Written questions by Jogee.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking, alongside her European counterparts, to help strengthen the NATO alliance.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 21 April in response to Question 908775.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts about the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department has taken, alongside her SADC counterparts, to help secure supply chains of critical minerals.

The UK works closely with allies to strengthen critical minerals cooperation bilaterally and through fora such as the G7, G20 and related taskforces. This includes strong, mutually beneficial critical minerals partnerships across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) focused on improving resilience, supporting diversified supply chains and promoting the global transition to clean energy. The UK also supports the World Bank's global Resident and Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement partnership, providing knowledge, technical assistance and finance facilitation across the SADC region. We are also the largest contributor to the African Development Bank.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to oppose the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of the (a) humanitarian and (b) political situation in Myanmar.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 April in response to Question 124592.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she has taken to support the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in the last six months.

On 1 February, the Foreign Secretary called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those arbitrarily detained in Myanmar, and we followed this up in March, by co-sponsoring a UN Human Rights Council Resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained. Previously, in October 2025, our Head of Mission in Yangon encouraged the Myanmar military regime to grant access to Aung San Suu Kyi's family, and reiterated our calls for her release.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her ASEAN counterparts on the incarceration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

On 1 February, the Foreign Secretary called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those arbitrarily detained in Myanmar, and we followed this up in March, by co-sponsoring a UN Human Rights Council Resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained. Previously, in October 2025, our Head of Mission in Yangon encouraged the Myanmar military regime to grant access to Aung San Suu Kyi's family, and reiterated our calls for her release.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 81646, what specific policies, programmes or commitments have resulted from the Government’s engagement with Pakistan’s Human Rights and Interior Ministers regarding the protection of Christian and Hindu prisoners; and how frequently such ministerial or official-level engagement takes place.

The UK engages with the Government of Pakistan on the rights of religious minorities, including the treatment of Christian and Hindu prisoners, at Ministerial and official levels as appropriate. We do not comment on private diplomatic exchanges, but this engagement complements Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office work to strengthen the rule of law, prison oversight and minority protections, including through our High Commission's partnerships with civil society. We will continue to raise these concerns where appropriate and press for improved safeguards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will consider proscribing the IRGC.

Decisions on proscription are a matter for the Home Office.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the a) political and b) security situation in the Middle East.

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 2 March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the British Council.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 28 October in response to question 906060, and to the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and on 16 December by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, where this issue was addressed at length.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many diplomatic postings on the African continent are waiting for a permanent Head of Mission to be appointed.

There are two diplomatic missions on the African continent currently waiting for a permanent Head of Mission to be appointed, in Monrovia and Nairobi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department has offered to the a) Republic of Mozambique, b) Republic of Zimbabwe and c) Republic of South Africa following the recent flooding incidents in those countries; and what direct engagement has taken place between His Majesty's Government and Ministers in each nation about the recovery effort.

The UK was one of the first countries to step up with lifesaving assistance for Mozambique. We delivered a £2 million increase in humanitarian funding, building on earlier action in 2025 to help communities prepare for increasingly frequent climate-related disasters. This support enabled the deployment of a specialist UK International Search and Rescue team, which saved dozens of lives, and helped provide emergency sanitation and health support to those most in need through local partners. The Minister of State for Development has just returned from Mozambique and saw first-hand the impact of the UK's flexible and rapid response to the crisis.We have not had any direct ministerial engagement with Zimbabwe or South Africa on this matter, but we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of the treatment of inmates from minority religions in prisons in Pakistan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 21 October 2025 to Question 81646.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support a) security, b) stability c) co-operation and d) prosperity in sub-Saharan Southern Africa.

I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 15 December 2025 (HCWS1168).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave in departmental oral questions on 28 October on tackling organised immigration crime. Fraudulent visa agents also target those seeking to come to the UK on fake visas and the UK and India are cooperating to protect people from scams and tackle irregular migration at its source.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss the adequacy of financial contributions made by member states to the Commonwealth Secretariat with her counterpart in Gabon.

The UK is the largest donor to Commonwealth institutions and their programmes. We support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and encourage member states to contribute as appropriate to support Commonwealth activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help Ukraine win the war against the Russian Federation.

I refer the Hon Member to the oral statement made by the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry on 18 December 2025, and to the UK support to Ukraine factsheet available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The UK shares a close, historic relationship with St Vincent and the Grenadines, and we look forward to that relationship continuing under Prime Minister Friday's newly-elected Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss the adequacy of financial contributions made by member states to the Commonwealth Secretariat with her Canadian counterpart.

The UK is the largest donor to Commonwealth institutions and their programmes. We support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and encourage member states to contribute as appropriate to support Commonwealth activity.