Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - 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 18 March (HL15286), what assessment they have made of the number of (1) schools, and (2) hospitals, in Iran that have been hit or destroyed since 28 February; and if there is not yet an assessment or estimate available, when they expect that an assessment or estimate will be made available.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer he cites in his question. The position has not changed in the intervening week.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impacts of Israel’s attacks on oil facilities in Iran, following reports of toxic smoke and acid rain in Tehran.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessments are available at this time, but the UK continues to (a) work for a resolution of the conflict in the Gulf, and (b) call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of land in Syria under the control of the government of Israel.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessments are available at this time, but the UK continues to (a) work for a resolution of the conflict in the Gulf, and (b) call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.
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 has made representations to her Pakistani counterpart on reports of persecution and discrimination against the Christian community in that country; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s engagement with that country in protecting freedom of religion or belief and ensuring the safety of religious minorities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all in Pakistan, including Christians. Over the past year, alongside our High Commission in Islamabad, I have raised the rights and safety of religious minorities with Pakistan's Human Rights and Interior Ministers and with the Deputy Prime Minister. We press for due process, accountability for violence, and stronger protections in law and practice. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold its international obligations and to ensure the safety and dignity of all communities.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 ensure that embassies, high commissions and consulates provide adequate support to families when a family member dies when abroad temporarily.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2025, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) assisted families of over 6,500 British nationals who died overseas, with extra support for those in vulnerable circumstances such as bereavement through murder, manslaughter, or suspicious death. Assistance includes providing country-specific guides, which inform families of local procedures and information on how to bring a loved one back to the UK. The FCDO always welcomes feedback on the service provided, and seeks to learn lessons from it, especially when a bereaved family feels that they have not had the support they would expect.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Turkish counterpart on the pre-trial detention of Iain Guille, and what steps she is taking to help protect his welfare.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, has discussed Iain Guille's detention and welfare with his Turkish counterpart on two occasions, most recently in February 2026. UK Consular officials, in conjunction with their Canadian counterparts, have raised concerns about Mr Guille's welfare with the Turkish authorities, and will continue to monitor his health and welfare while he is detained, engaging with the relevant authorities as appropriate.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to secure an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March, and her answers to the questions raised in response, which dealt with the current situation in Lebanon at length. We will provide further such updates to the House in due course as the situation develops.
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, if her Department will take diplomatic steps to support an independent investigation into allegations of abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question 80474.
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 of the human rights situation and the protection of freedom of expression for citizens within each of the Gulf Cooperation Council states who have expressed dissent or disagreement with their respective governments' policies following the recent escalation in the conflict between the United States and Iran; and what representations they have made to those governments regarding the importance of upholding international human rights obligations during periods of regional instability.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK encourages all states to uphold international human rights obligations, and will continue to speak frankly about these issues with our Gulf Cooperation Council partners through ministerial and diplomatic channels.
Asked by: Markus Campbell-Savours (Labour - Penrith and Solway)
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 Saudi counterpart on (a) freedom of expression, (b) the cases of arbitrarily detained journalists and (c) the recently reported arrest and detention of Mohamed El-Sayed.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to monitor individual cases of concern in Saudi Arabia, and we regularly raise human rights with the Saudi authorities, including at ministerial level.
The UK is concerned over the arrests and continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained for expressing their political views.