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Written Question
Palestine: Children
Tuesday 20th January 2026

Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)

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 help prevent the detention of children from Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli military.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are deeply concerned about the detention of Palestinian children by the Israeli military and about allegations of abuse against those children, including sexual violence.

The UK calls for all such reports to be fully investigated. The arrest and detention of children must follow due process, in line with international juvenile justice standards.

We also call on all parties to the conflict to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross immediate and unfettered access.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 18 Nov 2025
UNESCO: 80th Anniversary

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies) on securing this important debate.

UNESCO was founded from the ashes of the second world war out of a recognition that we must protect our unique cultural …..."

John Whitby - View Speech

View all John Whitby (Lab - Derbyshire Dales) contributions to the debate on: UNESCO: 80th Anniversary

Written Question
Israel: Arms Trade
Wednesday 17th September 2025

Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that, with the exception of the F-35, no British arms being exported to Israel are being used in the conflict in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

All export licences are assessed on a case-by-case basis. All licences for exports to the Israeli Defence Forces are kept under careful ongoing review to ensure they are not being used for military operations in Gaza or the West Bank.


Written Question
Nature Conservation: International Cooperation
Tuesday 1st April 2025

Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help protect the natural world.

Answered by Catherine West

This Government remains strongly committed to tackling the international climate and nature crises. The UK played a key role at the Biodiversity COP16 Conference in February, which agreed a strategy to mobilise more finance for nature. We are working closely with a wide range of partners to build global ambition on nature ahead of London Climate Action Week in June and COP30 in Brazil.