Written questions by Whittome.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on the Israel-Palestine conflict of the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine.

Last year, the UK made the historic decision to recognise the state of Palestine, noting that our commitment to supporting long-term peace stems not only from the current crisis but also from our historic responsibility to the region's security. Available materials about the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine can be readily accessed from the National Archives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's document entitled FCDO archive inventory, updated on 12 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to review and make available records relating to policy in Palestine, including UID 1454 and 1790.

Last year, the UK made the historic decision to recognise the state of Palestine, noting that our commitment to supporting long-term peace stems not only from the current crisis but also from our historic responsibility to the region's security. Available materials about the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine can be readily accessed from the National Archives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) charity on the potential impact of recent and proposed changes in the level of Official Development Assistance funding on the effectiveness of VSO.

Our partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) has been extended until March 2027. The Active Citizenship through Inclusive Volunteering and Empowerment (ACTIVE) programme currently operates in 14 countries and works with local civil society groups to strengthen their organisational capacity, leadership, autonomy and sustainability. This reflects our modernised approach to development, delivering value for money for UK taxpayers and transforming our country development partnerships to reflect the changing needs of our partners. We are looking forward to seeing how VSO's work progresses.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on the a) health and b) access to medical treatment of Imran Khan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 March to Question HL14686.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Government of Azerbaijan regarding the detention of Ali Karimli; and whether she will call for his immediate release.

The UK continues to monitor the human rights situation in Azerbaijan closely. On 4 December, senior officials from our Embassy in Baku raised this case with senior members of the Azerbaijani Government, including ensuring due legal process and where necessary access to medical care in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations and commitments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure UK-registered charities can continue operating in Palestine under Palestinian Authority registration.

Regarding the registration of non-governmental organisations to operate in Gaza, I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January, and to the joint statement made by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her counterparts on 30 December, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her (a) Chinese and (b) Japanese counterpart on the maintenance of peace and international law in East Asia.

The Foreign Secretary has emphasised the importance of regional stability in her discussions with Chinese and Japanese counterparts. The Prime Minister also recently visited China and Japan and held relevant discussions on regional security with both leaders.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to advocate for Jagtar Singh Johal’s release since 4 March 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 December in response to Question 97066.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to a) support civil society and democratic institutions in Iraq, and b) counter the influence of the Popular Mobilisation Forces.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to Question 55773, and add that our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil, regularly meet with civil society to underline the UK's enduring commitment to human rights. The UK welcomes the peaceful Iraqi elections that took place on 11 November. We look forward to a smooth transition of power and hope to see a new Government with a clear approach to protecting Iraq's stability and security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 69086 on Armed Conflict: Children, whether her Department has had discussions with stakeholders on the potentials merits of a children in conflict strategy.

The UK is deeply concerned about the worsening situation for children in conflicts around the world. We continue to call on all parties to armed conflict to immediately end and prevent grave violations against children and adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children. We will also continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders including civil society, the Untied Nations, international organisations and overseas partners to develop the most effective policy responses to the issues around children in conflict.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) humanitarian relief, (b) long-term recovery and reconstruction, and (c) engagement with Pakistani diaspora communities in the UK following the recent flooding in Pakistan.

The UK Government is supporting Pakistan in responding to the floods through the Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerabilities to Emergencies (BRAVE) programme. So far, we have mobilised £2.85 million of support across 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh & Gilgit Baltistan and reached over 459,000 beneficiaries to support search and rescue and provide emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Ministers regularly engage with the Pakistani diaspora on all aspects of the UK relationship with Pakistan. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UK-Pakistan Advisory Council, made up of 12 UK based British Pakistani representatives, takes part in regular discussions with the FCDO on development issues in Pakistan, including climate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Saudi Arabia on the death sentences given to (a) Rami Gamal Shafik al-Najjar, (b) Ahmed Zeinhom Omar, (c) Hesham Al Teles, (d) Abdelfattah Kamal, (e) Issam Al Shazly, (f) Mohamed Saad and (g) Omar Sherif.

The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities, including individual cases of concern. I raised the cases of several Egyptian nationals with the Saudi authorities this year. The Government will continue to engage on this matter.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will place restrictions on the trade of British-manufactured equipment with Israel in circumstances where there is evidence of a risk that such equipment will be used to facilitate the construction of illegal settlements.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 3 July to Question 62975.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Israeli government's E1 settlement plan.

On 21 August, the Foreign Secretary and 26 international partners joined a statement condemning the E1 settlement development. The Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom was also summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in response to the plans. The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms. The Israeli government must stop settlement construction in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support human rights in J(a) Jammu and (b) Kashmir.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 31 March 2025 to Question 39395.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq on the detention of journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Omed Baroshki.

In August, officials from our Consulate General in Erbil attended the trial of Sherwan Sherwani. This sent a clear signal that the UK Government is closely monitoring the situation and remains engaged in advocating for due process and media freedom.Freedoms of expression, media and association are key parts of the democratic process. Journalists in the Kurdistan Region must be able to operate without fear of harassment, detention, or violence.The UK, alongside international partners, will continue to raise these issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government and press for accountability and reform.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles by the Metropolitan Police.

The Foreign Secretary has not had any conversations with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles. Questions of police procurement are for the Home Secretary.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress he has made in developing a new strategy for children in armed conflict.

The latest UN Secretary General's report on Children and Armed Conflict is shocking. It shows that children are being harmed and denied lifesaving aid on an unprecedented scale.In the UN Security Council, the UK has called on all parties to armed conflict to immediately end and prevent grave violations against children, and for perpetrators to be held to account. The UK remains committed to promoting and defending the UN's Children and Armed Conflict mandate.We are engaging with stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of our current approach.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he had discussions with his Syrian counterpart on a timetable for democratic elections in Syria during his recent official visit; and whether it remains his policy to support national elections in Syria.

The Foreign Secretary visited Damascus on 5 July where he renewed UK-Syria relations and discussed the need for an inclusive political transition which delivers for the Syrian people. We welcome the Syrian President Al Sharaa's commitment to hold free and fair elections, and the recent announcement of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People's Assembly Elections. This is an important step in building legitimate legislative and electoral processes. It is vital now that the process is genuinely inclusive, representative and respects the rights of all Syrians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports that the Israeli Government has transferred weapons to armed militias operating in Gaza.

We are concerned at reports of armed militias operating in Gaza. We have been clear from the beginning of this conflict that we need to see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with the release of all hostages and a pathway to a lasting peace. We believe that the Palestinian Authority's role in Gaza must be front and centre and are supporting the Palestinian Authority Security Forces with the goal that they will play a key role in the security of Gaza in the future.One of our first acts in government was to review and suspend export licences that could be used by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. We have kept all licences under careful and continual review against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. This includes assessing the risk of diversion.