Written questions by Bailey.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to coordinate action to end a) settler violence and b) settlement expansion in the West Bank with other states that have recognised Palestine as a state.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on this issue in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December condemning the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to engage with a) members of the Sudan Quad and b) other states on coordinated action to i) prevent atrocities, ii) facilitate aid access and iii) support progress towards peace in Sudan since the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America on 18 November 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to coordinate with a) the co-signatories of the Joint Statement Condemning Atrocities and Violations of International Humanitarian law in Sudan, published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 10 November 2025, and b) other states on atrocity prevention in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of weather conditions projected over the next three months in Sudan on a) atrocity risks and b) humanitarian access in that country.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help support the economic recovery and development of Palestine.

On the Palestinian economy, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to Question 81795, and on the issue of illegal settlements, I refer him to the answer given on 3 July to Question 62975.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she plans to take to help deter extremist settler violence in the West Bank; and whether she has considered (a) targeted sanctions against individuals and organisations implicated in attacks and (b) the use of travel bans and asset freezes against leading figures within the settler movement.

On the Palestinian economy, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to Question 81795, and on the issue of illegal settlements, I refer him to the answer given on 3 July to Question 62975.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the impact of Israeli economic restrictions on the Palestinian economy and people.

On the Palestinian economy, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to Question 81795, and on the issue of illegal settlements, I refer him to the answer given on 3 July to Question 62975.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor levels of political (a) violence and (b) persecution in Bangladesh; and what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in Bangladesh on those issues.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights globally. We are closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and held discussions about the importance of human rights with Chief Adviser Yunus, and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. In February, UK Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh and met senior government officials to discuss justice, accountability and fundamental freedoms.To support democratic resilience, and reduce political tensions, the UK funded Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme aims at safeguarding civic space, encouraging political cooperation, tackling corruption and mitigating violence. We continue to stress to the Government, both in public and in private, the importance of respect for human rights and rule of law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing sanctions on Israel Katz in the context of his proposals for the Gazan population in Rafah.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 21 July, Minister Katz's proposal is a cruel vision that must never come to pass. We condemn it unequivocally. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on facilitating the medical treatment of (a) injured and (b) seriously ill Palestinian children.

The UK remains in regular contact at all levels with the Government of Israel to press for an increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza. On 19 May, we issued a joint donor statement on the humanitarian situation calling for a full resumption of aid and for Israel to allow the UN and other aid organisations to operate independently. We urge Israel to let Gazans receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment. The UK supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing sanctions on (a) Itamar Ben Gvir and (b) Bezalel Smotrich.

On the 10 June 2025, together with international partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, we announced measures against Israeli government ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. We sanctioned these individuals in their personal capacity as a result of their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Both will be subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. We have long been clear that Israel must cease expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state. It is right that we, along with international partners, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring they are held accountable for encouraging and inciting human rights abuses. Our joint statement made clear our commitment to continuing a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties and values. We remain committed to a two-state solution which ensures a safe and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterparts in Indonesia on corporal punishment in relation to consensual intimacy between adult men.

The UK opposes all forms of discrimination and is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people around the world. The UK also opposes the use of judicially imposed corporal punishment. In Indonesia, we actively engage with Civil Society Organisations, legislators, and the Government of Indonesia, through our Embassy in Jakarta, to oppose discrimination against minority groups, including the LGBT community. We encourage Indonesia to ensure that its laws, both at national and local level, are non-discriminatory and celebrate the diversity and tolerance of its people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he plans to allocate to mine action in the 2025-26 financial year.

We are currently considering Official Development Assistance programme allocations for 2025/26 and will publish them in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts in the summer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support access for UNRWA to northern Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable. I have raised the dire situation in the north of Gaza with both the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister and the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, most recently on 3 January. We have repeatedly urged the Government of Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its vital operations across Gaza, including in our contacts with Israeli ministers, and at the UN Security Council in January. The Prime Minister underlined the UK's support for UNRWA by announcing, on 11 December, an additional £13 million for UNRWA to support vital services for Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the region, bringing our support for UNRWA's work across the region to £41m this financial year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Troika and (b) other partners on (i) monitoring and (ii) rapid diplomatic responses to escalations in the levels of atrocity risks in (A) Zamzam refugee camp, (B) Darfur and (C) Sudan.

The Foreign Secretary has raised the issue of increased atrocity risks in Sudan with a number of key regional and international actors. In December, the Foreign Secretary discussed protection of civilians in Sudan with Troika counterparts Secretary Blinken (US) and Foreign Minister Barth Eide (Norway). The Foreign Secretary also engaged with the African Union and African Security Council members during his visit to New York in November, including at a roundtable he hosted where he urged states to use their influence with the warring parties to push for improved humanitarian access in Sudan and protection of civilians. We will continue to use our engagements with international partners to pressure warring parties to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law.