Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure that evidence gathered by the UN-mandated inquiry into alleged atrocities in Sudan can support future accountability mechanisms, including international courts.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November 2025, and to the most recent Urgent Question debate on 15 December 2025, setting out the steps the UK is taking to ensure accountability for atrocities committed in Sudan. Achieving peace, humanitarian relief and accountability in Sudan are key priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and our work on those issues is resourced accordingly.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 adequacy of the resources currently allocated by her Department to Sudan-related (a) diplomatic and (b) atrocity-prevention work.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November 2025, and to the most recent Urgent Question debate on 15 December 2025, setting out the steps the UK is taking to ensure accountability for atrocities committed in Sudan. Achieving peace, humanitarian relief and accountability in Sudan are key priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and our work on those issues is resourced accordingly.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to review the British Council’s funding and governance model to reduce its vulnerability to future global shocks.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 28 October in response to question 906060, and to the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and on 16 December by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, where these issues were addressed at length.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what options her Department is exploring to support the British Council’s financial resilience, including grant support, loan refinancing, or alternative funding mechanisms.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 28 October in response to question 906060, and to the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and on 16 December by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, where these issues were addressed at length.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 findings of the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on the role of soft power; and how the Government plans to ensure that cultural relations organisations such as the British Council remain adequately resourced.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on the likelihood of young people who have participated in British Council programmes to express an intention to do business and trade with the UK; and whether this has implications for future funding for cultural and educational exchange.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 strategies on trade, inward investment and international partnerships of the finding in the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on trust in the UK.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies UK’s trust ratings in France, Germany and Italy as reported in the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 study; and what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help improve the UK's reputation within Europe.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on the implementation of the International Court of Justice ruling of January 2024 on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 June 2025 to Question 52416.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that her policies are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Genocide Convention in the context of the findings of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, published in 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.