Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to establish an African Union-led contact group to convene regional partners to focus on a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Sudan.

At the London Sudan Conference, co-hosts agreed on a series of next steps, including revitalising existing frameworks such as the African Union Expanded Mechanism to enhance coordination among regional partners. Together with our co-hosts, we also emphasised the importance of strategic coordination and inclusive political dialogue, focusing on aligning efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Sudan. We continue to engage with our international partners on these efforts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to engage with (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral parties to the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025 who did not sign the co-chairs' joint statement.

The Foreign Secretary engaged with multiple partners, bilateral and multilateral, in the run-up to the London Sudan Conference and on the day of the conference itself. The conference demonstrated the strong international will to bring the conflict to an end and to ensure aid reaches those most in need. The UK continues to use all diplomatic levers at its disposal in pursuit of these aims.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) withdrawal and (b) closure of international partners’ diplomatic missions in (i) Sudan and (ii) South Sudan on stability in that region.

The safety of our staff and British Nationals is our priority. The UK like others, had no choice but to withdraw our diplomatic presence in Khartoum when armed violence commenced in April 2023. The UK remains committed to finding a solution to end the conflict in Sudan. On the two-year point of the conflict, on 15 April, the Foreign Secretary hosted international partners and stakeholders at the London Sudan Conference, which focussed on spotlighting the dire human cost of the conflict, achieving progress on humanitarian access and building consensus among the international community behind a regionally led process.We continue to maintain a diplomatic presence in Juba, South Sudan. We are keeping the situation under regular review. We are deeply concerned by the increasingly fragile security situation and have urged President Kiir and all those with influence over armed groups, to de-escalate, to release First Vice President Machar and to implement the 2018 peace agreement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the fluctuations in the levels of humanitarian aid that has reached Darfur over the last 6 months.

Aid flows into and across Darfur over the last six months have been wholly inadequate. Armed violence and access constraints imposed by the warring parties have had unacceptable impacts on relief operations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan in order to alleviate the unprecedented levels of suffering. We are using all levers at our disposal to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and to improve the operating context for aid agencies.On 15 April, following the Sudan London Conference, the co-chairs' statement called on relevant parties to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of need through all necessary routes in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In addition, the UK supported Canada's efforts as Chair of the G7 to issue a joint statement expressing concern about reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Sudan and calling on warring parties to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.During April'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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the humanitarian situation in (a) Sudan and (b) countries neighbouring Sudan.

The UK is committed to addressing Sudan's humanitarian crisis and its regional impacts. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year. This includes 670,000 people to be reached with food assistance for 3 months, 205,000 people to benefit from financial assistance and 600,000 people who will receive nutrition, water and sanitation support. The UK continues its work to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including through access corridors such as the Adré crossing from Chad. Crucially, we also provide aid to those neighbouring countries hosting large numbers of refugees from Sudan, including Chad, South Sudan and Uganda to help manage the effects of the crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce a date for the UK-hosted Berlin Process 2025 summit.

The UK is delighted to host the Berlin Process this year. We will organise meetings of Ministers, government officials and non-government stakeholders to build stronger economic and security ties between the countries of the Western Balkans and deepen cooperation with our European partners, working closely with the new German Government. We will invite leaders from the six Western Balkans countries, European partners, regional organisations, and EU institutions to the Berlin Process Summit in the UK later this year, where we will seek to agree initiatives to enhance regional security, tackle irregular migration, and boost economic growth. We are working to identify a date for the Summit, which we hope to announce as soon as possible.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Independent Development Review in the context of recent changes to Official Development Assistance.

The review recommendations are now being considered as part of the Foreign Secretary's wider work to reform the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), including how the FCDO approaches the reduction in the Official Development Assistance budget.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the quantity of Ukrainian grain being transported through the Black Sea.

Over 80 per cent of Ukraine's grain exports are now transported through the Black Sea corridor. In 2024, over 48 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds were exported, and monthly volumes were consistently at the highest levels since the war began. Through all routes, Ukraine exported all its surplus harvest from 2023 and is on course to do so for its 2024 harvest.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 35682 on Disease Control: International Assistance, how much of the £10 million transferred to the Pandemic Fund has been spent during the current financial year.

The UK transferred £10 million to the Pandemic Fund in FY 2022/23. Since it was established in September 2022 (and over the period 2022/23 to 2025/26), the Pandemic Fund has announced allocations of $885 million, supporting 47 projects in 75 countries.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many FCDO staff attended the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris in March 2025; and what was the total budget versus the actual cost of attending.

At the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris, the UK delegation was led by Baroness Chapman, the Minister for International Development, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In total, five Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office (FCDO) staff members travelled to Paris to support the Minister's agenda and the coordination of the two side-events we co-hosted, including the Minister's private secretary.While the final figure is being confirmed, FCDO estimates the total cost of attending came to under £6,000. Staff attendance was staggered throughout the week, with two UK based staff members already in Paris for other partner meetings, also providing support to the Minister's visit and the organisation of the side-events. FCDO has also sought to achieve good value for money through its other N4G activities in Paris, including the arrangement of venues for events.The UK's development expertise is critical to agendas like nutrition. We will continue to play a leadership role in the future with less money to spend.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the resilience of Ukraine's export infrastructure to export grain.

