British Council Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
Chris Elmore Excerpts(1 day, 10 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
The British Council is an important international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities for the UK. It supports peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. It does this by uniquely combining the UK’s deep expertise in arts and culture, education and the English language, its global presence and relationships, and its unparalleled access to young people and influencers around the world.
With a total reach of 598 million people in 2024-25, the British Council creates mutually beneficial relationships between the people of all four nations of the UK and other countries. Such connections, based on an understanding of each other’s strengths and shared values, build an enduring trust. This helps strengthen the UK’s global reputation and influence, encouraging people from around the world to visit, study, trade and make alliances with the UK.
In 2024-25 the British Council received £162.5 million core grant in aid from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and even in tight fiscal circumstances, that core grant was maintained at that level in 2025-26. On 19 March 2026, as part of the FCDO’s allocation of official development assistance funding for the next three years, it was announced that ODA funding for the British Council would be protected at its current levels up to the end of 2028-29, while non-ODA funding will be increased by £40 million over the same period. This supports our objective of a financially sustainable British Council for the long term.
This funding settlement—against a backdrop of substantial cuts that have had to be made in other FCDO-funded programmes—is also a recognition of the continuing financial pressures facing the British Council, including in relation to repayment of its loan from HM Treasury, and the underlying need to update the organisation’s business model. The British Council has put forward a financial turnaround plan, and the FCDO has commissioned an independent review of that plan, and the British Council’s cash-flow position, to provide a robust evidence base for future decision making in this area. FCDO officials are also engaging constructively and on an ongoing basis with the British Council Board and executive to work through the findings.
Copies of the British Council’s annual report and accounts for the 2024-25 financial year have been placed in the library of both Houses. The annual report can also be found at the British Council’s website:
www.britishcouncil.org/about-us/how-we-work/corporate-reports
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Freedom of Religion or Belief in China
Chris Elmore Excerpts(1 week, 2 days ago)
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Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine, I think for the second time since you joined the Panel of Chairs. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for St Helens South and Whiston (Ms Rimmer) for securing this important debate, and I appreciate the thoughtful contributions by hon. Members from across the House. They have sent a clear signal of the deep and shared concern in this place about the challenges faced by faith and belief communities across China.
Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right that sits at the heart of the UK’s wider human rights approach. The Government strategy on this topic was published last summer. It makes it plain that this fundamental human right is an important part of our foreign policy. As part of our strategy, we are focusing on 10 priority countries where we judge that we can make the biggest difference in defending that right; China is among them. That is the right thing to do and is firmly in our national interest: we know that countries that uphold fundamental rights and the rule of law are more stable, prosperous and resilient. When freedom of religion or belief comes under pressure, it is so often the case that other rights quickly follow.
Those who wish to exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief in China face deep restrictions. Communities are limited in being able to practice their faith freely, including the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Catholic and Protestant Christians, and Falun Gong practitioners. As I think every Member mentioned today, we continue to see extensive state control over freedom of religion or belief across different communities, including intrusive surveillance, restrictions on worship, requirements for political education and arbitrary detention.
In Xinjiang, the scale and severity of those violations affecting the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim communities remain of deep and long-standing concern. With Ramadan underway and Eid approaching, we are especially mindful of reports of restrictions on fasting and religious observance, as my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Chris Evans) mentioned, and the continued pressure that those communities face. In Tibet, sustained interference in monastic life, cultural expression and the appointment of religious leaders continues to pose a profound challenge to the perseverance of Tibetan Buddhism and identity.
We have also witnessed continued pressure on Christian communities, and the arrest of Zion church leaders in October was a stark reminder of the growing constraints on pastors and Christian worship more broadly. Many churches have endured closures, intimidation and intensified surveillance, all of which point to the shrinking space for independent Christian worship. Falun Gong practitioners continue to face intimidation, restrictions on assembly and arbitrary detention. Those who practice outside China face serious threats and harassment linked to their beliefs.
The Government have been clear that China must uphold its international obligations. As a signatory to the universal declaration of human rights, we expect China to observe the obligations that it has freely accepted. Individuals should be free to practice or not practice religion or belief according to their conscience without fear, coercion or discrimination.
I am grateful to hon. Members for the points, observations and questions they have raised in this debate. Let me specifically address the points made by my hon. Friends the Members for St Helens South and Whiston and for Caerphilly about the ethnic unity law. China’s ethnic unity law risks further tightening controls over culture, religion and language. We will continue as a Government to monitor developments, and we will not hesitate to raise our concerns with China. We urge China to respect its obligations under international and national law.
Although I cannot pre-empt specifics on future diplomatic engagements, the UK will consistently raise concerns about minority rights wherever we engage with Chinese counterparts, both bilaterally and in co-ordination with international partners; I will come to some of the questions about the United Nations shortly. We advance freedom of religion or belief in China in three ways: by raising concerns privately and publicly, by using our influence during bilateral and multilateral engagements and by supporting communities across China that are affected by violations.
I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon). I have not taken part in a debate with him on this subject, either on the Floor of the House or in this Chamber in my six months as the Minister or in my 10 years in the House. He is a true champion of freedom of religion or belief. I pay tribute to his absolute steadfast dedication to not just those of Christian faith but all those who hold faith across this country and across the world. If he writes to me about the Chinese human rights lawyer—forgive me, but I could not catch the gentlemen’s name—I am more than happy to ask my officials to investigate and come back to him in writing.
The shadow Minister, the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), and my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly asked about our bilateral engagements. We are committed to challenging China where we must, and our bilateral engagement on this matter is firm and consistent. I should tell the House, particularly in response to the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor), that the Prime Minster has raised these concerns on human rights abuses and freedom of religion and belief. The Chancellor and Ministers have raised those abuses, as have the Foreign Secretary and the former Foreign Secretary. I understand that that was the case under the previous Government, too. We have a unity of purpose, and we will call out religious persecution where we see it in our multilateral and bilateral relationships.
The UK has continually raised concerns about violations affecting faith communities. We monitor developments closely and raise cases directly with authorities whenever that is appropriate. Those conversations are not easy, but they are essential. It is because we maintain engagement that we can raise the hardest issues directly, including on freedom of religion or belief, and we do so at the highest levels.
Many Members raised the Prime Minister’s recent visit to China. I wonder if some Members do not follow the news or statements on the Floor of the House, but the Prime Minister raised the points that many Members have raised today directly with President Xi, and he said that in his statements on the Floor of the House. Senior Ministers have raised those abuses with their counterparts and we will continue to do so, for the record. That sustained engagement at senior levels ensures that our concerns are clearly heard and understood.
