Written questions by Law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, on what date did her Department change its policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, what discussions did her Department have with its US counterparts ahead of the decision to change the UK Government's policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's ODA programmes in Malawi on helping that country make progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her timetable is for making a decision on the future of ODA funding for programmes in Malawi.

The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria she plans to use to determine whether her Department should continue to provide ODA funding for programmes in Malawi.

The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish a response to the letter addressed to her published by the First Minister of Scotland on 14 December 2025.

The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her officials have had with counterparts in the Scottish Government on the (a) alignment between and (b) potential impact of ODA programmes funded by both Governments in Malawi.

The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions the Prime Minister has met with his Malawian counterpart since 4 July 2024.

Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions she has visited Malawi since 4 July 2024.

Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions she has met with her Malawian counterpart since 4 July 2024.

Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance was allocated to Malawi in each of the last ten financial years.

Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions the Minister of State (International Development and Africa) has visited Malawi since 4 July 2024.

Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to hold an inquiry into the employment of Gila Ben-Yakov Phillips at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 19 November to question 90113.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to support doctors from IDEALS Charity who have been denied entry to Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the level of humanitarian medical access in Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterparts on the denial of entry of UK doctors to Gaza.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to reinstate multi-year core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

In July 2024, this Government reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and has since committed £27.5 million for 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people across the region. Future funding decisions will be taken in due course, and announced in the normal way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to suspend new military export licences to Israel, in the context of the findings of the report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of Palestinian institutions in (a) the West Bank and (b) East Jerusalem that are no longer able to provide services due to (i) Israeli demolitions, (ii) closures and (iii) funding restrictions.

The Government does not hold the requested estimates, but we work closely with civil society, international organisations, and the Palestinian Authority to assess the situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.