Written questions by Chamberlain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to written statement UIN HCWS144, what support will be available for the dependents of eligible students from Gaza travelling to UK universities.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to written statement HCWS144, whether evacuation costs will be charged to universities.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to written statement UIN HCWS144, what steps she taking to ensure that students from Gaza due to study in Scotland, are able to enter the UK prior to the earlier academic year start dates in Scotland.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to written statement UIN HCWS144, if she will make a statement on the available support for students from Gaza, including whether support will operate in the same form as 2025, with the same format and time scales for evacuations.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to written statement HCWS144, what ongoing communications plans are in place within her Department for liaising with universities and other local services to prepare for the arrival of students from Gaza.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to secure the release of British Nationals detained by Israel as a result of their participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement on 21 May.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the delivery of aid to Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 29 April in response to Question HL14316.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of reports that recent criminal regulations introduced by the Taliban impose harsher punishments on women and minority groups; and what representations the UK Government has made to international partners regarding the protection of the rights and safety of women and girls.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement issued by the Foreign Secretary on this matter on 26 February, where she said: "I am appalled by continuing restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban's new criminal procedure code legitimises domestic violence and targets women and minorities. These oppressive measures must be rescinded. The rights of all Afghans must be protected." The UK is working closely with international partners on the issue, including through our chairmanship of the G7+ group of countries, and engagement through the UN and the Human Rights Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2026 to Question UIN 101823, whether her Department (a) acknowledges; and (b) accepts the findings of the People's Tribunal of Women of Afghanistan's judgement of 11 December 2025.

The UK Government supports legal initiatives to hold the Taliban to account for their repression of Afghan women and girls, and we welcome the progress being made across a range of such initiatives. In the interim, we are continuing to work with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions on women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to implement the recommendations of the People's Tribunal of Women of Afghanistan's judgement of 11 December 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question 81211.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department has any plans to provide financial support to the operations of UNHCR in Afghanistan.

The UK remains one of the largest donors to Afghanistan, providing £151 million in aid for the 2025/26 financial year. The UK does not currently directly fund United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) operations in Afghanistan, but we have supported those operations indirectly via pooled funds managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Future funding allocations for UN and non-governmental organisation partners in Afghanistan will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether ODA spending for Afghanistan will be ringfenced in the upcoming spending decisions.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 September to Question 70974.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on women and girls in Afghanistan.

With £151 million allocated this year, Afghanistan remains one of the UK’s largest bilateral aid programmes. We aim for women and girls to make up at least 50% of those reached, and continually assess programme effectiveness to support that goal. We regularly engage with a range of Afghans and partner organisations to inform and shape our policy and programmes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 June 2025 on Afghanistan HCWS703, if he will publish a list of people he is referring to when stating that his Department speaks "directly with Afghans and civil society to inform our policy and programming".

To maintain the privacy and security of the people with whom we engage, including those based in Afghanistan, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will not be publishing a list of Afghan and civil society contacts. Ministers and officials will continue to engage regularly with a diverse range of Afghans and civil society contacts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the expected advisory arrangements to the Special Envoy for Afghanistan.

The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.This new model will allow the UK to actively engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the (a) Special Envoy to Afghanistan and (b) Afghanistan department will be located within the Whitehall premises of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The Special Envoy to Afghanistan and the Afghanistan department operate from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's headquarters in the UK. This arrangement ensures the UK can continue to engage effectively on Afghanistan policy, including with a broad range of Afghan stakeholders, while maintaining flexibility in how and where that engagement takes place.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department undertakes Child Rights Impact Assessments for international development policies.

As a ratifier of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the rights and wellbeing of children. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not undertake mandatory Child Rights Impact Assessments, but it is FCDO policy to consider the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which includes age, and Safeguarding responsibilities across our policies and investments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to stop the escalation of violence in Juba, Sudan.

On 16 and 17 January, violent protests and looting of Sudanese businesses took place in Juba and across South Sudan. Security forces rapidly managed to restore calm but around 10,000 people were displaced and an unknown number killed. The protests were triggered by reports (including footage circulated on social media) of South Sudanese civilians being killed by allied militias of the Sudanese Armed Forces in Wad Madani, Sudan. Working with partners, the Foreign Secretary is determined to re-energise a political process on ending the Sudan conflict, protecting civilians, and getting aid to where it is most needed. The UK has also raised the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians with the transitional government of South Sudan. This includes my visit to South Sudan in August 2024 where I pressed the South Sudanese Government to make progress towards peaceful, credible and inclusive elections, emphasising the need for political dialogue to ensure peace and stability.