Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made in ensuring British-Egyptian national Alaa Abd El-Fattah's safe travel to the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I stated in the latest session of FCDO Oral Questions on 2 December, the Prime Minister raised this case with President Sisi on 18 November, and the Foreign Secretary has pressed for Mr el-Fattah's return on multiple occasions with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, most recently on 25 November. Mr el-Fattah must be allowed to return to the UK and be reunited with his family.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) identify and (b) prevent forms of support that help to maintain unlawful occupation in 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 17 September to Question 73423.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations for UN member states in the UN Human Rights Council Conference Room Paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 to Question 55524.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she next expects to discuss the case of detained British national Alaa Abd el-Fattah with her Egyptian counterpart.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps she plans to take to encourage the Egyptian authorities to release Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international allies on the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Departmental spending plans on the work of the (a) Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to promote (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department plans to provide to (a) the Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to promote (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists in each of the next four financial years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) the global Media Freedom Coalition and (b) other country-specific programmes to support (i) media freedom and (ii) the protection of journalists in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom internationally, including the protection of journalists. We recognise the vital role journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting effective, accountable and inclusive governance and democratic resilience.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports media freedom initiatives across the world to foster diverse media landscapes. For the 2025-26 financial year, this includes £114,000 to the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), to finance its secretariat operations. In October 2024 we launched a new media development programme Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments (PIMHIE), which helps local media outlets develop new business models and strengthens wider information environments through support for advocacy and policy initiatives to improve the media eco-system. This programme will be supported with £2.25 million in funding this financial year. The FCDO is currently working through future spending plans, including final allocations for this year. It is not yet possible to clarify the exact amount that will be committed to these initiatives in the next four financial years.
The UK also plays a critical role promoting media freedom and the protection of journalists through our multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. We have negotiated resolutions to protect international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression, including in the Human Rights Council and upholding OSCE commitments. The UK co-founded the MFC which has issued a wide range of public statements highlighting situations of concern, as well as issues such as journalists in conflict and journalists in exile. Journalists are protected under international humanitarian law, and the UK actively promotes adherence to these protections.