Committee publication · Correspondence · 25 February 2026
Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on 16 December 2025, dated 12 February 2026 and 17 December 2025
From: Foreign Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Summary
Correspondence between the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Dame Emily Thornberry following a 16 December 2025 oral evidence session. Cooper provides written follow-up on Israeli settlements, Palestinian Authority funding, media freedom, the McGrail Inquiry, and Chelsea FC sale proceeds. Thornberry separately presses for publication of the China Audit and clarification on Mandarin-speaking capacity in the FCDO.
Key findings
- UK government confirms Israeli settlements are illegal under international law; HMRC has introduced new document code to prevent preferential tariff treatment of settlement goods; government discourages UK business activity with settlements.
- UK provided £7m in technical assistance to Palestinian Authority in July 2025 and co-founded Emergency Coalition for PA Financial Sustainability with 11 other countries; UK emphasizes independent audit of PA's reform programme including curriculum development.
- BBC World Service received £32.6m grant uplift (31% increase to £137m) despite tight fiscal situation; UK leads Media Freedom Coalition, co-sponsors UN resolutions on journalist safety, and supports UNESCO Global Media Defence Fund.
- Foreign Affairs Committee challenges non-publication of China Audit, citing examples from Australia and Canada of substantial published China strategies; argues civil servants and business people need visibility of government's China approach.
- Committee requests update on progress toward target for Mandarin-speaking capacity in FCDO; government previously reported 120+ trained in Mandarin in past year and 50+ holding advanced C1 qualification, but acknowledged difficulty quantifying total fluent speakers.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Yvette Cooper, Dame Emily Thornberry, Abtisam Mohamed, Aphra Brandreth, Sir John Whittingdale, Edward Morello, Phil Brickell, David Lammy
Notable line
“They will struggle to comply with a strategy they have never seen?”
Key Quotes
“We are clear that those settlements are illegal under international law. Government guidance is clear that trading with them brings significant risk and that businesses should seek legal advice before doing so …”
“… we regard media freedom as a hugely important principle, and believe that independent voices, amplified by the media, are one of the key foundations of a strong democracy.”
“… we remain rightly proud of the role that the BBC World Service plays in providing impartial news to a global audience of 313 million people per week, three-quarters of them in countries with no or low media freedom”
“They will struggle to comply with a strategy they have never seen?”
“… the Committee has expressed its concerns that the business people, academics, officials and others who engage with China need and deserve to know where they fit into this painting and what is the "clear way forward" that they are going to have to follow.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