Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the full cost of capitalising the Chagossian Trust Fund in the UK-Mauritius Treaty will be met from (a) her Department's budget; and (b) be categorised as ODA expenditure.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The costs of the Treaty will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are non-ODA funded.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2026, to Question 103247 on Palestine: Terrorism, when the independent audit will be undertaken; who will undertake the audit; and her assessment of trends in the number of recipients of 'pay for slay' payments.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to: (a) the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January, (b) the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and nine of her international counterparts on 30 December, (c) the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave on these issues at oral questions on 2 December, (d) the statement that the Foreign Secretary made to the House on Gaza on 18 November, (e) my responses to her Urgent Question on 29 October, and (f) my responses to Questions 104985, 103247, 103245, 101358, 98592, and 906050, provided on 20 January, 12 January, 12 January, 6 January, 16 December, and 28 October respectively. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2026 to Questions 103245 on Gaza: Hamas, what assessment he has made of the scale of the tunnel network established by Hamas in Gaza; and what practical assistance is being provided to Israel to dismantle the tunnels.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to: (a) the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January, (b) the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and nine of her international counterparts on 30 December, (c) the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave on these issues at oral questions on 2 December, (d) the statement that the Foreign Secretary made to the House on Gaza on 18 November, (e) my responses to her Urgent Question on 29 October, and (f) my responses to Questions 104985, 103247, 103245, 101358, 98592, and 906050, provided on 20 January, 12 January, 12 January, 6 January, 16 December, and 28 October respectively. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she and (b) her ministers plan to visit the Civil Military Coordination Center.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to: (a) the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January, (b) the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and nine of her international counterparts on 30 December, (c) the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave on these issues at oral questions on 2 December, (d) the statement that the Foreign Secretary made to the House on Gaza on 18 November, (e) my responses to her Urgent Question on 29 October, and (f) my responses to Questions 104985, 103247, 103245, 101358, 98592, and 906050, provided on 20 January, 12 January, 12 January, 6 January, 16 December, and 28 October respectively. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what are the potential implications for her policies of the ceasefire violations committed by Hamas.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to: (a) the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January, (b) the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and nine of her international counterparts on 30 December, (c) the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave on these issues at oral questions on 2 December, (d) the statement that the Foreign Secretary made to the House on Gaza on 18 November, (e) my responses to her Urgent Question on 29 October, and (f) my responses to Questions 104985, 103247, 103245, 101358, 98592, and 906050, provided on 20 January, 12 January, 12 January, 6 January, 16 December, and 28 October respectively. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish the sources she receives information from on the volume of trucks providing aid to Gaza in accordance with the 20-point plan for peace in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to: (a) the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January, (b) the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and nine of her international counterparts on 30 December, (c) the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave on these issues at oral questions on 2 December, (d) the statement that the Foreign Secretary made to the House on Gaza on 18 November, (e) my responses to her Urgent Question on 29 October, and (f) my responses to Questions 104985, 103247, 103245, 101358, 98592, and 906050, provided on 20 January, 12 January, 12 January, 6 January, 16 December, and 28 October respectively. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the speech entitled Foreign Secretary's speech to the British Chamber of Commerce, published on 20 March 2025, what (a) programme of domestic roadshows and (b) Lancaster House Business Engagement Series events (i) took place in 2025 and (ii) are planned for 2026.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a critical role in delivering the Government's Growth Mission internationally. Heads of Mission in 41 markets are using Strategic Economic Growth Plans to identify opportunities for business and attract inward investment. In 2025, the FCDO hosted a UK-ASEAN Business Forum under the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series and delivered 23 Heads of Mission Roadshows across the UK, with further activity being developed for this year. We will provide further updates on the proposed Diplomatic Business Placement Programme in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the speech entitled Foreign Secretary's speech to the British Chamber of Commerce, published on 20 March 2025, how many diplomats (a) have been seconded to businesses in 2025 and (b) are expected to be seconded to businesses in 2026 under the Diplomatic Placement Programme.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a critical role in delivering the Government's Growth Mission internationally. Heads of Mission in 41 markets are using Strategic Economic Growth Plans to identify opportunities for business and attract inward investment. In 2025, the FCDO hosted a UK-ASEAN Business Forum under the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series and delivered 23 Heads of Mission Roadshows across the UK, with further activity being developed for this year. We will provide further updates on the proposed Diplomatic Business Placement Programme in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which heads of mission have developed Strategic Economic Growth Plans.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a critical role in delivering the Government's Growth Mission internationally. Heads of Mission in 41 markets are using Strategic Economic Growth Plans to identify opportunities for business and attract inward investment. In 2025, the FCDO hosted a UK-ASEAN Business Forum under the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series and delivered 23 Heads of Mission Roadshows across the UK, with further activity being developed for this year. We will provide further updates on the proposed Diplomatic Business Placement Programme in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of 14 January 2025 from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspectorate on the Chinese Embassy planning application, whether she had seen plans for the basement before sending that letter.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An independent planning decision has been made by the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government. I can assure the Rt Hon Member that both the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have considered the full breadth of national security issues in relation to the proposed new Embassy.