Written questions by Anderson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the United Kingdom plans to raise anti Christian (a) persecution and (b) violence at the United Nations.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support persecuted Christians in Afghanistan.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government it taking to strengthen international relations with Japan.

The UK-Japan bilateral relationship is at its strongest in decades, underpinned by our enhanced Global Strategic Partnership. As the Prime Minister set out in his statement to the House on 2 February, our priorities for deepening our partnership further include working together for peace and security and boosting growth and resilience through cooperation in tech and innovation, energy, and trade. I also refer him to the details of my own visit to Japan in December, including the speech I made to the Tokyo Economic Security Forum on 15 December.www.gov.uk/government/news/indo-pacific-minister-seema-malhotra-visits-japanwww.gov.uk/government/speeches/tokyo-economic-security-forum-keynote-address

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) cultural and (b) arts related projects have received UK foreign aid funding in the last year.

The Hon Member can find details of all projects funded through Official Development Assistance on the Development Tracker website.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what security assessments her Department undertook ahead of the approval of the planned Chinese Embassy by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Security Minister on 20 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost of the public purse of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill.

I refer the Hon Member to the details of the forecast cost at the time, and duration of the treaty set out in the Explanatory Memorandum published on 22 May 2025, and to the extensive discussion of all these issues and methodologies that has subsequently taken place during the passage of the Bill.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with members of the Chagossian community in Britain.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have met Chagossian individuals and groups over 30 times since 2024. I have met with Chagossian groups and individuals four times. The new Chagossian Contact Group has held meetings in September and December 2025, and again in January. The group will continue to meet quarterly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she engaged with (a) the Security Service and (b) other security agencies prior to the approval of the planned Chinese Embassy by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Security Minister on 20 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she considered the the future of Diego Garcia after the 99-year lease agreed in the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill expires.

I refer the Hon Member to the details of the duration of the treaty set out in the Explanatory Memorandum published on 22 May 2025, and to the extensive discussion of all these issues that has subsequently taken place during the passage of the Bill.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review the suitability of Turkey as a recipient of foreign aid.

Decisions on allocations of Official Development Assistance for the next three years are currently under consideration, and will be announced in the usual way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to raise at the United Nations the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.

The requested information is not centrally collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. All spending is subject to standard value for money assessments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, published under the previous government, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria her Department uses to decide which projects to fund through UK foreign aid.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) uses the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF), which is publicly available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support Craig and Lindsay Foreman in Iran.

We are deeply concerned by Craig and Lindsay's detention in Iran. We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members. We continue to raise the case directly with the Iranian authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) diplomatic and (b) consular support his Department has given to Craig and Lindsay Foreman in the last three months.

We are deeply concerned by Craig and Lindsay's detention in Iran. We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members. We continue to raise the case directly with the Iranian authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is improving the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) efficiency, security and analysis. Over the last year, that has included using AI for language translation, document classification and data analysis, in support of the work of our policy and consular teams.Through FCDO.ai, the Department is coordinating responsible adoption of this technology, including participation in the piloting of the cross government Microsoft Copilot tool. All activity is governed by our AI Acceptable Use Policy and established assurance processes. The Department will continue to develop capabilities aligned with UK principles on AI safety and work with partners across government and internationally to share best practice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure British (a) embassies and (b) consulates are adequately resourced to support British citizens when abroad.

Ensuring that we have the right people in the right places to support those who require consular services is a top priority for the UK Government. We regularly review how we resource consular services to ensure we are providing the right support to British people overseas. Our Consular staff are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year, providing help to more than 25,000 British people a year around the globe, and issuing more than 30,000 emergency travel documents.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries were the top 5 recipients of international climate finance from the UK in each of the last 3 years; and how much each of these countries received.

For detail on live programme information please refer to the UK Government's Development Tracker or for the official source of information on UK Official Development Assistance spend covering previous calendar years, the Statistics on International Development publication.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the location of Peng Shuai.

This Government remains deeply committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in China. We continue to monitor developments closely and raise issues of concern with Chinese counterparts at senior levels. The Prime Minister, Chancellor and former Foreign Secretary all raised human rights recently with their Chinese counterparts. We remain concerned about cases that raise broader questions around freedom of expression, and accountability, and we continue to work with international partners to support these principles.