Written questions by Burgon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the compliance of Israeli strikes on Lebanon on 8 April 2026 with the laws of war.

The UK has, along with 18 other countries, condemned Israel's strikes on Lebanon, as well as the attacks of Hizballah against Israel. I have discussed the situation in Lebanon directly with my Israeli and other international counterparts, including to call for civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. As part of longstanding convention, we do not comment on military operational details.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of whether F-35s were used in the Israeli strikes on Lebanon conducted on 8 April.

The UK has, along with 18 other countries, condemned Israel's strikes on Lebanon, as well as the attacks of Hizballah against Israel. I have discussed the situation in Lebanon directly with my Israeli and other international counterparts, including to call for civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. As part of longstanding convention, we do not comment on military operational details.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of remarks made by President Trump on 11 January 2026 regarding Cuba.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterpart on statements made by the US President on 11 January 2026 regarding Cuba and other recent statements by US officials on Cuba in January 2026.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the statement on 11 January 2026 on Cuba by the US President and other recent statements by US officials on Cuba in January 2026.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the United Kingdom has ceased sharing intelligence with the United States regarding suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 3 November to question 85121.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her United States counterpart on airstrikes in the Caribbean and compliance with international law.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 3 November to question 85121.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has granted any Special Mission Immunity certificates to any (a) visitor or (b) prospective visitor since 15 August 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 September 2025 to Question 69421.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help (a) identify and (b) support older people in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 23 June to Question 57551.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her predecessor's correspondence to the Chair of the International Development Committee of 1 September 2025, when her Department (a) first and (b) most recently made an assessment of the risk of genocide by Israel in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 24 September to Question 69737.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help (a) identify and (b) support older people in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I have on 23rd June to question 57551.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on (a) disabled and (b) older people in Gaza of (i) delays in, (ii) obstructions of and (iii) the suspension of the delivery of humanitarian aid; and what contingency plans her Department has to respond to such scenarios.

Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international humanitarian organisations on the delivery of humanitarian aid to (a) older women with caring responsibilities and (b) older people generally in Gaza.

Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the provision of (a) unimpeded and (b) sustained access for humanitarian agencies delivering aid to (i) older people and (ii) others at heightened risk in Gaza.

Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the potential impact of the conflict in Gaza on older people's (a) mobility, (b) access to healthcare and (c) access to age-appropriate humanitarian assistance.

Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56288 on Arms Trade: Israel, if he will now publish the Research Report: Long-Range Shootings or Shootings of Minors that was included in evidence in Al-Haq v Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

In line with the long-standing practice under successive governments, we do not routinely publish the detailed analysis on which assessments of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance are based.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the application of the global humanitarian principles of (a) humanity, (b) impartiality, (c) independence and (d) neutrality in relation to Israel's policies in Gaza.

On 19 May, the UK signed a joint donor statement with 26 other humanitarian donors, which directly called on Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. This statement referenced humanitarian principles, underscoring that humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone. Further, our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May was clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts civilians at risk. The UK government has repeatedly called on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has reiterated this in his recent calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the funding of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Foreign Minister Sa'ar that Israel must allow unrestricted aid into Gaza. In their latest call, the Foreign Secretary shared concerns about the rising risks of famine and starvation in Gaza, as well as the new aid delivery system, including the reduction of aid delivery points in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary was clear that aid cannot be used as a weapon of war. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. The UK supports the UN and humanitarian partners. We have endorsed the UN's plan for delivery of aid put forward on 16 May - it is based on humanitarian principles, has built in mitigations against aid diversion and uses established mechanisms to deliver at the scale required. We call on Israel to urgently engage with the UN to ensure a return to a full and unhindered resumption of the safe delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of Israeli funding of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The UK is appalled by reports of mass casualty incidents, in which civilians and aid workers have been killed, at and near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites. The funding streams of the GHF have not been shared with the UK. The UK has been clear that we will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts civilians at risk. On 4 June, we were firm at the UN Security Council that the new aid model is inhumane and Israel needs to end its restrictions on aid now. We support the UN and endorse its plan for delivery of aid put forward on 16 May - it is based on humanitarian principles, has built in mitigations against aid diversion and uses established mechanisms to deliver aid safely and at the scale required.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the blockages are that are preventing the safe (a) delivery and (b) distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Israeli restrictions on aid have created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza with civilians in desperate need of a variety of aid. We called on Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza in our statement to the UN Security Council on 16 July. The announcement of "tactical pauses" by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to allow humanitarian corridors to open is essential but long overdue and currently insufficient to address need. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza, including allowing the entry of more types of aid such as medicine, fuel and shelter. We set this out clearly along with 30 other partners in a UK-led joint statement on 21 July. The government of Israel must facilitate the issue and renewal of visas for humanitarians providing vital services on the ground. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 July to reiterate the importance of facilitating the safe delivery of aid at scale, condemning civilian deaths at aid sites.