Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to consult with Palestinian civil society and Israeli human rights groups ahead of the peace building conference at Lancaster House on 12 March.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We will announce further details in the near future of the 12 March conference to help establish an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish official communications from the US State Department sent in March 2025 on the legal premise for transferring the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position was set out on 22 May 2025 when the treaty was signed and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security
I would also refer the Rt Hon Member to the statement made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the same day, which said: "The U.S. welcomes the historic agreement between the UK and Mauritius on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global security. We value both parties' dedication. The U.S. looks forward to our continued joint work to ensure the success of our shared operations."
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department provides on the potential impact of Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on British maritime logistics taking place in (a) the Falkland Islands, (b) Gibraltar and (c) other British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is a Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), having ratified it in 1997. The United Kingdom's position regarding Article 298 of UNCLOS is set out in the UK's formal declarations dated 7 April 2003 and 31 December 2020.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the rights and needs of all ages of women, especially older women, in their engagement at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in March.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to affirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and promoting the rights and freedoms of women and girls across the world. We will seek opportunities throughout the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to highlight the rights and needs of older women throughout the UK delegation's engagement. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Office for Equality and Opportunity will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including organisations representing older women, before and during CSW itself.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether UK humanitarian aid for Gaza is diverted to Hamas or Hamas-linked individuals operating in Gaza.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We have robust processes in place to prevent the diversion of UK aid. All aid partners are subject to thorough due diligence checks, and programmes are continually monitored to make sure money is spent as intended.
Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, and funding or supporting it is a crime. We have been clear that Hamas must play no role in the future of Gaza, and no UK funding goes to Hamas or its affiliates.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
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 Government of Rwanda on the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Agreement.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None. The UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Agreement agreed by the Rt Hon Member in April 2022 was scrapped in July 2024, having cost the taxpayer £700 million. During the period it was in place, 84,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, and the only individuals relocated to Kigali were four volunteers, each given five years of free housing, free food, free healthcare, and free university education, at a cost of £150,000 each.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
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 her (a) Chinese and (b) Japanese counterpart on the maintenance of peace and international law in East Asia.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has emphasised the importance of regional stability in her discussions with Chinese and Japanese counterparts. The Prime Minister also recently visited China and Japan and held relevant discussions on regional security with both leaders.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) issuing and (b) updating travel health advice for Cape Verde on GOV.UK in relation to Shigella infections.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly reviews travel advice to reflect the latest public health information. The travel advice for Cape Verde was initially updated on 15 December 2025, and most recently updated on 6 February 2026, following notification from the UK Health Security Agency of an increase in reports of both the Shigella sonnei and Salmonella infections in travellers returning from the country. The update advises that individuals with underlying health conditions should seek medical advice before travelling. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will update GOV.UK again if further changes are required.
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 implications for her policies of allegations of harassment by the Government of Uganda against leaders of the opposition and their families.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works with the Government of Uganda on a range of important issues, including trade, development, regional security and refugee response. We also regularly raise concerns about infringements of human rights and restrictions on political activity, including on opposition parties and their supporters. The UK engaged across the political spectrum to advocate for peaceful and credible January 2026 elections, including for opposition candidates to be able to campaign freely and safely, and we continue to press for democratic rights and freedoms, including through our High Commission in Kampala.
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 implications for her policies of reports of human rights abuses in Uganda.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works with the Government of Uganda on a range of important issues, including trade, development, regional security and refugee response. We also regularly raise concerns about infringements of human rights and restrictions on political activity, including on opposition parties and their supporters. The UK engaged across the political spectrum to advocate for peaceful and credible January 2026 elections, including for opposition candidates to be able to campaign freely and safely, and we continue to press for democratic rights and freedoms, including through our High Commission in Kampala.