We pursue our national interests and project the UK as a force for good in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners.
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
Foreign Secretary
In 2021, the Committee’s report In the room: the UK’s role in multilateral diplomacy concluded that autocratic states were attempting …
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has not passed any Acts during the 2019 Parliament
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
The Government should introduce sanctions against Israel, including blocking all trade, and in particular arms.
Seek a ceasefire and to end Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 13 Nov 2023 Debated on - 11 Dec 2023We want the Government to seek a ceasefire and also seek to address the root cause of the current conflict by promoting dialogue and advocating for the end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
Gov Responded - 5 Dec 2022The benefits that were promised if the UK exited the European Union have not been delivered, so we call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry to assess the impact that Brexit has had on this country and its citizens.
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
The FCDO provides funding to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory. The information requested on the breakdown of spending can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The FCDO provides funding to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory. The information requested on the breakdown of spending can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Extradition is a matter for the Home Office, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not had recent discussions with the US on the UK-US Extradition Treaty.
With regards to Anne Sacoolas, she has now been sentenced. We engaged frequently with the US on this case when it was ongoing: in 2022, it was raised at least seven times by FCDO ministers or senior officials with US counterparts.
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
There are several vital elements for a lasting peace, including the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
A range of obligations exist in International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law and International Refugee Law concerning the protection of civilians affected by conflict.
We consistently use our diplomatic influence to uphold protective laws and hold those who break them to account. We fund organisations like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): a crucial actor in the protection of people in conflict. We initiated and are continuing to engage with discussions at the UN on a proposed Crimes Against Humanity Convention.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. It is for the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Secretariat to take forward expressions of interest and to assess whether an aspirant member meets the eligibility criteria for membership. The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence. We believe that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland to decide through a consultative process and dialogue.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. It is for the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Secretariat to take forward expressions of interest and to assess whether an aspirant member meets the eligibility criteria for membership. The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence. We believe that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland to decide through a consultative process and dialogue.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. It is for the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Secretariat to take forward expressions of interest and to assess whether an aspirant member meets the eligibility criteria for membership. The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence. We believe that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland to decide through a consultative process and dialogue.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. It is for the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Secretariat to take forward expressions of interest and to assess whether an aspirant member meets the eligibility criteria for membership. The UK, alongside others in the international community, does not recognise Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence. We believe that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland to decide through a consultative process and dialogue.
The UK advocates for the full, unimpeded, safe and timely access by impartial humanitarian actors to those in need of protection and life-saving assistance in conflict zones and crisis situations.
We will continue to use our political influence and diplomatic networks in support of frontline humanitarian agencies, helping to ensure people caught up in conflict and crisis receive the protection and assistance they need. We also partner with, and fund, key UN agencies and actors such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who work on the frontlines in conflict to negotiate humanitarian access and enable aid to reach those who need it most.
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers' travel at home or abroad.
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro following the 2018 presidential election.
We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We are pausing any future funding of UNRWA.
The UK provided £35 million to UNRWA this financial year, including an uplift of £16 million for the Gaza humanitarian response, all of which was disbursed before the recent allegations came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year.
Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response.
As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system as the 1951 Refugee Convention has not been extended to the territory. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their cases are considered by the Commissioner for BIOT in line with BIOT law and international legal obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.
As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system as the 1951 Refugee Convention has not been extended to the territory. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their cases are considered by the Commissioner for BIOT in line with BIOT law and international legal obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.
The UK-US Extradition Treaty continues to produce tangible results, bringing justice to victims in both the UK and US. All individual extradition requests are subject to the Extradition Act 2003, which requires a UK judge to decide whether the requested person's extradition would be appropriate based on the safeguards and protections included in the Act. Extradition continues to be a vital tool in our fight against transnational crime. The US is one of our main extradition partners and it is in our national interest to have an effective extradition relationship.
The High-level Meeting (HLM) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) offers an excellent opportunity to catalyse global progress. The UK's priority is a political declaration that sets a high level of ambition across human health, animal health and environmental sectors. The UK is particularly keen to promote more equitable global access to antimicrobials and their appropriate stewardship.
