Written questions by Lowe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) restricting foreign aid, (b) restricting visas and (c) using other punitive international measures to encourage the Government of Pakistan to accept the return of people sentenced in the UK for their involvement in Pakistani heritage grooming gangs.

We recognise and appreciate the great contribution of Pakistani people to the diverse culture of the UK. The UK has transitioned from a traditional aid relationship with Pakistan to a mutually beneficial partnership which underpins UK national interests, and we have regular constructive discussions with Pakistani authorities on a range of topics of vital mutual interest, including criminal justice. Despite significant and complex challenges when seeking to return foreign national offenders, this government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. I raised these issues with Senior Ministers during my visit to Pakistan in November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department were hired via positive action schemes in the last financial year.

All Civil Service departments work within the Recruitment Principles, as regulated by the Civil Service Commission, to recruit using a fair and open process and appoint on merit.Departments will only limit a campaign to a specific group as a form of positive action as a proportionate response to achieve a legitimate aim as defined in section 159 of the Equality Act 2010.As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, 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 steps he plans to take to ensure that the £11 million in aid for Syria reaches its intended recipients.

The UK continues to support those in need across Syria where it is safe to do so. Through NGOs and UN organisations, we are providing food, healthcare and other life-saving assistance.The additional £11 million of humanitarian aid for the people of Syria includes £6 million to the UN Humanitarian Pooled Funds, £4 million to the Aid Fund for Northern Syria, and an additional £1 million to NGOs operating across all of Syria.As with all our work, we have extensive controls in place to ensure our aid reaches those who need it.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will provide a breakdown of planned spending for the additional £11 million in humanitarian aid for Syria.

The UK continues to support those in need across Syria where it is safe to do so. Through NGOs and UN organisations, we are providing food, healthcare and other life-saving assistance.The additional £11 million of humanitarian aid for the people of Syria includes £6 million to the UN Humanitarian Pooled Funds, £4 million to the Aid Fund for Northern Syria, and an additional £1 million to NGOs operating across all of Syria.As with all our work, we have extensive controls in place to ensure our aid reaches those who need it.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy that (a) internships and (b) jobs in (i) his Department and (ii) all non-ministerial bodies are open to applicants of all ethnic backgrounds.

The FCDO is committed to being a truly inclusive employer, with a workforce that reflects the diversity of the diverse population we serve. We encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and indeed all backgrounds for all our schemes and positions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of UK citizens that are imprisoned abroad.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides consular assistance to c.4100 British nationals who are arrested or detained each year, and is currently providing ongoing assistance to c.1,400 British nationals detained overseas. It is not mandatory for British nationals to report incidents to the FCDO or one of its diplomatic missions. Data held by the FCDO only includes incidents where we have offered consular assistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many international (a) air miles and (b) flights have been completed by (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in their Department since 5 July 2024.

Data on ministers' overseas travel and on senior civil servants' business expenses is published on a quarterly basis. This can be found here and here.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the planned cost to the public purse is of leasing the military base in Diego Garcia from Mauritius.

It is not normal practice for the UK to confirm the value of its payments for military bases anywhere across the globe. Whilst the annual 'operating costs' of some bases and training areas may be shared, this is different to the value of payments for military bases. Confirming these costs could put secure operations at risk. Following Treaty signature, further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny in the usual way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish a breakdown of planned foreign aid by country for 2025.

We are committed to transparency and will separately publish the FCDO's planned Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for FY2024/25 and FY2025/26 in due course.The FCDO reports annually on the UK's calendar year ODA expenditure for the previous calendar year via the Statistics on International Development publication, available on gov.uk. Outturn data on the countries and multilateral organisations in receipt of the FCDO's ODA in 2025 will be published in autumn 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that no foreign aid is spent on overseas farmers.

Internationally, agriculture and food systems play an important role in tackling poverty and hunger, addressing climate change and driving economic growth. They contribute to global food security and help ensure stable, sustainable and resilient global food markets to the benefit of British farmers, exporters and consumers.Official Development Assistance (ODA) brings other direct benefits to UK farmers. For example, for each £1 the UK invests in CGIAR, the world's leading agricultural innovation organisation, UK farmers receive between £1.60 and £2.40 in benefits from the increased productivity of of the farming of wheat, dairy, beef and pulses.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Prime Minister will have discussions with the Royal Household on issuing an invitation for a state visit to President-Elect Trump.

The Government does not comment on discussions with the Royal Household. The Prime Minister spoke to President-elect Donald Trump on 6 November to congratulate him on his historic victory. The Prime Minister said he looked forward to working closely with President-elect Trump across all areas of the UK-US special relationship.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of seeking reparations from China for their alleged role in the (a) production and (b) release of covid-19.

The UK government has been clear that a robust, transparent, and science-led investigation into the origins of COVID must be an important part of the international effort to understand how the pandemic started and how it spread. We continue to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its expert study of the origins of Covid-19. WHO Director-General Tedros has said that all hypotheses remain open, and the UK agrees. It is important that China and other countries cooperate fully with the researchers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on first class flights in each of the last five years.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. In line with FCDO Travel Policy for all staff, first class air travel is prohibited.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government's policy is on paying reparations to countries impacted by the UK's historic involvement in slavery.

The government's position on this has not changed - we do not pay reparations. We are committed to working with affected countries on the most pressing challenges of today (including security, growth, education, health, climate), and to build partnerships on those areas in the future. We fully recognise the horrific impacts and the understandable, ongoing strength of feeling on the issue across communities in the UK and across the Commonwealth family.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to maintain relations with the (a) Republican and (b) Democrat (i) candidate and (ii) Party (A) during and (B) after the US Presidential election.

The US is an indispensable ally. Our special relationship is crucial for security and prosperity and transcends whatever political parties and individuals are in office across and at all levels of the US system, from the White House to Congress and at State level. It is a core part of the FCDO's work to engage individuals from across the US political spectrum, including the Presidential campaigns. We have shared values and interests and will continue to work with the US on issues including economic co-operation, defence, intelligence and as key NATO allies.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will commission a review of the (a) effectiveness of development aid and (b) proportion of such aid that does not reach its intended destination.

This Government is committed to development effectiveness, transparency and scrutiny. Across the FCDO, robust systems and frameworks help ensure we achieve value for money, spend British taxpayers' money well, and that development assistance reaches its intended recipients.The FCDO's high standards of programme delivery and risk management requires investigating any possible fraud, bribery and corruption, maintaining financial oversight of aid programmes, and formally reviewing aid programmes. The FCDO ensures our delivery partners have robust fraud policies in place and our due diligence assessments cover their ability to manage downstream partners.The Development Review will propose how to maximise the impact of the FCDO's integrated development and diplomacy model and how we can improve assurance over our delivery of development aid.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Leader of the House on a holding a debate on the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The agreement announced by the UK and Mauritius on 3 October concerning the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago is subject to the finalisation of a treaty. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the Treaty prior to ratification, in the usual way.