Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 (a) make representations to the Iranian authorities on lifting the internet blackout and (b) assist Iranian citizens to stay connected via alternative channels.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to urge Iran to immediately restore access to the internet and communications. Iran must respect its citizens' fundamental rights and freedom.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that genocide is not committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 to Question 55524.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect and support Kurdish communities in North-East Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Department for International Development commissioned a study on the value for money of people to people programmes in Israel and Palestine in 2021.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Value for money is embedded across all of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's work. We employ robust systems and frameworks, and constantly review our programmes, to ensure we achieve high standards of value for money and use UK taxpayers' money responsibly. We work with partners across the world to maximise impact and improve value for money. This includes leveraging both public and private finance to support our development objectives to deliver economies of scale and world class expertise to make UK taxpayers' money go further.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the last Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability strategic assessment was carried out to evaluate the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Regular and ongoing cross-government analysis of the situation in the Middle East takes place, with support from external experts, to inform the UK's policy-making. This rolling analysis incorporates multiple assessment types and is updated as required.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
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 Palestinian civilian deaths since the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We urge all parties to respect the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect on 10 October 2025, and we continue to press for the implementation in full of the 20-point peace plan endorsed by the United Nations Security Council on 17 November 2025.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 adequacy of Pakistan’s compliance with its obligations under international human rights conventions, particularly in relation to enforced disappearances.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 February to question 107345.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with (a) her Israeli counterpart, (b) the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and (c) the Royal British Legion on the bulldozing of parts of The Gaza War Cemetery in al-Tuffah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Gaza War Cemetery in al-Tuffah holds the remains of more than 3,000 men who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, the majority from the United Kingdom, but many also from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa and other countries. As I said in the General Debate on 5 February, that includes Private William Jordan and Private Wilfrid Ogden, from my own constituency, who died during the Battles for Gaza in 1917.
There is justifiable distress in our country and elsewhere at the reports that the cemetery has been damaged by Israeli bulldozers, and we also deplore the reports that the cemetery has been used for Hamas military operations. Brave servicemen laid to rest overseas should never have had their graves defiled in this way. Alongside our international partners, we are raising our concerns about this with the Israeli authorities, and we will work with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to ensure that - when the circumstances allow - they are able to go to Gaza, assess what damage has been done, and do what is necessary to repair that damage.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on the alleged forced disappearances of Muhammad Bakhsh Sajidi, Naeem Sajidi and Rafeeq Baloch.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by reports of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. We regularly raise concerns about human rights with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels and continue to underline the importance of upholding civil and political rights and the rule of law. We urge the Pakistani authorities to investigate all allegations of enforced disappearances promptly, transparently and effectively, to hold those responsible to account, and to provide justice to victims and their families.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the future of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision of 8 February to expand Israeli control over the West Bank. The major changes to land, enforcement, and administrative powers proposed in the West Bank will harm efforts to advance peace and stability. The UK recognises the significance of the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs for the faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It is important that Israel respects the arrangements regarding the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and avoids taking actions contrary to those arrangements, or the wider interests of peace and stability. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately.