Written questions by McDougall.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will extend UK sanctions on shadow oil tankers dealing in Russian oil to (a) those providing (i) storage facilities and (ii) fuel, (b) port operators that facilitate the docking of sanctioned vessels], (c) senior crew members operating on sanctioned vessels and (d) buyers, brokers and intermediaries that deal with sanctioned vessels and their cargo.

UK sanctions against Russia aim to deny Putin the means to continue his illegal war. We have sanctioned 15 shadow oil tankers to date - action which has materially disrupted the shadow fleet's ability to operate. The UK cannot comment on future sanctions. Nevertheless, as this Government made clear when we spearheaded a "call to action" against the shadow fleet in July, we are determined to go further to address the risks the shadow fleet poses to the environment, maritime safety and security in Europe, including through further sanctions. Anyone who assists UK-sanctioned vessels, including shadow tankers, exposes themselves to significant sanctions risk.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

The UK is committed to the recovery, stabilisation and reconstruction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as soon as the context allows. Planning for that must start now. The UK is clear: this must be Palestinian-led and support a political process towards a two-state solution. The UK's humanitarian aid and technical assistance, including through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to the Palestinian Authority, is helping to support Gaza and prepare for that next phase. But the scale of the challenge is large. According to a UN/World Bank assessment earlier this year, reconstruction costs will exceed $18.5 billion. The UK is therefore committed to working with international partners, other donors, the UN, World Bank and private sector to begin planning for how we can meet this challenge.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure access to clean water for people in the developing world.

The UK is committed to advancing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in developing countries and for those most likely to be marginalised, including women and girls. Our £18.5 million WASH Systems for Health programme is supporting governments in six developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to strengthen WASH systems. The UK also provides support to UNICEF to strengthen the capacity of 11 government partners to establish climate resilient WASH services. Last month I announced a new package of aid for Sudan, South Sudan and Chad. This package includes provision for 40,000 displaced people with safe water in South Sudan. Additionally, support to the Sanitation and Water for All partnership supports the leadership, collaboration and accountability needed for progress globally.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help end the execution of political prisoners in Iran.

The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Iran's consistently high rate of executions is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. In August, I said on X that we condemned the Iranian regime's executions, including that of protester Reza Rasaei. We will continue to hold Iran accountable for its appalling human rights violations, including at the UN Third Committee in October 2024.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to ban the import of oil products whose origin is derived from crude oil of Russian origin.

The action the UK and its partners have taken to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with Russia forced to shoulder a 24% reduction in oil and gas revenues in 2023 compared to 2022. Importers of oil and oil products into the UK, as well as those seeking to access UK services to facilitate above-cap oil trades, must provide proof that goods are not of Russian origin. The UK continues to limit Russian revenues, for example through our actions to disrupt and deter Russia's 'shadow fleet'. The Government is committed to rigorously enforcing our sanctions, keeps all our sanctions under review, and will not hesitate to take further action to limit Russian revenues which fuel its war machine.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to help secure the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner, Jimmy Lai.

British national Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for the Government. The Foreign Secretary raised his case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July. We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai and we will continue to press for consular access.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on (a) the use of residential boarding schools as a means of undermining Tibetan culture, (b) the release of the Panchen Lama from detention, (c) the right of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to choose his successor and (d) other issues relating to human rights in Tibet.

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.We will stand firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to support democratic forces in Belarus.

Since the flawed elections of 2020, the UK has consistently supported the efforts of the democratic opposition in its peaceful struggle to realise the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus. On 11 July, the UK, alongside other partners, invoked the OSCE Vienna Mechanism to hold the Belarusian authorities to account over the treatment of political prisoners in Belarus. Most recently, the UK invited Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to meet with European leaders, including with the Foreign Secretary and myself [Minister Doughty], in the margins of the European Political Community summit at Blenheim palace on 18 July.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment f the potential merits of negotiating a reciprocal agreement with the Government of Spain that will allow British citizens with holiday properties in Spain to spend six months in that country.

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their arrangements for Third Country Nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows for Third Country Nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling to the EU. While we recognise that extending the 90-180 day period is a matter for Member States and the EU, the Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals abroad.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Georgia on the passing of the law on the transparency of foreign influence in that country.

The UK is committed to supporting a vibrant civil society in Georgia as an essential attribute of a healthy democracy. The Foreign Secretary met Georgian Foreign Minister Darchiashvili on 18 July at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace. He urged the Georgian Government to return to its path of progressive democracy, in line with the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of over 80 per cent of the Georgian people.We continue to closely monitor developments.