Written questions by Baxter.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support the return of children forcibly deported from Ukraine.

Last week, the Foreign Secretary visited Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, where she announced £5 million of UK funding to support justice and accountability for victims and survivors of alleged Russian war crimes.Together with First Lady Olena Zelenska, the Foreign Secretary met organisations that supported returned Ukrainian children from Russia, and a mother who was separated and now returned to her children.I raised this issue in my statements to the UN on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion on 24 February and hosted a lunch with Ministerial counterparts whilst there to drive forward action on this key issue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the UN Commission for Human Rights report entitled They are hunting us: systematic drone attacks targeting civilians in Kherson, dated 28 May 2025.

We are deeply concerned by this report by the UN Commission for Human Rights. The Commission concludes that Russian armed forces have committed the crime against humanity of murder and the war crime of attacking civilians, through a pattern of drone attacks on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson province. The UK is focused on Ukraine's immediate defence in the face of relentless Russian attacks on civilians. We have been at the forefront of international efforts to develop Ukraine's capacity to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes and to support survivors, including through the establishment of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group with US and EU partners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of reports of the alleged use of Ukrainian children by Russian forces in attacks on Ukrainian military assets.

In Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian authorities have introduced "military-patriotic" training in schools and in youth groups and expose Ukrainian children to military propaganda, urging enlistment in the Russian armed forces. This is a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. We are also aware of reports that Russia is recruiting Ukrainian teenagers and young adults to carry out espionage and sabotage in Ukraine. We are determined to hold those responsible for the militarisation of Ukrainian children to account. In November 2024, we announced a third round of sanctions targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children, including through the use of "military-patriotic" education.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on funding for initiatives tracking stolen Ukrainian children in temporarily occupied territories.

The UK works closely with our allies, including the US, on this issue. The UK has funded 'Save Ukraine', a non-governmental organisation which helps to return Ukrainian children, and 'Bring Kids Back UA' through The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. In March, I met representatives from both organisations, alongside Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa and senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, to discuss child deportation. The UK has issued three sanctions packages targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children. We are also a member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.