Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Development of 23 January 2025 on International Day of Education, Official Report, column 434WH, what (a) consideration and (b) priority has been given to UK global education funding in the development review.

The international development review considers how to maximise the impact of the FCDO's integrated development and diplomacy model and how we can improve development capability and assurance within the department. The review scope did not include specific sectoral funding.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Development of 23 January 2025 on International Day of Education, Official Report, column 434WH, whether he plans to consult hon. Members on the findings of the development review.

The Foreign Secretary is considering his response to the three reviews he commissioned into the UK's Global Impact, Development and Economic Diplomacy. He plans to inform Hon. Members of the findings of the reviews and his response in the coming weeks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued operation of the British Council in countries where other hostile state actors are present.

The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government. Decisions relating to the size and model of its overseas network are operational matters for the British Council.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with the British Council to ensure strategic alignment between FCDO objectives and British Council activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Q66 of the oral evidence given by the Chief Executive of the British Council to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 13 January 2025, HC 609, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of British Council offices in up to 40 countries on the UK's (a) soft power and b) security in Europe.

The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government. Decisions relating to the size and model of its overseas network are operational matters for the British Council.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with the British Council to ensure strategic alignment between FCDO objectives and British Council activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing multi-year funding to support (a) food-insecure people in Sudan and (b) Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.

The UK is committed to addressing the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. We are deeply concerned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee's findings in December 2024 that the famine has spread to at least five areas of Sudan and is projected to expand into at least ten areas by May 2025. In November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million of aid. With this announcement, the UK has doubled our aid to Sudan and the regional response this year to £226.5 million. During his visit to the Sudan-Chad border at Adré in Janaury, the Foreign Secretary also announced £20 million in additional funding.Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in Summer 2025. The next phase of the Spending Review will set departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26008 on Pension Credit, how many people eligible for Pension Credit were awaiting Winter Fuel Payments as of (a) 30 December 2024 and (b) 31 January 2025.

Where the customer is eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, the Department aims to make this payment within 2 weeks of the award of Pension Credit. Customers won't miss out on Winter Fuel Payments even if their qualifying benefit takes longer to process than usual.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties that humanitarian assistance will be delivered (a) safely and (b) unimpeded to people affected by conflict.

The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access in Sudan. In January, the Foreign Secretary visited the Chad-Sudan border at Adré to see first-hand the impact of conflict on Sudanese refugees. He used the visit as an opportunity to call again on warring parties to urgently improve humanitarian access. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary also chaired a Sudan session during the G7 + Arab Quint Foreign Ministers' meeting to discuss collective action the G7 and Quint could take with the warring parties to push for improved humanitarian access, protection of civilians, and increased aid. In our statements at the United Nations Security Council, including most recently in an open briefing on 6 January, as well as in our engagements with international partners, the UK continues to push for additional aid routes across Sudan and into it, including through South Sudan. The UK Special Representative, Richard Crowder, met the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, during his first visit to Sudan in December 2024, and pressed him on current impediments to access such as visas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken with his international counterparts to help end conflict in Sudan.

The Foreign Secretary and I have both made addressing the situation in Sudan a priority, and are actively working together with a range of regional and international partners towards ending the suffering of the Sudanese people. On 24 January, the Foreign Secretary travelled to the Chad/Sudan border and met with Sudanese refugees. During this visit, he announced his intention to convene Foreign Ministers in London this spring to galvanise international political efforts to end the conflict.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to the British Council in the 2024-25 financial year; what information his Department holds on the level of funding provided to equivalent organisations in other G7 countries; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the difference in funding levels on the projection of UK soft power.

In 2024/25, the FCDO will provide the British Council with £162.5 million Grant-in-Aid funding. The British Council is projected to generate £885 million from other sources over the same period, according to its Corporate Plan 2024-25. This self-generated income is largely derived from the British Council's teaching and exams businesses.The British Council's specific charitable objects are set out in its Royal Charter. An assessment of any difference in levels of funding with international comparators is not directly equivalent given the British Council's specific charitable objects.

What discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Domestic Affairs on the China audit before 10 January 2025.

The UK Government is carrying out an audit to examine the UK's interests with respect to China to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has discussed various topics including the China audit with the Secretary of State of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he will use to evaluate the commitment of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham regime to (a) inclusive governance and (b) human rights.

The UK fully supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. As a next step, we hope to see representative figures from across Syria appointed to the transitional government and the recently announced Legislative Council and Preparatory Committee. We hope there will be a clear process and timeline for this next phase of the transition, which respects the rights of all Syrians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) ASEAN, (b) Five Eyes and (c) Japanese partners on (i) improving humanitarian aid access into Myanmar and (ii) best practice for ensuring aid reaches civilians most in need.

The UK is deeply concerned about Myanmar's worsening situation and growing humanitarian needs. On 1st February, the UK-led Joint Statement (which included all Five-Eyes as co-signatories), marking four years since the coup, called for the Myanmar military regime to de-escalate violence and ensure safe humanitarian access. At the ASEAN summit in July, the Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for full implementation of ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus to ensure safe humanitarian access across Myanmar. The G7 Foreign Ministers statement in November called on the Myanmar military regime to allow full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access in Myanmar. Over 54 per cent of the UK's support to Myanmar is directed through local civil society partners to ensure it reaches those most in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support UK research into neglected tropical diseases.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a Product Development Partnership that develops novel medicines for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). DNDi partners with over 40 academic partners in the UK for its vital research. In addition, the FCDO is in the process of finalising an agreement to support a UK academic institution with the development of novel health technologies for NTDs.The FCDO also supports UK research capability via our partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC). This includes research on NTDs led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on the design of a community-based intervention for snakebite prevention funded through the FCDO/MRC Concordat.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to use UK research capacity in neglected tropical diseases to support his policy objectives in this area.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a Product Development Partnership that develops novel medicines for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). DNDi partners with over 40 academic partners in the UK for its vital research. In addition, the FCDO is in the process of finalising an agreement to support a UK academic institution with the development of novel health technologies for NTDs.The FCDO also supports UK research capability via our partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC). This includes research on NTDs led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on the design of a community-based intervention for snakebite prevention funded through the FCDO/MRC Concordat.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the planned frequency of meetings of the Soft Power Council is.

The Council aims to meet in plenary on a roughly quarterly basis. Smaller working groups and roundtables with the Council's members will form to examine specific geographies, themes and issues, with frequency of meetings calibrated according to need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle gender-based violence through the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023 to 2030.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. We are scaling up evidence-based approaches to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) through homes, schools and workplaces through the What Works to Prevent Violence programme, investing £67.5 million.In November, we announced £27 million to tackle technology-facilitated GBV, and £5 million additional funding to help grassroots organisations to tackle child marriage. We are continuing to mobilise action on GBV at national and international levels. For example, at COP29, we launched a report on GBV and climate, co-produced by the UK and Australia, and learnt from women on the front line of the climate crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to deliver humanitarian aid to support the Syrian people.

In response to recent events, humanitarian aid agencies have rapidly scaled up the ongoing international aid effort to support Syrians inside Syria and across the region. The UK announced an additional £61 million to support this. We have strict measures in place to ensure UK aid reaches those most in need. We conduct rigorous and robust checks to ensure aid goes to the people that need it, delivers value for money and protects against aid diversion.The UK is working with the UN and other partners to ensure the aid response meets needs most effectively. To this end, we continue to advocate for flexible humanitarian funding, strengthened co-ordination, an updated needs assessment, and unimpeded access.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the annual budget of the Soft Power Council is.

The first meeting of the Soft Power Council on 15 January was financed from within existing budgets. As the Council is a new area of activity, we continue, jointly with the Department for Culture Media and Sport, to work up a comprehensive spending review bid that will determine the Soft Power Council budget in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on the repatriation of British citizens who travelled to Islamic State-led territories to support that group.

Our priority remains to ensure the safety and security of the UK. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect the UK from those who pose a threat to our security.All requests for consular assistance from Syria are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances including, but not limited to, national security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Syrian refugees (a) in the UK and (b) globally who are returning to Syria.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers and refugees who come to the UK in the 'Immigration System Statistics' quarterly release. The Home Office does not track the addresses of individuals once they have been granted refugee status, and refugees are free to move around or leave the UK.As of 30 January, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimate that some 237,000 Syrians have returned to Syria since the fall of Assad. These figures include Syrians returning from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, as well those transiting from beyond the region.