Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received any legal advice on the compatibility of the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill with the UK’s obligations under UN Security Council resolution 2334.

The Foreign Secretary has received advice from officials, including legal advice, on the bill. It is a longstanding convention for governments of all parties not to comment on the contents of government legal advice. The Government's position on the bill was set out by my RHF the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities during the debate on the second reading of the bill on 3 July. The bill does four things: it honours a manifesto promise to which this Government recommitted in the last Queen's speech; it affirms the important principle that UK foreign policy is a matter for the UK Government; it ensures that local authorities concentrate on serving their residents, not directing resources inefficiently; and, critically, it provides protection for minority communities, especially the Jewish community, against campaigns that harm community cohesion and fuel antisemitism.