Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government will be represented at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in Egypt and at what ministerial level the UK will be represented; and whether the Government will make financial commitments at that Conference.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The level of attendance and nature of UK commitments at any future conference will be decided in due course once the timing and objectives of that conference have been decided.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK bilateral aid was spent on tackling violence against women and girls in the 2024-5 financial year.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The requested figures are not yet available, but on the wider issue raised, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 March 2025 to Question 33985.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 international counterparts ahead of the Gaza Reconstruction Conference hosted by Egypt in November 2025; and whether her Department plans to provide funding for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the statement on the Middle East made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to support (a) access to and (b) legislation protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights internationally, in the context of Official Development Assistance negotiations between the US and (i) low and (ii) middle-income countries.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 23 January 2025 to Question HL3786, which is reproduced below for ease of reference:
The empowerment of women and girls is a top priority for the UK government, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are key to this. When women and girls around the world are able to have control over their lives and their own bodies, they can avoid a life of early, multiple and often dangerous pregnancies and births, and instead complete their education, take up better economic opportunities and fulfil their potential. The UK therefore prioritises bodily autonomy and the rights of women and girls in the development of SRHR policies, in line with the Guttmacher-Lancet integrated definition of comprehensive SRHR for all.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussion she has had with her counterparts at the UN on the resettlement of Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 77966 on 20 October 2025.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding (a) civil society and (b) academic institutions to conduct (i) forced labour and (ii) supply chain research on the Uyghur region.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government regularly works with civil society and academic institutions to fund a variety of research, including topics such as forced labour. We keep under review how we can best tackle forced labour in supply chains, by working across government departments, with businesses and international partners.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 with partners to increase access to education for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains committed to improving the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million in new funding, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes assistance to help refugees access to essential services, including education.
We will continue working with the wider international community and our partners to improve access to education and skills training for the Rohingya.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will respond to the report of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights entitled The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power, published on 27 June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights report entitled 'The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power', and the issues it raises in relation to the rollback on rights.
The UK has a long history as a well-respected and influential global leader on SRHR and in defending and championing these fundamental rights. The UK continues to work with likeminded Member States, NGOs, and Civil Society Organisations to defend, promote and support SRHR.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of levels of availability of fuel in Gaza; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of fuel availability on water desalination plants in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. We remain deeply concerned at the lack of fuel supply in Gaza, which puts vital services such as water desalination at risk. On 18 July, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) described the deepening fuel crisis in Gaza, including the impact on solid waste collection and availability of clean water supplies and health services. We highlighted the impact of the lack of fuel on water supplies and hospitals and the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July, and at the International Development Committee on 16 July.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made support an independent UN investigation into the Chemmani site in Sri Lanka, which includes (a) exhumations, (b) forensic analysis, and (c) victim centred consultations.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK Government is deeply concerned by the recent discovery of the mass grave in Chemmani. We remain committed to supporting accountability for human rights violations and we regularly meet the Government of Sri Lanka to discuss reconciliation and accountability and to press for tangible progress, particularly on cases of enforced disappearances. In January, I visited Sri Lanka and met a range of stakeholders including the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, civil society organisations, as well as political leaders in the north of Sri Lanka to discuss human rights. Officials at our High Commission in Colombo maintain close contact with families of the disappeared from across the country, working to ensure their voices are heard, and have raised this issue with the Government of Sri Lanka. We continue to lead international efforts such as at the UN Human Rights Council alongside the Core Group to ensure perpetrators are held to account.