The shadow Minister and a number of colleagues raised issues around our support within the multilateral space. The shadow Minister is quite right to raise that the UK not only led the charge, but was the first country to lead the UN statement on human rights abuses in China. I can confirm that we will continue to lead that work in the multilateral space. That is why we work with international partners, not just in the UN but in the G7 and in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and through coalitions such as the Media Freedoms Coalition, which is central to our approach. I am pleased that we have been able to take the chair of the Media Freedoms Coalition; that means that we can focus on another form of abuse, on media freedom, over the next two years.
We use all possible levers to hold China to account for human rights abuses against the Uyghur, Tibetans, Christians and others. Last July, the UK hosted a side event at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to reaffirm the universal right to freedom of religion or belief, including for Tibetan Buddhists. I pay tribute to, and thank, my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith), who is the UK special envoy, for championing the UK’s commitment to that matter at the event and for reaffirming the right of Tibetans to choose their own religious leaders.
We will never shy away from calling on China to improve its record on freedom of religion or belief, and on human rights in general. To pick up on the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly about violence against women and girls, he may not have seen that just yesterday the Foreign Secretary announced her pillars of work for the Government within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. One of them is specifically about tackling violence against women and girls globally, not just in the UK. It will remain an absolute priority that we call out that violence, not just in conflict but also in matters of human rights abuses across the world.
Many Members have raised the question of what the Government are doing now. On 2 March, the UK’s ambassador for human rights called on China to address reports of restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms and of forced labour—mentioned by the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith)—and urged the release of all arbitrarily detained individuals. That work goes on constantly and all the time, and will continue to do so under this Government.
The shadow Minister and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson mentioned Hong Kong, and specifically Jimmy Lai and the national security law imposed on Hong Kong to silence China’s critics. The Foreign Secretary could not be clearer that that is a political imposition and something that we do not support. The Foreign Secretary and other senior Ministers have also raised Mr Lai’s case, including the Prime Minister, who, during his visit, raised it directly with President Xi. That has opened up discussions of the most acute concerns directly with the Chinese Government at the highest levels. Following the sentencing fairly recently, we will rapidly engage in and continue to engage in Mr Lai’s case.
To conclude—I am conscious of time and the need to allow my hon. Friend the Member for St Helens South and Whiston to make her own concluding remarks—I again thank right hon. and hon. Members for their contributions. The situation for many religious and belief communities in China remains extremely serious. The Government will continue to raise concerns at the highest levels, to press China to meet its international obligations, to work with international partners, and to support practical initiatives that defend that fundamental right. Freedom of religion or belief is and will remain a non-negotiable part of the UK’s engagement with China. We will remain steadfast in defending this right for everyone.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Chris Elmore Excerpts(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
I start by paying tribute, as all Members of the House have, to our deeply dedicated and professional civil servants in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Speaking as a Minister just about to enter his sixth month in the job, I have met nothing but thoroughly professional, decent and hard-working civil servants. In fact, they are a tribute to some of the best parts of UK plc and the civil service. More broadly, I pay tribute, as again every Member has, to the work of teams on the ground across the middle east and their work in response to the Iranian attacks.
I turn first to the shadow Foreign Secretary’ speech and what I will call her list of questions. She tempts me into a wider debate on foreign policy, which, frankly, is her job, and I have enormous respect for her in doing that, but I will bring us back to one particular point on Iran. I can confirm to the House that the Minister for the Middle East has just finished summoning the Iranian ambassador, and I know that will obviously be of interest to her and the whole House. That has taken place in the last 30 minutes.
I will give a brief update on consular assistance—something that is of concern to many Members across the House, including the Liberal Democrat spokesperson. As of 7 am today, 136,582 individuals have registered their presence. The breakdown covers Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE. This is the largest ever response to this service that we have ever had across multiple countries, and it is testament to the significant pressure that the service is experiencing. Diplomats are undertaking this work across the middle east. We have received nearly 4,000 inquiries since the start of the crisis, and on 3 March, almost 1,000 calls were handled just on that one day. With the civil service, we are doing our very best across the middle east to offer as much support as possible, including—for one of the first times in the history of the Foreign Office—external-facing communications to people who register in place. That is an important part of our response.
Chris Elmore
I will make a bit of progress, but I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that I will give way later.
As you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, I am a pedant for procedure in this House, but I have forgotten something: I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), and my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry), for securing the debate. I am sorry that I did not thank them at the beginning of my remarks, but the shadow Foreign Secretary tempted me, and I felt the need to bite. I am equally grateful to all other Members for their contributions. One thing I have learned is that my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury has done a bit of gin-drinking and linen-wearing while travelling with the Foreign Affairs Committee. I need to up my game!
Let me set out and respond to some of the many points raised in the debate. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, mentioned by many Members, including the shadow Foreign Secretary, has fundamentally reshaped Europe’s security landscape. Like many of our allies, we recognise the need to reduce overall reliance on the United States for our defence. Strengthening the UK’s sovereign defence capabilities is essential in this new era. It is in that strategic context that the Government have taken difficult but necessary decisions, although I appreciate that that view is not shared across the House. The Government have taken those decisions in that strategic context, while ensuring that the UK still plays a full part in European security and remains able to protect our people, our interests and our values.
I am known for many courtesies in this House, but I found it slightly disingenuous of the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding), to skip over the fact that a Labour Government introduced ODA funding to begin with, and then gently suggest that the Lib Dems reached the 0.7% target after the 2010 general election. It is not my style to be combative in this House, but I thought that was slightly disingenuous—and I will leave it there.
The Chair of the International Development Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham, mentioned the ICAI. I can confirm that no decision has been taken. I appreciate that that will not please her, but we remain totally committed to meeting our statutory obligation, as the independent evaluation of ODA spending is extremely vital for the Government’s work.
The right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell)—I hope I have got the name of his constituency right—asked about Abercrombie House in Scotland. We are committed to maintaining Abercrombie House. In fact, we are considering how other Government Departments could be based on that. I give him that assurance on the record, and I am more than happy to take the conversation away from the Chamber if doing so would be helpful to him.
There have been many questions about a plan, a way forward and the transformation agenda. I do not underestimate the challenges that come with FCDO 2030. Just a few moments ago, I made very clear my support for the civil service in the FCDO—whether on King Charles Street, in Abercrombie House or across the globe—but I have also heard civil servants themselves talk about the need for change in order for the service to be more agile in responding to the global events that many Members have mentioned. There is no hiding from the work that we need to do.
The FCDO needs be equipped to meet challenges today and in the years ahead. The permanent under-secretary of state is leading the transformation programme, to build an organisation that is agile, innovative and equipped to seize the opportunities of the day. They build on deep expertise, which I know is a concern for colleagues, and on the professionalism and commitment that the civil service brings to Britain’s diplomacy and development work every single day. Our workforce reforms are designed to strengthen that foundation, with officials developing a clear sequenced strategy supported by a Department-wide assessment of our skills, capabilities and requirements. I want to stress that point, because Members from across the House have raised the skillset, the institutional memory, and the scale of the knowledge that we bring, across the world, through our diplomatic service. We want to improve those things, not lessen them, and that can be done, among other things, through the skills audit.
