Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the publication of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Alert on 2 December 2025, what analysis her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation of the Wayuu indigenous peoples in la Guajira.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 the Sudanese authorities on the protection of civilians, including members of religious minority communities, during the ongoing conflict.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 15 December 2025.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
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 potential impact of reductions to ODA on access to prevention tools such as long-acting PrEP; and what steps she is taking to (a) ensure equitable global access to those tools and (b) end AIDS.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains firmly committed to ending AIDS. We continue to support the organisations at forefront of the global response to HIV, including UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and our investments to Unitaid, CHAI and MedAccess have helped shape the market for new HIV innovations, including Lenacapavir. A formal Equality impact assessment of Official Development Assistance programme allocations for 2025 to 2026 was published on 2 September 2025, and is available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-official-development-assistance-programme-allocations-2025-to-2026-equality-impact-assessment/equality-impact-assessment-of-official-development-assistance-oda-programme-allocations-for-2025-to-2026). Assessments of the impact of future funding allocations will be made in due course once those allocations are set.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the publication of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Alert on 2 December 2025, what analysis her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation of the Wiwa Indigenous Peoples.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has increased or reduced its funding to Colombia for the implementation of the Peace Accord.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made any cuts to Colombia’s allocation in the ODA budget.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding her Department is providing to Colombia to tackle violence against women and girls.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is concerned that women, children and indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be disproportionately affected by the armed conflict. The UK supports Colombia's efforts to strengthen peace and security through long-standing assistance to the 2016 Peace Agreement, worth £2.95 million this year. This includes support for rural development, reintegration processes and transitional justice mechanisms. UK programming strengthens institutions responsible for protection and human rights monitoring, including the Ombudsman's early warning systems protecting defenders, children and vulnerable communities. The UK regularly raises concerns about child recruitment and other grave violations at UN Security Council sessions on Colombia. We also engage directly with Colombian authorities through the newly established Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict in Bogotá. These efforts complement wider UK commitments to peace, stability and human rights in Colombia.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what dialogue she or her Department is undertaking with CARICOM, the United States, and regional partners, to help prevent inadvertent destabilisation for islands in the region from United States-Venezuela military activity.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses in that debate.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment regarding the potential risks posed to Commonwealth Caribbean states of increases in military activity between the US and Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses in that debate.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase funding for education for children around the world.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a world leader in championing safe, inclusive, quality education, working in partnership with governments and multilaterals to deliver the education that all children deserve. In a context of scarce resources, the UK is working to increase both the volume and effectiveness of global and national financial investments in education, including supporting innovative financing mechanisms such as the International Finance Facility for Education.