Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department has to provide evacuation flights to British Nationals in the Maldives who are impacted by conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 secure repatriation routes for British nationals currently subject to shelter-in-place advice.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what urgent measures they are taking to protect the families of British National (Overseas) status holders from judicial harassment in Hong Kong; and what specific guarantees of safety they provide to activists in the UK whose families are being targeted as political hostages
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 10 March to an identical set of questions (118342-44) from the Hon Member for Milton Keynes Central. For ease of reference, that answer is reproduced below:
The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.
We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.
It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - 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 on 4 March (HL14583), when the decision to appoint the current ambassador to NATO was made, and by which previous foreign secretary and Prime Minister.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The appointment was approved in December 2024 by the current Prime Minister and the former Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon Member for Tottenham.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss violence and persecution against Christian communities in Nigeria in the last 12 months with President Tinubu during his forthcoming State Visit.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The State Visit will provide an important opportunity to strengthen the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership across growth, security, migration, and foreign policy. As the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has an important role to play in upholding democratic norms, including ensuring a free, fair and credible Presidential election in 2027. The UK is supporting key legislative and institutional reform processes in the Nigerian National Assembly, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Judiciary and other key institutions to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. On the issue of violence against Christian communities, I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to discuss preparations for free and fair elections in Nigeria in 2027 with President Tinubu during his forthcoming State Visit.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The State Visit will provide an important opportunity to strengthen the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership across growth, security, migration, and foreign policy. As the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has an important role to play in upholding democratic norms, including ensuring a free, fair and credible Presidential election in 2027. The UK is supporting key legislative and institutional reform processes in the Nigerian National Assembly, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Judiciary and other key institutions to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. On the issue of violence against Christian communities, I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
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 needs of British nationals without access to flights to Britain who are in the Maldives due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department plans to set out a timetable for restoring official development assistance spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance as soon as fiscal circumstances allow.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
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 of the United States executive order of 29 January 2026 on new sanctions against any country supplying oil to Cuba.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to follow developments in Cuba closely, including the impact of the 29 January US executive order. The UK has maintained a consistent and long-standing position on the US embargo, voting for the annual UN resolution calling for its end every year since 1996.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to provide assistance to British nationals stranded in the Middle East who are unable to organise onward travel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The safety of British nationals remains the Government's top priority. I refer the Hon Member to the statement I gave to the House on 5 March, and the answers provided to questions raised in response. Assisted departures have now taken place from both Oman and Dubai. We will provide further updates on a regular basis, including details of our ongoing evacuation flights, as well as our efforts to secure an end to Iran's attacks on countries in the region, and the full resumption of normal commercial flights.