Written questions by Bhatti.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas on regional stability in the Middle East.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekalia.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cypriot counterparts on the status of the Sovereign Base Areas in (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of official development assistance to Afghanistan is being spent on programmes supporting Afghan women and girls.

The UK is committed to prioritising gender equality and rights in Afghanistan. The needs and priorities of women and girls are at the core of the government's humanitarian response. In the Financial Year of 2023-24 (the most recent period for which we have verified data), we can confirm that of those reached by our £113.5 million aid budget to Afghanistan, at least 50% were women and girls, supporting at least 1.3 million Afghan women with humanitarian assistance. We have met this target since Financial Year 2021-22 and expect to continue to meet this target in 2024-25. Our aid is subject to strict monitoring and we have robust third-party monitoring for all our Official Development Assistance funded programmes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to ringfence official development assistance for women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reduction of the proportion of gross national income spent on official development assistance on women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.