Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications of the Budapest Memorandum for his policies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in return for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons, Russia committed to "refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine." Russia has clearly breached those commitments. When the war ends Ukraine will need robust security guarantees to ensure Russia is never able to invade again. The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees, as well as further support for Ukraine's military.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will call in the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China following reporting of cash offered by the Chinese Embassy for information on Hong Kong activists living in the UK.
Answered by Catherine West
We will not tolerate attempts by foreign powers to intimidate, harass, or harm their critics overseas. Following the issuing of arrest warrants on Christmas Eve, the Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the targeting of Hong Kongers in the UK.
Following recent reports, FCDO officials again raised the matter with the Chinese Embassy. The Hong Kong Police's issuing of arrest warrants encourages reckless behaviour on UK soil and damages Hong Kong's reputation.
The safety of Hong Kongers in the UK is of upmost importance for the Government. This has been referred to the police who are dealing with this matter.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 24486 on Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the joint committees between the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska legislatures on the (a) sovereignty and (b) territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Efforts to develop regional cooperation, economic integration and inter-connectivity initiatives which raise living standards across the Western Balkans are important.
However it is vital that any such initiatives and related structures do not privilege individual groups or violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), or undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, for which the UK remains steadfast in its support.
We urge all political leaders in BiH, Serbia and the wider region to work constructively to strengthen federal institutions in BiH, use their influence positively with Republika Srpska leaders to promote continued adherence to the established constitutional framework in BiH, and to refrain from actions that could undermine this.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his (a) American, (b) European Union and (c) NATO counterparts on the DeepSeek artificial intelligence model.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We maintain regular dialogue with our international partners on all aspects of policy including the emergence of new technologies.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 24486 on Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and Government, tabled on 16 January 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The answer to this written parliamentary question was published on 31 January.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on the Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continues to strengthen its capacity dedicated to identifying and responding to atrocity risks, drawing on expertise across government departments and working with civil society, academia, bilateral partners, and multilateral organisations.
This includes progress on strengthening global early warning and country risk assessments, expanding programmes with partner organisations and building the FCDO network's capabilities to prevent atrocities through technical training, central guidance and capturing learning. We will continue to invest in ways to improve policy and practical interventions to act earlier to prevent atrocities.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the letter from him and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspector in relation to the planning and listed building consent applications by the Chinese Embassy in the UK for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets is dated 14 January 2024.
Answered by Catherine West
It was human error that caused the joint Foreign Secretary/Home Secretary letter to the Planning Inspector to be dated 14 January 2024. The letter was sent to the inquiry on 14 January 2025.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government considers joint committees between the legislatures of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska as being compatible with the Dayton Agreement.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the Dayton Peace Agreement. I raised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in BiH on my visit to Serbia with senior government figures this week, alongside the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach.
We welcome inclusive regional cooperation, economic integration and inter-connectivity initiatives which raise living standards across the Western Balkans. But it is vital that any such initiatives and related structures do not privilege individual groups or violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which we remain steadfast in our support. We will work with domestic authorities, our international partners, and the High Representative to act against any attempts to undermine the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publicly call for the release of Ryan Cornelius.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I appreciate and acknowledge the significant distress caused to Mr Cornelius and his family by his continued detention. This Government remains committed to supporting Mr Cornelius' clemency application on compassionate grounds. We will ensure Mr Cornelius' case continues to be raised with UAE authorities at the appropriate level by both Ministers and officials.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its 93rd session, 30 March-8 April 2022 : Opinion No. 19/2022 concerning Ryan Cornelius (United Arab Emirates), whether his Department has made an assessment of whether Ryan Cornelius has been arbitrarily detained.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is not an investigatory body and does not have the specific expertise or the jurisdiction to conduct local investigations into any allegations of human rights violations. However, the FCDO takes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's opinions seriously. While the group's recommendations are not legally binding, we will continue to highlight concerns raised in the case of Mr Cornelius in discussions with UAE authorities.