theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse has been of providing legal advice to immigrants seeking asylum in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: Legal aid is available to fund legal advice and representation provided to individuals seeking asylum in England and Wales, subject to an assessment of merits and financial eligibility. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes information regarding legal aid expenditure as part of its official statistics on a quarterly basis, including the cost of legal aid provided in respect of asylum matters funded as Controlled Work. The information requested can be found at column G of table 5.3. Controlled Work covers the provision of legal advice regarding asylum matters and representation before the First Tier (Immigration and Asylum) Tribunal.

The LAA also publishes information about the cost of Legal Representation pertaining to immigration and asylum matters (see tables 6.5 and 6.7). However, due to the way in which this information is recorded on LAA systems, expenditure specifically in relation to asylum cases could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners released under the early release scheme have been rearrested. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Ministry of Justice does not hold any data on arrests or rearrests as that is held by Home Office.

Reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics.

Prisoners released on SDS40 are subject to licence and liable to recall to prison if they do not comply or are judged a risk to public safety.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29896 on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, what plans her Department has to evaluate the pilot scheme for victims of rape and sexual offences. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Since May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot to enable victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

An assessment of the pilot is underway, and the results will be published after the pilot has ended in May 2025. This will explore application volumes, costs of provision, and any feedback from the courts on the process. It will also include applicant survey feedback, shared by victims or by those applying on their behalf.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance funding has been spent on countering people smuggling in the Balkans in each of the last five years. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government takes a comprehensive approach towards tackling irregular migration through, and from, the Western Balkans, including through partnerships and cooperation in the region to strengthen border security, disrupt organised immigration crime and build partnerships on returns. Bilateral agreements are currently in place with Albania, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia. UK Overseas Development Assistance in the Western Balkans, focussed on Albania, complements these efforts through funding programme activities that help to address underlying causes of irregular migration. In financial year (FY) 2023/24 the spend on this was £2.89 million, and in FY 2024/25 £2.3m (to date). The UK Government will use the forthcoming European Political Community (EPC) in Albania, and our hosting of the Berlin Process to continue to develop the range of our co-operation with countries in the Western Balkans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to (a) support and (b) provide training to medical practitioners on the use of (i) prosthetic and (ii) other medical technologies in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) partners continue to support medical practitioners in Ukraine. For example, the FCDO contributed to £320,000 of funding to the Superhumans War Trauma Centre in Ukraine last year. The clinic provides innovative rehabilitation services to people who have been impacted by war, including training surgeons on prosthetics. In addition, the Ukraine Red Cross Society, funded by UK assistance, provides specialised training at the Burns Unit in Kyiv and was recently visited by the Prime Minister.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) fund and (b) support the Superhumans war trauma centre in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The Superhumans War Trauma Centre in Ukraine provides innovative rehabilitation services to people who have been impacted by war. Last year, FCDO-led, multi-donor programme - the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) - supported the Superhumans clinic. PRFU provided £320,000 of funding for the Superhumans clinic, 40 percent of which was UK support. We remain in regular contact with the centre.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Mauritius has the right to define an Economic Exclusion Zone around the British Indian Ocean Territory. \p Stephen Doughty: After the agreement enters into force Mauritius will be able to declare an Economic Exclusion Zone but will need to implement security arrangements under the agreement. The deal ensures that we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. The UK will also assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will consider appealing the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruling on the UK's sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. \p Stephen Doughty: We understand this question refers to the 2021 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea case between Mauritius and the Maldives, which concerned a maritime boundary dispute between those two States. The UK was not a party to that case.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries have had reductions in Official Development Assistance in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24; and what the total reduction is in each case. \p Stephen Doughty: The FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations for 2024/25 were published on 6 February 2025. We will publish final ODA programme spend for 2024/25 in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. Equality impact assessments are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 24737 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius, what estimate he has made of the number of rounds of negotiations there will be between the UK and Mauritius Governments on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory before the Government brings forward a Bill to make the necessary amendments to current legislation to implement a UK/Mauritius Treaty on this matter. \p Stephen Doughty: As we and Mauritius have repeatedly said, including in joint statements on 20 December 2024 and on 13 January, both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. Once the Treaty is signed it will be laid before both Houses for scrutiny under the CRaG process and a Bill will be brought forward to make the necessary amendments to current legislation to implement the Treaty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the reduction in ODA, which (a) sectors and (b) regions will be prioritised for allocation that assistance. \p Stephen Doughty: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of interference by Russia in Georgia. \p Stephen Doughty: Georgia remains at the forefront of Russian hybrid aggression, with Russian military units stationed just 30 minutes from the capital, Tbilisi. In December 2024 I discussed with Georgian Dream representative, Maka Botcharishvili, Russian interference in Georgia. The UK remains vocal at the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where Russia regularly exerts pressure, in our support for Georgian territorial integrity and sovereignty over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We continue to call on the Russian Federation to withdraw their troops from Georgian sovereign territory and reverse recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetian independence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Overseas Territories' registers of beneficial ownership accessible only to those with a legitimate interest (a) support transparency and (b) tackle illicit financial transactions. \p Stephen Doughty: At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. Other OTs, including the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks & Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. Effective implementation will be an important step to improved financial transparency and part of our shared efforts to tackle illicit finance.

