Every parliamentary written question tabled by Laurence Turner this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–8 of 8 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she is making to G7 partner nations on the prevention of transnational repression.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating repatriation flights for UK nationals in Iran.
The safety and security of British nationals (BNs) is our top priority. We have long advised against all travel to Iran. We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw our UK staff from Iran. The embassy will continue to operate remotely. The UK Government will not be able to evacuate or provide face-to-face assistance to BNs. If BNs intend to depart Iran across a land border and consider it safe, they should check the travel advice of the country they intend to enter before travelling to the border, including visa requirements. BNs requiring assistance can contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 24/7.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to progress Sustainable Development Goal 4.
With some 250 million children, and growing, out of school globally, it is very unlikely that Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) will be met by 2030. The UK is working with the humanitarian system, leveraging multilateral institutions' funding, and strategically deploying scarce resources to improve access to quality education through stronger systems.For example, in November 2024, the UK provided £14 million of earmarked support for Sudanese refugees through Education Cannot Wait. This funding supports 200,000 vulnerable displaced children with education interventions in Sudan and reaches Sudanese refugee populations in Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda.With a global annual financing gap of $97 billion to deliver SDG4, the UK is working to unlock additional education finance through mechanisms such as the innovative International Finance Facility for Education, which will unlock up to $1 billion in additional and affordable education finance for lower middle-income country governments, providing a seven-fold return on our investment.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Colombia on the potential renewal of the UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty.
The Government has not been formally approached by the Colombian government about proposals to amend the UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The Government regards the UK-Colombia BIT as playing an important role in the investment relationship between our two countries. The stock of total investment between the UK and Colombia was £6.8 billion in 2023. Following the UK-Colombia BIT's initial ten-year term, in accordance with the treaty's provisions, it shall remain in force indefinitely unless it is terminated by either Party.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department.
Based on review of available data held centrally, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not have any contracts with the company 'BFS Group Limited' or any of its subsidiaries. There have only been a handful of low-value transitions with the vendor across the FCDO network: totalling less than £15,000 from April 2023 onwards. The FCDO does not hold data on behalf of our agencies and so the member will need to engage with them directly for confirmation.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of (a) UK and (b) other sanctions on Russian economic performance.
Our Russia sanctions are restricting Putin's war machine and degrading his military. Sanctions have deprived Russia of over $400 billion since February 2022, equivalent to four more years of funding for the invasion. We have sanctioned 73 vessels forming part of Russia's 'Shadow Fleet', more than any other country. Many of these ships have been left idling at sea, and have struggled to fully re-enter the Russian oil trade. In September 2024 we sanctioned carriers transporting Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), followed by a second set of vessels sanctioned in October. These carriers were involved in the shipping of LNG from Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project which has recently been forced to cease production as a result of sanctions, denying Russia a key source of revenue. The FCDO regularly reviews the effectiveness and impact of our sanction regimes and remains committed to continuing to impose and enforce sanctions, alongside our partners, to constrain Russia's remaining sources of revenue.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the humanitarian situation in the north of Gaza.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable. The Foreign Secretary's statement to Parliament underlined our serious concern about northern Gaza. On 16th October I visited Al-Arish and saw the scale of humanitarian aid denied entry into Gaza, Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza. Very little aid is being allowed in, and civilians, medical personnel, hospitals and healthcare centres are coming under fire at an unacceptable rate. Israel must do much more to protect civilians, including the medics northern Gaza desperately needs, and let more aid in now. The Prime Minister met with President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, and President Macron in Berlin on 18 October to discuss the situation in northern Gaza and the Middle East more broadly. He made our position clear: "the world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance. Civilians in northern Gaza need food, now." We continue, alongside our partners, to press Israel to take action - Israel must show the world it is protecting civilians in compliance with international humanitarian law.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the (a) findings and (b) recommendations of the report entitled Detention in the context of the escalation of hostilities in Gaza (October 2023-June 2024), published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 31 July 2024.
As the Foreign Secretary outlined in his statement to the House of Commons on 2 September, the UK's concern about the treatment of detainees was one of the factors determining the UK's decision to suspend certain arms export licences to Israel that could be used in the conflict in Gaza. We have read the recommendations produced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We urge Israel to reinstate immediate and unfettered access for the International Committee of the Red Cross into detention centres as required by international law. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press Israeli leaders on the importance of upholding International Humanitarian Law. We want to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the protection of all civilians, much more aid entering Gaza and a path to long-term peace and stability.