Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The UK is proud to be co-hosting the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment with South Africa and looks forward to working with an expanded range of partners to help end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for good.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with South Africa and the Global Fund on a range of international engagements and events to help generate international support for the Replenishment. For example, Heads of Mission have recently hosted events in support of the Global Fund at our High Commission in Canberra, our Embassy in Addis Ababa and our High Commission in Pretoria, in addition to bilateral discussions in other key countries.

The UK is proud to be co-hosting the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment with South Africa and looks forward to working with an expanded range of partners to help end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for good.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with South Africa and the Global Fund on a range of international engagements and events to help generate international support for the Replenishment. For example, Heads of Mission have recently hosted events in support of the Global Fund at our High Commission in Canberra, our Embassy in Addis Ababa and our High Commission in Pretoria, in addition to bilateral discussions in other key countries.

The UK is proud to be co-hosting the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment with South Africa and looks forward to working with an expanded range of partners to help end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for good.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with South Africa and the Global Fund on a range of international engagements and events to help generate international support for the Replenishment. For example, Heads of Mission have recently hosted events in support of the Global Fund at our High Commission in Canberra, our Embassy in Addis Ababa and our High Commission in Pretoria, in addition to bilateral discussions in other key countries.

We are aware of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights report entitled 'The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power', and the issues it raises in relation to the rollback on rights.

The UK has a long history as a well-respected and influential global leader on SRHR and in defending and championing these fundamental rights. The UK continues to work with likeminded Member States, NGOs, and Civil Society Organisations to defend, promote and support SRHR.

The UK's position is that it is for relevant parties to resolve border disputes bilaterally. We support all peaceful means to do so and oppose any attempts to use or threaten the use of force to change the status quo. The UK Government welcomes recent discussions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and agreements to deescalate tensions. We continue to support a peaceful resolution between India and China on the border question.

This Government remains deeply committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in China. We continue to monitor developments closely and raise issues of concern with Chinese counterparts at senior levels. The Prime Minister, Chancellor and former Foreign Secretary all raised human rights recently with their Chinese counterparts. We remain concerned about cases that raise broader questions around freedom of expression, and accountability, and we continue to work with international partners to support these principles.

The UK recognises the importance of addressing land dispossession and forced evictions in Honduras. Our Embassy in Guatemala City, which maintains our relations with Honduras, closely monitors cases of criminalisation, intimidation, and defamation against human rights defenders working on environmental issues, as well as communities at risk of eviction or already displaced. Officials at our Embassy and in London maintain regular contact with civil society organisations on this issue. The UK publicly supports the efforts and struggles of these communities and engages in diplomatic advocacy with the authorities in Honduras.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has no record of receiving this correspondence.

This Government welcomes US President Trump's public support for Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai's case remains an utmost priority; his prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released. The Foreign Secretary and her officials remain in regular contact with the US Government on this matter.

The UK condemns the killing of Juan Lopez in September 2024. Human rights defenders working on environmental issues should be able to work without fear of reprisal, wherever they are. Our Embassy in Guatemala City, which maintains our relations with Honduras, issued a statement following Mr Lopez's death urging the authorities in Honduras to urgently investigate this case. Officials at our Embassy in Guatemala City and in the UK are in regular contact with civil society organisations regarding human rights in Honduras.

This Government champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in the UK and abroad, working to uphold the right to FoRB through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, on July 2 the UK convened an event in Geneva to reaffirm the right to FoRB for all, including Tibetan Buddhists and the right to choose their own religious leaders.

The UK views the Dalai Lama as a respected spiritual leader and strong human rights advocate. It is our longstanding position that the appointment of the next Dalai Lama is a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community across the world, in line with FoRB.

No, spending on global health multilaterals is captured within the health section of the report, alongside bilateral health programmes.

The UK is committed to our work on global health, including boosting global health security and investing in multilateral funds like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to fight disease and help save millions of lives.

From 2026 to 2030, the UK will invest £1.25 billion in support of Gavi's mission. This will support the immunisation of 62.5m children, saving around 1.25m lives.