These Territories agreed that their registers would offer the maximum possible degree of access and transparency whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions. UK officials have since set out further clarifications on our requirements, ensuring access conditions do not unduly deter effective proactive investigations and analysis. UK officials are actively engaging with OT officials to ensure that they are met. I will also continue to raise this issue directly with elected leaders.

It remains our expectation that all OTs will ultimately implement registers that are fully accessible to the public.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 23270 on Denmark: Politics and Government, whether the territorial integrity of Greenland was discussed in these meetings. \p Stephen Doughty: As the Foreign Secretary and I have repeatedly and publicly made clear, Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and government of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials and I have reaffirmed this position in engagements with Danish and Greenlandic counterparts since January.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered conducting an assessment of the potential impact of proposed Official Development Assistance cuts on children. \p Stephen Doughty: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Sarah Green:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that reductions in Official Development Assistance spending do not disproportionately impact children. \p Stephen Doughty: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK joining the Hague Group. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK has no current plans to join the Hague Group. The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the reduction in ODA spending on international trade. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues. Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Pakistani counterpart on the arrest of Ahmadi Muslims in Daska, Pakistan, for gathering in their local mosque on 28 February 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the deteriorating situation for the Ahmadi community when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. On 3 March, our High Commissioner in Islamabad raised the issue of Ahmadi rights in a meeting with Prime Minister Sharif. It would not be appropriate to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families at risk.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve unity amongst his European counterparts on the provision of support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government is in constant contact with European partners to ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs. The Foreign Secretary and I engage regularly with European counterparts on this issue, including at the Munich Security Conference on 14-16 February. On 2 March, the Prime Minister will convene a group of countries to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to reduce official development assistance spending on future trends in the level of Chinese influence on developing nations. \p Stephen Doughty: We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of Europe. This Government is serious about our own defence and bearing our part of the burden for collective defence as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As the Prime Minister said in his statement to Parliament on 25 February, we must increase our security and defence spending.

While this will be funded through the difficult but necessary reductions to development assistance, this Government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.

China has made a significant contribution to economic development and growth across the world, and the UK and China have over a decade of constructive engagement on international development, to support delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, we also recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, which is why this Government is co-operating where we can, competing where we need to, and challenging where we must.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it her policy to use frozen Russian assets to provide compensation for Ukrainian (a) war survivors and (b) victims of (i) economic crime and (ii) human rights violations. \p Stephen Doughty: This Government is clear that Russia must be held responsible for its illegal war. Working with allies, we remain committed to considering all lawful means by which Russia is made to pay for the damage it has caused Ukraine. Our agreement with G7 partners to provide approximately $50 billion in additional funding to Ukraine, repaid by the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, is an important step in this regard. The UK will make a £2.26 billion contribution, earmarked for military spending.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to publish an international development strategy on the reduction in official development assistance spending. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister has committed to publishing a single new national security strategy, bringing together all reviews into one document and reflecting the decisions on resource set out on 25 February 2025. This will be published following the Spring Statement in March and ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in June. Detailed decisions on ODA spending will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of all people (a) intercepted and (b) detained in the British Indian Ocean Territory were (i) questioned and (ii) charged on espionage-related offences in the last five years. \p Stephen Doughty: We do not comment on espionage-related activity. No migrants have arrived on BIOT since 2022.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, which areas of official development spending does he plan to make reductions in. \p Stephen Doughty: The impact on specific programmes will be informed by the ongoing Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Plans will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government of Mauritius will assume responsibility for asylum seekers arriving in the Chagos Islands once the agreement has been ratified by Parliament. \p Stephen Doughty: Once the UK's agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago comes into force, Mauritius will take responsibility for any migrants who may arrive on the islands in the future. The deal will close a dangerous, illegal migration route. Up until the deal is in force, St Helena will accept any migrants arriving in the Chagos islands pursuant to an arrangement we made with them in October 2024.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the application by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Taliban leaders for crimes against humanity. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We continue to condemn the Taliban's draconian restrictions on women and girls' rights. Those responsible for international crimes committed in Afghanistan should be held to account for their actions. We note the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Taliban leaders in relation to the persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan. We welcome the progress being made in the investigation in Afghanistan. The UK Government respects the independence of the ICC. It is for the ICC Prosecutor to determine independently who should be prosecuted in accordance with his mandate under the Rome Statute.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) he, (b) his ministers and (c) officials from his Department have had with counterparts in the Commonwealth and Commonwealth member countries on reparatory justice (i) since July 2024 and (ii) subsequent to the most recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting; whether further such discussions are planned; and whether he plans to use ODA for reparatory justice measures. \p Stephen Doughty: We fully recognise the horrific impacts and the understandable, ongoing, strength of feeling on the transatlantic slave trade across communities in the UK and the Commonwealth family. Ministers have had no discussions with Commonwealth counterparts focused on reparatory justice since July 2024, and none are foreseen. If interlocutors raise reparatory justice, we make clear our position that we do not pay reparations. We are focused on working with Commonwealth partners to tackle the most pressing challenges of today including security, growth and climate change and building partnerships for the future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Tim Roca:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support debt relief for poorer nations. \p Stephen Doughty: Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a key development priority of this government. The UK is playing its full part to support countries who face unsustainable debt burdens. Where we are a creditor, we have fully engaged in debt restructuring negotiations. We welcome recent Common Framework debt agreements with Zambia and Ghana and are calling for efforts to strengthen and speed up future debt restructurings.

We are also focussed on strengthening the system for the future. This means improving debt transparency, strengthening debt management, global implementation of sustainable lending and borrowing practices, and wider roll out of Natural Disaster Clauses which pause debt repayments when a climate or health disaster hits.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Egyptian Government on consular access for Alaa Abd el-Fattah. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government continues to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian government. We have been consistently clear in calling for his release and continue to press for consular access. The Prime Minister raised the case in a phone call with President Sisi on 28 February 2025 and previously wrote to President Sisi on 26 December 2024 and 8 January 2025. The Foreign Secretary raised this case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 23 January 2025; I raised the case with the Egyptian Ambassador to London on 18 February 2025. National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell raised this with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 2 January 2025.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department was consulted on the decision to reduce official development assistance spending by 2027. \p Stephen Doughty: The decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending by 2027 was agreed by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, from which financial year will the proposed cuts to official development assistance be implemented. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister announced in Parliament on 25 February that he is bringing forward the UK commitment to reach 2.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence spending by 2027. On top of the 2.5 per cent, an extra 0.1 per cent in security services support, taking the total to 2.6 per cent.

