised Ahmadi rights in a meeting with Pakistan's Minster for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf. The UK Government regularly engages with members of the Ahmadi community, both in Pakistan and the UK, to inform our understanding of the issues they are facing. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
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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 the (a) withdrawal and (b) closure of international partners’ diplomatic missions in (i) Sudan and (ii) South Sudan on stability in that region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The safety of our staff and British Nationals is our priority. The UK like others, had no choice but to withdraw our diplomatic presence in Khartoum when armed violence commenced in April 2023. The UK remains committed to finding a solution to end the conflict in Sudan. On the two-year point of the conflict, on 15 April, the Foreign Secretary hosted international partners and stakeholders at the London Sudan Conference, which focussed on spotlighting the dire human cost of the conflict, achieving progress on humanitarian access and building consensus among the international community behind a regionally led process.

We continue to maintain a diplomatic presence in Juba, South Sudan. We are keeping the situation under regular review. We are deeply concerned by the increasingly fragile security situation and have urged President Kiir and all those with influence over armed groups, to de-escalate, to release First Vice President Machar and to implement the 2018 peace agreement.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance his Department has provided to Alawite civilians living in Syria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: In all our engagement with the Syrian Government we consistently emphasise the need to protect the rights of all Syrians. I discussed these points in my meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March and the UK Special Representative for Syria spoke directly to members of the Alawite community following the violence in coastal areas in early March. We will continue to monitor the treatment of all civilians in Syria, and this issue will continue to be an important aspect of our engagement with the Syrian Government.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Nigeria in implementing the Universal Periodic Review recommendations relating to the Freedom of Religion or Belief. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and was an active participant in Nigeria's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in January 2024. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, remains an important part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), the UK is working with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems. Additionally, through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme (SPRiNG) the UK is providing £38 million to help tackle the root causes of intercommunal conflict, including security, justice, and natural resource management challenges.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the humanitarian situation in (a) Sudan and (b) countries neighbouring Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is committed to addressing Sudan's humanitarian crisis and its regional impacts. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year. This includes 670,000 people to be reached with food assistance for 3 months, 205,000 people to benefit from financial assistance and 600,000 people who will receive nutrition, water and sanitation support. The UK continues its work to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including through access corridors such as the Adré crossing from Chad. Crucially, we also provide aid to those neighbouring countries hosting large numbers of refugees from Sudan, including Chad, South Sudan and Uganda to help manage the effects of the crisis.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department takes steps to verify statistics published by the Gaza Health Ministry. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Like many of our partners, we use data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to report on daily casualties in the current Gaza conflict. OCHA draws on figures issued from the Gazan Ministry of Health (MoH). Producing reliable casualty statistics in contexts of violent conflict is never straightforward. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has consulted experts, including from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Every Casualty Counts. Experts assess that the total number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October 2023 estimated by the Gaza Ministry of Health is a reasonable figure, though numbers of those still under rubble, and still missing, is not yet known.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Nigeria on support for Christians that country. \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) bilaterally with the Government of Nigeria and other influential parties. 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. The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to FoRB and our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, remains an important part of our partnership with Nigeria.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on reports of (a) arbitrary arrests, (b) enforced disappearances and (c) threatened deportations of members of the Ahmadiyya community. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK. We regularly raise concerns with the Egyptian government, including on arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and issues related to freedom of religion or belief. At the UN Human Right's Council's Periodic Review in January, the UK expressed concerns over the detention of journalists, activists, media restrictions and pre-trial detention practices. We called for fair trial standards and detainee releases. The UK champions freedom of religion or belief and continue to work with Egypt to ensure they protect these rights. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to verify the number of UNRWA operatives involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal terror attacks by Hamas and were appalled by the Government of Israel's allegations that United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members were involved. The UN Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) report concluded that nine UNRWA staff members may have participated in the Hamas terrorist attack and the UNRWA Commissioner General took decisive action to terminate their contracts. For the remaining 10 staff there was no or insufficient evidence for the UN to take forward further action. The parallel independent Colonna review found that UNRWA's existing Neutrality Framework was "robust" and more developed than similar UN or Non-Governmental Organisation entities, but that neutrality related issues persist. £1 million of our funding to UNRWA this year is supporting the implementation of the review's agreed Action Plan to ensure UNRWA commits to these neutrality obligations. All alleged involvement of UNRWA staff in appalling acts in support of 7 October and subsequent events must be thoroughly investigated.
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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 landmines on the humanitarian situation in north west Syria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Explosive ordnance continues to pose a significant threat to civilians and humanitarian workers across Syria.

