Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the government of Libya's transition to democracy, including by assisting with the encouragement of national elections and providing advice on curbing the power of armed groups.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The status quo in Libya is unsustainable and deeply damaging for ordinary Libyans. It leaves Libya extremely vulnerable to third state actors set on pursuing control over Libya's security, politics and economy. The UK continues to support the UN's efforts to broker a Libyan-owned and led political settlement. We engage regularly with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and Libyan interlocutors in support of this effort, including discussing the role and influence of armed groups and security actors.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Yazidi community are able to return to Sinjar; how many aid projects they fund for that purpose; and how that aid is distributed, via the government of Iraq or the United Nations.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's embassy and consulate-general in Iraq regularly speak to the Iraqi government about this issue. Most recently on 24 April, the Deputy Head of Mission met the Iraqi Prime Minister's adviser on Yazidi affairs to discuss the importance of the Sinjar agreement and reconstruction for the safe return of Yazidis to Sinjar.
The UK's 'Building Peace and Stability in Iraq' (BPSI) programme, extended to Sinjar in 2025/2026, supports the return and reintegration of internally displaced people into communities. BPSI funding is allocated to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Development Programme and the International Rescue Committee, not to the Government of Iraq. The UK also funds the UN Durable Solutions Adviser, who coordinates UN efforts on tackling displacement.
Until April 2025, UK funding through the IOM went towards strengthening Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs, ensuring they effectively deliver reparations and rehabilitation to Yazidi (and other minorities) survivors of Daesh violence as per the Yazidi Survivors' Law.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are providing assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh; and what steps they are taking to ensure that evidence collected by the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL can be used by prosecutors globally.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has not provided assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh. We would look at any proposal with interest but it would be vital to have wide international support, including from Iraq.
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council established the National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation (NCIJC) in October 2024. The centre is Iraq's legally-designated authority for international judicial cooperation and evidence-sharing on counter terrorism, and it holds the majority of evidence collected by the UN Investigative Team. All requests for evidence for foreign prosecutions go to the NCIJC, which will then arrange for evidence to be obtained and provided.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help find the missing Yazidi women and girls taken by Daesh in 2014.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Although the UK has not provided direct funding to help locate the missing Yazidi people, we have supported Iraq to develop capacity for Daesh accountability.
The UK strongly condemns atrocities committed against the Yazidis in Iraq by Daesh. We remain committed to the safety and security of the Yazidi community in north-east Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including those who have been displaced, are currently located in internally displaced peoples camps like al-Hol, and who face challenges returning to Yazidi communities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of proposed cuts to overseas aid spending, whether they plan to reduce the headcount of staff; and how they will ensure the necessary technical staff are retained to deliver on the UK’s commitments.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, all departments are expected to meet savings and efficiencies of more than 5% of their Financial Year 2025-26 budgets by the end of the period (Financial Year 2028-29). Detail of these proposals will be confirmed once the Spending Review concludes. The proposed cuts to overseas aid spending will also be confirmed through the Spending Review. The UK government is committed to ensuring it has the development capability and technical expertise needed to deliver its ambition on international development.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has already taken action. Since the merger, the department has strengthened the technical expertise required to boost capabilities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to honour their existing commitments to multilateral aid for the years of 2025, 2026 and 2027, and how much they anticipate this will be.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Reducing the overall size of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will necessarily have an impact on the scale and shape of the work we do. Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.
Multilateral cooperation is an important part of working through partnerships and allows a global scale of investment and delivery that outstrips what countries can achieve alone. However, with less money in the system, we must have a laser focus on delivering more effectively and efficiently.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the announcement that overseas aid spending will be reduced to 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI) from 2027, what percentage of GNI will be spent on (1) overseas projects and (2) projects on gender, once the costs of housing refugees have been taken into account.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is committed to ensuring that asylum costs fall and has already acted. The Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog, reform the asylum accommodation system to end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review (SR) period and increase detention capacity to facilitate more asylum removals. Whilst there will always be volatility in asylum forecasts, we expect these decisions to drive down overall in-donor refugee costs over the next SR.
All UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending is consistent with the international rules agreed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee. This includes ODA spent on in-donor refugee costs.
Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments. The UK is committed to empowering women and girls around the world through our international work.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make changes to the UK Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan 2023–2027, and if so, how they plan to make those changes, who they will consult, and when they plan to make the changes.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's fifth Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan was published in February 2023. The Government intends to build on the approach and ambition displayed in the UK's fifth Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan during this 25th anniversary year of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325.
The Government looks forward to setting out its priorities for the 25th anniversary year to the Women, Peace and Security All-Party Parliamentary Group and civil society in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the strategy in the UK Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan 2023–2027 which sets out how they propose to deliver on their global commitment to women, peace and security.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains resolute in its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The government intends to build on the approach and ambition displayed in the UK's fifth WPS National Action Plan, during this 25th anniversary year of UN Security Council resolution 1325. We will prioritise advocating for women's full, meaningful and safe participation, engaging with Women's Rights Organisations and tackling violence against women, including Conflict Related Sexual Violence.
We look forward to providing a written update to Parliament on the progress the UK has made towards the National Action Plan's five strategic objectives in due course.
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 on 17 March (HL5246), what steps they took when considering the International Finance Corporation's loan to Higest Mozambique (project number 41386) to ensure that (1) chickens are stocked at a density that minimises the risk of heat stress, (2) litter is provided and kept dry, (3) fresh air and natural light is able to enter the poultry houses, and (4) chickens that are caught prior to transport to the slaughterhouse are carried in a way that minimises leg injuries.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to promoting high standards of animal welfare internationally. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) have rigorous and internationally recognised standards, which align to those of other jurisdictions including the EU. The IFC assess all potential industrial livestock projects against these standards as part of its due diligence processes. This project (41386) met the IFC's thresholds for environmental and social standards and Higest is incorporating the Global Good Agricultural Practices principles to enhance its animal welfare practices. The UK has robust policies in place to oversee the work of IFC, including through our seat on the World Bank Board, and conducts regular and ongoing monitoring.