Written questions by Dodds.

What steps her Department is taking to assess and prevent the transnational repression of Sudanese nationals and their families.

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR) and found that the UK has tools and system-wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. In particular, the National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter activity amounting to TNR.The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk. On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state-directed.Guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure access of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to conduct an investigation in Sudan.

We have expressed our concern over reports of the use of Chemical Weapons in Sudan, most recently at the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention held in The Hague from 24-28 November.  We note that the Sudanese authorities in Port Sudan have established a national investigative committee to investigate reported use of chemical weapons. We have urged them to investigate fully and promptly.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the a) fatality and b) injury rate of fires attended by fire services during the night hours compared with fires during daytimes.

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS). This includes information on fires and fire-related fatalities and casualties by hour of the day from 2010 to 2025. Data covering the year ending March 2025 is published on gov.uk here, see FIRE 0801 ‘Percentage of fires and fire-related fatalities by hour of the day’. These tables present the percentage of fatalities from all incidents occurring at the different hours of the day, along with breakdowns by financial year. Data is available on the total number of fatalities and non-fatal casualties in the FIRE 0501 data table. Incident level data is also available on both casualties and fatalities in fires by individual person recorded, which provides further details on injury type and severity for everyone involved in the incident by hour of the day, however this data is not aggregated. The datasets covering fatalities and casualties are published on gov.uk here. Additionally, an in-depth review was conducted of fire-related fatalities and severe casualties in England from 2010/11 to 2018/19, which is available on gov.uk here. Section 4.3.3 of this paper specifically discusses the time of day fatal and severe casualty fires occur.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a child-focused victim-assistance component of any demining funding for Sudan to support (a) prosthetics, (b) rehabilitation and (c) education for blast-injured survivors.

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.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made any assessment of the impact on family life of twelve hour shifts within the fire service.

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery. The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies. Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

Communities and Local Government, whether fire services are classified as safety-critical work for the purposes of the HSE's classification of 12-hour shifts as undesirable for such work.

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery. The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies. Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to help ensure the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces urgently engage with the United Nations to (a) sign and (b) implement action plans to prevent further violations under the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict framework.

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, 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.

Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of fires attended by fire services affecting i) heritage sites ii) tower blocks and iii) HMOs during a) the night hours and b) daytimes.

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS), which includes data on different dwelling and building types, as well as on fires by hour of the day. These statistics are published on gov.uk here.Data is available on fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) by dwelling type, which includes Purpose Built High Rise (10+ stories), Flats/Maisonettes, and Multiple Occupancy Dwellings (see FIRE0205). However, the department does not presently collect data on heritage site status. Data is also available on all fires by hour of the day, from 2017 onwards, which is published here.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the ongoing issues with Kennington Bridge on local, regional and national (a) connectivity and (b) economic development, and on the delivery of other major infrastructure including the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.

I am aware of the continuing funding issues with Kennington Bridge and the importance of this key structure both to local, regional and national connectivity. The bridge is a local scheme and therefore any assessment to connectivity, economic development or for the delivery of other major infrastructure is for Oxfordshire County Council to undertake.

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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

With reference to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles publication T0194 – Covered car parks - fire safety guidance for electric vehicles, published in July 2023, what recent steps has her Department taken to mitigate fire risks from electric vehicles in underground car parks.

The safety of electric vehicles (EVs) is very important to Government and is reviewed regularly. The Department continues to engage with international research relating to EV fire safety. Data suggests that EV fires are no more likely to occur than fires in combustion vehicles. The ‘Covered car parks - fire safety guidance for electric vehicles’ provides car park operators with practical mitigations to prevent the occurrence and spread of EV fires.