As part of that audit, we of course remain committed to maintaining our development capability, but reduced ODA means deploying it with greater precision and impact. It will also mean closing and transitioning programmes in a planned way, drawing on lessons from previous budget adjustments. This includes strengthening the skills we need most for the future, expanding opportunities for specialist development, and ensuring that colleagues can gain the depth of knowledge and experience, both in the UK and overseas, that underpins a world-class diplomatic service. In short, our aim is to build a workforce with the right mix of expertise, regional insight and professional capability to deliver consistently for the UK in a rapidly changing world.
Let me focus on the specific challenge put to me this afternoon: that of development. The Government remain committed to returning to 0.7% when fiscal circumstances allow. We should be proud of the progress made in international development this century, but the world has changed and so must we. The British people and our partners around the world want a new approach to international development—that was raised by my hon. Friend the Member for St Austell and Newquay (Noah Law)—and the phrase “partners not patrons” is testament to where ODA needs to move to. We must listen to the countries that we support through ODA, not dictate the terms of what we think they need. That is important and I know the International Development Committee will agree with it, as will Members across the House.
The days of viewing aid as charity are frankly over. This modernisation is not simply the product of tighter budgets. It reflects what our partners have told us directly: they want support that is more responsive to their priorities, with partnerships focused on better health and education, and on ensuring that their people have opportunities at home. We have listened to that—I have listened, as have the Minister for Development and the Foreign Secretary—and our new approach is designed to match what our partners say they need, not what outsiders think they should have.
The right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale spoke about a plan. The new approach is based on four fundamental shifts: it moves us from donor to investor; it moves us away from delivering services ourselves and towards supporting the capacity of our partners to improve their own service delivery; it moves us away from providing grants to offering our expertise; and it moves us from imposing change from overseas to championing local leadership. My hon. Friend the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton (Jim McMahon) raised the latter point with respect to co-operatives, and I was pleased that at the development conference at the beginning of November, I was able to include the crucial work done by the co-operative movement. I reassure him that while I remain in the job, co-operatives will be an extremely important part of how I see development moving forward.
As we progress through the aid budget work, and to announcements on decisions, I confirm that we plan to publish indicative ODA allocations for the next three years shortly. Those three-year budgets will provide the predictability that our teams need—the need for long-term funding allocations has been raised, and I can assure the House that the announcement will come soon. Effectively managing the reduction in aid spending will demonstrate how we intend to put our modern approach into practice. Our development work has never been solely about our aid budget, and access to private investment—the shadow Foreign Secretary raised that—remittance flows, efficient tax systems and trade opportunities are essential foundations for countries to achieve self-reliance. With less money to spend, we must make choices and focus on greater impact, as has been said by many Members. Every pound must deliver for the UK taxpayer and the people we support. The UK remains committed to meeting our statutory obligation on the independent scrutiny of our ODA spending—I am saying that again for emphasis, and to reassure the International Development Committee and its Chair of that work.
Let me come to points raised the hon. Member for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew) and my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Fleur Anderson) about water, sanitation and hygiene. We have increased humanitarian funding that includes WASH support in both Gaza and Sudan, working with the World Bank and the UN. The shadow Foreign Secretary may see things differently, but I reassure the hon. Member for Melksham and Devizes that that part of our ODA change is about being a player in this space—as an advocate in the room, ensuring that we campaign and lobby for investment within the multilateral space. I also speak as the Minister responsible for multilateral issues, and the change can be a crucial part of such work. We are also supporting several fragile and conflict-affected states to strengthen WASH services, and we have supported more than 700,000 people in Sudan with access to water. I assure the hon. Member and my hon. Friend the Member for Putney that we understand the importance of access to water, and how that can lead to security in the spaces where people are living and on which they are reliant.
The UK will also remain at the forefront of the world in relation to responses to humanitarian crises, particularly in supporting people affected by violent conflict, whether in Ukraine, Gaza or Sudan, and helping displaced people in or near their counties of origin. My hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby) raised the right of women and girls to live in a world free from violence, which I know is an issue that she champions. We recognise that human rights, good governance and our work through the preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative are key enablers of our wider FCDO priorities. I cannot stress enough to the House how important this is to both me and the Foreign Secretary. It is vital that we find solutions to the fact that the rape of women, girls and boys is used as a tool of war. I am sure that there would be no dividing line for anybody in the House over the part that the UK Government will play in reducing and, we would all like to hope, ending that practice. We will champion the rights of women.
We will accelerate the global clean energy transition, promoting green and resilient growth and seizing the opportunities for Britain. We will also continue to support countries to build resilient and sustainable health systems, as mentioned by the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale—I seem to be highlighting him today, but I promise I will get to other Members —including through major investments, such as our £1.25 billon pledge to Gavi and our £850 million commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. I cannot give the right hon. Gentleman a clearer reassurance than that. This will help to protect millions of children from disease and save well over 1 million lives in the years ahead. All this is underpinned by our commitment to sustainable, inclusive long-term economic development, and it is built on the foundation of our strong relationships with countries around the world and our standing on the global stage.
Let me turn to questions raised by the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Chair of the International Development Committee, the right hon. Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) and others, including the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton, about soft power. I know, understand and support utterly and totally the UK’s role in making sure that soft power is relevant and crucial to our wider work within foreign affairs and diplomacy.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) (Con)
The Minister may be aware that the Public Accounts Committee held a session on 8 January on the BBC World Service. At that session, we pushed for the BBC to be given a budget for the World Service, but here we are, two months on, and I understand that we have still not had notification of that budget, although we are nearly at the beginning of the next financial year. Will the Minister tell us when that budget will be forthcoming?
Chris Elmore
I thank the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee for his question. As I set out at the beginning of my speech, the announcements will be made shortly.
I want to expand on some of the points that have been raised by the right hon. Member for Maldon, among others. We are developing a soft power strategy to try to reverse the decline on the UK’s role in soft power. There have been four meetings of the Soft Power Council since January 2025, so I reassure the right hon. Gentleman that we are still working on developing a new strategy on soft power and ensuring that every part of the United Kingdom is supported by the work of the Soft Power Council.
Our offer to the world remains utterly unique. As hon. Members have said in different ways during the debate, and I completely agree with them, the UK’s democracy, rule of law and world-class institutions give us real global influence. That is why soft power is at the heart of our diplomacy, but we cannot take this soft power for granted. If we are to make progress on the challenges we face and create a world that is safer and more prosperous, we must engage the sectors, institutions and networks that together contribute to our success and project it to the world.