We provide funding to the mine action sector via the UK-led Aid Fund for Syria, the UK Global Mine Action Programme and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department uses Gaza Health Ministry statistics in its Cross Whitehall Briefings. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Like many of our partners, we use data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to report on daily casualties in the current Gaza conflict. OCHA draws on figures issued from the Gazan Ministry of Health (MoH). Producing reliable casualty statistics in contexts of violent conflict is never straightforward. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has consulted experts, including from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Every Casualty Counts. Experts assess that the total number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October 2023 estimated by the Gaza Ministry of Health is a reasonable figure, though numbers of those still under rubble, and still missing, is not yet known.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of consulting with Syrian civil society organisations on the steps required to ease sanctions. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has long supported Syrian civil society, and we continue to do so. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and senior officials, including the UK Special Representative for Syria, regularly meet civil society actors to discuss a range of issues, including the impact of sanctions. On 1 April, I met representatives from Syrian civil society to discuss how the international community can support Syria in building a better future, including through sanctions relief.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bahrain on the (a) independence and (b) effectiveness of (i) Bahrain's human rights oversight mechanisms, (ii) the National Institution for Human Rights and (iii) the Office of the Ombudsman. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary visited Bahrain in October 2024 and met the Foreign Minister. The focus of that visit was de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and to meet UK personnel working in the region, underscoring our commitment to regional security and stability.

The UK encourages all countries to uphold international human rights obligations. We recognise a number of positive steps taken by the Government of Bahrain over recent years in a range of human rights and justice areas, some of which the UK has directly supported, including the establishment of some of these independent human rights oversight bodies, such as the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ministry Of Interior Ombudsman, and the Prisoner and Detainee Rights Commission (PDRC), and helped build the capacity of the National Institute for Human Rights (NIHR).
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support displaced people in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Sudan conflict has caused the largest and fasted growing displacement crisis in the world, with almost 13 million displaced since April 2023. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year, to support over to 650,000 people in Sudan. The UK is also playing an active role at the Security Council to help protect Sudanese civilians through public interventions, senior engagements, Council products and sanctions. We continue to push the warring parties take every precaution to safeguard Sudanese civilians.
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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 fluctuations in the levels of humanitarian aid that has reached Darfur over the last 6 months. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Aid flows into and across Darfur over the last six months have been wholly inadequate. Armed violence and access constraints imposed by the warring parties have had unacceptable impacts on relief operations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan in order to alleviate the unprecedented levels of suffering. We are using all levers at our disposal to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and to improve the operating context for aid agencies.

On 15 April, following the Sudan London Conference, the co-chairs' statement called on relevant parties to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of need through all necessary routes in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In addition, the UK supported Canada's efforts as Chair of the G7 to issue a joint statement expressing concern about reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Sudan and calling on warring parties to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.

During April'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.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he uses to assess whether to withdraw funding from Official Development Assistance programmes in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has been a longstanding and major humanitarian donor to Sudan with £226.5 million allocated in the financial year of 2024/25 towards the crisis. The UK also committed a further £120 million in funding which will target over 650,000 people. In his statement to Parliament on Defence and Official Development Assistance spend, the Prime Minister made clear that Sudan would remain a humanitarian priority. The Prime Minister is committed to returning 0.7 per cent spending when fiscal conditions allow. The ongoing obfuscation of relief operations by Sudan's warring parties is imperilling tens of millions of people. More funding is required from across the international community. However, without a step change in access the already dire situation will drastically deteriorate.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on any potential reallocation of savings from in-donor refugee costs to the FCDO’s ODA budget. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog and reform the asylum accommodation system to help end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period to ensure more of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget is spent on our development priorities overseas.

The aid spent in the UK on refugee and asylum costs fell by a third last year and we are working to bring it down further as we continue to deliver on our election promise to slash asylum costs.

Departmental ODA allocations will be confirmed at the Spending Review.

The Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with the Chancellor.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution by the then Minister for Development on 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 873, who the 28 international judges and arbitrators are; and in (a) what context and (b) which institutions those opinions were given. \p Stephen Doughty: As well as the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion in 2019, an Arbitral Tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2015 and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in 2021 have considered the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago. None have expressed support for a United Kingdom claim to sovereignty.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether resettlement will be limited to the Chagossian diaspora; and what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for participation. \p Stephen Doughty: This agreement will enable Mauritius to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia. The terms of resettlement will be for Mauritius to determine.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether he plans to report to Parliament on the programme of resettlement on islands other than Diego Garcia. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to his previous Question, 48365.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_250

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, what vetting process will be used to determine participation in the resettlement programme. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to his previous Question, 48365.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_251

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether his Department has conducted a risk assessment on the possibility of foreign-aligned groups using the Chagos Archipelago resettlement programme. \p Stephen Doughty: There will be robust security provisions to protect the base, including a robust mechanism and review process to ensure no activity in the other islands can impinge upon base operations, as well as a prohibition on the presence of foreign security forces on the outer islands, either civilian or military.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_252

