Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they decided to revoke the draft Order in Council allowing for an interim administration of the British Virgin Islands; and whether they will publish the assessment that led to that decision.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the statement made to the House on 13 October 2025 (UIN HLWS953). This decision followed a review taking into account a range of factors including public consultations held by the Governor and British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government, a final report from the Governor, and a self‑assessment by the BVI Government, all of which are publicly available.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to sanction senior Georgian officials under the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 following reports that the government of Georgia used prohibited chemical substances to disperse protests in November and December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We urge the Georgian Government to publish the findings of the investigation it claims to have carried out into these allegations, and we continue to call on them to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and hold to account those responsible for excessive violence against protestors.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they plan to take following reports that the government of Georgia used prohibited chemical substances to disperse protests in November and December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We urge the Georgian Government to publish the findings of the investigation it claims to have carried out into these allegations, and we continue to call on them to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and hold to account those responsible for excessive violence against protestors.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have been extended to British Overseas Territories through the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020; and whether asset freezes are operable in those territories as a result of those regulations.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Yes, the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, was extended in 2020 via the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020, and as such asset freezes can be applied in these jurisdictions as a result of these regulations.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they hold no records of the Duke of York’s official overseas trips as Special Representative prior to 2008, given that he was appointed to the role in 2001; and what steps are being taken to locate these missing files.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office records are retained and managed in accordance with its record retention and disposal policy, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act very seriously. Each request is evaluated individually, and when sensitive information falls within the scope of a request, the relevant exemptions are applied. If a requester is dissatisfied with a response under the FoI Act, they have the right to appeal, and the appeal procedures are outlined in the response. We regularly provide advice and assistance in line with the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on how requests can be better framed to help requesters to gain access to the information they are seeking.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any review into the Duke of York’s activities as Special Representative in Kazakhstan; and whether they had any impact on UK diplomatic or trade interests in the region.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not conducted a review into the activities of the Duke of York when Special Representative for Trade and Investment in Kazakhstan from 2001 to 2011.
The UK engages with Kazakhstan regularly, with The Minister of State, Stephen Doughty recently hosting the 8th UK-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue in London. Kazakhstan is the UK's largest trading partner in Central Asia; the total bilateral trade in goods and service was £2.8 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2024.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision of the Scottish First Minister to invite a foreign head of government to a meeting where no official of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is present.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Following a meeting between the Scottish First Minister and the Turkish President, which took place without an FCDO official being present, the Foreign Secretary wrote to Scottish Cabinet Secretary Robertson. He made it clear that the Scottish Government must respect the relevant protocols for the overseas visits of devolved Government Ministers, for continued FCDO facilitation. We remain open to discussing a constructive way forward, but the UK's foreign policy must be communicated consistently and coherently to our international partners.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to investigate whether Scottish Government spending on overseas embassies is appropriate.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
International relations is a matter reserved to the UK Government (UKG), but the UKG recognises that the devolved governments have legitimate interest in international activities which affect delivery of devolved objectives. The Scottish Government currently operates eight overseas offices and has an office in London. Most overseas offices are physically co-located with the UK Mission. As the UKG highlighted in its evidence to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, there are a wide range of positive examples of engagement and co-operation between FCDO and Scottish Government staff based at UK Missions, delivering for Scotland and the UK.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the impact of UK development aid on local NGOs working in East Africa in 2021, and (2) whether the current model, which channels the majority of foreign aid to the United Nations, is compatible with their commitment to localising humanitarian aid.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) play a central role in delivering UK funded humanitarian support in East Africa. For example, in 2021 the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund, supported by the UK, reached 3.2 million people with life-saving aid with more than 30 national and international NGOs involved in delivery. More broadly, the FCDO supports a number of Country based Pooled Funds (CBPF) and in 2022, 21.7% of funding allocated by CBPFs went directly to national NGOs. The UK also uses its voice on multilateral boards to ensure decisions align with UK priorities such as the International Development Strategy's commitment to locally-led decision-making.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opposition movement in Belarus; and what plans they have, if any, to meet with the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last visited the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 9 March 2022, where she met the Rt. Hon. James Cleverly, then Minister for Europe. Although there are currently no firm plans in place for a future visit, the UK remains in regular contact with Mrs Tsikanouskaya and other prominent Belarusian civil society figures.
The UK Government continues to urge the Belarusian authorities to end their repression of their own citizens, enter into an inclusive dialogue with the democratic opposition and civil society, and offer the Belarusian people the genuine choice of government that they both want and deserve.