Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the humanitarian situation in Bangladesh since 2 December 2024.

The UK has been actively engaged in addressing the humanitarian situation in Bangladesh. The UK has provided £405 million to support the Rohingya and host communities since 2017, including food provision, clean water, healthcare and protection services. I announced £10.3 million of humanitarian funding for Rohingya refugees and for disaster response during my visit to Bangladesh in November 2024. During my visit, I discussed the Rohingya refugee response with the Interim Government of Bangladesh, the United Nations and other international development partners. The UK regularly coordinates with international counterparts on Rohingya issues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief to promote the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August 2024, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We look forward to working with David Smith MP on FoRB issues globally.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom on the situation in Bangladesh.

The UK supports the Bangladesh Interim Government's work to build a more prosperous and democratic future, following student-led protests in July and August 2024. With more than 650,000 people of Bangladeshi heritage across the UK, the situation in Bangladesh impacts communities in the UK. In my responses to letters from the Bangladeshi community in the UK, I have been clear that the UK is supporting the Interim Government's agenda to restore law and order, ensure accountability and promote national reconciliation. The UK remains a steadfast friend of Bangladesh, with a strong focus on building economic, development, trade and climate partnerships.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Q123 of the evidence given by the Minister of State for Development and Africa to the International Development Committee on 7 January 2025 HC 531Y what the terms of reference are for the Overseas Development Assistance Board.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and I will co-chair the re-established Ministerial Official Development Assistance (ODA) Board. The ODA Board scrutinises ODA spend, driving value for money for the UK taxpayer and a stronger strategic focus to ODA spending across government. Its remit includes managing pressures on the ODA budget and overseeing and monitoring ODA spending across government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to continue the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.

This Government's commitment to tackling conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is resolute. That is why Lord Collins has been named as the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI) and has committed to driving international action to support survivors and bring the perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice. Ministers remain committed to delivering the PSVI strategy. Through PSVI we are supporting thousands of survivors around the world and have contributed to three recent landmark cases on CRSV as a Crime Against Humanity in Guinea, Kenya and Uganda.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of protecting global water supplies in humanitarian and development settings.

The world is facing a growing water crisis exacerbated and accelerated by climate change. Decades of collective mismanagement and undervaluation of water have damaged our ecosystems and contaminated our water resources. We can no longer rely on having enough freshwater for our collective future. Restoring stability of the water cycle is critical to deliver an equitable and sustainable future for all. We will fail to address the climate and nature crises and deliver all the Sustainable Development Goals if we fail on water.This will undoubtedly impact the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest. We are working to build resilience for the most vulnerable to cope with crises, including water insecurity and food insecurity. We are committed to increasing the quality and quantity of international climate finance to fragile and conflict affected states, which have traditionally struggled to attract investment. The UK is playing a critical role driving systems transformation to protect freshwater ecosystems and global water supplies.Through our Just Transitions for Water Security programme, we are working with climate vulnerable countries to influence policy, strengthen governance and accountability mechanisms, and shift markets to leverage critically needed investments in water. Similarly, the UK is working with our international partners to ensure climate-resilient and sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) - which is essential for poverty reduction, achieving global health goals, and for empowering of women and girls. For example, the UK is working through Sanitation and Water for All's Heads of State Initiative to accelerate access to water security and WASH by engaging political leadership at the highest level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

This ceasefire provides a real opportunity now to halt the suffering in Gaza and the UK is doing all it can to support a sustained surge of aid, including to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and girls. The UK has already announced £112 million of assistance this financial year for the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Palestinian refugees in the region. Additionally, £4.25 million of UK assistance to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has supported UNFPA to distribute reproductive health kits and midwifery kits across Gaza.

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

The UK is monitoring the situation in Moldova closely. In this financial year, the UK has provided £25.5 million worth of financial support, including a £5 million uplift in humanitarian assistance announced by the Foreign Secretary during his visit to Moldova in November 2024. I saw first-hand during my visit to Moldova in September 2024 how this support is helping Moldova to defend its democracy against Russian hybrid aggression and bolster its energy security. We are considering further measures to bolster our support to Moldova to reduce its dependency on Russian gas and mitigate deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Transnistria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.

