Written questions by Rosindell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes in the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation on (a) capacity building, (b) technical assistance, (c) development projects and (d) the implications for UK-funded initiatives.

The UK is deeply committed to the Commonwealth. We are the largest donor to Commonwealth inter-governmental organisations and their programmes, including the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC). We believe the Commonwealth's institutions can deliver even more tangible benefits to its members and have encouraged them to focus on those areas where they can add most value. We therefore support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent changes in Canada's border security measures for UK citizens traveling to Canada.

We have taken note of Canada's new border policies, which include expanded surveillance, heightened screening, and enhanced tools to detect fraud. We will continue to monitor any impact on British travellers.UK citizens travelling to Canada should ensure they have an Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa as required, and they should ensure their passport is valid for the length of their stay. They should also consult FCDO Travel Advice, which is kept up to date with the latest requirements.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to engage with CARICOM authorities on the issue of freedom of movement for CARICOM nationals and its implications for UK citizens in the region.

The UK has regular engagement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat through our High Commission in Georgetown, Guyana. Part of this engagement includes discussions on issues which affect UK nationals and British Overseas Territories. Immigration is a matter for the local governments in each of the Caribbean Overseas Territories.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of energy reform policies in Mexico on investment by British companies in the renewable energy sector in that country.

We are closely following the regulatory reforms in Mexico, including most recently the presentation of new secondary laws on 29 January in respect of the energy sector. We continue to maintain a dialogue with counterparts in the Mexican Government to support UK companies navigating this period of regulatory change.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on the potential impact of interprovincial trade barriers on UK-Canada trade relations.

The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly, most recently in late February, where they discussed a range of bilateral and global issues. They also spoke on 28 January 2025. I met my counterpart Rob Oliphant last week. Canada is one of our closest allies, underpinned by a broad trade and investment relationship which we are committed to deepening further. The Foreign Secretary has not discussed interprovincial trade with his counterpart.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support British Overseas Territories to improve their disaster (a) preparedness and (b) response capabilities in the context of trends in the number of natural disasters.

The UK continues to support UK Overseas Territories to develop preparedness, capability, and capacity to respond to disasters effectively.This Financial Year, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has funded crisis leadership and technical skills training for disaster management stakeholders across the Overseas Territories. The FCDO has also supported efforts to improve emergency shelter capacity and standards, grow emergency communications resilience, and understand future threats linked to climate change.I visited the emergency response centre in Anguilla on my recent visit and have regularly discussed these issues with Overseas Territories leaders, representatives, and Governors, including at the Joint Ministerial Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Canadian authorities on the preservation of the endangered Vancouver Island marmot and its implications for UK-Canada biodiversity initiatives.

The Foreign Secretary has not spoken to his Canadian counterparts about the endangered Vancouver Island marmot. He speaks regularly to Foreign Minister Joly about a whole range of issues, including the importance of tackling climate change and biodiversity loss in this important year of the Canadian G7 Presidency. We are proud of our strong partnership with Canada, and together, we will continue to champion delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with regional partners to help prevent illegal gold mining operations in (a) Honduras and (b) Guatemala.

The UK recognises the importance of combatting illicit and uncontrolled gold mining to prevent the negative impact it has on biodiversity and people, including in both Honduras and Guatemala. We regularly raise this issue with host governments in the region, working in conjunction with other international partners to help mitigate the impact of illegal gold mining.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) support economic (i) development and (i) diversification and (b) reduce reliance on financial services in British Overseas Territories.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) promotes economic development in Official Development Assistance-eligible territories primarily through budget support and essential capital programmes. These amounted to £100.53million in Financial Year 24/25 and, with advisory input, enables the development of diversified private sector economies.While non-aided Overseas Territories (OTs) are responsible for their own public finance decisions and economic policy, the FCDO provides technical assistance and project funding to improve diversification. This has included, but is not limited to, funding a financial adviser, contributing to the airport redevelopment in Anguilla and providing infrastructure expertise available to all OTs. The FCDO continues to engage with the OTs on matters related to diversification.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the High Commissioner of Guyana since taking office.

