Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 Cabinet colleagues on the legal process for recognising a Palestinian state.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the most impact in achieving this reality and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. We are clear that does not need to be at the end of a process. UK bilateral recognition is the single most important action the UK can take with regard to Palestinian statehood. That is why it is important to get the timing right so that it creates genuine momentum and is not simply a symbolic gesture. We are continuing to engage all partners on advancing a two-state solution and supporting the foundations of Palestinian statehood.
Palestinian statehood is the right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. The people of the West Bank and Gaza must be given the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future. That is why this Government supports a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. The Government agrees strongly on the importance of recognition, and that is why we will make sure the timing is right. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the most impact in achieving this reality and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce the reopening of the UK’s embassy in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are keeping the re-establishment of a permanent presence in Damascus under review. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff, including our UK Special Representative for Syria, undertake regular visits to Damascus.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to support the Free Yezidi Foundation to help tackle violence against women and girls within (a) Yezidi and (b) Iraqi society.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to take a survivor-centred approach to support individuals who have experienced or are at risk of conflict related sexual violence, modern slavery and human trafficking.
Our development programming has bolstered the authorities' and civil society's capacity to advance transitional justice and to provide protection services.
For example, UK funding through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to the Government of Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs (£340,000 between 2022-2025) has strengthened the Directorate's ability to implement the Yazidi Survivors' Law and has enabled a referral mechanism, alongside civil society, for survivors to access reparations as well as mental health and psycho-social support. In addition, the UK's Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme continues to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons, including Yazidis.
Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil also regularly meet with The Free Yezidi Foundation.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) locate and (b) free enslaved Yazidi (i) women and (ii) children.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to take a survivor-centred approach to support individuals who have experienced or are at risk of conflict related sexual violence, modern slavery and human trafficking.
Our development programming has bolstered the authorities' and civil society's capacity to advance transitional justice and to provide protection services.
For example, UK funding through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to the Government of Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs (£340,000 between 2022-2025) has strengthened the Directorate's ability to implement the Yazidi Survivors' Law and has enabled a referral mechanism, alongside civil society, for survivors to access reparations as well as mental health and psycho-social support. In addition, the UK's Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme continues to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons, including Yazidis.
Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil also regularly meet with The Free Yezidi Foundation.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 (a) state and (b) private sector allies and partners to reduce the risk to the UK's (i) national and (ii) economic security of Russia’s development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK takes the potential development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons by Russia seriously. We have been working with international partners and allies to reaffirm the absolute prohibition of the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space, including:
- Supporting a UN Security Council Resolution tabled by US and Japan calling on States not to develop, station or place in orbit any weapons of mass destruction in line with the Outer Space Treaty.
- Co-sponsoring a UN General Assembly Resolution submitted by US, Japan and Argentina reiterating Article IV of the Outer Space treaty, which prohibits the stationing of any Weapons of Mass Destruction in orbit around the Earth.
- Raising our concern of the threat such irresponsible actions pose to all countries by highlighting the devastating impact of nuclear weapons in space in bilateral engagements and statements made at the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council, UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Washington Summit.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding and extending sanctions against Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to limit Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) weapons programmes and counter their proliferation activity through maintaining a robust sanctions regime This includes an extensive range of UN sanctions covering financial, trade, aircraft, shipping and immigration measures. We continue to keep our DPRK sanctions regime under close review. We do not comment on future or potential expansions of our DPRK sanctions regime as this could affect their impact: we will continue to keep this regime under close review.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) NGOs and (b) charities in receipt of funding from his Department that have issued legal proceedings against the Government.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is no on-going litigation against the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (the Department) in respect of claims issued directly by NGOs or charities currently in receipt of funding from the Department.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Georgian counterpart on the detention of the Mzia Amaghlobeli.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I have consistently raised our concerns about the violence used by the authorities against protesters and journalists in the course of ongoing protests in Georgia. We will continue to do so. Mzia Amaghlobeli's detention is another worrying example of how journalists are intimidated in Georgia in a way which limits media freedom and freedom of expression. Our Embassy in Tbilisi is following Amaghlobeli's case very closely. On 30 January 2025, our Embassy led a statement on behalf of 14 Media Freedom Coalition members, calling for her immediate release and a review of her case.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help end the detention of OSCE officials (a) Vadym Golda, (b) Maxim Petrov and (c) Dmytro Shabanov by the Russian Federation.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to advocate for the immediate release of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) officials Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov, including at ministerial level, alongside the OSCE Secretary General and the Chair in Office. We recently raised their cases at the OSCE Permanent Council on 27 February 2025.
In 2024, the UK, along with 44 other countries, invoked the Moscow Mechanism to investigate violations related to the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian Federation. The resulting report highlighted the case of the three OSCE officials and called for their immediate release.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the role of Russia's Africa Corps in the migration of people from (a) sub-Saharan Africa and (b) North Africa.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Russian proxies such as Africa Corps contribute to conflict and instability in parts of Africa, increasing displacement of local populations.
The UK is working with African and international partners to strengthen regional security, build resilience and address the long-term drivers of insecurity. In November 2024, we announced sanctions on those linked to Russian-backed mercenary groups operating in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic. We are also disrupting irregular migration through our irregular migration sanctions regime, action with partners to reduce its drivers and enablers, and safely and respectfully returning those individuals with no right to remain in the UK.