Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of Somaliland in London in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with the Somali authorities, political parties and civil society, as well as the Somaliland Office in London.
Decisions on Israeli diplomatic recognition are a matter for the Government of Israel. The Foreign Secretary has had no specific discussions with her Israeli counterpart on this subject.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 Israeli counterpart on their diplomatic recognition of Somaliland.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with the Somali authorities, political parties and civil society, as well as the Somaliland Office in London.
Decisions on Israeli diplomatic recognition are a matter for the Government of Israel. The Foreign Secretary has had no specific discussions with her Israeli counterpart on this subject.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is no record of any such discussions.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her oral response on Monday 15 December 2025, Official Report Column 683, what further information was provided to the planning process for the proposed China embassy relating to the wider security considerations.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The relevant letters provided to the planning process by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office, dated 14 January, 20 August, and 27 November 2025, are already on the public record.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her oral response on Monday 15 December 2025, Official Report Column 683, what further information was provided to the planning process for the proposed China embassy relating to the consolidation of the diplomatic premises.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The relevant letters provided to the planning process by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office, dated 14 January, 20 August, and 27 November 2025, are already on the public record.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they are supporting the international efforts to demand the halt of executions of women in Iran, including the representation signed by over 400 prominent women on 23 December 2025.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstance as a matter of principle. We continue to play an integral role in the delivery of the UN Third Committee and have repeatedly called on Iran to establish an immediate moratorium on executions, including at the Committee's annual resolution in November 2025. The resolution condemned Iran's application of the death penalty, which is in violation of its international obligations, including executions undertaken against persons on the basis of forced confessions and without fair trial and due process. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran to account for its continued human rights violations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran about halting the execution of women human rights defenders such as Zahra Tabari.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstance as a matter of principle. We continue to play an integral role in the delivery of the UN Third Committee and have repeatedly called on Iran to establish an immediate moratorium on executions, including at the Committee's annual resolution in November 2025. The resolution condemned Iran's application of the death penalty, which is in violation of its international obligations, including executions undertaken against persons on the basis of forced confessions and without fair trial and due process. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran to account for its continued human rights violations.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of recent registration measures by the government of Israel on the ability of international non-governmental organisations to deliver humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Lord Bishop to the statement I made to the House on 7 January.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel to lift the restrictions on international humanitarian assistance in that territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Lord Bishop to the statement I made to the House on 7 January.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, RSF Systematic Mass Killings and Body Disposal in El-Fasher, North Darfur 26 October – 28 November 2025, published on 16 December.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The report referenced by the Noble Baroness has been reviewed as part of our ongoing work to monitor credible information regarding atrocities in Sudan, and take action accordingly.
On 12 December, I wrote to Parliament to outline that the UK would be sanctioning four senior Rapid Support Forces commanders suspected of atrocities.
On further steps the UK has taken to protect civilians and seek accountability for atrocities committed in Sudan, I refer the Noble Baroness to my statement to the House during the Debate on Sudan on 27 November 2025.