Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) nationality of each recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship was in the last five years.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC), provides post-graduate awards (Fellowships, Masters and PhDs) at UK universities to students from approximately 64 eligible Commonwealth countries and British Overseas Territories.
Commonwealth Programme Expenditure:
Financial year | CSC Grant-in-Aid (from HMG, including DfE) (£m) |
2020-21 | 25.313 |
2021-22 | 28.224 |
2022-23 | 28.224 |
2023-24 | 28.224 |
2024-25 | 28.224 |
Breakdown of recipients by nationality of the Commonwealth Scholarship for the last 5 years:
Country/Territory | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 2 | 1 | |||
Australia | 2 | 1 | |||
Bangladesh | 44 | 40 | 47 | 29 | 27 |
Belize | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Botswana | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
Cameroon | 17 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 20 |
Canada | 2 | 2 | |||
Dominica | 1 | ||||
Fiji | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Ghana | 56 | 70 | 50 | 55 | 54 |
Grenada | 2 | ||||
Guyana | 5 | 3 | 1 | ||
India | 72 | 91 | 81 | 76 | 89 |
Jamaica | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
Kenya | 79 | 55 | 74 | 61 | 78 |
Kingdom of Eswatini | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Kiribati | 1 | ||||
Lesotho | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Malawi | 17 | 31 | 20 | 25 | 31 |
Malaysia | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
Maldives | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Mauritius | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Montserrat | 1 | ||||
Mozambique | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
Namibia | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | |
New Zealand | 1 | 1 | |||
Nigeria | 161 | 174 | 149 | 126 | 89 |
Pakistan | 46 | 54 | 44 | 61 | 65 |
Papua New Guinea | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
Rwanda | 16 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 11 |
Saint Lucia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
Samoa | 1 | ||||
Sierra Leone | 14 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Singapore | 1 | ||||
Solomon Islands | 3 | ||||
South Africa | 6 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Sri Lanka | 2 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 7 |
Tanzania | 23 | 14 | 20 | 33 | 23 |
The Gambia | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 5 |
Togo | 1 | ||||
Tonga | 1 | ||||
Tuvalu | 1 | ||||
Uganda | 64 | 53 | 72 | 63 | 59 |
Vanuatu | 2 | ||||
Zambia | 26 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 15 |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish a breakdown of the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) recipients by nationality of the Chevening Scholarship in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Chevening Scholarships provide fully-funded postgraduate masters awards at UK universities for future global leaders from approximately 140 eligible countries and territories.
Chevening Programme Expenditure
Financial year | Total programme expenditure |
2019 - 2020 | £57,744,779.51 |
2020 - 2021 | £50,397,000.00 |
2021 - 2022 | £59,233,000.00 |
2022 - 2023 | £58,994,000.00 |
2023 - 2024 | £59,330,000.00 |
Annual costs for Chevening Scholarships can be found in the FCDO Annual Reports and Accounts on GOV.UK. The cost for each Chevening scholar varies between individuals, depending on factors including the cost of tuition fees, accommodation and flights.
Breakdown of recipients by nationality of the Chevening Scholarship for the last 5 years:
Country/Territory | Awards made in 2019 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) | Awards made in 2020 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) | Awards made in 2021 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) | Awards made in 2022 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) | Awards made in 2023 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) | Awards made in 2024 (incl. full/part partner funded awards) |
Afghanistan | 15 | 23 | 29 | 18 | 21 | 13 |
Albania | 16 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Algeria | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Angola | 9 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Anguilla | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Argentina | 25 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 30 |
Armenia | 9 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Azerbaijan | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
Bahamas | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Bangladesh | 13 | 14 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 22 |
Barbados | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Belize | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Benin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Bermuda | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bhutan | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Bolivia | 7 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
Botswana | 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Brazil | 57 | 46 | 53 | 47 | 46 | 36 |
Brunei Darussalam | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Burkina Faso |
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Burundi | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Cambodia | 17 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
Cameroon | 15 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
Canada | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Cape Verde | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cayman Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chad | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Chile | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
China | 60 | 37 | 41 | 33 | 30 | 17 |
Colombia | 25 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Congo, Republic of | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Costa Rica | 5 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Côte d’Ivoire | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 |
Cuba | 12 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
Djibouti | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Dominica | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Dominican Republic | 11 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 |
Ecuador | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
Egypt | 45 | 33 | 39 | 32 | 31 | 29 |
El Salvador | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Equatorial Guinea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Eritrea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Ethiopia | 16 | 24 | 21 | 13 | 18 | 17 |
Falkland Islands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fiji | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Gabon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Georgia | 13 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 |
Ghana | 22 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Greece | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Grenada | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Guatemala | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Guinea | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Guyana | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Haiti | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Honduras | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Hong Kong | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Iceland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
India | 47 | 38 | 41 | 46 | 38 | 36 |
Indonesia | 60 | 50 | 58 | 45 | 42 | 39 |
Iraq | 22 | 21 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 18 |
Israel | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Jamaica | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 |
Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Jordan | 15 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 10 |
Kazakhstan | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
Kenya | 33 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 30 |
Kingdom of Eswatini | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Kiribati | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kosovo | 5 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
Kyrgyzstan | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Lebanon | 9 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Lesotho | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
Liberia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Libya | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 11 |
Madagascar | 11 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
Malawi | 13 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
Malaysia | 38 | 37 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 31 |
Maldives | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Mali | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Mauritania | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Mauritius | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Mexico | 53 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 33 |
Moldova, Republic Of | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Mongolia | 7 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 16 |
Montenegro | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