I understand that Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials have been in touch with you on 5 September and provided you with a full list of the 151 Council of Europe Conventions to which the UK is a signatory.

The UK remains deeply concerned about the implications of the deepening Russia-Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) relationship for both Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security. The rapid expansion of their military, political, and economic cooperation since the start of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine has resulted in ongoing flagrant violations of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) by both countries. Russia's support to DPRK's defence-industrial base, including the provision of oil and cash, as well as the experience DPRK troops have gained in Russia, allows it to support their weapons programmes and gain valuable military and technical insights. The UK has been clear that the DPRK must end its support for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and must immediately withdraw its troops.

The Government continues to monitor the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute closely with officials from our Embassies in Bangkok and Phnom Penh conducting site visits to affected areas to better understand the impact on local populations. We urge all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and take all necessary steps to protect civilians.

As set out in our public statements of 28 July and 7 August, the agreement of a framework for a full ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand is a welcome development. It is essential that both sides now work together to implement and maintain this agreement. This message has been conveyed directly to both governments.

We support the Association of South East Asian Nations' leadership in working with Cambodia and Thailand to resolve the border conflict, including its efforts to deploy an Observer Mission. We believe this can play an important role in providing an independent assessment of the situation and in de-escalating tensions on the border.

On 20 August, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office submitted written representations to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in response to its correspondence of 6 August.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 31 March 2025 to Question 39395.

The UK's pledge to the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment will be determined later in the year following the conclusion of the process to set multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding allocations.

The UK's pledge to the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment will be determined later in the year following the conclusion of the process to set multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding allocations.

The UK is working with G7 partners to identify the outline of a proposed voluntary Standards Based Market to ensure the secure supply of responsibly produced critical minerals. We expect G7 Energy Ministers will discuss a clear articulation of this outline in late October. The UK's priority is to ensure that critical mineral markets operate in accordance with relevant international law and to standards that are rigorous and context sensitive.

The UK has taken extensive action to limit energy revenues that fund Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. This includes Russian revenues from Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). Importing Russian LNG into the UK has been prohibited since January 2023. We continue to explore all options for constraining Russian revenue further and we do not comment on future potential actions as to do so could undermine their effectiveness.

Details of payments have already been published in the exchange of letters accompanying the Treaty and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

The UK-New Zealand relationship is a close partnership based on shared history, deep people-to-people links and shared priorities and values. The UK engages with the Government of New Zealand at both ministerial and official level across a wide range of regional and global issues. We were pleased to welcome Prime Minister Luxon to London in April for a day of talks with the Prime Minister.

The Department does not centrally record the number of remote workdays completed. However, building occupancy data is published monthly by the Cabinet Office and provides an indicative measure of office attendance across government departments. The latest figures are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data/monthly-average-hq-building-occupancy.

The Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office's (FCDO) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) portfolio contributes to building climate resilient systems and supporting adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Since 2020 we have supported governments to establish climate resilient and sustainable WASH services, providing technical assistance and other support to low-income countries.

Through our WASH Systems for Health programme we are working with UNICEF, NGOs such as WaterAid and countries including Bangladesh, Malawi, Madagascar, Pakistan and Nepal to make systems more climate-resilient.

We also support the World Bank to accelerate the Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge Programme, driving reform and attracting private finance to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience, and we are supporting the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation and other development organisations to embed water into national climate plans through the Water Resilience Tracker.

For detail on live programme information please refer to the UK Government's Development Tracker or for the official source of information on UK Official Development Assistance spend covering previous calendar years, the Statistics on International Development publication.

Grant-in-Aid funding for the BBC World Service will be decided through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office allocations process in the autumn.

Through high quality and investigative journalism, the BBC exposes and debunks the misinformation, disinformation and harmful narratives that malign actors, hostile states and others produce internationally. The World Service remains the world's most trusted international news service. That is why this Government has given the World Service a funding uplift in 2025/26.

The UK has consistently ranked within the top three countries in indices that measure soft power. The UK pub and beer industry are key assets for the UK economy and society and contribute to our soft power. The pub is also a key tourism destination for many visiting the UK, with over 45,000 pubs in the UK. Beer and pubs contribute £34.3 billion to the UK economy and we export over 1 billion pints of beer to over 100 different countries annually. The Soft Power Council, launched by the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in January, which brings together some of the most influential figures across soft power and foreign policy, are steering and advising the Government on better harnessing our world class sectors.

The Government highly values the BBC World Service, which makes a significant contribution to UK soft power. According to a 2025 survey conducted for the BBC by the independent polling company, Tapestry, the BBC is a leader in driving favourable impressions of the UK and is the country's most recognised cultural export internationally.

The World Service is currently funded by the BBC Licence Fee and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Grant-in-Aid. Any changes to funding models will be explored through the Charter Review process, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Charter Review is the right moment to look at potential future World Service funding mechanisms for the longer-term.

Despite a tough fiscal situation, we have continued to back the World Service, providing a large uplift of £32.6 million this year alone, taking our total funding to £137 million.

The Government highly values the BBC World Service, which makes a significant contribution to UK soft power. According to a 2025 survey conducted for the BBC by the independent polling company, Tapestry, the BBC is a leader in driving favourable impressions of the UK and is the country's most recognised cultural export internationally.

The World Service is currently funded by the BBC Licence Fee and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Grant-in-Aid. Any changes to funding models will be explored through the Charter Review process, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Charter Review is the right moment to look at potential future World Service funding mechanisms for the longer-term.

Despite a tough fiscal situation, we have continued to back the World Service, providing a large uplift of £32.6 million this year alone, taking our total funding to £137 million.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Answer given on 24 February 2025 to Question 30609.

Details of grounds for termination can be found under Article 15 of the Agreement.

Following the appeal ruling by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) against Milorad Dodik, former President of Republika Srpska, we have worked with European and international counterparts to stress the importance of respect for the judgement and that all actors should uphold the rule of law. In July, the Foreign Secretary spoke with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about safeguarding BiH's rule of law, and officials have regular coordination meetings with Quint counterparts. We will continue to work with our BiH and international partners to support local actors in upholding the rule of law.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides advice and guidance for high risk individuals (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/defending-democracy/guidance-for-high-risk-individuals). NCSC also works closely with the Parliamentary Authorities on their advice and support to Members of both Houses of Parliament.

Personal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are not primarily used for cyber security purposes, and their use can introduce security risks to a user, not just mitigate them. As such NCSC neither recommend nor discourage the use of VPNs by private individuals.

The UK remains committed to the stability and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), including supporting its state institutions and the Office of the High Representative. On 17 June, the Foreign Secretary and I underlined that commitment to BiH Presidency Members Becirovic and Komsic. We continue to condemn secessionist actions by Milorad Dodik, former President of Republika Srpska, which undermine BiH's stability and state institutions. Our Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes also support the country's state institutions to deliver their mandates. Our projects provide support to the judiciary and have worked to combat corruption and serious organised crime.

I recently discussed the situation in BiH with the European External Action Service and regularly discuss our work to maintain peace and stability with Quint partners. We will host the Berlin Process this autumn.

The persisting high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition referenced in the report are deeply concerning. We are committed to addressing these, working alongside partners to address urgent humanitarian need and support long-term solutions for food and nutrition security.

We are working to better prevent crises and reduce reliance on emergency aid through early action and resilience building, last year enabling hundreds of thousands of food-insecure households to build resilience to climate and other shocks.

Through our partnerships, like the ones with the Gates Foundation and CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research), we are investing in science and innovation, helping increase nutritious yields for farmers, while protecting critical ecosystems.

We do this in partnership, supporting global initiatives like the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration to accelerate action and unlock much-needed finance.

The Government concluded a review of the implementation and enforcement of UK sanctions in April 2025. Following the review, this Government is committing to do more to make compliance easier for UK industry, to deter non-compliance and to make sure we have the right powers and capabilities to enforce sanctions breaches.

