Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff can share if they are Sikh via the religion category on our people management system. 0.8 per cent of UK Based Staff have shared that they are Sikh.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of 4 June 2025 on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Official Report, Column 338, whether the Israeli Defence Force have used UK-supplied military equipment in Gaza since September 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no export licences currently being used for military operations in Gaza. This is subject to the specific measures taken to protect the global F-35 programme.
Asked by: Baroness Sugg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club, currently held in a frozen fund, will be used exclusively for humanitarian purposes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion.
We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.
While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this matter through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine receive the benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) imposing further sanctions on settlers in the West Bank and (b) restricting goods, trade and investment in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by the levels of violence towards settlers in the West Bank and continue to urge the Government of Israel to take action to hold violence to account. On 10 June 2025, together with international partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, we announced measures against Israeli government ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. We sanctioned these individuals in their personal capacity as a result of their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. This followed a previous sanctions announcement related to settler violence on 20 May, demonstrating our determination to hold extremist settlers to account as Palestinian communities suffer violence and intimidation. It would not be appropriate to speculate about any potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact, but we have been clear we keep these issues under close review.
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Israeli settlements, as part of Israel. Goods imported from the settlements are therefore not entitled to benefit from trade preferences under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. The UK also supports accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53139 on Ministry of Defence: Weapons, whether he is taking steps to help ensure (a) that weapons exported to Israel for defensive purposes cannot be used for offensive purposes and (b) compliance with international law on arms exports.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are currently no extant export licences for use in military operations in Gaza. This is subject to the specific measures taken to protect the global F-35 programme. The action we have taken, as announced to Parliament, is consistent with all our legal obligations, including those under the Arms Trade Treaty, and we remain wholly committed to international law.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on hostages in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since day one, this Government has been clear that we need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages cruelly detained by Hamas, better protection of civilians, significantly more aid consistently entering Gaza, and a path to long-term peace and stability. The remaining hostages must be released and the only way to return them safely is through a deal. The UK is playing an active role in coordination with our international partners and continue to urge all parties to re-engage in ceasefire negotiations to get the hostages out and to secure a permanent end to the conflict. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers continue to regularly engage their Israeli counterparts on this issue.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of aid from the UK destined for Gaza that has reached its intended recipients.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate humanitarian aid. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately. Israel must allow partners to operate in line with humanitarian principles to deliver lifesaving aid. The current limited amount of aid entering Gaza is completely inadequate, in the face of the desperate needs resulting from months of Israeli restrictions on aid. Due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, it is difficult to quantify the volume of aid currently awaiting entry.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether international allies have raised concerns with him on the use of UK made F-35 parts in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Conversations with F-35 Partners occur regularly and cover a range of issues, however we are unable to disclose details of confidential conversations held within an international programme.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing sanctions on (a) Itamar Ben Gvir and (b) Bezalel Smotrich.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On the 10 June 2025, together with international partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, we announced measures against Israeli government ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. We sanctioned these individuals in their personal capacity as a result of their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Both will be subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. We have long been clear that Israel must cease expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state. It is right that we, along with international partners, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring they are held accountable for encouraging and inciting human rights abuses. Our joint statement made clear our commitment to continuing a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties and values. We remain committed to a two-state solution which ensures a safe and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a dedicated strategy to support co-operative models in post-conflict recovery programmes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Collaboration with international partners and civil society organisations is central to the UK's efforts to prevent and reduce conflict. The UK regards cooperatives as important actors within the development and humanitarian sectors, and they can play a role as part of an inclusive approach to peacebuilding, in post-conflict situations and conflict prevention. We recognise that each conflict context is different. We therefore support cooperatives where appropriate to the context and country partnership, and where they can help further the principles of local ownership and inclusivity.