Written questions by Dodds.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has commissioned research on the (a) scale and (b) impact of misogynistic online content.

The government is committed to tackling misogynistic online content and has taken action by criminalising additional forms of intimate image abuse, as well as prioritising these under the Online Safety Act, and introducing new measures including a 48‑hour takedown duty. Ofcom has produced guidance setting out how providers can take action against harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls, in recognition of the unique risks they face. Ofcom surveys found 15% of UK adults reported seeing content that objectified or demeaned women in the four weeks prior to January 2026. This was down from 20% in June 2025. We know there is still much more to do and are committed to acting.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information is collected by her Department on incidences related to transnational repression.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on her policies of Médecins Sans Frontières' report entitled There is something that I want to tell you...: surviving the sexual violence crisis in Darfur, published on 31 March 2026.

I thank the Rt. Hon Member for her consistent and passionate campaigning on this issue. The UK remains determined to tackle the abhorrent levels of violence against women and girls in Sudan, including the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war, and we continue to work with international partners and Non Governmental Organisations to provide support to the victims of that violence, to pursue justice against the perpetrators, and to seek a path to lasting peace and security in Sudan, so that women and girls in that country, and those that have fled to neighbouring countries, can live their lives free from fear.

What support she is providing to universities on the issue of transnational repression of their staff and students.

Any attempt to intimidate, harass or harm academics in the UK will not be tolerated. Since February 2026, we have held a series of events, engaging over 200 higher education staff on foreign interference concerns such as transnational repression, including a meeting of Vice-Chancellors with Ministers and MI5. The Education Secretary also met with academics to discuss how to strengthen support.The National Security Act 2023 provides effective tools which increase our ability to target hostile activity from foreign states. For higher education, there are a range of relevant regulatory expectations including around academic freedom, free speech and protection from harassment. We have also issued guidance available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protecting-uk-higher-education-from-foreign-interference to help students and staff identify and escalate concerns.The government is investing £3 million in a package of measures to tackle foreign interference, including a new Academic Interference Reporting Route, enabling senior university leaders to raise concerns directly with government.

What steps is she taking to help support academics in the UK from transnational repression.

Any attempt to intimidate, harass or harm academics in the UK will not be tolerated. Since February 2026, we have held a series of events, engaging over 200 higher education staff on foreign interference concerns such as transnational repression, including a meeting of Vice-Chancellors with Ministers and MI5. The Education Secretary also met with academics to discuss how to strengthen support.The National Security Act 2023 provides effective tools which increase our ability to target hostile activity from foreign states. For higher education, there are a range of relevant regulatory expectations including around academic freedom, free speech and protection from harassment. We have also issued guidance available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protecting-uk-higher-education-from-foreign-interference to help students and staff identify and escalate concerns.The government is investing £3 million in a package of measures to tackle foreign interference, including a new Academic Interference Reporting Route, enabling senior university leaders to raise concerns directly with government.

Whether she is taking steps to engage with universities on the issue of the transnational repression of their staff and students.

Any attempt to intimidate, harass or harm academics in the UK will not be tolerated. Since February 2026, we have held a series of events, engaging over 200 higher education staff on foreign interference concerns such as transnational repression, including a meeting of Vice-Chancellors with Ministers and MI5. The Education Secretary also met with academics to discuss how to strengthen support.The National Security Act 2023 provides effective tools which increase our ability to target hostile activity from foreign states. For higher education, there are a range of relevant regulatory expectations including around academic freedom, free speech and protection from harassment. We have also issued guidance available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protecting-uk-higher-education-from-foreign-interference to help students and staff identify and escalate concerns.The government is investing £3 million in a package of measures to tackle foreign interference, including a new Academic Interference Reporting Route, enabling senior university leaders to raise concerns directly with government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle transnational repression in the UK but which relates to other countries by definition.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of sexual violence perpetrated by armed actors in Darfur.

I thank the Rt. Hon Member for her consistent and passionate campaigning on this issue. The UK remains determined to tackle the abhorrent levels of violence against women and girls in Sudan, including the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war, and we continue to work with international partners and Non Governmental Organisations to provide support to the victims of that violence, to pursue justice against the perpetrators, and to seek a path to lasting peace and security in Sudan, so that women and girls in that country, and those that have fled to neighbouring countries, can live their lives free from fear.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what definition has her Department used to identify instances of transnational repression.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.

What support is available to targets of transnational repression in the UK.

The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously.A range of support and security assistance mechanisms have been developed to protect individuals that are at risk of transnational repression. This assistance is based on threat and varied in its scope and approach, but can include tailored protective security advice, cybersecurity measures, and access to broader public resources. Practical guidance is available on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk of TNR, providing clear advice on both physical and online safety and how to report concerns.Anyone who thinks they might be a victim of transnational repression should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Whether she has held discussions with victims of transnational repression and with civil society on the implementation of the Department's TNR Guidance.

Engagement with affected individuals, civil society organisations, community representatives and academics informed the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review of transnational repression and its recommendations. Insights from this engagement helped shape the Government’s response, including the publication of practical guidance on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk.The Government continues to engage with civil society and affected individuals at both official and Ministerial levels to refine its understanding of how transnational repression presents in the UK and to ensure that its response, including guidance, remains proportionate, evidence led and responsive to the evolving threat.

Whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of responses from 999 and 111 services to victims in the UK of transnational repression.

If individuals think they are a victim of any form of state directed activity, they should report this to police via the established mechanisms - 101, 999, or at a local police station.We have carefully considered, in consultation with Counter Terrorism Policing, how best to encourage reporting and ensure that reports received are treated seriously and dealt with appropriately.The existing functions have been found to be efficient, effective, and widely recognised, with trained officers and staff dealing with crime reporting on a 24/7 basis. This ensures policing can respond to the situation as it presents, including immediate deployment of police in an emergency if necessary.These existing mechanisms also ensure victims receive the support and protection they need.Translators and language support are embedded within existing reporting mechanisms, and work is underway to ensure those providing interpretation for policing understand the nature of TNR, supporting accurate referral and victim confidence.

What contact her Department has had with targets of transnational repression in the UK.

Owing to the sensitive nature of this activity and the need to protect individuals, it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.Engagement with affected individuals informed the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review of transnational repression and its recommendations. This included contact with victims and those directly affected, alongside engagement with civil society organisations, academics and community representatives, to build understanding of how transnational repression presents in the UK and its impact on individuals.The Home Office continues to engage with civil society and affected individuals to refine its understanding of the threat and to ensure the Government’s response remains proportionate, evidence led and responsive as the threat evolves.

What mechanisms her Department has developed for the reporting and monitoring of transnational repression.

The Government is committed to ensuring that individuals who believe they may be victims of transnational repression have access to clear, trusted and effective mechanisms for reporting concerns and receiving support. The Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Review considered, in consultation with Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), how best to encourage reporting and ensure reports are treated seriously and dealt with appropriately.CTP’s assessment, developed in conjunction with the Government, is that the existing 999 and 101 services are the most widely known and accessible routes for contacting the police. These allow call handlers to assess reports and provide the most appropriate response, including immediate action where required, and to refer cases to specialist teams depending on the nature of the activity, including potential state threats.The Government will continue to work closely with policing to strengthen awareness, confidence and capability in responding to transnational repression, while ensuring the approach remains proportionate, effective and focused on protecting those most at risk.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the experience of victims of transnational repression in the UK justice system.

Engagement with victims of transnational repression (TNR) informed the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review and recommendations. This included engagement with affected individuals, civil society organisations, academics and community representatives.The Government continues to engage with victims and civil society at both official and ministerial levels to ensure its understanding of TNR in the UK remains evidence led and responsive to evolving threats.The Government’s approach is underpinned by a coordinated, whole‑of‑government response, with departments and law enforcement working together to align legal, operational and protective measures. Recognising the significant impact TNR can have on victims, action is being taken to improve awareness and handling across the system, including specialist training for policing and the publication of practical protective security guidance.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing victim-protection measures for individuals targeted by transnational repression.

The Government takes the safety of individuals who may be at risk of transnational repression (TNR) extremely seriously, and support is always threat‑led and tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual security arrangements, but the UK acts swiftly when risks are identified.The Government has published practical guidance on GOV.UK for those who believe they may be at risk, offering advice on physical and online safety, signposting reporting routes, and linking to wider protective security resources, including NCSC and NPSA materials.The Government continues to work with partners, including law enforcement and civil society, to refine its understanding of how TNR presents in practice and to ensure that victim protection measures remain effective, proportionate and responsive to the threat.Anyone who believes they are a victim of state-directed activity should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

To what extent have police officers been trained on the subject of transnational repression.

Police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms in place to assess, detect and disrupt state linked threats, including transnational repression, using a wide range of tactics to protect those at risk.Training has been rolled out across all UK police forces, including upskilling of 999 call handlers, to improve frontline identification of state-directed crimes.The police have implemented new processes which ensure they flag and record crime reports that may involve foreign interference; these are triaged locally and escalated to Counter Terrorism Policing specialists where appropriate, strengthening national visibility of reporting trends and methodologies.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to publish the Joint Declaration of Intent on reducing deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon signed by Norway, Peru, Germany and the UK in 2026.

The UK will agree a publication plan for the Joint Declaration with our partners from Peru, Germany and Norway, once all formal processes around the declaration have been completed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK/Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership on Critical Minerals, published on 29 November 2024, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) the British Embassy in Jakarta have had with the Government of Indonesia on the potential impact of nickel mining in North Maluku on the threat to the survival of the uncontacted Hongana Manyawa indigenous people.

The UK and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Strategic Partnership on Critical Minerals on 29 November 2024. The MoU provides a framework for cooperation on resilient, responsible, and sustainable critical minerals' supply chains. This partnership was further enhanced through the Climate, Nature and Energy Pillar of the Strategic Partnership, launched by the Prime Minister and the President of Indonesia in January, reinforcing both governments' commitment to cooperation on responsible and sustainable critical minerals development.Under this MoU, our Embassy in Jakarta continues to engage Indonesian partners, including the Government, through policy dialogue and technical cooperation to encourage alignment with international standards on responsible mining, including the protection of Indigenous Peoples, like the Hongana Manyawa in North Maluku, and local communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials based overseas have had with the governments of countries with uncontacted indigenous peoples on the protection of the rights of those peoples, including Indonesia, India, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil.

The UK voted for the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and supports its principles, including respect for the rights, autonomy and protection of all indigenous people - including those living in voluntary isolation.The UK raises the rights of indigenous people through ongoing diplomatic engagement and works bilaterally and through multilateral institutions to encourage states to meet their international human rights commitments, including in countries where uncontacted indigenous people are present.