Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through their support to Unitaid to improve access to affordable prevention, screening and treatment tools for cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries; and how they will ensure that this investment is sustained.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer provided on 30 January 2025 to question 25707, a copy of which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:
Unitaid are a leading funder of innovative tools to find and treat cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries, with HPV tests the most accurate way to identify if a woman is at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Together with partners, Unitaid's interventions lowered the cost of HPV testing by nearly 40 per cent and reduced the price of portable thermal ablation devices for treating precancerous lesions by more than 45 per cent. Unitaid's work is laying the groundwork for national cervical cancer elimination programs worldwide. We highly value our Unitaid partnership and have contributed more than half a billion pounds in funding.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - 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 13 January 2026 (HL13296), what plans they have to support the network of Women Mediators Across the Commonwealth in 2026.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office discontinued funding to this specific programme at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, but - as set out in my previous answers - we remain committed to UK leadership in driving forward the Women, Peace and Security agenda, through other programmes in the Commonwealth and beyond, and through our role as penholder on UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the UN Committee Against Torture’s concluding observations on Bahrain, issued on 28 November 2024 (CAT/C/BHR/CO/4), and in particular of the Committee’s call for the release of human rights defenders allegedly detained and imprisoned in retaliation for their work, including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace and Hassan Mushaima.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided to questions HL13124 on 12 January 2026 , HL8922 on 15 July 2025, and HL4957 on 25 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of reports concerning the conditions of detention of Mr Ebrahim Sharif at Dry Dock Detention Centre in Bahrain, including allegations of poor prison conditions.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided to questions HL13124 on 12 January 2026 , HL8922 on 15 July 2025, and HL4957 on 25 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the charges imposed by the authorities in Bahrain against opposition activist Mr Ebrahim Sharif.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided to questions HL13124 on 12 January 2026 , HL8922 on 15 July 2025, and HL4957 on 25 February 2025.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 implementing a service standard for decisions on Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate applications.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Most Academic Technology Approval Scheme applications are straightforward and 98 per cent of applications during the past year were processed within 30 working days. No new service standard is therefore considered necessary at this time.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date she expects to complete ratification of the UK-Mauritius Treaty.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are considering the International Relations and Defence Committee (IRDC) findings carefully and will respond in full in due course. A date for ratification will be confirmed once both Parties have finalised all domestic procedures necessary to achieve ratification.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Department is taking with international partners to support a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I thank the Rt Hon Member for her series of questions on the situation in Venezuela. For the most recent statement of the UK's position, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on 5 January, and her responses in the subsequent debate. We will keep the House updated on developments in the normal way in due course.
Specifically on the issue of Guyana's sovereignty, I refer her to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103713; on the issue of sanctions, I remind her that it has been the long-standing position under successive governments not to discuss potential designations, as to do so would undermine their effectiveness; and on the issue of drug-trafficking, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps her Department has taken to support efforts to restore democratic institutions in Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I thank the Rt Hon Member for her series of questions on the situation in Venezuela. For the most recent statement of the UK's position, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on 5 January, and her responses in the subsequent debate. We will keep the House updated on developments in the normal way in due course.
Specifically on the issue of Guyana's sovereignty, I refer her to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103713; on the issue of sanctions, I remind her that it has been the long-standing position under successive governments not to discuss potential designations, as to do so would undermine their effectiveness; and on the issue of drug-trafficking, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to introduce additional targeted sanctions on individuals associated with the Maduro regime.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I thank the Rt Hon Member for her series of questions on the situation in Venezuela. For the most recent statement of the UK's position, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on 5 January, and her responses in the subsequent debate. We will keep the House updated on developments in the normal way in due course.
Specifically on the issue of Guyana's sovereignty, I refer her to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103713; on the issue of sanctions, I remind her that it has been the long-standing position under successive governments not to discuss potential designations, as to do so would undermine their effectiveness; and on the issue of drug-trafficking, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.