Written questions by Dodds.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 84311 on Sudan: Armed Conflict, how the UK is leveraging its membership of the UN working group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), alongside its position at the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council, to help ensure perpetrators of grave violations against children are being held to account in Sudan.

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of global compliance with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas as that code applies to Sudan.

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she or her Department have made to the i) Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), ii) Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and iii) Quad countries concerning access for the a) Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and b) Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had at international level concerning work to close the regulatory and enforcement loopholes that allow the trade in conflict gold.

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the compliance of UK-based companies with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas as that code applies to Sudan.

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of escalating conflict in Kordofan, including in Bara and El Obeid, on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to assess (a) the whereabouts of former residents of El-Fasher and (b) what proportion of those residents (i) remain in the city, (ii) have safely exited the city, (ii) have been executed in the city and (iv) have been (A) executed and (B) detained while attempting to leave the city.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on the need for civilian protection in Kordofan.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the extent of operation of third-party audit of gold refineries in the different global centres of the gold trade including the UAE, Turkey and Switzerland.

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the siege of El Obeid on civilians.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held recent discussions with the Centre for Information Resilience on passing relevant information to other agencies such as the International Criminal Court and the War Crimes unit at the Metropolitan Police.

We will continue to ensure that the Centre for Information Resilience is working with all relevant agencies to share information and coordinate fact-finding activities, as set out in the response of 10 June 2025 to Question 56318.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what work her Department is undertaking on atrocity prevention assessments for Sudan, including on Tawila, Kadugli and Bara.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025. As the Foreign Secretary said, there is a need for "concerted action to pull the warring parties back from the brink, halt the RSF advances, and ensure a humanitarian truce that is at least long enough to get humanitarian aid in and civilians out."

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the parties to the conflict in Sudan on the operation of checkpoints hindering internally displaced persons’ access to safety (a) between El Fasher and Tawila and (b) elsewhere in Sudan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the conflict in Sudan on children.

The conflict in Sudan has had a devastating impact on civilians and especially women and children. According to UNICEF, six million children have become displaced and approximately 23 million children are exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation. Conflict Related Sexual Violence is endemic and young girls continue to be targeted. UNICEF also assessed that nearly 90 per cent of Sudan's school age children (17 million out of a total of 19 million children in Sudan) are no longer in school with armed violence cited as the main reason. The UK continues to support children through the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund which provides support to local responders, such as the Emergency Response Rooms, who provide humanitarian assistance across Sudan. We also support UNICEF who are providing lifesaving nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable children. We consistently use our position as penholder at the UN Security Council on Sudan to push the warring parties to honour the Jeddah Declaration and uphold humanitarian law and protect civilians. As leader of the Core Group on Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council, we spearheaded the renewal of the Fact-Finding Mission's mandate which investigates human rights abuses and violations across Sudan. Those suspected of targeting, abusing or exploiting children must face justice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with EU counterparts on countering foreign information manipulation and interference.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) is a significant national security challenge for the UK and our partners. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has developed and increasingly deployed tools to combat information operations and disinformation. Alongside our EU counterparts, we are committed to expanding our counter FIMI capabilities and ensuring we have the resources, systems, and partnerships in place to address this threat. We will not allow this malign activity to go unchallenged and will look to act jointly wherever possible with our likeminded partners, including the EU and European partners. In the last six months, the UK has signed the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, where we have committed to increasing cooperation to tackle hybrid threats including FIMI with the EU; the UK-France Lancaster House Declaration and the UK-Germany Treaty on Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation, both of which also included commitments to increase cooperation to tackle FIMI with France and Germany respectively. I have regularly discussed these issues with my European counterparts and the European External Action Service.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to co-operate with EU counterparts on countering foreign information manipulation.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) is a significant national security challenge for the UK and our partners. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has developed and increasingly deployed tools to combat information operations and disinformation. Alongside our EU counterparts, we are committed to expanding our counter FIMI capabilities and ensuring we have the resources, systems, and partnerships in place to address this threat. We will not allow this malign activity to go unchallenged and will look to act jointly wherever possible with our likeminded partners, including the EU and European partners. In the last six months, the UK has signed the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, where we have committed to increasing cooperation to tackle hybrid threats including FIMI with the EU; the UK-France Lancaster House Declaration and the UK-Germany Treaty on Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation, both of which also included commitments to increase cooperation to tackle FIMI with France and Germany respectively. I have regularly discussed these issues with my European counterparts and the European External Action Service.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with international aid organisations on the potential impact of the availability of clean water not affected by cholera in conflict-affected areas of Sudan on levels of insecurity for women and girls in that country.

There are over 96,700 confirmed cases of cholera across 17 states in Sudan, with the true number likely to be significantly higher. The UK Government is working with international partners - including UNICEF, WHO, SFPA, and UNFPA - to help coordinate an effective response. This includes issuing targeted guidance on managing cholera among vulnerable groups, particularly women, girls, and malnourished children, through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutilation 2 (SFFGM2) and Women's Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH2) programmes. In addition, we have recently match-funded an extra £3.75 million of Kuwaiti support to UNICEF, supplementing UK resources already allocated to combat the outbreak. We continue to urge the UN to scale up its response and ensure that aid reaches those most in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the outbreak of cholera in Sudan on the delivery of UK aid in that country.

The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused a devastating cholera outbreak with more than 83,000 cases and 2,100 deaths since July 2024. More than 33.5 million people are at risk. Humanitarian agencies, against a backdrop of continued violence and access impediments, are working to respond to the current outbreak alongside other priorities. In response the UK is supporting the United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) and other agencies who are delivering lifesaving emergency health interventions, including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. Via an aid match agreement alongside the State of Kuwait we provided an additional $5 million to UNICEF. The UK is also advocating with UN organisations to deliver a sufficiently scaled-up cholera response. We continue to urge all parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether UK aid has been used to support water and sanitation services for people at risk of contracting cholera in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused a devastating cholera outbreak with more than 83,000 cases and 2,100 deaths since July 2024. More than 33.5 million people are at risk. Humanitarian agencies, against a backdrop of continued violence and access impediments, are working to respond to the current outbreak alongside other priorities. In response the UK is supporting the United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) and other agencies who are delivering lifesaving emergency health interventions, including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. Via an aid match agreement alongside the State of Kuwait we provided an additional $5 million to UNICEF. The UK is also advocating with UN organisations to deliver a sufficiently scaled-up cholera response. We continue to urge all parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of telecommunications infrastructure in Sudan on the delivery of UK aid in that country.

More than two years of sustained conflict has devastated Sudan's essential infrastructure including telecommunications networks. Millions of people across the country continue to experience significant communications disruptions with the limited availability of internet access severely impacting humanitarian agencies. Ongoing internet outages affects people's ability to access life-saving assistance such as mobile money services and it hinders Sudanese communities from communicating about their plight. The UK continues to advocate with the warring parties to respect the civilian nature of critical infrastructure. In addition, we continue to support the World Food Programme who are leading work on behalf of humanitarian agencies through the Telecommunications Cluster to help provide communications and connectivity services to relief actors.