We are building our partnerships with all those institutions and businesses that contribute to our soft power, specifically to give us the edge when it comes to both geopolitics and growth. We are drawing on advice from bodies such as the Soft Power Council, alongside wider Government expertise, to enhance our attractiveness. In response to another point that was raised, our leadership of two major global alliances—the Open Government Partnership and the Media Freedom Coalition—reinforces our values internationally and shows that we practise what we preach on transparency and accountability. I can reassure the right hon. Member for Maldon and the House that just this morning I had a meeting with leading experts in the media freedom space, and I will be speaking at the Media Freedom Coalition’s conference in London tomorrow—[Interruption.]—as will the right hon. Gentleman, I am glad to hear.
What I want to see, through us retaking the chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, is a move back to the original pillars of this work to ensure that we have meaningful outcomes. One of the things I was challenged on today is leadership in this space, and I can reassure the right hon. Member for Maldon and the House that I care deeply about the freedom of journalists and their investigative work. They are often at the forefront of how we understand what is happening in conflicts across the world. I hope that gives him some reassurance.
I also happen to be the Minister with responsibility for the World Service and the British Council, and Members have rightly raised the work of both those distinguished organisations. The BBC World Service’s role has been especially clear in recent days—BBC Arabic and BBC Persia services are crucial in providing impartial and accurate reporting on events to audiences across the world, as was referenced by the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury.
That is why we have boosted the World Service’s grant by £32.6 million this financial year to a total of £137 million—a 31% increase in a tight fiscal situation. I reassure colleagues across the House that we are doing our best to work with the BBC World Service. Just last week I met Ministers in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that the World Service remains a cornerstone of the charter review.
Similarly, the Government highly value the work of the British Council in promoting the English language, arts and culture, and education. We are providing the Council with grant in aid funding of £163.1 million in this financial year alone, and we are working with its leadership and trustees to ensure its financial stability. I stress to the House that senior officials and I have had frequent, often and regular—however we wish to express it—meetings with the chair, vice-chair, chief executive and deputy chief executive. I have also provided briefings to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury, and its ranking member, the right hon. Member for Maldon.
I am determined to find a way through for the British Council to make it sustainable. We have talked about the losses that it has experienced, and I can assure the House that we are working through a plan—I will do my very best to ensure that Members are updated in due course. I want a sustainable future for the Council that allows it to grow and become a part of soft power for decades to come, and I give that commitment to the House.
I need to conclude—forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, as I have gone on far too long. That was another pet hate of mine when I was Comptroller of the Household, but nevertheless I will stretch your good will towards me slightly longer. I can even see the Deputy Chief Whip, my right hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Sir Mark Tami)—I should know better. May I quickly canter through some of the other questions that have been asked?
I particularly want to respond to the hon. Member for Chester South and Eddisbury (Aphra Brandreth). Yesterday, in FCDO questions, the Minister for the Middle East offered to have a conversation with one of her colleagues—forgive me, I forget who it was. Can I make the same offer to the hon. Lady, if she wishes to meet the Minister to ensure that we work together in this space? I cannot be clearer that there is no space for antisemitism in the United Kingdom, or for us to be, in any way, supporting or funding anything that leads to hate towards Jews—either here or across the world. If the hon. Lady would like to take me up on that offer, I am happy to speak to the Minister for the Middle East.
To conclude—I am sure to the delight of the Government Whips Office—this Government have a modernised approach to development. We have the right combination of hard power and soft power tools to achieve our objectives. We have a plan for what we want to deliver, and we know that we have the best people and institutions working throughout the world to deliver it. I applaud all those members of staff for the work that they continue to do, and I commend the estimate to the House.
Oral Answers to Questions
Chris Elmore Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
Tens of thousands of children have been killed, injured, orphaned, or separated from their family during this conflict. The UK has medically evacuated 50 children for treatment in the UK, but help on the required scale can only be delivered on the ground in Gaza. We are providing £81 million in humanitarian and early recovery support this year, including social protection services, which have so far supported over 335,000 Palestinian children.
Mrs Blundell
It is estimated that 40,000 children in Gaza have lost either one or both of their parents in the appalling war of recent years, leaving many as orphans without the love and protection that they need in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. As crisis engulfs the region once again and vital aid is still being blocked, what assurances can the Minister give that the UK will play a leading role in supporting those children in the long term, after all the horrors they have had to endure?
Chris Elmore
International NGOs remain indispensable to the UN-led humanitarian response, and we have supported key INGO partners, including through the Disasters Emergency Committee. In January, we marked the UK’s £3 million aid match for the middle east appeal. In total, we have provided £13 million since the appeal began. On 30 December last year, the UK led a statement with nine other countries to underline the vital role that INGOs play in Palestine. We continue to engage those organisations that have been impacted by new registration requirements, and we have raised that issue directly with the Government of Israel.
Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)
Amid the illegal attack on Iran by America and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has closed all the border crossings into Gaza. What does the Minister know of this? Food and humanitarian aid are once again being blocked.
Chris Elmore
We would like all borders, including Rafah, to be open as quickly as possible and not in a phased process. We are making representations to the Israeli Government in that regard.
Mark Sewards (Leeds South West and Morley) (Lab)
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
I assure the hon. Member and the House that we are prioritising those areas of continued support in the health sphere of development funding.
Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)
Chris Elmore
We take this extremely seriously. Journalists on frontlines across the world are often how we find out where atrocities have taken place. Tomorrow I am hosting a Media Freedoms Coalition discussion, and I reassure my hon. Friend that this will always remain a priority for the UK Government.
Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)
Chris Elmore
I thank the hon. Member for his question. [Interruption.] Tomorrow is estimates day, and perhaps he would like to raise it then. On the wider point, he and I have been in correspondence, and discussions about these costs are ongoing.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Chris Elmore
Improving road safety is a global challenge. Every year, 1.2 million people die on the roads—it is the biggest killer of young people. I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this to the House’s attention. Through the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK contributes £12.5 million to the Global Road Safety Facility and is represented on its partnership council, and we continue to work on this truly important issue.
Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)
Media Freedom Coalition
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom around the world, and we recognise the vital role that journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting accountable governance and protecting democracy. As Moldovan President Maia Sandu put it well,
“Peace cannot survive without information integrity, and democracies cannot survive without those who protect it.”
From Gaza to Georgia, Mexico to Myanmar, and in dozens of other countries, the UK regularly speaks up alongside our international partners to defend media freedom, and to condemn incidents where reporters, commentators, photographers, videographers and bloggers have been harassed, intimidated, detained, assaulted or killed simply for doing their jobs.
Since it was co-founded by the UK and Canada in 2019, the Media Freedom Coalition has played a vital role in exposing the risks faced by journalists around the world, co-ordinating international statements on their behalf and supporting reforms to promote media freedom. Membership of the MFC has grown to 51 countries across six continents, working globally as well as in local networks.