The resilience of Ukraine's grain export infrastructure is demonstrated by the fact that it exported all its surplus harvest from 2023 and is on course to do so again for its 2024 harvest. Ukraine is now exporting over 80 per cent of its grain through its maritime corridor in the Black Sea. It is also exporting grain through its Danube ports and by rail and truck through neighbouring EU member states.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) EU and (b) US counterparts on the use of (i) proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club and other (ii) assets (A) frozen and (B) seized via sanctions.

We are determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as soon as possible. The Government is working closely with the European Commission and Portugal on this issue. Separately, we continue our work at pace with allies to consider all lawful routes to ensure Russia pays for the damage it is causing Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary is having regular discussions with key partners on this issue, including at the Weimar+ Group on Monday 31 March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 36412 on Climate Change: Finance, when he plans to publish this data for the 2024-25 financial year.

International Climate Finance spend for financial year 2024-25 will be available after the publication of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Annual Report and Accounts later this year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the criteria to determine the prioritisation of Official Development Assistance funding in 2025-26; and what steps is he taking to ensure such spending optimises value for money.

We are committed to modernising our approach to development to help provide the best value for money for UK taxpayers and deliver mutual benefits at home and overseas. We will work with our partners in new ways to maximise our impact.To enable us to deliver the transition to spending 0.3 per cent of gross national income on Official Development Assistance effectively, in 2025/26 we are prioritising meeting legally binding commitments and delivering work already underway, as well as planned humanitarian spend. This will help deliver the flexibility the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office requires to set a transitional set of final allocations following the Spending Review. We have also established an exemptions process to allow for critical new development work to continue.Full detail is set out in Baroness Chapman's 27 March letter to the International Development Committee [https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/47275/documents/245059/default/].

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation by (a) Ministers and (b) officials at the European Political Community Summit in Albania on 16 May 2025.

The UK values the European Political Community (EPC) as a format that brings together leaders from across Europe for frank discussions about shared challenges such as European security and irregular migration. The UK has played a central role in the EPC since its inception, particularly through hosting at Blenheim Palace in July 2024. We welcome Albania's hosting of the EPC on 16 May. Attendance at the EPC is at leader-level only and cannot be delegated. We will set out the Prime Minister's travel plans in the usual way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to Overseas Development Assistance on WASH funding worldwide.

The UK recognises the fundamental role that clean water, sanitation and good hygiene play in terms of improving people's health and wellbeing, in helping communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, and in empowering women and girls. Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the spending review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his European counterparts to help tackle (a) intolerance and (b) other discrimination against Christians in Europe.

There is no space for religious intolerance in pluralistic, modern societies. We are championing the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. We will continue to recognise the impact of the issue of Christian persecution globally, alongside the persecution of other individuals on the basis of their religion or belief. The Special Envoy for FoRB met with European and US counterparts in the margins of the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March. We actively participate in the Article 18 Alliance - bringing together 38 Member States, 26 of whom are European, to discuss actions our nations can take so that together we can promote respect for FoRB worldwide. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials attended the Article 18 Alliance and International Contact Group meetings in Geneva in March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to apply further sanctions to assets associated with (a) the (i) owners and (ii) affiliated entities of Chelsea Football Club and (b) other Russian (A) people and (B) entities.

The UK has been clear that we need to keep the economic pressure on Russia to hinder its ability to wage war. The UK has sanctioned over 2,200 individuals and entities under the Russia sanctions regime, over 2,000 of which were sanctioned since Putin's full-scale invasion. We will not comment or speculate on future designations as to do so could reduce their impact. We are determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as soon as possible and we are doing everything we can to bring that about quickly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister for International Development’s letter of 14 March 2025 to the International Development Select Committee, how many (a) business cases, (b) contracts and (c) agreements for aid programmes were put on hold following the instruction issued to aid programmes.

As an immediate step to prepare for the reduction to the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued an instruction on 7 March to all ODA programme teams in FCDO not to approve new business cases, contracts or agreements, or announce new funding until initial allocations for FCDO ODA in the financial year 2025/26 are set. Payments under existing agreements has continued. In the Minister for Development's letter of Thursday 27 March to the International Development Committee, she confirmed FCDO's approach to setting initial ODA allocations for the financial year 2025/26, including the broad criteria against which new business cases, contracts and agreements will be considered through an exemption process. Given the ongoing exemption process, it is not possible to set out a total number of new business cases, contracts and agreements that FCDO ODA programme teams may have progressed but did not do so as a result of this approach. Guidance has been provided to teams to enable the ongoing development of business cases in high priority areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department is providing to Ukraine to help tackle antimicrobial resistance.

We have provided £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, which includes support for healthcare services. Our support includes funding for the Ukrainian Red Cross, who have funded NHS doctors and nurses to share best practice with their Ukrainian counterparts, including how to prevent the spread of infections and antimicrobial resistance. Through the World Health Organisation, we are also strengthening Ukraine's health system to provide better care and rehabilitation services to meet the needs of those injured because of the war. In February, the Defence Secretary announced that we would double our funding to £40 million for Project Renovator, which draws on the UK's leading defence medical expertise to expand Ukraine's military rehabilitation and medical services.