Written questions by Thompson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make an assessment in (a) the six monthly report on Hong Kong and (b) the overseas business risk guidance for UK firms of the potential impact of declining public access to (i) the ombudsman archives, (ii) company, land and court records and (iii) other official information in Hong Kong.

Assessments in the six-monthly report and the overseas business risk guidance will be made in usual way. No decision has yet been made on whether to include analysis on the ombudsman archives and company, land, and court records in Hong Kong. As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, the UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to its international obligations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which water, sanitation and hygiene programmes his Department plans to continue funding through the Official Development Assistance budget in the next five years.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remain a key part of the UK's focus on global health; our work on tackling climate change; and our humanitarian action. The latest consolidated Statistics on International Development report shows UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on WASH totalled £37 million in 2023.The transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income on ODA by 2027 demands significant shifts in the scale and shape of our ODA spending over the next five years. ODA allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be finalised in an internal resource allocation round following the recent Spending Review. In the meantime, our existing WASH sector programmes will continue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to encourage (a) the private sector and (b) other donors to increase funding for water, sanitation and hygiene programmes.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recognises the potential of private investment to accelerate progress on water supply, sanitation and hygiene. We work with governments in eight countries to improve the performance of the water and sanitation sector, strengthening systems and capacity and reduce commercial risks that discourage private investment. Our support to the World Bank also helps do this, for example through the Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge Programme. This work is complemented by our support to the Heads of State Initiative for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is mobilising domestic finance and encouraging collaboration between governments, donors and other development partners. These initiatives mark the FCDO's shift from projects that delivered WASH infrastructure to a more strategic focus on governance and finance, improving the sustainability and resilience of WASH services that can attract funding from users, government budget allocations and private investors.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation by 2030.

The UK is committed to supporting delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Steps we are taking to help deliver SDG 6 include the Enhanced Water Leadership in a Changing Climate programme. This is raising the profile of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector with a focus on national leadership, sector governance and finance. The programme also supports the generation of critical data governments need to establish effective strategies and plans. A sister programme, WASH Systems for Health, is strengthening WASH services in eight countries in Africa and South Asia. Finally, our Just Transitions programme is working to improve water resource management and climate resilience, through better planning, water governance, and increased investment in water related infrastructure.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to integrate water, sanitation and hygiene into the UK’s international (a) climate adaptation and (b) resilience programmes.

Since 2020 we have supported UNICEF to help governments in climate-vulnerable countries strengthen the resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene services. This work extends from climate risk assessments, capacity building and systems strengthening, to establishing risk-informed policies and plans. The latter includes Nationally Declared Commitments and National Adaptation Plans. This work has also helped governments prepare multiple proposals for climate finance worth over £250 million over the last four years, potentially benefitting up to 9 million people with climate resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services. The UK also supports the World Bank to develop climate resilient water and sanitation services, as well as the Resilient Water Accelerator. This aims to establish a pipeline of climate resilient water and sanitation programmes that are attractive to private investors.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support British journalists who face arbitrary detention overseas.

The UK is committed to Media Freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. The Government takes allegations concerning the arbitrary detention of British nationals - including journalists - very seriously. We examine the circumstances of each case individually and develop tailored strategies based on careful judgements on what is likely to be most effective. Where appropriate, we seek to raise concerns with the local authorities and press for specific violations to be remedied or investigated. We expect all states to comply with their human rights obligations.