Doing so demands the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending from 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) to 0.3 per cent of GNI by 2027 to respond to pressing security challenges.

Detailed decisions on ODA spending will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, how the proposed cut in official development assistance will be split across countries that receive aid from the UK. \p Stephen Doughty: Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for future years are being worked through given the Prime Minister's announcement on 25 February 2025 regarding a reduction in UK ODA.

This Government remains fully committed to a globally significant role on development. Our mission remains to help create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.

We report all ODA spending on a calendar year basis in the Statistics on International Development publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 30375 on Undocumented Migrants: Organised Crime, what the the new irregular migration sanctions regime will consist of. \p Stephen Doughty: Our new sanctions regime will target the gangs profiting from the vile trade in people smuggling, human trafficking and organised immigration crime. It will boost our ability to prevent, combat, deter and disrupt dangerous irregular migration and hold the perpetrators accountable. This will be a global regime - expanding our reach so we can target individuals and entities that enable and facilitate these dangerous journeys.

The regime will enable us to impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities, preventing any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person, and refusing the designated person leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under the Immigration Act.

We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will continue to work closely with the Home Office, Border Security Command and National Crime Agency to support law enforcement operations to counter and disrupt organised immigration crime threats.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of US support on Ukrainian independence. \p Stephen Doughty: Europe has provided two thirds of all aid, and over half of all military aid to Ukraine. The $50 billion G7 ERA loans puts Ukraine in a good position for 2025, of which the UK's $3 billion contribution will be earmarked for military spending, giving Ukraine more of the vital kit it needs to fight off Russian aggression.

A just and lasting peace is only possible if we continue to show strength and provide Ukraine with the support it needs. There will be no let-up in our support, which we will continue for as long as it is necessary.

The UK notes the US decision to pause foreign aid funding for 3 months, pending a review. This is a matter for the US. We are currently working to assess the implications and are working with other partners to share analysis of the pause. We continue to engage with the US Administration at the highest levels on Ukraine.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10916 on Chelsea Football Club: Sales, for what reason the Government is unable to access these funds. \p Stephen Doughty: The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club are currently frozen in a UK bank account. A licence from the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is needed to move or use the proceeds, but they are not Government funds.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_104

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 30375 on Undocumented Migrants: Organised Crime, how he plans to enforce the new irregular migration sanctions regime. \p Stephen Doughty: The new Irregular Migration sanctions regime will be enforced by the UK sanctions enforcement architecture. A range of Departments have responsibility for the enforcement of UK sanctions, including the Home Office, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Transport and HM Treasury. I launched a cross-Government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October 2024.  The review is examining whether we have the right powers, approach, capacity and resourcing on policy, implementation and enforcement, with an urgent focus on strengthening the latter. It is being led by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in collaboration with key sanctions Departments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_105

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 30375 on Undocumented Migrants: Organised Crime, when the new irregular migration sanctions regime will come into effect. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government is required to lay secondary legislation before Parliament to introduce a new sanctions regime, which is expected to come into force within the year.

Given that the proposed regime will be the first of its kind, it is vital that we take the time to make sure the legislation that underpins it is lawful and operates effectively to disrupt the gangs' business model.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_106

Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list ministerial contacts with (a) ministers and (b) representatives of the government of Mauritius since July 2024. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the then Mauritian Prime Minister in London on 23 July 2024, and negotiating rounds led to political agreement between the Prime Minister and then Mauritian Prime Minister on 3 October 2024. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for BIOT negotiations, Jonathan Powell, and Prime Minister Ramgoolam met on 25 November 2024. I met virtually with the Mauritian Attorney General on 16 January who had a subsequent meeting with our Attorney General on the same day. The Prime Minister spoke with Prime Minister Ramgoolam on 31 January. This engagement has been supplemented by numerous official level meetings, and joint statements from the UK and Mauritian governments were issued on 20 December 2024 and 13 January.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_107

