Written questions by Dhesi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to help prevent human rights abuses in Sudan.

On 13 August, the former Foreign Secretary issued a statement condemning the Rapid Support Force's (RSF) latest assault on El Fasher and the nearby Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and on 14 August, the UK joined 28 partners in a Joint Donor Statement on El Fasher calling for a humanitarian pause and protection of civilians, including humanitarian operations. We stand united in urging both the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024), and to allow immediate, unconditional humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians. As penholder at the UN Security Council, we have successfully led ten Council statements calling for an end to hostilities, most recently in a co-penned statement with African partners and Guyana pressing for protection of civilians and improved humanitarian access with respect to international law. On the UN Human Rights Council, we led the establishment and renewal of the UN Fact-Finding Mission to impartially investigate human rights violations and abuses committed by the warring parties. We also support the International Criminal Court's ongoing investigation in Sudan into alleged war crimes committed since April 2023, and the Sudan Witness Project, which gathers open-source evidence of atrocities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to help end the (a) recruitment and (b) exploitation of children by armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UK is deeply concerned about the reported increase in human rights violations against children resulting from the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including the recruitment and use of children by armed groups. We have been clear, including at the UN Human Rights Council on 16 June, that this practice is unacceptable, and we continue to call for all such children to be handed over to child protection actors. All parties to the conflict have an obligation under international law to protect children. We work with the UN and others to promote human rights in DRC, and our Ambassador in Kinshasa and Ministers regularly raise human rights issues with the DRC government. UK humanitarian programming in eastern DRC delivers life-saving emergency assistance, strengthens community resilience, especially for women and girls, and provides essential nutritional support to children.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure the safe return of British nationals from countries impacted by airspace closures in the Middle East.

Support to British nationals remains our top priority and we have worked at pace to ensure those who wanted to leave left safely. Consular teams have worked round the clock to support British nationals in the region. As soon as Israeli airspace re-opened UK government charter flights left Israel carrying more than 380 people on six flights. In allocating seats, we prioritised those who were most vulnerable, including those with medical needs, children, and the elderly. Commercial flights are now available.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his Israeli counterpart, (b) the United Nations and (c) humanitarian organisations on the availability of safe drinking water in Gaza.

The UK works closely with partners to provide the delivery of vitally needed humanitarian aid to Gaza. Desalination plants must be able to operate and provide clean drinking water for civilians. In the last financial year, we provided a £2 million uplift, through a contribution to the World Bank, to increase the sustainable supply of water and energy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including in Gaza. We are proud that UK support has meant over 430,000 people have received essential healthcare, more than 640,000 have received food, and 275,000 people have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on ensuring the safety of people retrieving aid in Gaza.

The UK is appalled by reports of civilian fatalities at aid distribution sites in Gaza. This underscores the urgent need to protect civilians accessing humanitarian assistance. The Foreign Secretary raised the safety of aid workers with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on 15 April, and again on 22 June, where he expressed concerns about mass casualty incidents and stressed the need to deliver aid at scale. In our 13 May statement to the UN Security Council, we made clear the UK will not support any aid mechanism that compromises civilian safety or humanitarian neutrality. We continue pressing for safe, unimpeded aid delivery through all diplomatic channels, including with regional partners and at the UN.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has taken recent steps with international partners to enable (a) the UN and (b) other humanitarian organisations to distribute aid in Gaza.

The UK has taken recent steps with international partners to support humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza. On 19 May, we issued a joint statement with 27 partners calling for the immediate resumption of aid, reaffirming support for the UN and other humanitarian organisations to deliver it independently and impartially. The statement also noted we could not support the new model approved by the Israeli cabinet for delivering aid, which has since been associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. I have consistently called for safe, unhindered access for humanitarian actors and backed the UN's aid proposal, which is grounded in humanitarian principles and includes safeguards against aid diversion. We continue diplomatic efforts to secure sustained access.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57318 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, if he will publish that letter; and whether he plans to respond to the letter.

The Government has noted the views expressed in the open letter of 26 May 2025 from legal experts concerning the situation in Gaza. As the letter is publicly available on a dedicated website, the Government does not plan to publish it separately. The UK addressed the concerns raised through a public statement issued on 27 May 2025, reaffirming our opposition to the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza and call for immediate, unhindered humanitarian access. We continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including legal experts, on the legalities and operational challenges involved in doing so.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the legality of the arrangements to distribute privatised humanitarian aid in Gaza.

The UK continues to work with international partners, including the United States, to ensure aid can flow into Gaza and secure a lasting peace in the region. We are grateful to the US for their efforts to secure a ceasefire and we will continue to support them. We have been clear that we do not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. We call on Israel to urgently engage with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles. We endorse the plan for delivery of aid put forward by the UN on 16 May which is based on humanitarian principles, has built in mitigations against aid diversion and uses established mechanisms to deliver at the scale required.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53139 on Ministry of Defence: Weapons, whether he is taking steps to help ensure (a) that weapons exported to Israel for defensive purposes cannot be used for offensive purposes and (b) compliance with international law on arms exports.

