Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the risk to the Pretoria Agreement from renewed hostilities in Tigray; and what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help protect displaced and other conflict-affected communities.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is deeply concerned by the renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia and the implications across the Horn of Africa. We have called on all parties to end hostilities, respect international humanitarian law, allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and return to dialogue under African Union-led mediation.
The principles of the Pretoria agreement are fundamental to sustainable peace in Tigray. Ministers and senior officials have engaged with all parties to call for restraint and de-escalation. We are also coordinating closely with the African Union, United Nations and international partners. We call on all parties to protect civilians, including women and girls, and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. On 23 October, our Ambassador to Ethiopia publicly welcomed the stated intention of the new caretaker administration in Tigray to restore basic services and enable elections and said that delivering on these ambitions will help create the conditions for future stability.
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Unitaid; and what steps she is taking to fulfil funding commitments to Unitaid.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 20 October 2025 given to question 80764.
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the interest accrued on the frozen £2.5 billion proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club is intended to benefit the proposed foundation to support victims of the war in Ukraine; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that no part of these funds benefits sanctioned individuals.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is determined to see that the frozen proceeds, including the accrued interest, from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine. Restrictions imposed through UK sanctions laws will ensure that the proceeds do not benefit sanctioned individuals.