A panel of independent lawyers, chaired by my noble Friend Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, provides pro bono legal assistance to members on media legislation. Many UK civil society organisations also input into the MFC’s work. Through advocacy, statements and events, the coalition has played a consistent role over the last seven years in highlighting and supporting individual journalists in danger.
I am therefore pleased to tell the House that, as part of our commitment to this crucial agenda, the UK has agreed to co-chair the MFC for a two-year term, commencing on 1 March. We will take over from Germany, which has co-chaired the MFC since January 2024, and we will partner with Finland, which began its two-year term in July 2025. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary formally accepted the co-chairship from her German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, at the Munich Security Conference. As she said to the Foreign Affairs Committee recently, this Government view media freedom as a “hugely important” issue.
With our own proud traditions of a free press here at home, our long-standing commitment to promoting media freedom around the world, and our continuing support for the work of the BBC World Service, the UK is well positioned to guide the MFC at this critical juncture, ensuring that it remains a powerful collective voice in support of public interest journalism around the world.
At a time when independent public interest media is facing multiple threats—from intimidation and censorship to disinformation and financial pressures—the UK will use our role as co-chair to help the coalition step up its response.
We will work to include new voices, strengthen the sharing of expertise, and support timely, effective advocacy of journalists at risk. We will also ensure that the MFC helps nations around the world to nurture public interest media, navigate the opportunities and risks that stem from new technology, tackle the specific challenges facing women journalists, and use our collective voice to speak out for those in need.
Ultimately, the Media Freedom Coalition provides a powerful collective voice for countries like ours, which believe in the crucial importance of a free media for democracy, human rights and good governance. Now—as the world becomes more turbulent and fragmented—that voice is needed more than ever.
[HCWS1342]
Draft Caribbean Development Bank (Eleventh Replenishment of the Special Development Fund (Unified)) Order 2026
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Caribbean Development Bank (Eleventh Replenishment of the Special Development Fund (Unified)) Order 2026.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine, I think for the first time. The draft order will permit the UK Government to make financial contributions to the special development fund of the Caribbean Development Bank up to the stated values.
The Caribbean region is important to the United Kingdom, and our history and values are closely intertwined. Twelve of the 53 Commonwealth states are in the region, along with five out of the 14 UK overseas territories. There is a large Caribbean diaspora in the UK, and a significant number of British nationals visit as well as reside in the Caribbean. The Caribbean has strong economic links to the UK, and the UK was the destination for almost 10% of Caribbean goods exports in 2025. Although small in population size, countries in this region have a significant voice on global issues and in international organisations, including the United Nations. We have shared interests in areas such as tackling climate change, global financial system reform, combating crime and violence, and fostering trade and inclusive economic development.
The Caribbean Development Bank, or CDB, is the sole multilateral development bank that is exclusively focused on the Caribbean region, providing more than $312 million in 2024. The UK has a long-standing partnership with the CDB. We were one of the founding members and are the joint largest non-regional shareholder, with a 9.3% shareholding. The CDB plays a key role in the achievement of the UK’s regional development objectives of supporting sustainable development and tackling the impact of climate change.
Allow me briefly to take the Committee through the background and the purpose of the draft order. The special development fund, or SDF, is the consensual arm of the Caribbean Development Bank, which provides loans and grants to the most vulnerable countries in the region. It aims to reduce poverty, support human development, and strengthen climate and economic resilience across the Caribbean. It is replenished by donors every four years, and contributions to the fund come from regional and non-regional member countries of the Caribbean Development Bank, as well as from non-members. In line with our strategic shift towards multilateral assistance, the UK will commit up to £21 million to the SDF to maintain our position as the second largest donor.
The draft order will allow for the provision of the core funding by the UK. This replenishment will play a crucial role in supporting regional efforts to meet the sustainable development goals. The SDF will focus on promoting economic development and supporting increased resilience, with a particular focus on environmental resilience.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)
Can the Minister tell us who the largest donor will be?
Chris Elmore
If the hon. Member will give me two moments, I will get the correct name for him, because the list is not in front of me. It is in fact Canada—I am grateful to the officials on my left.
I will go through each point in turn. The SDF will build resilience against environmental stresses and disasters. It will fund climate adaptation, disaster risk management, biodiversity preservation and sustainable energy. That will include 10 km of new or improved sea defences and drainages, 6 MW of renewable energy and a reduction of 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The SDF will ensure that Caribbean infrastructure, agriculture and small businesses are supported to thrive. It will do so by training over 10,000 agricultural workers, improving 2,000 hectares of land, providing $75 million in credit to over 1,000 small businesses, half of which will be women-owned businesses, and building or upgrading 200 km of roads.
The SDF will support poverty reduction efforts in the region and improve living conditions by targeting the most vulnerable communities. That will include improving water and sanitation for over 30,000 households, building or upgrading 1,700 classrooms, training over 18,000 teachers and improving learning conditions for 350,000 students. It will also improve financial systems and practices so that individuals, Governments and organisations can better manage risks and respond to uncertainty. Twenty Caribbean Ministries, Departments and agencies will benefit from strengthened systems and services. The SDF will strengthen and modernise institutions so that they can respond effectively to challenges. It will support digital transformation in 11 Caribbean Ministries and agencies to help them operate more efficiently.
The SDF is an essential lifeline to the region’s most vulnerable people who have faced multiple crises over the last few years, including climate-related shocks to which the region is exceptionally vulnerable. Supporting the SDF will help us to achieve our objective of a bigger, better and fairer global financial system that delivers for everyone and is fit for the future.
To conclude, the Caribbean Development Bank special development fund is instrumental in achieving UK objectives in the Caribbean region. The financial contributions covered by the draft order will deliver UK international development and foreign policy objectives in some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. I commend the order to the Committee.
Chris Elmore
I thank the official Opposition for their support and I want to come back to as many of the shadow Minister’s points as I can. As I canter through the questions, the usual caveat applies and I will write to the right hon. Lady if I miss something or if I am unable to give a substantive answer.
On the first point, about climate and disaster risk, at least 35% of early funding in SDF11 will be allocated to climate projects, rising to 40%. It is an early part of the structure. On priorities, the pillars of climate resilience, production, poverty, living conditions, financial systems and digital transformation form part of our wider work on overseas development aid and the funding that goes with it.
On the results we expect and how we will to maintain and check them, we have five areas to cover. One is climate resilience, which is linked to 10 km of sea defences, 6 MW of renewables, and the training of 10,000 trained agricultural workers. That is the list of outcomes that I gave in my opening speech, but they are the set outcomes for how the funding can be used.
On governance and the UK’s role, in my speech I mentioned the provision of up to £21 million, which is part of our governance and scrutiny arrangements for the work of the new chief executive of the development bank. It also ensures that we have meaningful deliverables and play our part in the governance structure of the bank.