Preventing conflict and empowering women and girls is critical to the delivery of the government's missions, and this Government remains committed to delivering the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). The FCDO works closely with HM Treasury to ensure that spend is directed towards our priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's International Women and Girls Strategy 2023-2030, published in March 2023, what steps his Department has taken to implement the three Es within the strategy.

The FCDO is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to support women and girls to access quality education, tackle gender-based violence, and empower women and girls globally and stand up for their health and rights. Last November, I announced a new £27 million programme to tackle technology-facilitated gender-based violence. We have doubled our aid for Sudan, including £14 million for education programmes in Sudan and for Sudanese refugees, the majority of whom are women and children. In December, the Prime Minister pledged £37 million to strengthen grassroots and civil society organisations and expand access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to implement the 2030 Strategic framework for international climate and nature action.

This Government is already delivering on many of the aims of the previous 2030 Strategic Framework, while stepping up our ambition. I was proud to join UK Ministers showing leadership at COP29, where the Prime Minister announced our ambitious 2035 emissions reduction target, and the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed our climate commitment including our £11.6 billion climate finance goal. At home, we have already removed the de facto ban on new onshore wind in England, secured a record-breaking number of new renewable electricity projects, and have set out legislation to establish Great British Energy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions the Minister for International Development has had with Baroness Shafik on evidence submitted to her review of international development.

I have been in communication with Baroness Shafik throughout the review, including discussing review findings.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief on his (a) priorities and (b) plans to engage with international counterparts.

David Smith MP was announced as UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in December 2024. The Envoy works closely with Lord Collins, the Minister responsible for Human Rights, and with other Ministers in the FCDO and, where relevant, other government departments to promote the government's shared priorities on FoRB for all with a range of UK and international partners individually and collectively through the Article 18 Alliance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 824 on Development Aid, when she plans to set out her approach on restoring official development assistance spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the government remains committed to restoring ODA spending to the level of 0.7% of GNI as soon as the fiscal circumstances allow. The OBR’s latest forecast shows that the ODA fiscal tests, which determine when a return to 0.7% of GNI is possible, are not due to be met within this Parliament. The government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely, and each year will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development Act (ODA Target) Act 2015, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) does not hold this information. The UK Government does not require British nationals to register with the nearest British Embassy or High Commission when overseas. The FCDO stands ready to provide consular support to British nationals abroad 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department plans to attend the Nutrition For Growth Summit in Paris in 2025.

As Minister for Development I am planning to attend the summit and FCDO officials continue to work with French counterparts to build momentum in the lead up. Formal invitations have yet to be issued.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the autonomous region of Tibet following the earthquake on 7 January 2025.

Following the earthquake, I issued a statement offering our condolences to the people affected by the devastating loss of life in Shigatse, Tibet. Due to travel restrictions and lack of media freedom in Tibet it is difficult to get up to date, independent reports of the situation on the ground. Chinese state reporting has detailed a significant humanitarian response internally, with no request for international support. We received no requests for consular support for UK nationals in Tibet, but received calls regarding several UK nationals in Nepal, who have subsequently all been reported safe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his international counterparts on the extradition of Bashar al-Assad to Syria.

The Foreign Secretary has not had discussions on the extradition of Bashar al Assad to Syria.Accountability is key to any sustainable transition and we continue to advocate for this to be part of the transitional process. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for accountability most recently with interim Foreign Minister Shaibani at the International Contact Group for Syria in Riyadh on 12 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of fuel tankers being hijacked at the Kerem Shalom crossing on humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza.

The deteriorating security situation in Gaza after 15 months of conflict has been very concerning. Humanitarian actors including UN agencies must be able to carry out their vital work safely and effectively. We welcome reports that aid is now entering Gaza safely and at scale. Israel must now continue to work with partners to ensure law and order is reestablished in Gaza so that safe distribution of aid across the Gaza strip is sustained. The UK is also pressing Israel to increase the flow of aid from Jordan and Egypt, alongside more commercial goods from Israel, the West Bank and neighbouring countries.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British Nationals currently in the autonomous region of Tibet.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not hold estimated numbers of British nationals currently in the autonomous region of Tibet. The UK Government does not require British nationals to register with the nearest British Embassy or High Commission when overseas.