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to expand the designation of vessels considered part of Russia’s shadow fleet. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister has been clear that we must strengthen economic pressure on the Kremlin. The UK has led international efforts to disrupt Russia's shadow fleet, which it spent over $10 billion to purchase. We have sanctioned 129 oil tankers under this government with many ships left idling outside ports, costing Putin and his war effort millions in wasted funds. We have also spearheaded a 49-nation 'Call to Action' against the shadow fleet condemning the risks that it poses to the environment, maritime safety and security, and adherence to international maritime law. We do not comment on future designations as this could affect their impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_253

Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proposals he plans bring forward to enforce the ban on live exports to slaughter under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 specifically for Equidae. \p Daniel Zeichner: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2025 to PQ 43550 and 43549.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_254

Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Animal Welfare Committee will publish its review on the responsible sourcing of fur. \p Daniel Zeichner: I refer Seamus Logan to the reply given to Neil Duncan-Jordan on 21 February 2025, PQ 32807.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_255

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department have job titles which include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race. \p Daniel Zeichner: This information is not held centrally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_256

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure on-site biodiversity net gains offsets are (a) formally registered and (b) adequately monitored. \p Mary Creagh: The Government has provided over £35 million of new burdens funding to Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), county councils and combined authorities thus far to help them implement mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG). The uses to which the funding can be put are broad and there is no definitive list as requirements will differ across authorities. Some of this funding may be used for monitoring and enforcement responsibilities, including for ‘on-site’ BNG requirements. Decisions on any further funding are subject to the outcome of the spending review.

All significant on-site BNG must be legally secured by a planning condition, planning obligation or conservation covenant for 30 years. If a developer does not meet BNG requirements they may be in breach of the planning condition or legal agreement, and the LPA has a range of planning enforcement powers and may take enforcement action. Where significant on-site gains are secured by a conservation covenant, the responsible body is responsible for enforcing the agreement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_257

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help retailers distribute surplus food to local charities. \p Mary Creagh: The Government recognises the environmental, economic and social benefits of preventing food waste and redistributing surplus. Defra's Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy encourages food businesses, including retailers, to prioritise redistribution of any surplus should it arise.

Defra funds the groundbreaking UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste, managed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Through the Pact, we support the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which helps businesses to identify and measure their surplus and waste and take steps to reduce it. This Target Measure Act approach enables food businesses to get more surplus to redistributors. Defra also engages a working group of supply chain and redistribution sector organisations to develop best practice and overcome barriers to redistribution.

Previous grant opportunities have helped the redistribution sector increase its capability and capacity for getting more surplus from the supply chain. Announced in December, £15 million has now been available to help the sector get more surplus food from farms to those in need.

The total amount of surplus food redistributed in the UK in 2023 was 191,000 tonnes, equating to nearly 456 million meals with a value of around £764 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_258

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42598 on Recycling: Packaging, who is on the steering group; and which specific sectors are represented. \p Mary Creagh: The Scheme Administrator Steering Group has an independent chair, UK Government officials, local authority representation, and business and producer representatives. Please see this GOV.UK page for Scheme Administrator Steering Group membership.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_259

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of household pets in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England. \p Daniel Zeichner: Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice.

The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions.

Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_260

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce harms done by (a) foxes and (b) badgers to agricultural property. \p Mary Creagh: It is lawful for farmers and landowners to manage foxes causing damage to property, so long as this is done in a lawful and humane way. Advice on protecting property from damage by foxes is included in this Natural England guidance note: Foxes, moles and mink: how to protect your property from damage - GOV.UK. Badgers are a protected species. There are options to legally manage damage problems but if these are unsuccessful and the damage is serious, farmers may apply for a licence to take action to address damage problems from Natural England. There is no charge for these licences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_261

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to the homegrown sugar industry in fast-tracking trials to help tackle Virus Yellows disease. \p Daniel Zeichner: This Government acknowledges the critical role of sugar beet farmers in the UK's sugar production and their ongoing contributions to the agricultural sector.

This Government recognises the challenge posed to sugar beet growers by Virus Yellows (VY), and we strongly support the industry-led work to develop more sustainable alternative controls for the aphids that spread these diseases. This includes Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques such as novel companion crops, and the development of new pest resistant varieties using both traditional and precision breeding techniques. These novel control methods, alongside new active substances such as Flupyradifurone – approved this year – will ensure that sugar beet growers have the tools they need to address VY.

The government is committed towards achieving crop resilience, especially in the sugar beet sector, to support Britain’s food security and nature’s recovery. Defra collaborates with the British Beet Research Organisation on IPM initiatives, with plans to observe their IPM trials in the coming Spring.

As part of this, the Government remains fully committed to enhancing crop resilience and is progressing legislation to activate precision breeding in England.