On insurance work, the wider work around risk management and the work that the bank and UK Government do in this space, the best example I can give the right hon. Lady is what happened recently in the Caribbean, that is, Jamaica and Hurricane Melissa. HMG were at the forefront of accessing additional insurance relief funding in response to Melissa. That work is ongoing, but, crucially, the UK Government are at the very forefront of being able to secure that funding for the Caribbean.
I completely agree with the right hon. Lady about the vulnerabilities of SIDS and, obviously, all Caribbean nations are SIDS. I saw for myself at the beginning of December the sheer scale of a climate shock like Melissa in Jamaica—roads that were there are there no longer—and that forms part of the initial challenges.
I am grateful for the right hon. Lady’s comments and the official Opposition’s support. The SD fund is a vital source of finance for some of the most vulnerable countries and people in the world. Supporting the fund is essential to strengthen development and resilience across the region. I hope that the Committee will support the order.
Question put and agreed to.
Oral Answers to Questions
Chris Elmore Excerpts(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Mr Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
There is no place for forced labour in our global economy, especially when the victims are so often women, children and persecuted minority groups. We are working through a range of multilateral bodies, including the G7, the UN and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to eradicate forced labour from supply chains. We are reviewing the effectiveness of our rules on responsible business conduct to ensure that the UK continues to set the global standard on the elimination of forced labour.
Mr Quigley
I thank the Minister for his response. However, the UK’s Joint Committee on Human Rights has warned that without stronger action, we risk falling behind the EU and the US, and even becoming a dumping ground for goods produced with forced labour. Will the Government commit to introducing legislation that sends a clear and unequivocal message that the UK stands firmly against Uyghur forced labour, and will not allow such products into our market?
Chris Elmore
We are clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. We are committed to promoting and protecting human rights, including in Xinjiang, and we continue to work with international partners to hold China to account for its human rights violations. The Government’s review of responsible business conduct is considering a range of policy options to tackle forced labour.
Sir Alec Shelbrooke (Wetherby and Easingwold) (Con)
As the Energy Secretary insists that we move as quickly as possible to renewables, may I ask the Minister what steps he has in place to ensure that the materials—90% of them are processed materials—used in renewables are made without slave labour and human rights abuses?
Chris Elmore
We of course support voluntary human rights due diligence by businesses, as recommended in the UN’s “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. As I mentioned in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley), in the Government’s review on responsible business conduct, those will be some of the options that we take forward.
Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) (Lab)
Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
We are committed to international development, but we must modernise our approach to reflect the world we live in and the threats that our country faces, while maintaining economic stability at home. We are committed to meeting the overseas development aid budgets that have been set out, but with less money, we must focus on having greater impact. Every pound must deliver for the UK taxpayer and the people we support. We will sharpen our focus on humanitarian issues, health, climate and nature, and that will be underpinned by a focus on economic development.
Olly Glover
The United States Government have cut funding for research and development on lifesaving health solutions that help the world’s poorest people. In that context, the UK has the opportunity to embrace world-leading scientists who are no longer welcome elsewhere. Will the Government seize the opportunity to both continue progress on life expectancy in the global south and boost the UK’s economy by increasing their spending on global health research and development?
Chris Elmore
I cannot comment on the US’s decision; it is a matter for its Administration. As I have mentioned, one of the focuses of our ODA support will be on health. We have announced to the House additional funding for tackling life-limiting conditions, particularly on the continent of Africa, so the lifesaving work around health carries on.
Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab)
The conflict in Sudan is affecting millions of people, including thousands of women affected by horrific sexual violence. I have been hearing from aid workers on the ground who are working with those women. Will the Minister assure the House that, despite aid budget cuts, support for the women victims of sexual violence in the conflict in Sudan will not be cut?
Chris Elmore
I know what a hugely important issue this is to all Members across the House. I can confirm that additional funding has been allocated in relation to the Sudan conflict. We are, of course, calling for the violence to end, particularly the violence that is targeted at women and girls. I assure my hon. Friend that part of this continuing funding is for trying to tackle the extreme levels of sexual violence that women are experiencing in Sudan.
Sir Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con)
As the Minister will know, part of the official development assistance budget goes to investment in businesses creating employment in the poorest parts of the world, such as British International Investment, which is now undoubtedly the best development finance institution in the world. Will the Minister continue to ensure that BII receives injections of capital so that it can go on doing that brilliant work and earning a decent return for the British taxpayer?
Chris Elmore
I am pleased to say that the international development Minister in the other place, Baroness Chapman, is due to meet the group imminently. We will continue that work, including through my conversations with nations in the ODA context, on how we provide more support for business as one of the changes to ODA moving forward.
David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)
I hate to disagree with the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir Andrew Mitchell), who I respect greatly, but in an era when we have less money I wonder whether we should focus on reaching the poorest people the most. There are other models, including the International Finance Facility for Education and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation, that offer ways to leverage much more money. By putting in a small amount, we can leverage up to four times more. Will Ministers, including a Treasury Minister, meet me to discuss such proposals and consider innovative forms of development finance in an era of less ODA?
Chris Elmore
I am, of course, more than happy to meet my hon. Friend, as diaries allow.
Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)
With two out of three FCDO-funded programmes dedicated to disability inclusion coming to an end this year, what targets will the Government set to ensure that their remaining programming will prioritise and can be accessed by disabled people, 80% of whom live in the global south? Will the Minister offer some assurances that there will be sufficient capacity within the FCDO to support disabled people across the globe?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
The UK has long promoted global disability rights through our global programme to support disability inclusion in health, education and employment, plus access to innovative assistive technologies. In addition to our work to mainstream disability inclusion across the FCDO’s priorities, the UK is co-chair of the Global Action on Disability Network that strengthens international co-ordination on disability rights and accelerates that progress, including in the global south.
James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)
The Iranian regime is killing protesters in their thousands, and the communication blackout is enabling abuses to happen away from public view. The Minister said yesterday:
“They must restore internet access.”—[Official Report, 19 January 2026; Vol. 779, c. 48.]
What are the Government doing with partners, so that we can hear the voices of those freedom fighters?
Alex Sobel (Leeds Central and Headingley) (Lab/Co-op)
Last week, Uganda held elections. There were wide-ranging accounts of people being prevented from going to polling stations and of ballot stuffing. In one polling station, more votes were cast than there were electors. There is now widespread violence, and the son of the so-called President of Uganda has threatened to murder the leader of the opposition, Bobi Wine, who lost the election. What can the Foreign Secretary tell me about the veracity of the elections? What is she doing to protect British citizens in Uganda and to ensure the safety of members of the National Unity Platform?
Chris Elmore
We have consistently advocated for peaceful and credible elections, and we encourage any disputes to be addressed through peaceful and legal means. In relation to the opposition leader, we have engaged across the political spectrum to advocate for peaceful elections, including for the opposition candidates to be able to campaign freely and safely, and we continue to do so, including through our high commission.
