Written questions by Blundell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure humanitarian relief is provided to support the mental health of children and young people in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the movement of more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps are being taken to strengthen European support for Ukraine.

I refer the Hon Member to my opening statement in the general debate on Ukraine held on 14 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of UK sanctions related to illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 17 September 2025 to Question 74580.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance has been issued to UK companies regarding involvement in settlement-related construction and infrastructure projects.

Guidance for businesses can be found on the Overseas Business Risk page for Palestine: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-palestine/overseas-business-risk-the-occupied-palestinian-territories. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the mental health needs of children in Ukraine.

The UK remains committed to supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children affected by the war in Ukraine. This year, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will provide £9.4 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) to target urgent needs - including mental health and psychosocial support. URCS will support the delivery of community-based psychosocial services, including, safe, accessible spaces where children can receive essential support, and will expand training for mental health professionals promoting regional knowledge-sharing.The UK is also leading a multi-donor programme, Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, which will enhance the capacity of Ukraine's education system to respond to the mental health needs of children. This programme focuses on equipping schoolteachers with the skills to identify signs of psychological distress and to facilitate appropriate referrals, thereby embedding mental health awareness and support within the school environment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support the mental health needs of children in Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. We highlighted the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July, and at the International Development Committee on 16 July. We have provided £5.6 million to the Global Partnership for Education to support the educational and psychosocial needs of children and young people in Gaza and the West Bank. Our support to Education Cannot Wait is also supporting children's education and mental health via the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps with his international counterparts to establish an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary are committed to convening a meeting for an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. We welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding. We want to make sure that the meeting will have the desired effect of building trust across the two communities, and that the timing is sensitive to the circumstances in the region. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on appointing a special envoy for complex detention cases.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will advocate for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against (a) President Putin and (b) the political leadership of the Russian Federation.

The UK continues to support work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and is playing an active role in the Core Group established by Ukraine to progress this work. Senior UK legal and policy experts attended the most recent Core Group meeting in February in Brussels, and will attend further meetings this month in Strasbourg. Our focus within the Core Group is to ensure that any legal instruments agreed for the establishment of a Special Tribunal are legally sound and able to attract broad international support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve unity amongst his European counterparts on the provision of support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

The UK Government is in constant contact with European partners to ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs. The Foreign Secretary and I engage regularly with European counterparts on this issue, including at the Munich Security Conference on 14-16 February. On 2 March, the Prime Minister will convene a group of countries to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face.