Written questions by Dhesi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support British citizens in the Caribbean impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, Official Report, vol. 774, col. 33WS to 35WS.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken steps to help support residents of the Cayman Islands in response to Hurricane Melissa.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 4 November on the UK's response to Hurricane Melissa.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy for the UK to advocate against a policy of Ukrainian appeasement towards Russia in diplomatic discussions with all other countries, for as long as it remains Ukraine's position to oppose appeasement.

The UK is focussed on ensuring Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, and on ramping up the pressure on Putin to force him to engage in meaningful talks that result in a just and lasting peace. We are united with partners that the fighting should stop immediately, that the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations, and that international borders must not be changed by force.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the UK Government will continue it’s policy not to place pressure on Ukraine to adopt a policy of appeasement against Russia.

The UK is focussed on ensuring Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, and on ramping up the pressure on Putin to force him to engage in meaningful talks that result in a just and lasting peace. We are united with partners that the fighting should stop immediately, that the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations, and that international borders must not be changed by force.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken steps to help support residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands in their response to Hurricane Melissa.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 4 November on the UK's response to Hurricane Melissa.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what volume of UK aid has been successfully delivered to Gaza in the last six months.

All allocations of our Humanitarian Programme are available publicly on Development Tracker. We have published further information on Core Relief Items through the programmes annual review with the next to be published by November 2025. Quantifying how much UK aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. But despite Israel's restrictions on access we know UK Aid is having an impact - our funding has enabled UK-Med to complete nearly 750,000 patient consultations in Gaza.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of state actors in Pakistan targeting UK residents with (a) political intimidation and (b) interference on those residents.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 March 2025 to Question 36232.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent estimate of the value of Russian owned assets held in the Overseas Territories.

The Overseas Territories (OTs) stand with the UK in condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. The OTs have committed to implement UK sanctions in full. The Governments of the Territories take seriously their responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of sanctions within their jurisdictions. The Territories have frozen assets worth approximately US $9 billion. OT Governments have informed us that the vast majority of these assets belong to persons designated under the Russia sanctions regime.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken with humanitarian organisations to prevent sexual violence in conflict-affected areas in Ethiopia.

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on levels of religious freedom in that country.

Promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. Ministers and senior officials have consistently raised this issue with Pakistani counterparts, including in August 2025 when I voiced concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister. Our High Commission in Islamabad also continues to engage regularly on the persecution of religions minorities, as well as wider issues of misuse of blasphemy laws, desecration of places of worship, and the need to uphold fundamental rights in line with international standards. The UK Government remains concerned by the FoRB situation in Pakistan and will continue to urge the Pakistani authorities to guarantee the rights and safety of all religious communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of UK Overseas Territories on progress made on adopting publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership.

I refer the Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July which provide an update on progress achieved to date and details of next steps. We have clearly conveyed to our partners in the remaining Overseas Territories the urgency of meeting previously agreed deadlines and expect prompt action. I raised these points directly with the elected leaders of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands on my visit to those Territories last month, and in my recent conversations and correspondence with the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Baroness Hodge visited the BVI at my request in September and I recently met with her to discuss her findings. This issue will also be discussed at the upcoming Joint Ministerial Council. The registers should offer streamlined access to a broad range of legitimate users, supporting proactive investigations, deterring the concealment of illicit gains, and promoting maximum transparency.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to humanitarian organisations operating in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia.

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the safety of ethnic Amhara communities in Ethiopia.

