Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Hamas have links with (a) other proscribed terrorist groups and (b) Lashkar-e-Taiba.

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

The UK assesses Hamas in its entirety to be concerned in terrorism and therefore as of 26 November 2021 has proscribed the organisation in full. The UK condemns Hamas' continued attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. It is entirely appropriate that we take all available opportunities to strengthen the UK's response to both domestic and international threats. This includes closely monitoring groups which Hamas has close ties with. The UK has long retained a policy of no contact with Hamas and an asset freeze against the entirety of the group.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has (a) received representations and (b) held discussions with the (i) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, (ii) Ministry of Defence and (iii) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the costs of the proposed (A) lease with Mauritius, (B) proposed Chagossian Trust Fund, (C) proposed economic partnership with Mauritius and (D) the costs of supporting a future Marine Protected Area established by Mauritius.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor has regular discussions with cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues. The agreement with Mauritius was led by the Foreign Secretary who engaged Cabinet colleagues in the usual way.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what dates Mauritian negotiators have met with officials to discuss the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Discussions between the UK and Mauritius on securing the vital base on Diego Garcia and on the future exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory remain ongoing. It is not appropriate to provide a running commentary on engagement between UK and Mauritian officials. We will continue to work closely with Mauritius to conclude a deal that is in both sides' shared interests.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the costs of diplomatic engagement with Mauritius since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are unable to provide an estimate of the overall costs of diplomatic engagement with any single country. Diplomatic engagement takes place through a range of different activities and forums, and may include bilateral in-person engagement, virtual meetings, or visits; activities in multilateral forums or public events; or the operations of UK embassies and High Commissions. It may also include a wide range of timescales, geographic locations, interlocutors, and government departments.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 given to Question 48885 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Development Aid, whether (a) British Chagossians will be represented in the governance structures of the proposed Chagossian Trust Fund and (b) provisions on the proposed Chagossian Trust Fund will be included as binding provisions within the proposed Treaty with Mauritius; and how long the proposed Chagossian Trust Fund will be in operation for.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response given to her previous Question 32980 on the details of the Treaty.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 45603 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Redundancy, what estimate he has made of the annual salary cost savings of the 500 exits.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has estimated that the Voluntary Exit Scheme could result in annual savings of £35-40 million. The Scheme is still in progress, with exits taking place by the end of this Financial Year. We do not yet know how many staff will accept Voluntary Exit, or the profile of the staff who will leave, which will have an impact on the savings achieved.

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 his international counterparts on proposals for an ecocide law.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Tackling the climate and nature emergency is a priority for this Government. The UK has strong regulations to protect the environment and contravention of many of these is a criminal offence. At the international level, we are aware of the proposal by Vanuatu to recognise ecocide as an international crime under the Rome Statute, in addition to the environmental protections the Statute already provides during armed conflict. We welcome the leadership shown by Pacific Island States on environmental issues and will consider this proposal in cooperation with all of our international partners.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 36633 on China: Audit, when he plans to publish the China Audit; which Departments he has had discussions with on that audit; if he will publish the terms of reference for that audit; and whether that audit will include national security considerations.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The China Audit will conclude shortly. In line with the Government's manifesto commitment, the Audit has involved extensive consultations with hundreds of individuals, organisations, academic institutions, businesses and public bodies, including all central government departments and the Devolved Governments. National security considerations are central to the audit. It will improve the UK's ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

Mauritius Treaty

Found: HO-letter-Re-Continuous-Residence-27112024.pdf> accessed 1 April 2025. 11 Statement by Michael Gove, Boris Johnson, Priti Patel

Found: September 2021) https://www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/media/1668/iasc-letter-to-the-rt-hon-priti-patel-mp-home-secretary-march

Found: Islamabad”.114 Information on responsibility for the attacks Asked by the Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel