Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled UK and US take joint action to disrupt major online fraud network, published on 14 October 2025, what steps she is taking to support international efforts to monitor conditions in Cambodian scam centres and assist victims of torture and other abuses.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor and prevent the rerouting of assets, including gold reserves, from Cambodia to other jurisdictions following recent sanctions; and whether she is working with international partners to disrupt money laundering linked to cybercrime networks in Cambodia.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to take further steps beyond recent sanctions to address human rights abuses linked to Cambodian scam centres, including efforts to secure the release of individuals held in conditions amounting to torture.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of torture and other serious human rights abuses in scam centres operating in Cambodia; and what steps his Department is taking to press for accountability and the protection of victims.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies and the UK's security interests of the recent military and commercial activity by the People’s Republic of China in the Indian Ocean, in the context of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 16 December to question 97767.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia on the UK's strategic interests in the Indo Pacific region; and what steps she is taking to ensure the UK's operational access to Diego Garcia under the new lease arrangements.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 16 December to question 97767.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of risk of strategic influence by third countries, including the People’s Republic of China, on future Mauritian decisions relating to Diego Garcia and the administration of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 16 December to question 97767.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in India and Mauritius on defence and maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean following the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 16 December to question 97767.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (HL12024), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what assessment they have made of the findings of the report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, Review of Pakistani Textbooks, published in August; and what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan about reports of harmful and discriminatory content in the curriculum.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As I stated in my response to Question HL11399, all our education programmes in Pakistan are subject to due diligence, and any materials provided under those programmes are reviewed for equity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and religion before being shared with government counterparts.
On the broader issue of textbooks used in Pakistani schools, we are clear that any incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable and has no place in education, and we urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that all teaching materials used in their schools meet the relevant United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standards.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (HL12023), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what verification of education materials funded through UK aid in Pakistan has been undertaken; whether it has been verified that those materials meet UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, and equality; and what plans they have to publish the outcome of any such verification.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As I stated in my response to Question HL11399, all our education programmes in Pakistan are subject to due diligence, and any materials provided under those programmes are reviewed for equity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and religion before being shared with government counterparts.
On the broader issue of textbooks used in Pakistani schools, we are clear that any incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable and has no place in education, and we urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that all teaching materials used in their schools meet the relevant United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standards.