Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ellie Chowns this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 51 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking with international partners to engage conflict parties in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve humanitarian access to areas affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the creation of a UN coordinator role to lead regional responses to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prepare humanitarian support for countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the event of the Ebola outbreak spreading.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are safeguarded from the Ebola outbreak.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to ensure safe and unrestricted humanitarian access in areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department's (a) Ministers and (b) officials based overseas have had with the Government of Indonesia on the clearance of indigenous peoples’ rainforests for large-scale food estates in Merauke District in Indonesian New Guinea.
We are aware of the ongoing issues around the implementation of food estates in Papua, including in Merauke District.The UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, raised the importance of free, prior and informed consent for indigenous people and local communities with senior parliamentarians and government officials during her visit to Indonesia last August. I also visited Indonesia in February and raised the importance the UK attaches to human rights and raised Papua directly with Vice Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno.The UK will continue to engage with Indonesia at senior levels on these important matters and encourage approaches that are consistent with international standards, long-term environmental protection, and the safeguarding of human rights.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK's Investor-State Dispute Settlement Scheme on foreign policy goals.
The UK is party to 77 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). The UK’s international investment agreements aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. These are fully consistent with our foreign policy goals and our economic ambitions for the country. We keep the operation of these provisions under review.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the risk of the possibility of arms supplied from the UK to the USA being used to commit serious violations of humanitarian law in Iran.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 April in response to Question 122968.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the risk of the possibility of arms supplied from the UK to Israel being used to commit serious violations of humanitarian law in Iran and Lebanon.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 April in response to Question 122968.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to attend the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in April and May 2026.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by the Minister of State for Defence in the House of Lords, Lord Coaker, on 10 December 2025, Official Report, vol. 851, cols. 235-238. We will confirm details of representation at the conference in the usual way in due course.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase humanitarian access for INGOs operating in Sudan.
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February following her recent visit to the Chad-Sudan border.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of UK citizens who have been (a) arrested, (b) detained and (c) deported by the Israeli authorities for picking olives in the West Bank; and whether her Department has made representations on behalf of those people.
We provided consular assistance to fewer than five British nationals detained by Israel in October 2025, all of whom have subsequently left the region. It is our long-standing policy not to publish statistical information on the reasons for consular assistance where fewer than five people have been affected, as this risks identifying the individuals involved.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK opposed advancing discussions on a new optional protocol on free education at the Intergovernmental Working Group on Free Education in September 2025; and whether she plans to review that decision.
The UK is committed to investing in children and promoting equal access to education. The UK already provides free primary and secondary education and has been supporting partners globally to deliver education for all. We challenged the need for a new optional protocol as free secondary education is already provided for under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. States Parties to these treaties should already be providing free education.We do not believe the resources required to develop a new treaty solely on free pre-primary education are justified when they could otherwise be used to implement existing international obligations.This position is in line with several UN entities, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the leading actor on child rights with a global presence and understanding of lived realities.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 80475 on Israel: Palestine, what response she has received from the Israeli Government in relation to her calls to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities.
Ministers and officials continue to raise this as a priority with our Israeli counterparts, and we will keep the House updated on the progress of these efforts.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to make a financial pledge to the Global Partnership for Education.
All financial allocations will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the former Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 1 September 2025, Official Report, column 77, whether the assessment of the risk of breaches of international humanitarian law included consideration of the incarceration of Marwan Barghouti.
The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to (a) hold discussions with her Israeli counterpart on and (b) take steps to help (i) support the release of Marwan Barghouti and (ii) end arbitrary detention of Palestinian political prisoners.
The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question HL2234 on Israel: Palestinians UIN, whether the International Committee of the Red Cross is given regular access to Marwan Barghouti.
The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report for the Inter-Parliamentary Union entitled PALESTINE: the trial of Mr. Marwan Barghouti, published on 3 October 2003.
The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure that Israel facilitates the safe delivery of humanitarian aid at the scale needed to alleviate starvation in Gaza.
The famine in Gaza City and the surrounding neighbourhood, as confirmed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), is utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable. On 12 August, the UK led 32 international partners in drawing attention to the unfolding famine in Gaza while urging Israel to allow large-scale access for the UN, international NGOs, and humanitarian partners.As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement on 22 August, the IPC report outlines the sickening reality created by Israel's restrictions on aid, especially for children; he called on the Government of Israel to act immediately to stop the situation deteriorating further. On 23 August, the Foreign Secretary pressed Foreign Minister Sa'ar on the IPC's confirmation of famine in Gaza and urged for all restrictions on aid to be lifted.We will continue to coordinate international efforts to press Israel to alleviate starvation in Gaza.