Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. We will use all diplomatic levers at our disposal to support a negotiated outcome and ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon including through the UN snapback mechanism, if necessary.
The ceasefire provides a diplomatic window for US/Iran talks to resume. Through numerous bilateral conversations with counterparts since 13 June, the UK is urging Iran to engage urgently and directly in negotiation and working with the US to support this.
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, which (a) international treaties and (b) obligations will apply to (i) the Chagos Archipelago and (ii) Diego Garcia as a result of the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius; and if he has undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of those obligations on (A) the Chagos Archipelago and (B) Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Treaty ensures that its terms are compatible with the other international obligations of the Parties, current and future. The United Kingdom will ensure all operations on Diego Garcia comply with its obligations under applicable international law.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the execution of Turki al-Jasser, and about the reported increase in executions, including for non-violent offences.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights and officials in our Embassy in Riyadh have raised Turki Al-Jasser's case with the Saudi authorities. The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the Palestinian organisations and individuals that are currently subject to UK sanctions.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK currently sanctions Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-CG), and a number of individuals that support the use of violence. All UK sanctions designations are available to the public via the UK Sanctions List: docs.fcdo.gov.uk/docs/UK-Sanctions-List.html
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 he has made of the potential merits of moving the the UK Mission to Afghanistan from Doha to a UK-based Afghanistan department.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.
This new approach will allow the UK to engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the expected advisory arrangements to the Special Envoy for Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.
This new model will allow the UK to actively engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.
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 mechanisms his Department has put in place to monitor the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Assurance and Learning Programme was established by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2022 to strengthen oversight of the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan by providing independent third-party monitoring and portfolio monitoring, evaluation and learning. In addition, officials visit Kabul regularly and meet partners there. FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in Afghanistan have been subject to regular Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) oversight. FCDO facilitated a visit to Kabul by the ICAI Commissioner Sir Hugh Bayley in May 2024, where he met UN agencies and local and international NGOs supported by the UK to support the completion of an Information Note.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that international law is upheld in the current situation in Iran.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has engaged with a wide range of partners during the current crisis, emphasising that stability, de-escalation and restraint are key, and urging all parties to seize the opportunity for a diplomatic solution. We have consistently stressed that all sides must abide by international law.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on any British company operating in the illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by the levels of settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank and continue to urge the Government of Israel to stop settlement expansion and take action to hold violence to account. Settlements are illegal under international law.
On 20 May the UK imposed sanctions on three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. On 10 June the UK, acting alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in their personal capacity, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Israeli settlements, as part of Israel. Goods imported from the settlements are therefore not entitled to benefit from trade preferences under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. The UK also supports accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.
Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. We have been clear that we keep these issues under close review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many flights have been chartered to evacuate UK citizens from Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Flights have been chartered to evacuate UK citizens from Israel. The UK Government has not chartered flights to evacuate UK citizens from Iran. Media reports suggest the Iranian airspace is in the process of re-opening.