We are aware of reports of external support to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in the conflict in Sudan. The UK condemns any actions that further fuel the brutal conflict in Sudan. The UK strongly supports an immediate end to the hostilities in Sudan both for the sake of its own people and the wider region. We continue to place emphasis in all our international engagement on the importance of neutrality and of supporting a ceasefire and civilian political transition.
We are not aware of the United Arab Emirates seizing any ports on the Red Sea coast.
The FCDO requires all our Missions overseas to have the right crisis practices, procedures, systems and structures in place to respond to a range of scenarios overseas. The British Embassy Yangon has such plans which are regularly reviewed. We continue to monitor the situation in Myanmar closely. We advise all British Nationals in Myanmar to pay close attention to the FCDO's travel advice for Myanmar.
The Government has taken steps to build resilience to economic crime abroad, and passed legislation at home to respond to current and emerging threats. This includes responding to the risks posed by cryptoassets, which we assess remain an important facilitator for criminal transactions, as set out in the National Crime Agency's National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime Threats. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023) introduced enhanced powers to seize, freeze, convert and recover cryptoassets. The UK remains vigilant to emerging threats, regardless of where they originate, and will continue to respond comprehensively.
The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as documented by the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the country. The UK has responded to the report's recommendations by continuing to press for an annual debate in the UN Security Council, and working to secure a robust resolution on the DPRK at the UN Human Rights Council. On 17 August 2023, at the first UNSC open meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK since 2017, the UK highlighted inextricable links between the DPRK's human rights violations and its illegal weapons programme, and called on the DPRK to engage with the UN Special Rapporteur. This year, the UK will again work closely with partners to secure a strong resolution which stresses the importance of following-up recommendations from the COI Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the DPRK.
The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as documented by the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the country. The UK has responded to the report's recommendations by continuing to press for an annual debate in the UN Security Council, and working to secure a robust resolution on the DPRK at the UN Human Rights Council. On 17 August 2023, at the first UNSC open meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK since 2017, the UK highlighted inextricable links between the DPRK's human rights violations and its illegal weapons programme, and called on the DPRK to engage with the UN Special Rapporteur. This year, the UK will again work closely with partners to secure a strong resolution which stresses the importance of following-up recommendations from the COI Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the DPRK.
We are aware of the meeting that took place recently in Moscow between Palestinian groups.
We continue to call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Vital elements for a lasting peace include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.
The information requested is not held centrally by the Department and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
Between financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 the UK spent £763 million on climate change interventions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity. This includes £402 million on programmes focussed on protecting and restoring forests and £361 million on programmes supporting other nature and biodiversity priorities such as protecting oceans and supporting land use and agriculture. All programmes supported by UK International Climate Finance, including those supporting our nature commitment can be accessed via the development tracker website and we provide a detailed breakdown of programme spend to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) every two years in line with our international reporting obligations.
In May 2023, the Minister of State for Development and Africa visited Mozambique and met President Nyusi. They discussed UK support for the Government of Mozambique's response to the ongoing IS-Mozambique insurgency in Cabo Delgado, including through new programmes aimed at building local resilience to violent extremism, security and human rights training that has been delivered to over 200 Armed Forces personnel to date. During the same visit to the region, the Minister of State for Development and Africa met South Africa's Deputy Minister for International Relations & Cooperation to discuss a range of topics including peace and post conflict development in Mozambique. Our UK Special Representative to SADC also regularly engages with SADC missions on peace keeping in the region.
International courts whether criminal (e.g. the International Criminal Court [ICC]) or dealing with matters of general international law (e.g. in the International Court of Justice), deal with some of the most complex matters of international law. In the former, evidence gathering is often a difficult and painstaking process especially if evidence and witnesses are in a conflict zone and suspects are not in custody. However, once trials start, on average they take no longer than domestic trials of similar complexity. As a State Party to the Rome Statute and an initiator of the Independent Expert Review of the ICC, the UK has supported efforts to make the ICC more effective and efficient. In other international courts, where judgments may impact on states beyond the parties in the dispute, judges are often required to hear considerable numbers of arguments before coming to a judgment. Such judgments may affect matters of global governance, treaty interpretation as well as developing international jurisprudence.
We condemn Iran's destabilising political, financial, and military support to proscribed groups, including Lebanese Hizballah. We have made clear to Iran that it must cease proliferating advanced weapons systems throughout the region. We will continue to work to disrupt Iran's destabilising activity in Lebanon and the wider region, including by holding Iran to account in multilateral fora and through sanctions; addressing Iranian weapons proliferation; and strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The UK is concerned by intensification of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its humanitarian consequences. We continue to urge all parties to deliver on their commitments, agreed through regional peace processes. I [Lord Benyon] visited Kinshasa this week and discussed the matter with President Tshisekedi and other senior ministers in DRC. In February, the UK Great Lakes envoy joined a UN-led trip to the region, where Envoys emphasised the need for political solutions and a return peace processes. We continue, alongside partners, to promote confidence building measures and peace building activity.
The Government notes the recommendations in the UN Special Rapporteur's latest report and will continue working closely with the international community, including the G7, G20 and through the UN, to promote and protect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to coordinate a consistent international response. More broadly, officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers to protect religious and ethnic minorities, including Shia Muslims and Hazara communities.
We recognise the valuable work of journalists operating on the ground in Gaza, providing important coverage of the conflict in incredibly challenging circumstances. On 5 December, the UK supported a joint statement of the Media Freedom Coalition expressing concern over the repercussions for the safety of journalists and access to information due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. As the statement highlights, access to reliable, independent and diverse information sources and access to the internet are essential in times of conflict. We call on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and protect civilians, including guaranteeing the protection of journalists and media workers.
We continue to engage closely with the Israeli Government to discuss a range of issues relating to access to Gaza, and we continue to reiterate the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza. We are working with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to support any remaining eligible people still in Gaza.
We are concerned at the increase in serious protection incidents in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. The UK regularly discusses protection and security challenges for Rohingya refugees with UNHCR, including what more can be done to try to address these issues through programme interventions, and how to support the Government of Bangladesh in their efforts to ensure security in the camps. UK programming is addressing protection issues in the camps, including helping UNICEF tackle child labour and child marriage, and supporting UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) in preventing and addressing gender-based violence. The UK also supports a consortium of International NGOs, led by Norwegian Refugee Council, to address the drivers and impact of protection incidents.
Progress towards implementing the Sinjar Agreement has been hindered by a number of factors, including tensions between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government and the extremely complex politics of the region. We encourage the governments to agree a candidate to appoint as mayor of Sinjar, an important and necessary step to improve the security situation and lives of people living there. The UK continues to work with international partners on this issue.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. Much of this support is in the form of contributions to large scale appeals, which prevents us from directly attributing UK funding to specific items. It includes support to the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. A delivery of 315 tonnes of life-saving food aid was made via this route in January. We also delivered 87 tonnes of aid - inclusive of five tonnes of Cypriot aid - on board RFA Lyme Bay in early January and in late January the UK and Qatar delivered a joint consignment of 17 tonnes of family sized tents. In February the UK and Jordan delivered 4 tonnes of aid by air to Tal Al-Hawa Hospital in northern Gaza.
The UK welcomes Tom Perriello's appointment. We look forward to working with him, Troika partners and the wider international community to press the warring parties to end the violence, secure urgently needed humanitarian access, ensure the protection of civilians and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in communities and health care settings helps prevent the threat of antimicrobial resistance. The UK's "WASH Systems for Health" programme is working in six lower-middle-income countries to strengthen the systems that deliver sustainable WASH services. The UK-funded Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition supported 14,800 facilities with WASH supplies and trained 460,000 health workers on hygiene. We also focus on achieving universal WASH in health care facilities to combat antimicrobial resistance through partners the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Hand Hygiene for All Partnership.