The Foreign Secretary hosted President Ali of Guyana and his delegation, which included Guyana's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Rajendra Singh, for lunch at 1 Carlton Gardens on 27 September 2024. They discussed a number of issues: climate, biodiversity, the situation in Haiti and the Essequibo border controversy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is collaborating with international partners to support Guyana's territorial integrity.

Our support for Guyana's territorial integrity is unwavering and we are clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The Foreign Secretary underlined our support for Guyana's territorial integrity in a call with President Ali in July 2024 and has reiterated this in subsequent engagements. The UK will continue to work with our international partners, including through the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana, to de-escalate tensions and ensure respect for Guyana's territorial integrity. We are pleased that the Leaders' Statement following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting 2024 underlined the Commonwealth's unswerving support for Guyana's territorial integrity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of Jamaica's legislative steps to remove His Majesty King Charles III as head of state.

It is for all Realms to consider their own constitutional arrangements. We are confident in our relationship with our Jamaican partners, and we will respect any decisions they make. The UK also looks forward to continuing a modern partnership with all Commonwealth partners regardless of their status as a Realm or republic.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met his counterparts in Jamaica since taking office.

The Foreign Secretary spoke to Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, on 2 August 2024. They discussed the importance of the UK-Jamaica bilateral relationship and climate issues including Hurricane Beryl. They later had a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia in October 2024. The Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean visited Jamaica 14-16 October 2024, with a focus on collaboration around growth, climate resilience and development. The Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean also met the Jamaican Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Aubyn Hill, on 4 November 2024 to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration between the UK and Jamaica on trade and business.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the (a) proposed designation of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organisations and (b) the potential impact of that proposal on UK-Mexico relations.

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They have not discussed the US's designation of cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organisations. This is a decision for the US. It is unlikely to have any significant impact on our bilateral relationship with Mexico.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an estimate of the number of jobs at risk due to the adoption of artificial intelligence in (a) industries reliant on manual labour and (b) other industries.

We are already witnessing AI’s impact within the labour market: transforming the workplace, demanding new skills and displacing old ones. We remain mindful of this impact and its effect on the UK workforce, whilst working to harness the benefits that AI can bring – such as productivity gains, rising living standards, and improved worker wellbeing. The Get Britain Working White Paper from DWP, HMT and DfE sets out how government will address key labour market challenges. We continue to work closely with these and other government departments through the AI Opportunities Action Plan to monitor this rapidly developing area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of the Darwin Plus budget is contributed from the Official Development Assistance budget.

For 2024-25, Official Development Assistance accounts for 30% of the programme.

What steps he is taking to ensure a regular supply of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy medication in the North East London NHS Foundation Trust area.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of recent trends in the number of bailiffs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that there are effective and sustainable enforcement processes available to judgment creditors for the enforcement of judgment debts and fines. We also want to ensure that those facing enforcement action, particularly the most vulnerable in society, are treated fairly. We continue to monitor trends in the number of bailiffs as part of our overall consideration of policies in this area.

Whether she has had recent discussions with her international partners on the potential merits of establishing a central bank digital currency.

At Mansion House, the government committed that HM Treasury and the Bank of England will continue to explore a potential retail central bank digital currency, the digital pound. No decision has been taken on whether to launch a digital pound. This work will provide the evidence base to make such a decision, providing a rigorous view of the costs and benefits and take account of wider trends in money and payments, both domestically and internationally. HM Treasury and Bank of England continue to engage internationally on a variety of payments topics, including through G7 engagement. This includes the digital pound. Irrespective of whether the government decides to issue the digital pound, work undertaken during the design phase of the project will support private innovation in digital currency technologies through partnership with the private sector on proofs of concept and experiments. It will also deepen the retail payments expertise of the UK public authorities and support the UK in its ambition to further build its global leadership on payments and fintech innovation.

Whether she has had recent discussions with her international partners on the potential impact of real world asset tokenisation on economic growth.

The UK has ongoing dialogues with other jurisdictions, particularly those that are pioneering the use of distributed ledger technology, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, to share knowledge about tokenisation, including its potential benefits. UK regulators also participate in a range of international initiatives relating to tokenisation, such as Project Guardian, ran by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Project Agora, coordinated by the Bank of International Settlements.