The Economic Deterrence Initiative has underpinned this review by funding activity across government to improve implementation and enforcement of sanctions. This includes establishing new HMG capabilities like the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI), enhanced guidance and licensing capability to support legitimate business, tackling sanctions circumvention with international partners, and bolstering sanctions implementation in the Overseas Territories.

His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recently concluded a compound settlement to a UK business that breached UK sanctions. The settlement involved a penalty of £1.1 million which was paid to HMRC in May 2025. This is the largest compound settlement HMRC has concluded for a Russia sanctions offence.

In March 2025, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) imposed a monetary penalty of £465,000 for breaches of Financial Sanctions, and in April the National Crime Agency (NCA) secured the first convictions for breaches of the UK's Russia sanctions.

The Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad and regularly condemns the Kremlin's dire domestic human rights record in international fora. On 31 July, the UK condemned the Russian authorities' repression of internal political opposition at the UN Security Council. On 4 August, the UK's Human Rights Ambassador reiterated our call for the Russian authorities to release all political prisoners. The Prime Minister, Chancellor and former Foreign Secretary all raised human rights recently with their Chinese counterparts. We continue to closely monitor the situation for Falun Gong practitioners and maintain a dialogue with non-governmental organisations and international partners on the issue.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) is a significant national security challenge for the UK and our partners. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has developed and increasingly deployed tools to combat information operations and disinformation. Alongside our EU counterparts, we are committed to expanding our counter FIMI capabilities and ensuring we have the resources, systems, and partnerships in place to address this threat. We will not allow this malign activity to go unchallenged and will look to act jointly wherever possible with our likeminded partners, including the EU and European partners. In the last six months, the UK has signed the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, where we have committed to increasing cooperation to tackle hybrid threats including FIMI with the EU; the UK-France Lancaster House Declaration and the UK-Germany Treaty on Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation, both of which also included commitments to increase cooperation to tackle FIMI with France and Germany respectively. I have regularly discussed these issues with my European counterparts and the European External Action Service.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) is a significant national security challenge for the UK and our partners. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has developed and increasingly deployed tools to combat information operations and disinformation. Alongside our EU counterparts, we are committed to expanding our counter FIMI capabilities and ensuring we have the resources, systems, and partnerships in place to address this threat. We will not allow this malign activity to go unchallenged and will look to act jointly wherever possible with our likeminded partners, including the EU and European partners. In the last six months, the UK has signed the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, where we have committed to increasing cooperation to tackle hybrid threats including FIMI with the EU; the UK-France Lancaster House Declaration and the UK-Germany Treaty on Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation, both of which also included commitments to increase cooperation to tackle FIMI with France and Germany respectively. I have regularly discussed these issues with my European counterparts and the European External Action Service.

The new regime has been established by this government to prevent and disrupt the operations of criminal gangs who smuggle people along dangerous migrant routes to attempt the channel crossing into the UK. This new regime boosts our ability to prevent, combat, deter, and disrupt irregular migration and hold smugglers and their enablers accountable.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials engage in regular consultation with a range of key stakeholders, including the National Crime Agency and Border Security Command to ensure coordination, effectiveness and implementation.

Freedom of speech and other fundamental rights of all people in the UK are protected under domestic law, regardless of nationality. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely with the Home Office on a range of matters in support of Hong Kongers in the UK. While we do not comment on individual cases, police will rightly inform individuals if there is any assessed threat to their wellbeing and provide guidance on steps they can consider to enhance their personal safety.

Prime Minister Ramgoolam has reaffirmed Mauritius' support for a Chagos Marine Protected Area (MPA), including most recently in his conversation with the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at the Oceans summit in Nice on 9 June. UK support and expertise for MPA establishment is part of discussions with Mauritius about implementation of the Treaty. We do not intend to provide a running commentary on these discussions, but, as per the answer to the Hon Member's question 64024, the UK will not be making any additional direct payments to Mauritius as part of this activity.