Dr Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath) (LD)
In answer to an earlier question, the Foreign Secretary said that the future of Greenland should be determined by Greenlanders and Danes, yet Members across this House are just finding out that any opportunity to give Chagossians a referendum has been stripped from this afternoon’s discussions on the Chagos Bill. Why does the Foreign Secretary think that the Chagossians do not deserve the same rights that she considers to be so fundamental to Greenlanders?
UK Small Island Developing States Strategy
Chris Elmore Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
I wish to update the House on the Government’s decision to publish a refreshed UK-SIDS strategy for 2026-2030. This strategy sets out the major strands of UK support to SIDS climate and economic resilience, based on partnership.
Small island developing states are essential UK partners on global issues such as climate change, economic growth, combating crime and energy security. SIDS represent 20% of the UN family, steward vast ocean territories through their exclusive economic zones, and are hotspots for biodiversity globally. The UK shares deep connections with many SIDS, particularly through the Commonwealth, and we recognise their special circumstances, including their vulnerability to extreme weather events and global economic shocks.
Many SIDS have made progress towards achieving sustainable development, yet their inherent vulnerabilities remain. Global geopolitical competition, a changing landscape on development, and increasing climate and nature challenges means the risks are rising. We need a more tailored approach that reflects SIDS’ special circumstances and our new approach to modern partnerships. At the fourth international financing for development conference in Seville in July 2025, the international community agreed that a new chapter is needed for development and sustainable growth. We are now looking to build on this consensus, including the “Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS” from 2024.
The UK-SIDS strategy builds on these foundations and will help us to support SIDS’ economic and climate resilience. We will focus activity across three areas:
Partner—We will partner with SIDS to build resilience and support sustainable development through climate adaptation, disaster risk finance, aid effectiveness, governance and human rights.
Reform—The UK will drive reform in the international finance system to increase SIDS’ access to climate finance, tackle unsustainable debt and mobilise private sector resources. We will amplify SIDS’ voices to ensure that international systems better take account of SIDS’ special circumstances and capacities.
Grow—We will support SIDS as they protect nature and the ocean and promote their blue economies. We will work with SIDS to enable resilient, inclusive economic growth and diversification.
In delivering the strategy, we will support the UK’s wider international objectives, support multilateralism and also benefit from the ideas and energies that SIDS themselves bring to international debates on development, sustainable growth, biodiversity, climate change and a reformed international system. Ultimately, our strategy is about empowering people and countries to direct their own future and reduce their reliance on aid. A responsive, modern partnership with SIDS includes lending our voice to advocate for issues important to SIDS internationally. At the same time, we will ensure that our partnership with SIDS and other actors will further UK values and interests, stand up for freedom around the world and support SIDS to plan for their own sustained progress and resilience.
[HCWS1238]
New Approach to Africa: UK-Africa Strategy
Chris Elmore Excerpts(3 months, 1 week ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa (right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington) has today made the following statement:
When this Government came into power, we were clear that a new kind of relationship with African countries was long overdue. We inherited an approach that reflected the past rather than being fit for the future. That is why this Government committed in their manifesto to deliver a new approach to the African continent for mutual long-term benefit, recognising Africa’s growing importance to the UK’s domestic missions and plan for change.
We were clear too that reframing our relationship was not something to cook up here in London and then package up as a shared approach. Some have spoken the language of partnership that is not borne out in practice, without being clear and up front about our own interests and what we want from the relationship. So we launched a five-month listening exercise, hearing from Governments and over 600 organisations, from civil society and diaspora communities, from businesses and universities, about what they valued and wanted to see from Britain. There was a clear common message: African nations want respectful, long-term partnerships that deliver real change for people’s lives.
Today, the Government are fulfilling our manifesto commitment, marking a significant milestone in the UK’s partnership with African countries. The UK’s new approach is shaped by African leadership, ideas, and energy—aligning with the steps that the UK and African nations are already taking to unlock new growth opportunities, lead climate action, drive innovation, and push for reform to the international system—and brings this together with UK strengths. It is consistent with the principles of our modernised approach to international development, recognising we are not just donors. We are partners, investors, and reformers.
Responding to the consultation, the UK’s new approach provides a high-level framing to guide the Government’s long-term engagement with African partners, reaffirming the shift from paternalism to a partnership of respect and equality. It does so over seven areas of shared interest.
First, we are moving from donor to investor. We will go further to unlock investment and trade, helping African and British businesses create quality jobs, economic opportunities, and prosperity. Our partnerships will place mutual growth at the centre. We will back the African continental free trade area, supporting its implementation and the opportunities it creates, and strengthen UK-Africa relations through ongoing tariff reviews, building on the developing countries trading scheme and network of economic partnership agreements. We will support the development of local capital markets, mobilise private capital to invest sustainably, and scale up promising African enterprises. The UK’s investment vehicles—British International Investment, FSD Africa Investments, and UK Export Finance—will continue to drive this innovative agenda. As a long-standing partner of the African Development Bank, we will continue to strengthen our collaboration with Africa’s leading financial institution. And we are proud to be co-hosting with Ghana the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund, using our convening power to scale up private capital for Africa’s development priorities.
Secondly, we are working together on the challenges of migration. Migration should be fair, managed, and controlled. But this is undermined by illegal migration that harms both the UK and African partners, funds organised criminal gangs, and puts lives at risk. We will provide humanitarian support to alleviate suffering; help enable protection for displaced people in their regions of origin; and work together to disrupt criminal networks and facilitate returns. We will be unapologetic in pressing for high ambition and clear progress against these priorities. Recognising the UK visa system can seem hard to navigate, we are engaging with African businesses to improve understanding, including uptake of the global partner programme, helping businesses travel, build ties, and stimulate investment.
Thirdly, we are advancing shared interests on climate, nature, and clean energy. Despite its abundant natural resources, Africa has the lowest levels of modern energy access. And despite contributing least to global emissions, African nations are among those shouldering the greatest climate risks. Therefore, we must go further to invest in renewables, protect biodiversity, and ensure climate finance reaches those who need it most, creating more opportunities for African countries by growing the scale and quality of carbon markets. We will back African initiatives such as Mission 300 to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030. We will work with African scientists to protect the world’s largest forest carbon stores in the Congo basin and mobilise finance through the Belem call to action. And we look forward to supporting further African leadership on climate as Ethiopia hosts COP32 in 2027.
Fourthly, we want to collaborate for peace and stability, the foundations of prosperity. We will continue to work closely with the African Union and other partners to support African efforts to “silence the guns” and promote post-conflict recovery. This includes urgent work to support an end to the horror of the current war in Sudan. We will continue to work with African partners to help push the warring parties towards a ceasefire, to supply the lifesaving humanitarian aid where needed and to call out and avert, together, atrocities like in El Fasher, where we know rape has been used systematically as a weapon of war. The UN’s humanitarian chief has correctly called this the epicentre of human suffering. We are determined to support Sudan and ensure the world does not forget this devastating conflict. Beyond Sudan, we are supporting vital peacebuilding efforts in the Great Lakes region and working on conflict prevention with countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia. This is part of a wider push to build security partnerships to tackle regional instability and shared threats, champion respect for international humanitarian law, stand up for freedom of religion and belief, and go much further to tackle violence against women and girls.
