Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the US Government on closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to support doctors from IDEALS Charity who have been denied entry to Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the level of humanitarian medical access in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
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 Israeli counterparts on the denial of entry of UK doctors to Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of Palestinian institutions in (a) the West Bank and (b) East Jerusalem that are no longer able to provide services due to (i) Israeli demolitions, (ii) closures and (iii) funding restrictions.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not hold the requested estimates, but we work closely with civil society, international organisations, and the Palestinian Authority to assess the situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to reinstate multi-year core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In July 2024, this Government reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and has since committed £27.5 million for 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people across the region. Future funding decisions will be taken in due course, and announced in the normal way.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to suspend new military export licences to Israel, in the context of the findings of the report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the creation of Israeli settlements inside occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli settler organisation Ateret Cohanim.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 3 September to Question 71442.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to publicly support a global initiative to stop the trade of goods used for torture during the first committee stage of the UN General Assembly in 2025.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains committed to preventing torture and tackling impunity for those who torture others. It is essential for safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.
At the UN General Assembly, we will continue to work with allies to encourage all states to uphold their international human rights obligations. As a member of the Global Alliance on Torture Free Trade, the UK supports the initiative to stop the trade of goods used for capital punishment and torture. Goods are subject to export restrictions if they can be used for torture, capital punishment, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Export licence applications are considered against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will not grant a licence for items where we determine there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.