Written questions by Dhesi.

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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with his international counterparts to enable humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza, now. The Foreign Secretary regularly presses his Israeli counterparts on these issues. We are calling on the Government of Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, and let the UN and humanitarians save lives. On 13 May the UK, along with European partners, called an urgent session of the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador on 20 May to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its wholly inadequate plan for aid delivery, and to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to help enable humanitarian aid to reach people in Tawila, fleeing Zamzam camp in Sudan.

The UK strongly condemns the continued violence in and around El Fasher and Zamzam camp which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 500 people and has displaced over 403,000 people from the camp. In response to the deteriorating humanitarian context in El Fasher, the UK will provide £2 million in funding through the Mercy Corps-led cash consortium which will help to deliver urgent cash-based assistance to vulnerable communities. Sustained engagement and advocacy are also vital to ensure food and humanitarian supplies are not blocked from reaching regions such as Tawila. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement following the attacks calling for the warring parties to ensure humanitarian actors are provided with the security guarantees needed to deliver aid rapidly and safely. This followed the UN Security Council statement, released on 16 April, condemning the escalation of violence and calling for the parties to urgently implement UN Security Council Resolution 2736.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure (a) the safety of humanitarian workers and (b) the delivery of humanitarian aid in Sudan.

The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian delivery into and across the country. During last month's London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people. Sudan remains an extremely perilous context for humanitarian personnel. Nearly 100 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since the conflict started in April 2023. To protect civilians including aid workers, the UK continues to advocate that parties to the conflict uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations as applicable, whilst calling for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCR), including UNSCR 2736 (2024) on El Fasher, Darfur. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary also issued a statement following renewed attacks in El Fasher, calling for security guarantees in order to deliver aid rapidly and safely.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with international partners to ensure humanitarian aid is received by people in need in Myanmar.

We are working closely with a range of international partners to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches all those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.The UK supports the people of Myanmar by funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected populations. Immediately after the earthquake our partners assessed needs and mobilised an initial humanitarian response. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 86,000 people so far.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the use of AI in their Department on security.

The UK government is dedicated to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance public services safely and securely. The AI Playbook for the UK Government security section (p. 74) includes an assessment of the risks coming from the use of AI. The Playbook includes worked scenarios for AI use which detail potential impacts for the different types of risk. All AI services must adhere to Secure by Design principles and conduct risk assessments, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). The FCDO is working to ensure that it has appropriate security controls, policies, culture and capabilities to protect our information and our ability to operate and to develop these as the technology and the threat landscape evolves.Artificial Intelligence (AI) will transform diplomatic practice and FCDO's delivery, enhancing our diplomatic impact and increasing individual productivity and corporate efficiency. However, it will also create new and enhance existing cyber security threats. The FCDO is working to ensure that it has appropriate security controls, policies, culture and capabilities to protect our information and our ability to operate and to develop these as the technology and the threat landscape evolves. The FCDO has a dedicated and continuously evolving Risk Management capability within its Information and Cyber Security function.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office median age for its laptop estate issued to officials is currently 1 year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international non-governmental organisations that provide official development assistance.

This government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe. We are engaging with a range of partners and stakeholders on the decision to reduce the Official Development Assistance budget.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria will be used to determine allocations from the John Bunyan Fund.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund provides funding to overseas posts to support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world. UK posts are invited to submit applications that support the central objective of the fund: to curtail FoRB violations and abuses. Diplomatic missions have full control over the exact design and scope of project work to best develop an intervention that suits their specific in-country context and priorities and is complementary to any other financing they receive. Projects must provide value for money, have a clear strategic focus and realistic, tangible outcomes in keeping with FCDO priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) the families of British citizens and (b) British citizens impacted by the (i) ongoing security situation surrounding the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project and (ii) insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region.

The UK continues to support British nationals throughout the ongoing IS-Mozambique insurgency in northern Mozambique. This includes engagement with families of those affected by security issues in Cabo Delgado. The UK is supporting efforts to counter the insurgency there, including through programmes aimed at building local resilience to violent extremism.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UK Export Finance on funding for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly engages with UK Export Finance officials on funding for the Liquified National Gas Project in Mozambique. UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders regarding the latest status of the project. These discussions are commercially sensitive and remain ongoing.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to assess applications to the John Bunyan Fund.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's John Bunyan Fund provides funding to overseas posts to support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world. UK posts are invited to submit applications that support the central objective of the fund: to curtail FoRB violations and abuses. Diplomatic missions have full control over the exact design and scope of project work to best develop an intervention that suits their specific in-country context and priorities and is complementary to any other financing they receive.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Indian counterpart on Jagtar Singh Johal's recent acquittal.

The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian External Affairs Minister on 5 March, during his visit to the UK. The UK Government will continue to make clear to the Government of India that faster progress is needed toward a full resolution of Mr Johal's cases, including a full and independent investigation into his allegations of torture.

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

The UK is clear that the freedom to express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. I raised the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed the safety of Pakistani journalists in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The UK also runs the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship to support South Asian journalists. The UK is committed to promoting human rights and democratic norms in Pakistan - a commitment I discussed with representatives from the UK-Pakistan diaspora on 18 February 2025. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold the right to freedom of expression in accordance with international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is (a) protected and (b) maintained internationally.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the FCDO John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on press freedom within Pakistan.

The UK is a champion of media freedom and proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. We are deeply concerned by restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan and regularly raise this issue at the highest levels. I underlined the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and discussed the safety of journalists in Parliament on 28 November. We will continue to advocate for improved legislation and stronger institutions to enable a free and independent media and ensure the safety of journalists.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on human rights in Pakistan.

Promoting human rights is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the importance of upholding civil and political rights with senior Pakistani Ministers, including the Minister for Human Rights and Interior Minister, during my visit to Pakistan in November. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with Pakistan's Constitution and international standards.