Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how they intend to respond to the findings of the McGrail Inquiry that found “grossly improper” and “sinister” interventions by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to interfere in a live criminal investigation relating to national security.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sir Peter Openshaw's report contains extremely serious findings which are deeply concerning, and which must be urgently addressed. The UK Government takes its constitutional responsibilities very seriously and expects the highest standards of good governance to be upheld in all our Overseas Territories, including in Gibraltar.
The Inquiry and the report's findings are firstly the responsibility of the Government of Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Parliament, Judiciary and other local accountability mechanisms and authorities.
We have however been explicitly clear that the UK Government expects the Government of Gibraltar to implement the necessary reforms quickly and fully. The UK Government stands ready to support Gibraltar in strengthening its institutions, and to taking any further actions as required to ensure good governance in line with the established constitutional arrangements and our responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have come to the UK under the Gaza medical evacuation scheme (1) in the past month and (2) overall, either at public expense or through private funding.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We have supported 50 sick and injured children to leave Gaza and receive treatment in the UK, and have separately supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring several children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. The safety, privacy, and wellbeing of these patients and their families remains our absolute priority and we will not be providing further operational details.
We continue to seek the most effective ways to deploy the UK's resources to meet healthcare needs in Gaza and the region. Further announcements on the future of this scheme will be made in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement has she had with the a) Independent Commission for Aid Impact and b) recipients of UK overseas development assistance, on future funding for the ICAI.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.
Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.
Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding was given by her Department to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact in each of the last five years.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.
Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.
Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is she taking to ensure future scrutiny and transparency of UK overseas development and assistance.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.
Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.
Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department uses the Global Disinformation Index service.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate further evacuations under the Gaza medical evacuation scheme, either at public expense or through private funding; what assessment they have made of obstacles to such evacuations; and what steps they are taking to remove any obstacles.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We have supported 50 sick and injured children to leave Gaza and receive treatment in the UK, and have separately supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring several children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. The safety, privacy, and wellbeing of these patients and their families remains our absolute priority and we will not be providing further operational details.
We continue to seek the most effective ways to deploy the UK's resources to meet healthcare needs in Gaza and the region. Further announcements on the future of this scheme will be made in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are taking to combat disinformation about the United Kingdom posted online from overseas.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As set out by the Foreign Secretary in the Locarno Speech on 9 December 2025, we recognise the threat that malign information operations including disinformation pose to our national security and overseas interests. We are working to reduce threats to the UK and our interests by identifying and taking direct action against threat networks upstream including through sanctions. We have sanctioned 38 actors engaged in foreign information manipulation and interference since October 2024. Alongside this we are focused on strategic communication and promoting factual and truthful information, and supporting media freedom. Across these efforts, we are working closely with our allies, strengthening our partnerships to jointly tackle shared threats.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she expects to have updated the 1966 Exchange of Notes with the United States regarding the ongoing use of Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Urgent Question debate on 26 January and the Opposition Day debate on 28 January, where these and other issues were addressed at length.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the fiscal impact on her Department’s budget of supporting the resettlement of the Chagossian community.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answers provided on 12 January in response to Question 103250, and in the Urgent Question debate on 26 January.
The costs of the Treaty will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.