Written questions by Smith.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she has taken with her international counterparts to help ensure the independence of Armenia’s Apostolic Christian Church.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 November 2025 to Question 89462.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of Prime Minister of Armenia moving to enact state control of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 November 2025 to Question 89462.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the state of religious freedom in Armenia.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 November 2025 to Question 89462.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with its international partners and relevant authorities on restrictions on girls’ access to education in Afghanistan.

The UK Government condemns the Taliban's ban on girls' secondary and higher education in Afghanistan. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials consistently raise human rights concerns, including the ban on girls' education, in engagements with the Taliban, including during every visit to Kabul. The UK works closely with international partners to sustain pressure on the Taliban, including through our chairmanship of the G7+ group of countries, our membership of the Afghanistan Coordination Group and engagement through the UN and the Human Rights Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of Russia sending Ukrainian children to camps in North Korea; and if she will have discussions with her NATO counterparts on demanding the return of those children back to Ukraine.

These reports are highly alarming and would represent a further concerning aspect of the deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea. As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 15 October, the kidnapping and forcible deportation of almost 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia is one of the most disturbing aspects of this war, and we will continue to do all we can to support the return of those children, as well as monitoring the latest reports on their whereabouts and treatment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of torture and other serious human rights abuses in scam centres operating in Cambodia; and what steps his Department is taking to press for accountability and the protection of victims.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to take further steps beyond recent sanctions to address human rights abuses linked to Cambodian scam centres, including efforts to secure the release of individuals held in conditions amounting to torture.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled UK and US take joint action to disrupt major online fraud network, published on 14 October 2025, what steps she is taking to support international efforts to monitor conditions in Cambodian scam centres and assist victims of torture and other abuses.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor and prevent the rerouting of assets, including gold reserves, from Cambodia to other jurisdictions following recent sanctions; and whether she is working with international partners to disrupt money laundering linked to cybercrime networks in Cambodia.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 November in response to Questions 85061-64, and I would add that we are closely monitoring reports of torture, human trafficking and other abuses in Myanmar-based scam centres, working with partners and international organisations to gather evidence of the scale of the problem, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to detect, investigate, and disrupt online trafficking recruitment and illicit financial flows linked to cyber-enabled fraud. All evidence is kept under review, and further action will be taken when needed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last raised the case of Karim Ennarah with her Egyptian counterpart.

The UK regularly raises human rights and civil society issues with the Egyptian authorities. We are aware of Mr Karim Ennarah's case, and our Ambassador in Egypt met Mr Ennarah and his wife in October this year.We are committed to supporting human rights defenders, who play a vital role and should be able to work freely in Egypt, consistent with rights guaranteed under the Egyptian Constitution.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Chinese counterpart on releasing Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and other pastors and members of Zion Church arrested on 10 October 2025.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 75048 on 16 September.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on the ongoing transnational repression of the Falun Gong; and what steps she is taking to ensure their protection in the UK.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 43452 on 09 April.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to provide technical or financial assistance to support the establishment of the International Claims Commission and its associated compensation fund.

We are clear that Russia must be held accountable for its illegal actions in Ukraine. The UK is a founding member of the Register of Damage and Chair of the Conference of Participants, under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The process to establish a Claims Commission as the next stage in an international compensation mechanism is still ongoing. The UK has participated in all four rounds of negotiations and continues to actively engage.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered the practice of forced passportization in territories of Ukraine currently under Russian occupation.

It has been widely-documented that residents in Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories are being compelled to take Russian passports to access essential services such as healthcare, education and pensions, with those who refuse facing detention, deportation, and the loss of property rights. This is a clear breach of international humanitarian law, and we continue to condemn it in international fora, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the UN.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by (a) the Australian Strategic Policy Institute entitled Scamland Myanmar: How conflict and crime syndicates built a global fraud industry, published in September 2024, and (b) the US Institute of Peace entitled Myanmar Scam Hubs Revive Fast After China Eases Pressure on Junta, published on 26 September 2024.