Fifthly, we are strengthening systems that support people and growth. This is about strengthening the systems that build human capital—the engine of sustainable, inclusive growth. Rather than providing piecemeal funding to individual services, we will work with partners to improve whole systems for health and nutrition, education, and social protection. We will invest in vaccine manufacturing, disease prevention, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Last month, the UK announced in South Africa its pledge of £850 million to the Global Fund—a pledge that stands to save over 1 million lives, prevent 20 million cases of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, and deliver over £10 billion in economic returns. This investment demonstrates the UK’s commitment to global health, gender equality, multilateralism, and modern development partnerships. We are applying the same principles to helping African countries become financially self-reliant, harnessing UK expertise in tax, finance, and technology. Next year, the Foreign Secretary will host the illicit finance summit in London, convening a diverse coalition of Governments, multilateral organisations, the private sector, and other key stakeholders to tackle criminal and corrupt wealth.
Sixthly, we are championing African voices in global decision-making. We will amplify and work alongside African calls for fairer representation in global forums, ensuring African priorities shape the rules and outcomes that matter most. This is why the UK strongly advocated for the establishment of a third seat for sub-Saharan Africa at the IMF board, and why we continue to call for lower-income countries to have greater voting power at the World Bank. It is also why we look forward to the establishment of a borrowers’ platform, following agreement at the financing for development conference in Seville. As we look ahead to our G20 presidency in 2027, we will continue to work towards further reforms to the debt architecture to tackle unsustainable debt following the G20 ministerial declaration on debt sustainability in October, so that African countries have a greater stake in the decisions that affect them.
Lastly, we are supporting innovation and cultural partnerships. From AI and digital skills to music, sport, and design, there is enormous potential to deepen our ties across science, technology, and the creative industries. At South Africa’s science forum in November, we launched our first UK-South Africa AI policy training programme to establish a cohort of AI-savvy diplomats and officials from both countries, drawing on the expertise of leading UK and South African universities. Our forthcoming soft power collaboration will support alumni networks across the UK and Africa. We will maintain scholarships and strengthen our enduring research and education partnerships. These connections are not just economic—they are human, and they are powerful. One milestone is Imperial College London opening its first African hub in Ghana last year, marking a major step forward in UK-Africa scientific collaboration. This new centre will support fellowships in AI and climate science, accelerating joint research and innovation across medical diagnostics, vaccine research, and sustainable cities.
This adds up to a new kind of partnership. One that works with African leadership. One that is inclusive and respectful and strong enough to work through difficulties and disagreements. Our high commissions and embassies will be at the forefront of embedding this approach—in spirit and content—and we will take it forward into the UK’s G20 presidency in 2027. UK Ministers will be out there, on the continent, championing these principles, strengthening coherence across our partnerships, and backing diverse African voices to shape our work.
[HCWS1168]
Sudan: Sanctions on RSF Commanders
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa, the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington, has made the following statement:
On 12 December 2025, the UK announced a package of four sanctions designations under the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020—the Sudan regulations. These sanctions respond to the appalling atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces in and around El Fasher, north Darfur, which the RSF captured on 26 October 2025. There is overwhelming evidence of mass killings of civilians; ethnically targeted executions; sexual violence, including gang rape; abductions for ransom; widespread arbitrary detention; and attacks on health facilities, medical staff and humanitarian workers. This scale of suffering is unimaginable, with women and children bearing the heaviest burden in what is now the largest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.
Since the start of the war, the UK has worked ceaselessly to bring an end to the fighting, alleviate the suffering and protect civilians. The UK remains the third largest bilateral donor to Sudan. The Prime Minister has committed to protecting UK funding to support people affected by the crisis, a clear signal of our unwavering commitment to justice for the Sudanese people.
Accountability for crimes remains at the heart of our response. That is why we are sanctioning RSF commanders who we have reasonable grounds to suspect have been responsible for, engaged in, provided support for or promoted the commission of these serious violations of international humanitarian law. We will impose travel bans, director disqualifications and asset freezes. This will ban these individuals from entering the UK, and stop them from being able to form, manage or promote a UK company or interact in any way with the UK economy. We are sanctioning:
Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo—deputy leader of the RSF, and brother of RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Moussa, “Hemedti”. He is or has been responsible for engaging in, providing support for or promoting the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan, including the mass killings of civilians; ethnically targeted executions; sexual violence, including gang rape; abductions for ransom; widespread arbitrary detentions; and attacks on health facilities, medical staff and humanitarian workers. Acting in global resolve with partners such as the US, Canada and the EU, which have all previously sanctioned Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, this sends a strong message of international condemnation for his actions.
Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, “Abu Nashuk”—RSF commander for the north Darfur section. He is or has been responsible for engaging in, providing support for, or promoting the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan, such as the mass killings of civilians; ethnically targeted executions; sexual violence, including gang rape; abductions for ransom; widespread arbitrary detentions; and attacks on health facilities, medical staff and humanitarian workers.
Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed, “Al Zeir Salem”—RSF field commander. He too is or has been responsible for engaging in, providing support for, or promoting the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan, including the deliberate targeting of civilians in El Fasher.
Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris “Abu Lulu”—brigadier general of the RSF, dubbed “the butcher of El-Fasher” for claiming to have killed over 2,000 people. He is being sanctioned for his involvement in serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan and the systematic campaign of violence against civilians in El Fasher.
The Sudanese sanctions regime contains a humanitarian assistance exception to the asset freeze. We do not expect these designations to have humanitarian impacts and will monitor this closely.
In addition to these sanctions, the UK is stepping up our response to the crisis in Sudan with an additional £21 million. This will fund support including food, shelter, health services to those most in need, and protection for women and children in some of the hardest-to-reach areas. This lifeline will empower aid organisations to reach 135,000 people with essentials like food, medical care, and emergency shelter, as well as enable them to keep hospitals running and reconnect families torn apart by conflict. The overall UK aid commitment to Sudan this year rises as a result to £146 million, delivering lifesaving aid to over 800,000 people, and underscoring the unwavering commitment to stand with the Sudanese people and meet humanitarian needs.
As the UK, we are doing all we can politically and diplomatically to end the fighting, prevent future atrocities, protect civilians and deter the perpetrators by bringing accountability and justice—however long it takes. We are leading the charge to bring accountability to those committing heinous atrocities, at the UN and the International Criminal Court, for all to see. We will not let these horrors go unanswered.
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