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to ban UK firms from insuring supplies and products to and from Russia. \p Stephen Doughty: Together with our international partners, we have unleashed the largest and most substantial package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. As a result, Russian imports into the UK have fallen by more than 99 percent, and UK exports to Russia are down by more than 75 percent. Many of our trade sanctions on goods include restrictions on the provision of financial services underlying trade to and from Russia. This includes the provision of insurance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_108

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his New Zealand counterpart on the signed strategic agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Cook Islands. \p Catherine West: My officials in Wellington and London have been in close contact with New Zealand officials to discuss the signed strategic agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Cook Islands.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_109

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the use of AI in China to target and persecute religious people. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this specific issue with EU counterparts. However, he regularly discusses with likeminded partners a range of issues relating to China.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_110

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with this counterparts in (a) Indonesia and (b) Laos on (i) tackling methanol poisoning and (ii) protecting tourists from (A) counterfeit and (B) contaminated alcohol. \p Catherine West: Following the tragic incident that caused the deaths of 6 people on 14 November 2024, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for Laos and Indonesia was updated to warn about the risks of methanol poisoning. We continue to press the local authorities for a full investigation and steps to prevent such contaminated alcohol being sold. Some local Lao brands of alcohol remain restricted from sale. Our Travel Aware campaign will continue to encourage British nationals who are planning to travel abroad to read the latest FCDO travel advice and sign up for e-mail alerts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_111

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials from his Department attended the World Economic Forum 2025. \p Catherine West: No Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office officials attended the 2025 World Economic Forum as delegates. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, United Nations and other International Organisations attended to accompany Ministers and members of his team based in Geneva provided support to the HMG delegation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_112

Andy McDonald: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 UK companies involved in (a) producing and (b) otherwise developing (i) weapons, (ii) surveillance, (iii) policing equipment and (iv) technology for use by Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK's current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The UK Government does not encourage or offer support to economic and financial activity in the settlements. We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer. We routinely update our guidance to British businesses on the Overseas Business Risk website and advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. The Government is committed to maintaining a robust and transparent export control system. We will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. The Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider carefully the impact of the export of items and their capabilities.

On 15 October 2024, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. The Government does not comment on future sanctions measures, as to do so would reduce their impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_113

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 631, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce official development assistance on future Government funding for UNWRA. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million this financial year to UNRWA to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. The UK is clear that UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering essential services and humanitarian assistance, as well as enabling the broader international response in Gaza through its logistics and distribution network. As with all Official Development Assistance spend, new allocations provided to delivery partners, including UNRWA, will be announced in the usual way. The Prime Minister made clear in the House on 25 February that this Government is proud of the UK's pioneering record on overseas development, and we will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_114

Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance funding has been spent on countering extremism in Syria in each of the last five years. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is committed to combatting all forms of terrorism emanating from Syria, including from Daesh and the threat they present to our citizens. As members of the Global Coalition against Daesh, we will continue to work with partners in order to ensure that Daesh's territorial defeat endures, and they can never resurge. Since Financial Year 2020-2021, approximately £18.7 million of Official Development Assistance has been used to support Countering Violent Extremism activities in Syria. This includes approximately £1.4 million in 2020-21, £2.5 million in 2021-22, £3.8 million in 2022-23, £5.1 million in 2023-24 and £5.7 million in 2024-25.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_115

Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to take steps to intervene in the case of Iranian citizens Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani; and whether he plans to have discussions with his Iranian counterpart on the use of the death penalty in Iran. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have repeatedly called on the Islamic Republic to establish a moratorium on executions, including through a Human Rights Ambassadors joint statement at the Human Rights Council in October 2024. The UK also helped deliver a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the UN Third Committee in November 2024. In January, the Foreign Secretary raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart. We will continue to raise human rights issues directly with the regime, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-10 conversation_116

Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25538 on West Bank: Ceasefires, if he will have discussions with his Israeli counterpart on ensuring the de-escalation of violence in the West Bank. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary raised the need for de-escalation of violence in the West Bank when he spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 January. Stability in the West Bank is crucial to ensure the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time.