The UK is acting in concert with our allies and partners to combat the growing transnational threat from scam centres, including by joining the US in sanctioning the multi-billion-pound Prince Group network in October, and sanctioning 3 individuals in 2023 for their involvement in trafficking to Myanmar-based scam centres. By exposing and severely disrupting such actors, our sanctions act as a strong deterrence and put pressure on the wider scam economy and its enablers, supporting the efforts of affected countries in the region. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.Scam centres operating in Myanmar are likely to target a wide range of nationals, including British nationals, as victims of scams and potentially for recruitment into the centres themselves. It is crucial that all British nationals carefully consider job offers in the region, especially where the offer appears too good to be true.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in Ukraine on an extension of tariff-free access for Ukrainian (a) poultry and (b) egg products, which is due to expire in March 2026.

The extension was raised by the Ukrainians during the Foreign Secretary's visit to Kyiv on 12 September. This information was relayed to the Department for Business and Trade who lead on the UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement including the question of the extension of provisions for eggs and poultry. The Department for Business and Trade have confirmed that they will review the options on egg and poultry tariffs before March 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in levels of people trafficking to work as forced labour in scam centres in Myanmar run by Chinese-organised crime syndicates; and what information her Department holds on whether British nationals have been forcibly trafficked to work in those centres.

The UK is acting in concert with our allies and partners to combat the growing transnational threat from scam centres, including by joining the US in sanctioning the multi-billion-pound Prince Group network in October, and sanctioning 3 individuals in 2023 for their involvement in trafficking to Myanmar-based scam centres. By exposing and severely disrupting such actors, our sanctions act as a strong deterrence and put pressure on the wider scam economy and its enablers, supporting the efforts of affected countries in the region. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.Scam centres operating in Myanmar are likely to target a wide range of nationals, including British nationals, as victims of scams and potentially for recruitment into the centres themselves. It is crucial that all British nationals carefully consider job offers in the region, especially where the offer appears too good to be true.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what sanctions the UK has imposed on people running transnational crime syndicates operating scam centres in Myanmar; and whether she is taking steps to impose new sanctions, in the context of US measures in September 2025.

The UK is acting in concert with our allies and partners to combat the growing transnational threat from scam centres, including by joining the US in sanctioning the multi-billion-pound Prince Group network in October, and sanctioning 3 individuals in 2023 for their involvement in trafficking to Myanmar-based scam centres. By exposing and severely disrupting such actors, our sanctions act as a strong deterrence and put pressure on the wider scam economy and its enablers, supporting the efforts of affected countries in the region. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.Scam centres operating in Myanmar are likely to target a wide range of nationals, including British nationals, as victims of scams and potentially for recruitment into the centres themselves. It is crucial that all British nationals carefully consider job offers in the region, especially where the offer appears too good to be true.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of Fortify Rights' report entitled Crashing Down on Us, published in September 2025; and what steps she is taking to help tackle China’s reported supply of (a) funds, (b) fuel and (c) equipment for the support of the Myanmar junta’s airstrikes.

The UK is acting in concert with our allies and partners to combat the growing transnational threat from scam centres, including by joining the US in sanctioning the multi-billion-pound Prince Group network in October, and sanctioning 3 individuals in 2023 for their involvement in trafficking to Myanmar-based scam centres. By exposing and severely disrupting such actors, our sanctions act as a strong deterrence and put pressure on the wider scam economy and its enablers, supporting the efforts of affected countries in the region. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.Scam centres operating in Myanmar are likely to target a wide range of nationals, including British nationals, as victims of scams and potentially for recruitment into the centres themselves. It is crucial that all British nationals carefully consider job offers in the region, especially where the offer appears too good to be true.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of (a) the Chinese Communist Party regime, (b) Chinese transnational organised crime syndicates and (c) Myanmar’s military junta and pro-junta armed militias in the operation of large-scale scam centres in Myanmar.

The UK is acting in concert with our allies and partners to combat the growing transnational threat from scam centres, including by joining the US in sanctioning the multi-billion-pound Prince Group network in October, and sanctioning 3 individuals in 2023 for their involvement in trafficking to Myanmar-based scam centres. By exposing and severely disrupting such actors, our sanctions act as a strong deterrence and put pressure on the wider scam economy and its enablers, supporting the efforts of affected countries in the region. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.Scam centres operating in Myanmar are likely to target a wide range of nationals, including British nationals, as victims of scams and potentially for recruitment into the centres themselves. It is crucial that all British nationals carefully consider job offers in the region, especially where the offer appears too good to be true.