Written questions by Logan.

How many Sudanese nationals were granted student visas for study in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

The Home Office publishes data on visas and extensions by route and nationality in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa grants are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset, and data on extension grants are published in table ‘Exe_D01’ of the extensions detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data is up to the end of December 2025. The Home Office does not publish information on location of study in the UK.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many arms export licences the UK Government has granted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the last 3 years for which figures are available, and what criteria were used to select the more than 2,000 arms export licences recently reviewed for the UAE.

The UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. We assess all licences in line with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, and they are kept under careful and continual review as standard. In October, the government checked all current and past export licences going back five years. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.The Hon. Member may also find it helpful to review the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025, where issues around arms exports to other countries in the region were discussed at length.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the outcomes of the Berlin Conference on Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary to questions about the International Sudan Conference in Berlin during FCDO Orals on 21 April, and to the Conference Co-Chairs' statement, linked below for ease.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-international-sudan-conference-april-2026-co-hosts-statement/third-international-sudan-conference-berlin-co-hosts-statement-15-april-2026

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many ambassadors are in post who were recommended to be denied vetting clearance by United Kingdom Security Vetting.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 April in response to Question 128094.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East sent on 14 January, 23 February and 23 March 2026 with case reference number SL05010/dw.

I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon. Member's correspondence. A response will be issued shortly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper, Independent Commission for Aid Impact's review of UK aid to Sudan: UK government response, published on 18 December 2025, what steps she is taking to consult on a forum for Sudanese diaspora engagement.

Ministers and officials continue to meet on a regular basis with a wide range of Sudanese civil society and diaspora groups in the UK and across the region to listen to their concerns, gain their valuable insights, and help to build an inclusive, united approach for transitioning to a civilian-led government once a lasting ceasefire is in place.Most recently, on 9 March, Minister for International Development and Africa, Baroness Chapman, met with a number of NGOs, including diaspora representatives, to discuss how to strengthen humanitarian access and overcome restrictions on the entry of aid, as well as how best to drive forward our work to protect civilians and hold perpetrators to account in Sudan, through the UK-led Coalition for Atrocity Prevention.On 24 February, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls, Baroness Harriet Harman, also hosted an event in Berlin to discuss how to stop Violence Against Women and Girls in Sudan, consulting Sudanese activists and diaspora members, civil society representatives, UK and German policymakers and international partners. The event provided a platform for Sudanese women to inform UK and German thinking ahead of the April International Sudan Conference in Berlin.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Sudanese counterparts on threats against Mosab Haroom Ahmed in the Gorom refugee settlement in Sudan following his conversion to Christianity; and what steps her Department is taking to support his protection.

Religious intolerance has no place in pluralistic, modern societies. The UK is using its position at the UN Security Council and at the Human Rights Council to keep a spotlight on, and take actions in response to, the human rights situation in both Sudan and South Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with regards to the Prime Minister's announcement on the 15th April 2025 to spend £120M in emergency aid Sudan, a) which governmental budget this originates from and b) which budgetary line emergency humanitarian aid appears under in the FCDO annual report and accounts published on the 31st March 2025.

The £120 million Sudan allocation announced in April 2025 is funded from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.Humanitarian ODA allocations are included in country programme budgets, as set out in the FCDO annual report and accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Additional emergency humanitarian support comes from the crisis reserve, which is also set out in the FCDO annual report and accounts.Data on ODA spend for 2020 to 2024 is published in Statistics on International Development (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-oda-spend-2024), including breakdowns by country and region.Figures for 2025 and 2026 will be published in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much total spend, and predicted spend in Sudan, originating from the FCDO ODA budget for bilateral aid there was, and will be, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

The £120 million Sudan allocation announced in April 2025 is funded from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.Humanitarian ODA allocations are included in country programme budgets, as set out in the FCDO annual report and accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Additional emergency humanitarian support comes from the crisis reserve, which is also set out in the FCDO annual report and accounts.Data on ODA spend for 2020 to 2024 is published in Statistics on International Development (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-oda-spend-2024), including breakdowns by country and region.Figures for 2025 and 2026 will be published in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving relations with the EU.

Since coming to office, this Government has worked to strengthen our relations with the EU, to grow our economy, boost living standards for British people and keep the UK safe. We will continue to drive forward this long-term strategic partnership over the coming months and years, and use it to deliver what the British people want; jobs, security, and effective action to counter illegal migration.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of 30 June 2025 and 22 August 2025 from the Hon Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East with the reference SL02820/dw on Palestine Action Group.

I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon. Member's correspondence. I issued a response to the Hon. Member on 12 September.