Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Notes Verbale have been issued to foreign governments and supranational organisations since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The requested information is held on a number of different systems across the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 merits of retaining the position of gender advisors, alongside standalone funding for Women, Peace and Security.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently working through detailed decisions on the organisational and resource changes arising from our FCDO2030 transformation programme. We will make further announcements in the coming months. In the interim, I would refer the Hon Member to the speech made by the Foreign Secretary on 24 November 2025, reiterating the Government's commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/twenty-five-years-of-women-peace-and-security.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing educational scholarships for citizens of the British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Chevening Scholarships programme (established 1983) and the Commonwealth Scholarships programme (established 1959) are available to citizens from the Overseas Territories. Further information on the programmes including how to apply is available here: https://www.chevening.org/scholarships/ and https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in which Directorate will the Women, Peace and Security and the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative sit within the new structure of the Foreign Office.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently working through detailed decisions on the organisational and resource changes arising from our FCDO2030 transformation programme. We will make further announcements in the coming months. In the interim, I would refer the Hon Member to the speech made by the Foreign Secretary on 24 November 2025, reiterating the Government's commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/twenty-five-years-of-women-peace-and-security.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation of environmental and land defenders in Colombia, following the Ombudsman's Office of Columbia's early warning alert issued in December 2025 regarding the security situation for leaders in la Guajira and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government remains concerned about threats and attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia. We note the December 2025 early warning alert for La Guajira and Sierra Nevada and urge Colombian institutions to act swiftly. UK officials consistently raise threats against human rights defenders with Colombian counterparts and at the UN Security Council. We support at risk defenders through UK-funded protection mechanisms and human rights programming, including on early warning systems with the Colombian Ombudsman office. We continue pressing all authorities to respond to early warnings and strengthen security guarantees for threatened communities.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to deliver the guiding principles on supporting human rights defenders in Colombia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government remains concerned about threats and attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia. We note the December 2025 early warning alert for La Guajira and Sierra Nevada and urge Colombian institutions to act swiftly. UK officials consistently raise threats against human rights defenders with Colombian counterparts and at the UN Security Council. We support at risk defenders through UK-funded protection mechanisms and human rights programming, including on early warning systems with the Colombian Ombudsman office. We continue pressing all authorities to respond to early warnings and strengthen security guarantees for threatened communities.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the honours system for non-British taxpayers.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
UK honours may be awarded to British and foreign nationals either based in the UK, or those who contribute to the United Kingdom while based overseas. All nominees are subject to a range of probity checks, the outcomes of which are considered by the honours committees, alongside other relevant factors, when making their final recommendations.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of times that George Osborne (a) visited the British Ambassador to the United States of America and (b) met with officials from the British Embassy in the United States, since he ceased to be a Member of Parliament.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 September 2025 to question 76553.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her French counterpart to recommend the forfeiture of Peter Mandelson’s decoration of the Legion of Honour.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
That is a matter for the French authorities, as was the original decision to make the award.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Government Department arranged the Prime Minister's meeting with Palantir on 27 February 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 7 November 2025 to question 86672.