Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and economic cooperation with Greece.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she has provided to Caribbean Overseas Territories to strengthen security and tackle organised crime in the region; and how she assesses the effectiveness of that support.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.
Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.
Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique
I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 Israeli government’s decision to suspend 37 aid groups on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement His Majesty’s Government has had with the Nigerian government about the support it may provide to Nigerian efforts to tackle jihadist groups operating in that country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2025.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Nigeria.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2025.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the North Africa Migration and Development Programme on levels of illegal migration to the UK in the next five years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what steps she will take to safeguard the North Africa Migration and Development Programme from possible corruption.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, how the £1.5 million for the North Africa Migration and Development Programme will be allocated.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's existing upstream migration prevention work in North Africa.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of allowing British Overseas Territories to introduce a legislative consent process for Westminster legislation that applies to Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The 2012 White Paper remains the foundation of the UK's modern partnership-based relationship with the Overseas Territories (OTs), but the OTs continue to work alongside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to identify proposals on how the relationship should develop in response to more recent global developments. To strengthen that collaboration, the Joint Ministerial Council on 24-27 November 2025 agreed to develop the option for OTs to agree new Partnership Compacts with the UK, providing tailored, practical frameworks for advancing shared priorities.
Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to reinforce local forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones. We also work closely with independent Caribbean states and deploy UK agencies, including the National Crime Agency, to help counter serious and organised crime.
The Joint Ministerial Council on 24-27 November welcomed the participation of the Overseas Territories at COP30 and other international fora, and reaffirmed the shared ambition to protect Overseas Territories' ecosystems and address climate and nature crises. The FCDO has provided support through its Climate Security, Civil Resilience and Blue Belt programmes to help OTs adapt and build their climate change resilience, strengthen their disaster management capabilities, and protect and enhance ocean health.
Acts of Parliament are normally not extended to the Overseas Territories except with the agreement of their locally-elected governments. It is established practice to consult the Overseas Territories when the UK Government is considering new legislation or policies of relevance to them.