Montserrat | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Morocco | 11 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Mozambique | 8 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
Myanmar | 12 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Namibia | 9 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Nauru | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Nepal | 11 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 13 |
New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Nicaragua | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Niger | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Nigeria | 56 | 46 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 30 |
North Macedonia | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Oman | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pakistan | 49 | 34 | 51 | 47 | 46 | 43 |
Palestinian Territory, Occupied | 26 | 20 | 23 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
Panama | 7 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Papua New Guinea | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
Paraguay | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
Peru | 18 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
Philippines | 28 | 16 | 34 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Republic of Korea | 24 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 12 |
Rwanda | 19 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
Saint Helena | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Saint Lucia | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Samoa | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Sao Tome And Principe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Senegal | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
Serbia | 15 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
Seychelles | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Sierra Leone | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Singapore | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Solomon Islands | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
Somalia | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 |
South Africa | 44 | 33 | 46 | 35 | 42 | 28 |
South Caucasus | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
South Sudan | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Sri Lanka | 6 | 7 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Sudan | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Suriname | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Syrian Arab Republic | 22 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 |
Taiwan (Republic of China) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Tajikistan | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
Tanzania | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 9 |
Thailand | 24 | 15 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 21 |
The Gambia | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Timor-Leste | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Tonga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Tunisia | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
Turkey | 24 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 23 |
Turkmenistan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Tuvalu | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Uganda | 16 | 16 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 17 |
Ukraine | 21 | 20 | 19 | 42 | 26 | 23 |
Uruguay | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Uzbekistan | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
Vanuatu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Venezuela | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Vietnam | 24 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 23 | 22 |
Virgin Islands (British) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Yemen | 9 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
Zambia | 23 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Zimbabwe | 30 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
We are withholding some country specific information under Section 38 (Health and Safety) exemption (1) (a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, which provides that information is exempt if disclosure would or would be likely to endanger the physical or mental health of any individual or endanger the safety of any individual.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 cost to his Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government's Health and Social Care Levy.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the withdrawal of the USA from the World Health Organisation will lead to an increase in UK contributions to that organisation.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
We have been consistently clear that US executive orders are matters for the US government and US people. In November 2024, the UK announced new funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in support of its delivery and transformation agenda. The UK will continue to work with the WHO, Member States and other partners to support WHO's ongoing transformation and to strengthen its efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 25832 on Pakistan: Development Aid and Visas, if he will make it his policy to raise potential punitive measures with his counterparts in Pakistan during future visits.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continuously examine all levers at our disposal to deliver for UK interests, including in the removal of Foreign National Offenders to countries including Pakistan. This government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. I raised this matter with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during my visit to Pakistan in November. Pakistan is an indispensable partner in keeping the UK safe from irregular migration, terror threats and organised crime, and some of the technical assistance we provide through UK ODA is integral to these efforts.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list all meetings (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department have had on the transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations with Mauritius on sovereignty of BIOT / the Chagos Archipelago began in November 2022. Since then, there have been 13 rounds of negotiations, including two rounds under the current UK Government. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the then Mauritian Prime Minister in London on 23 July, and negotiating rounds led to political agreement between the Prime Minister and then Mauritian Prime Minister on 3 October. The then Prime Minister's Special Envoy for BIOT negotiations, Jonathan Powell, and PM Ramgoolam met on 25 November. I and the Attorney General met with the Mauritian Attorney General on 16 January. This engagement has been supplemented by numerous official level meetings, and joint statements from the UK and Mauritian governments were issued on 20 December and 13 January.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22425 on Pakistan: Extradition, whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan raised (a) restricting foreign aid, (b) restricting visas and (c) using other punitive international measures with Senior Ministers during his visit to Pakistan in November.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise and appreciate the great contribution of Pakistani people to the diverse culture of the UK. Despite significant and complex challenges when seeking to return foreign national offenders, this government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. I raised some of these issues with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during my visit to Pakistan in November, and the British High Commission continues to engage the Government of Pakistan at a senior level on this complex matter. I did not specifically raise these punitive measures with the Government of Pakistan during my recent visit.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost to the public purse is of the campaign to advocate for family-based care for children across the globe, announced on 17 January 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The campaign to promote family care for children globally has not spent any additional UK funding on staff or programmes to date. We are assessing future requirements for staff and programmes to support the campaign.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 Pakistani counterpart on returning people from that country convicted for involvement in grooming gangs.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has regular constructive discussions with Pakistani authorities on a range of topics of vital mutual interest, including criminal justice. Despite the complex challenges when seeking to return foreign national offenders, this government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. I raised these issues with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during my visit to Pakistan in November.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Pakistani authorities on the return of Pakistani national prisoners.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. Despite significant and complex challenges when seeking to return foreign national offenders. The UK has regular constructive discussions with Pakistani authorities on a range of topics of vital mutual interest. I raised these issues with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during my visit to Pakistan in November 2024.