There are currently no extant export licences for use in military operations in Gaza. This is subject to the specific measures taken to protect the global F-35 programme. The action we have taken, as announced to Parliament, is consistent with all our legal obligations, including those under the Arms Trade Treaty, and we remain wholly committed to international law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received unsolicited correspondence from legal experts on the legality of the Israeli blockade on the delivery of aid to the population of Gaza.

The Government received an open letter concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory on the 26 May 2025 from signatories comprising lawyers, legal academic and former judges who are UK-based or qualified.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 53953 on Gaza: Infant Mortality, whether he has made an assessment of the likelihood of the British Red Cross humanitarian funding reaching Gaza.

On 4 June, I announced an additional £4 million to the British Red Cross (BRC) in supporting Gaza. The UK has assessed that, despite severe access constraints, BRC, has a credible and realistic pathway to reach Gaza through its partner, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS). This assessment is based on the PRCS's longstanding operational presence in Gaza and its continued ability to deliver aid where conditions allow. The UK remains in close contact with the BRC to monitor delivery and ensure accountability. Working with the BRC and international partners, we continue to push for improved humanitarian access.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question 53142 on Gaza: Famine, what assessment his Department has made of the causes of (a) famine and (b) starvation risk in Gaza.

The UK is deeply concerned by the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) snapshot report, which found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine and that half a million people are facing starvation. The Full IPC Special Report, to be issued shortly, will contain further analysis. We support the IPC's recommendations aiming to avoid Gaza descending into famine, including an end to hostilities, humanitarian access, the protection of aid workers, civilians and civilian infrastructure, multi-sectoral interventions, and commercial supply and essential services restored at scale. We continue to push for these measures along with our partners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 51909 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what the response of the Israeli ambassador was to the Government's positions that (a) it stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, (b) Israel's plan for aid delivery is wholly inadequate and (c) a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza should take place immediately.

The Israeli ambassador has been left in no doubt about the UK's position. On 20 May, I summoned the ambassador to express the UK's firm opposition to Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza and its wholly inadequate aid delivery plan. I also demanded the immediate, full and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid. The UK made clear that failure to act risks further international isolation. The Foreign Secretary has said that unless Israel lifts restrictions and halts its offensive, the UK alongside international partners will take further concrete action.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 53953 on Gaza: Infant Mortality, whether the Israeli Government responded to the request to (a) stop military operations in and (b) immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

The UK continues to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza. We continue to call on the Government of Israel to lift restrictions immediately to enable humanitarian aid to enter at scale. We made this clear again at the UN Security Council last week, when we voted in favour of a draft UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza. Ministers continue to make representations to Israeli counterparts on these issues as we call for a lasting peace.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on the potential impact of aid shortages on baby mortality in Gaza; and if he will take additional steps to help prevent potential loss of life.

As the Foreign Secretary said to this house on 20 May, the threat of starvation hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians is abominable, this includes the risk to infants and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. On 19 May, we issued a statement, with France and Canada, calling on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter. The Minister for Development reiterated our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services in a meeting with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May and in a visit to the region on 21 May where she met UNRWA staff and separately announced a further £4 million in funding to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to remain a signatory to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Convention) continues to play an important role in protecting civilians from harm caused by anti-personnel landmines. As a State Party to the Ottawa Convention, the UK's commitment to it remains unwavering. We continue to encourage countries to join the Ottawa Convention and subscribe to its provisions, and we discourage States from using anti-personnel landmines.His Majesty's Government continues to publicly express its commitment to the Ottawa Convention, most recently by Minister of State, Baroness Chapman, at a House of Lords debate on Landmines and Cluster Munitions on 03 April 2025.[https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-04-03/debates/F6C91136-946C-463C-81BC-A41C98E6386D/LandminesAndClusterMunitions]

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to (a) prevent and (b) punish the crime of genocide.

Working closely with our partners and civil society, we take steps to help address the root causes and protect civilians at immediate risk using development, diplomacy and humanitarian action. UK funding has enabled the UN Office for Genocide Prevention and the independent Global Centre on the Responsibility to Protect to help improve ways to support populations at risk of atrocities. The UK is also one of the biggest contributors to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the primary UN mechanism supporting violence prevention activity in over 40 countries.Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of our foreign policy. The UK supports and fully respects the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, including genocide.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on the provision of potential evidence possessed by the Government of (a) genocide, (b) war crimes, (c) crimes against humanity and (d) crimes of aggression to the International Criminal Court (i) where the evidence is relevant to an ongoing case before the ICC and (ii) in other circumstances.

Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of our foreign policy. The International Criminal Court is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. We strongly support its work and endeavour to cooperate with the Court wherever possible.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, published on 19 May 2025, and the Answer of 10 December 2024 to Question 16737 on Gaza: Israel, whether his Department's assessment of Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law included whether genocide had been committed.

The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process.Our International Humanitarian Law assessments address Israel's record of compliance across four domains: the conduct of hostilities; forced displacement; provision and facilitation of humanitarian relief; and the treatment of detainees.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the United Nations on the proportion of the population of Gaza who are at risk of (a) famine and (b) starvation.

In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we highlighted the recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Partnership, and called on Israel to lift its cruel and inexcusable block in the flow of aid to Gaza. The report found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine and that half a million people are facing starvation. In a joint statement with Canada and France on 19 May, the Prime Minister called on Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles.