Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential implications for his policies of the treatment of Christian refugees from Myanmar in India.

The UK Government is committed defending religious freedom for all in Myanmar. We are aware of Myanmar Christian refugees in India's Christian-majority states, Nagaland, and Mizoram. We continue to raise concerns about discrimination of religious minorities in international forums, including through our co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April 2024, which underscored the importance of addressing the root cause of violations against religious minorities, including Christians. Additionally, we provide funding to the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and have established the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups within Myanmar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the effectiveness of UK aid distribution at reaching civilians in Syria.

The UK continues to monitor and respond to the humanitarian situation in Syria. Most border crossings remain open for humanitarian aid, enabling assistance to be delivered, except where conflict is constraining this. We continue to call for unhindered access and the facilitation of humanitarian operations.The UK has announced a further £61 million to support vulnerable Syrians inside Syria and across the region. Through the UN, and international, and Syrian non-governmental organisations, we are providing food, healthcare, protection and other life-saving assistance. We remain in regular contact with those organisations to assess aid access and how they are managing delivery risks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of distributing humanitarian aid to civilians in need through (a) local civil society, (b) education programmes and (c) faith groups in Myanmar.

19.9 million people in Myanmar need humanitarian assistance, many of whom are living in hard-to-reach areas. To overcome these barriers, over 54% of UK funding is directed to local civil society organisations, including faith groups and education providers, to reach those most in need. Due to the increasing humanitarian crisis, on 1st February the Minister of State for Development announced an uplift of £22.45 million in humanitarian support. Our increased humanitarian funding will help deliver healthcare to one million people in Myanmar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Locarno speech, delivered on 9 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen defence collaboration with NATO allies.

The Government is committed to a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) First Defence Policy, through which we are making NATO stronger, ensuring one billion North Americans and Europeans are all safer and more prosperous. With our reset of relations, we are working with our European Allies to harden Europe's defences. European NATO Allies must continue to take greater responsibility for our own security - spending more, producing more, and delivering larger and more capable forces. With threats increasing, the UK is committed to strengthening defence collaboration with NATO Allies even further with a cast iron commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP. That is the message the Foreign Secretary and I took to the December 2024 Foreign Ministers meeting.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his policies on climate change on the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023 to 2030.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to ensuring gender equality is a key part of our programming on climate and addressing gendered inequalities as part of our fight against climate change. We are committed to increasing the proportion of our international climate finance that will have gender equality objectives. At COP29, I launched a groundbreaking new report concerning climate change and gender-based violence and announced up to £5.5 million to support grassroots organisations and to increase women's voices and active participation in the design of water and nature-based solutions across the Middle East and North Africa.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of disruptions to energy supply in (a) Transnistria and (b) Moldova.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 January 2025 to Question 25252 [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-21/25252].

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on building UK research capacity in neglected tropical diseases.

FCDO ministers speak regularly with ministers across government on all matters related to their portfolios, including global health and building the UK's scientific capacity. 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. 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 Neglected Tropical Diseases.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, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22284 on Development Aid: Nutrition, if he will provide a timeline for (a) reviewing and (b) finalising his Department’s approach to N4G 2025.

The UK continues to look forward to the 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials continue to work closely with French counterparts to build momentum in the lead up to the summit and will announce plans for events in Paris in due course in collaboration with French organisers. The UK continues to champion the integration of improved nutrition outcomes alongside successes in other sectors including health, agriculture, humanitarian, and climate, and intends to make commitments in March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 21997 on Syria: Armed Conflict, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that aid will reach women and girls.

Support to women and girls is at the heart of the UK's policy and programmes in Syria. In the financial year of 2023/24, 53 percent of UK humanitarian programming in Syria has helped provide health, sexual and reproductive health services, education and vocational training to over 690,000 women and girls. UK support delivered through trusted aid organisations on the ground, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and non-governmental organisations - targets those most vulnerable in a crisis, including women and girls, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We continue to call for unhindered access for and facilitation of humanitarian operations across the whole of Syria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funds have been allocated by his Department to support initiatives outlined in the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023–2030.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of all we do across our diplomatic and development activity. The Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with the Chancellor, including on Official Development Assistance (ODA). The FCDO's ODA programme allocations for 2024/25 will be published shortly. Ministers will consider ODA allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months and will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The second phase of the Spending Review, concluding in late spring 2025, will set departmental ODA budgets for future years, including to support women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help the British Council become financially self-sufficient.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has provided the British Council with £162.5 million Grant-in-Aid in 2024/25. The British Council's Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the British Council's financial sustainability. The Government is committed to working with the British Council to ensure its financial sustainability. The FCDO is exploring all options with the British Council and HM Treasury to ensure this.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the British Council (a) funding model and (b) loan repayment terms on the effectiveness of the British Council at promoting and supporting UK soft power.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has provided the British Council with £162.5 million Grant-in-Aid in 2024/25. The British Council's Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the British Council's financial sustainability. The Government is committed to working with the British Council to ensure its financial sustainability. The FCDO is exploring all options with the British Council and HM Treasury to ensure this.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on initiatives outlined in the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023–2030.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of all we do across our diplomatic and development activity. The Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with the Chancellor, including on Official Development Assistance (ODA). The FCDO's ODA programme allocations for 2024/25 will be published shortly. Ministers will consider ODA allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months and will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The second phase of the Spending Review, concluding in late spring 2025, will set departmental ODA budgets for future years, including to support women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on restructuring the repayment terms for British Council loans owed to the Government.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with the British Council and HM Treasury on this issue.The loan was made on commercial terms to ensure compliance with the UK subsidy control regime. The Government remains committed to recovering the loan when the British Council's finances allow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22001 on Belarus: Sanctions, who has been appointed to lead the cross-Government review of sanctions enforcement.

I launched the cross-Government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October. The review is examining whether we have the right powers, approach, capacity and resourcing on policy, implementation and enforcement, with an urgent focus on strengthening the latter. The objectives are to make our sanctions easier to comply with, increase the deterrent effect of enforcement and maximise the flexibility of our cross-government toolkit. It is being led by the FCDO in collaboration with key sanctions Departments and is expected to conclude in Spring 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that women's (a) economic participation and (b) access to education are effectively integrated in the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023–2030.

Ensuring all girls have access to quality education is a core part of the UK's work on gender equality. We deliver bilateral education programmes in 18 countries and are the top bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education, which provides grant funding to 74 lower income countries. The UK is committed to women's economic empowerment, including through our flagship Work and Opportunities for Women programme, which aims to improve economic opportunities for women working in global value chains. In October 2024, we announced £7.5 million to the World Bank to support high quality evidence on women's economic empowerment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22629 on Development Aid: Asylum Hotels, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to agree a timeline for the (a) reduction and (b) cessation of the use of asylum hotels.

The Government is committed to ensuring asylum costs fall. This includes taking measures to reduce the asylum backlog and end the use of expensive hotels over time, as part of a reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. We expect these plans to create more space in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to spend on our international development priorities overseas. The Home Office will be represented at the first meeting of the re-established Ministerial ODA Board which will discuss in-donor refugee costs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22010 on Sudan: Humanitarian Aid, what estimate he has made of the amount of humanitarian aid being provided by international partners to help those who fled Sudan and are being assisted in the wider region.

The 2024 Sudan Regional Response Plan (RRP), which outlined the financial requirements to provide life-saving aid to refugees and host communities in Sudan's neighbouring countries, sought a total of $1.5 billion but was only 31% funded. The US, EU, and UAE were amongst the Government donors to the RRP in 2024. The 2025 Sudan RRP seeks $1.8 billion with the aim of supporting 5 million people. In November 2024, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office doubled UK aid to £226.5 million. This uplift is funding the UN and NGOs to provide support to over one million people affected by war in Sudan and displaced by the conflict.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22001 on Belarus: Sanctions, what the terms of reference are for the cross-Government review of sanctions enforcement.

I launched the cross-Government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October. The review is examining whether we have the right powers, approach, capacity and resourcing on policy, implementation and enforcement, with an urgent focus on strengthening the latter. The objectives are to make our sanctions easier to comply with, increase the deterrent effect of enforcement and maximise the flexibility of our cross-government toolkit. It is being led by the FCDO in collaboration with key sanctions Departments and is expected to conclude in Spring 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of funding provided by his Department to (a) LAFIYA-UK and (b) other health programmes in Nigeria.

The UK has worked to strengthen the health sector in Nigeria for over two decades, with the current flagship Lafiya programme reaching 40 million people across Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe states. It does this by firstly strengthening existing health systems; secondly by providing extra resilience in healthcare for particularly vulnerable areas in Northern Nigeria; and finally, by improving access to family planning across Nigeria. All programmes in the health sector in Nigeria are reviewed annually for their effectiveness in line with all FCDO-funded programmes. In its most recent annual review, Lafiya scored an A+ rating.