The UK's Ending Preventable Deaths campaign takes a multisectoral approach which includes tackling antimicrobial resistance, alongside strengthening health systems, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and broader determinants like nutrition, climate and water, sanitation and hygiene. Neonatal sepsis is a particular concern in the context of antimicrobial resistance and as such is where the UK will look to particularly align our work on water sanitation and hygiene, with our work on antimicrobial resistance and the health of mothers and newborns.
The UK Government is proud of the expertise offered by British companies such as Harland and Wolff.
As a self-governing UK Overseas Territory, any potential redevelopment of the port facility in Stanley is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government. The awarding of contracts for the redevelopment of the port is a commercial matter between the Falkland Islands Government and the companies involved.
The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The UK continues to encourage a coordinated effort between the Nigerian Government, oil and gas companies, and communities to bring an end to all forms of oil contamination in Nigeria. In the most recent meeting, which took place in January, the British High Commissioner met representatives from Shell where he discussed the future of environmental clean-up in the Niger Delta. We do not routinely publish details of meetings with external stakeholders.
The UK Government has stepped up support for Ukraine to counter foreign information manipulation, both domestically and internationally. We are supporting the Government of Ukraine's strategic communications capacity and continued operation of media organisations, and building the resilience of vulnerable communities most exposed to Russian propaganda. During 2024, we will increase our efforts under the new security co-operation agreement to counter Russia's malign activity.
As the Minister for Overseas Territories, I [Minister Rutley] regularly meet Ministers across Government on priority areas of work progressed by their departments, and on issues requiring cross departmental collaboration. This includes recent meetings with Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury, Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Ministry of Defence.
Each UK Government Department has nominated a Minister with responsibility for the OTs, in support of the long-standing position that each Department should engage and support the OTs in their areas of responsibility. These Ministers meet quarterly as a Ministerial Group chaired by myself, as the FCDO Minister for the Overseas Territories.
We do not currently have plans to appoint a new Special Envoy for Sudan. The Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea spends a significant amount of time on efforts to secure peace in Sudan, working closely with other envoys covering Sudan. Our Ambassador to Khartoum - now based in Addis Ababa - continues to engage with key international partners on achieving the UK's strategic objectives, as do other British Ambassadors in the region. We welcome Tom Perriello's appointment as the United States' new special envoy for Sudan, Minister Mitchell spoke with him on Monday 11th March.
The UK remains committed to supporting a more stable, resilient and prosperous Nigeria. From 2015 to 2022, the UK Government provided approximately £1.96 billion in bilateral Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Nigeria and has allocated £72.3 million in bilateral ODA for financial year 2023/2024. As well as supporting the humanitarian response in North East Nigeria, UK ODA has achieved sustainable results across a range of sectors. For example, the UK has supported over 2 million Nigerians to improve their incomes or jobs sustainably since 2015; strengthened education outcomes for over 8 million children since 2009; and supported over 1.5 million additional girls to access schooling in six states since 2012.
The UK continues to use its position as penholder to speak out against egregious human rights abuses being committed by both warring parties, and call for a permanent ceasefire, a transfer of power to a civilian administration, as well as unfettered humanitarian access. We worked closely with Security Council members and the UN Secretariat to agree an orderly transition and liquidation last December; this was the best available outcome in the circumstances. We welcome the Secretary-General's appointment of Ramtane Lamamra as a personal envoy, whom we are keen to support.
The information requested is not held centrally by the Department and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. The Department undertakes Baseline Personnel Security Standard pre-employment checks for all new joiners. The FCDO's approach to employ those with a criminal record is assessed at national security level and all decisions are made in line with Cabinet Office's Security Vetting Guidance.
Lord Ahmad has not made representations as Minister of State for the Middle East on this matter but as the answer to Question 15479 made clear, the FCDO are aware of the detention of Sayed Hashim, and we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights commitments. We also encourage those with specific concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.
The full list of projects delivered by the British Embassy in Bahrain is being finalised, but details will be published as usual in the spring on Gov.uk.