Written questions by Holden.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question HL5029 on Stonewall: Arms Length Bodies and Government Departments, whether he plans to allocate funding to Stonewall after 2025-26.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) LGBT+ rights programme, which started in 2023 , aims to transform the lives of millions of LGBT+ people around the world. This is done by tackling systematic violence, persecution, and exclusion by addressing outdated discriminatory laws, promoting protective legislation, empowering civil society organisations, and supporting the most vulnerable LGBT+ people in conflict and crisis. As part of this programme, the FCDO partners with Stonewall, with two agreements in place until March 2028. Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the spending review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech entitled The Locarno Speech by the Foreign Secretary: January 2025, published on 9 January 2025; for what reasons were part of the speech redacted; and whether the Government issues guidance on party political speeches in Government buildings.

In this speech, the Foreign Secretary set out his vision for how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will help deliver this Government's Plan for Change and its approach to foreign policy. The essential nature of the speech was not party political. Any party political content was redacted from the gov.uk publication, as per guidance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23476 on USA: Diplomatic Service, if he will instruct Lord Mandelson to recuse himself from discussions on matters relating to Global Counsel's (a) EU and (b) China (i) clients and (ii) operations.

As in the answer of 20 January, there is a robust and established process in place for the management of interests held by all Senior Civil Servants. This process is designed to identify and, where necessary, mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process applies in the normal way to Lord Mandelson's appointment. It is improper to discuss the specifics of any individual case.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson has disposed of his lobbying interests on his appointment as Ambassador to the United States.

Cabinet Office guidance outlines the process for declaring and resolving conflicts of interest for Senior Civil Servants. The guidance - which applies in this case - makes clear that, "Any actual conflicts of interest must be resolved in a way which removes the conflict."

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what flags other than the Union flag will be flown from his Department's buildings in London in 2025; and on which dates each flag will be flown.

The FCDO's flag flying schedule for all our buildings at home and overseas is agreed by the Permanent Under-Secretary. The FCDO's flag flying policy is that all our buildings should fly the Union flag, as appropriate, throughout the year on working days during office hours. In addition, the FCDO continues to fly the Ukrainian flag from the secondary flagpole at King Charles Street. Any other flags flown on the estate are considered on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis and must have a compelling reason for inclusion. The FCDO does not advertise in advance which additional flags it will be flying and when.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question HL2411 on FCDO: Flags, how much has been spent on lighting up his Department’s buildings in relevant colours since 5 July 2024; and on what (a) occasions and (b) dates.

The FCDO's joint headquarters at King Charles Street in London and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride have been illuminated with coloured lighting on 3 occasions since 5 July 2024. These occasions were: in support of Southport victims (3-4 August, lit in pink); Red Wednesday (20 November, lit red); the state visit of the president of South Korea (21-22 November, lit red, white and blue). There is no direct cost to lighting our buildings, as they are programmed through existing lighting systems. Other FCDO buildings in the UK are not ordinarily illuminated, although our Hanslope Park site, near Milton Keynes, might occasionally be lit on the same dates as our headquarters.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish Lord Mandelson's declaration of interests as the new Ambassador to the United States.

There is an established mechanism in place for the management of interests held by all Senior Civil Servants. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. In line with guidance, the FCDO does not publish declarations of interest.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he considers the International Criminal Court to be a foreign court.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international court based in the Netherlands. The UK is a State Party to the Rome Statute, the international treaty which established the ICC, and is one of the founding members. The ICC Act 2001 gives effect to the UK's obligations under the Rome Statute. We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13746 on FCDO: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, for what reason the Cabinet Office postponed the September 2024 transparency publication.

The data relating to Government Procurement Card (GPC) covering June 2022 - October 2024 was published on 28 November and is available here. The FCDO interpreted the communication regarding the postponement to also apply to GPC spend, as the FCDO's general approach is to link GPC publications with wider transparency returns.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the (a) environmental principles and (b) equalities impact assessment for the Chagos Islands handover decision.

HM Government recognises the importance of environmental and equalities considerations in the context of the BIOT Sovereignty agreement. Both parties have committed to ensuring that all aspects of the sovereignty transfer align with international legal standards including on environmental protection, as well as considerations of equality and inclusivity where relevant. Relevant assessments will be managed in line with standard protocols.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Lithuanian counterpart on the decision of that country to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

The Foreign Secretary has not raised the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with Lithuania's Minister for Foreign Affairs. We do not comment on whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for proscription. We have sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety and will continue work to identify further ways to counter it at home and abroad.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of alleged reports that Hezbollah plans to advance into Galilee in Israel on the UK's strategic interests.

The UK Government has not yet made an assessment on this specific issue. However, we have been clear that resolving the on-going conflict is key to regional security. The United Kingdom condemns Hizballah's attacks on Israel over the last 11 months, which have driven more than 60,000 people from their homes. These unjustified attacks have brought misery to ordinary people in Lebanon and Israel. They have done nothing to end the conflict in Gaza or secure Palestinian statehood. Hizballah has been proscribed in its entirety as a terrorist organisation since 2019. The UK has long had a no-contact policy with Hizballah. The UK does not provide any assistance or funding to Hizballah, Hizballah-led ministries or Hizballah-led institutions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to help protect United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel from attacks by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The UK Government condemns all threats to United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon's (UNIFIL) security and calls on all parties to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times and to allow UNIFIL to continue carrying out its mandate. In a call on 16 October with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Foreign Secretary discussed the need for all parties to ensure freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel. We are also calling on Hizballah to de-escalate immediately and urging Iran to stand down their proxy. Only a political solution, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, can bring stability and security to South Lebanon. The UK continues to work in lockstep with our allies, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to de-escalate the situation and we urge all parties to end this cycle of violence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Mexico on recent changes to judicial appointments.

Democracy and respect for the rule of law are at the heart of the UK's values. We are closely monitoring Mexico's constitutional reforms and how they will be implemented in secondary legislation. Our Embassy in Mexico regularly engages with the Mexican Government to underline the importance of strong institutions and the importance of independent courts and the rule of law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the involvement of the People’s Republic of China in joint marine research work with universities in the Republic of Ireland.

My officials routinely monitor developments in partner countries, and any implications of these for the UK. The UK also regularly discusses economic and academic security issues with partners, including Ireland. Whilst in Dublin on 3 October, the Foreign Secretary and the Tánaiste agreed to intensify our existing cooperation on foreign and security policy issues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the territorial integrity of Georgia.

I reaffirmed my resolute support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, both to the Georgian Ambassador on 18 September and to Foreign Minister Darchiashvili on 9 October. We continue to support Georgian sovereignty through multilateral statements lobbying on behalf of Georgia's UN Human Rights Council resolution on Internally Displaced Persons, and by investing on the ground in community reconciliation. I also made clear to the Ambassador and Foreign Minister our support for Georgia to meet the aspirations of its population for a Euro-Atlantic path, and raised serious concerns about recent developments and rhetoric.