Combatting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) within Ethiopia continues to be a key focus for the UK and we work with UN partners as well as NGOs and the Red Cross in order to support those affected by these particular human rights violations. Civilians across various regions have been severely impacted over many years of conflict and the number of people affected continues to rise.The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.Civilians in Amhara region have been severely impacted by over two years of conflict between government forces and 'Fano' militias. The ongoing conflict has led to significant humanitarian need and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks against civilians. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has called for full investigations into abductions and killings of civilians and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Humanitarian indicators are deteriorating with 68 per cent of children now acutely malnourished and diseases, including cholera, spreading. The UK has consistently called for civilians to be protected, human rights abuses to be independently investigated and for the conflict to be resolved through dialogue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on women and girls' rights in Afghanistan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 21 October to question 81210.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether the United Arab Emirates has exported military equipment for use by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

We are deeply concerned by the terrible violence across Sudan. We are aware of reports alleging different states' involvement in supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan, including those detailed in the UN Panel of Experts report. External provision of support to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) only furthers the suffering of the people of Sudan. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the need to prevent external actors from providing financial and / or military support to both the SAF and RSF and the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. Those who have influence with the parties must use it to bring them to the negotiating table, to seek a political resolution to the conflict in Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with his counterpart in Iraq on the rights of (a) women and (b) children in that country.

Countering rollback and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of UK diplomatic and policy engagement and our programming in Iraq. The UK/ Iraq Joint Statement in January 2025 affirmed commitment to deepening cooperation on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and agreed the importance of supporting women's rights organisations. This statement further recognised the need for on-going support for all survivors of Daesh-perpetrated sexual violence, including mothers and their children born of conflict-related sexual violence. The Foreign Secretary will be raising these and other priority issues with her Iraqi counterpart.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on raising awareness of the potential dangers of methanol poisoning.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. We include information about the risks from methanol poisoning or counterfeit alcohol in our Travel Advice pages for a range of countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.Since November 2024 the FCDO has also proactively communicated the risks of methanol poisoning to British travellers through Travel Aware, the FCDO's public-facing campaign that aims to arm travelling British nationals with knowledge to help them avoid incidents overseas. This includes:a dedicated drink spiking and methanol poisoning page on the Travel Aware website: https//travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/spiking-and-methanol-poisoning;regular Travel Aware social media posts, directing audiences to the webpage;work with youth-focussed content creators to raise awareness; andwork with Travel Aware industry partners, including ABTA, who have shared information with relevant audiences.In addition, the FCDO works closely with international partners, such as the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, to share best practice about how to communicate the risks of methanol poisoning to British nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to raise awareness of the potential dangers of methanol poisoning among UK nationals travelling overseas.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. We include information about the risks from methanol poisoning or counterfeit alcohol in our Travel Advice pages for a range of countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.Since November 2024 the FCDO has also proactively communicated the risks of methanol poisoning to British travellers through Travel Aware, the FCDO's public-facing campaign that aims to arm travelling British nationals with knowledge to help them avoid incidents overseas. This includes:a dedicated drink spiking and methanol poisoning page on the Travel Aware website: https//travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/spiking-and-methanol-poisoning;regular Travel Aware social media posts, directing audiences to the webpage;work with youth-focussed content creators to raise awareness; andwork with Travel Aware industry partners, including ABTA, who have shared information with relevant audiences.In addition, the FCDO works closely with international partners, such as the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, to share best practice about how to communicate the risks of methanol poisoning to British nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she had with her Algerian counterpart on (a) religious freedoms and (b) the religious freedoms of the Ahmadiyya community in that country.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. Our Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when our Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. Our Embassy remains in regular contact with minority religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression for religious minority communities in Algeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken with international partners to (a) end and (b) assist victims of sexual violence in conflict-affected areas of Sudan.

The UK is a major humanitarian donor to Sudan. We provided over £235 million last financial year, and a further £120 million this year. We support women and girls through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutilation 2 programme. This provides protection, prevention, and care services in response to rising gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We also support the Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme and fund local responders via the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and the Mercy Corps-led Cash Consortium. This year, the UK PSVI Team is supporting the deployment of a specialist sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) investigator to the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Sudan, delivered through our implementing partner UN Women. This contribution supports the UK offer to the FFM and ensures expert input on SGBV to strengthen accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan. At the UN, the UK has led efforts to spotlight CRSV and other atrocities, including ten Security Council press statements and the renewal of the FFM's mandate.