Written questions by Rosindell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34796 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that strategic agreement on (a) his policies and (b) the policies of the Overseas Territories in the Indo-Pacific.

The UK Government will continue its policy of working to maintain a free, secure and open Indo-Pacific where international norms are respected. As part of the UK Government's constitutional responsibility for the defence, external relations and internal security of the British Overseas Territories, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has considered the impact of the strategic agreement on the one Territory in the Indo-Pacific (Pitcairn). This constitutional responsibility is different from that between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. As the UK retains the responsibility for external relations of the British Overseas Territories, the Territories are not able to enter into bilateral international treaties.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to ensure that underwater fibreoptic cables in the (a) Mediterranean, (b) North Sea and (c) Baltic Sea are strengthened to help prevent sabotage.

The UK regularly engages international partners and industry on strengthening the resilience of subsea infrastructure, including from potential sabotage. We work closely with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Allies to address threats, which has recently included UK support to NATO and JEF operations in the Baltic Sea. In December, the Prime Minister discussed cooperation with JEF leaders and signed a Strategic Partnership with Norway's Prime Minister committing to closer cooperation to tackle subsea threats. In February, the Foreign Secretary discussed coordination to protect subsea infrastructure with Finland's Foreign Minister while I raised cooperation with European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Charles Fries. I have also discussed these issues with counterparts from the three regions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34791 on Iran: Democracy, whether he has met with Iranian pro-democracy campaigners in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) elsewhere since 4 July 2024.

We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide the future of Iran. We regularly engage the Iranian diaspora and human rights organisations to better understand the lived experiences of Iranians. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart and we continue to hold Iran accountable at the UN Third Committee and Human Rights Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Europe and (b) the United States on (i) the lifting of sanctions on Syria and (ii) reported mass killings of minorities in Latakia Governorate.

The Foreign Secretary met European and US counterparts 12-14 March at the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Canada, where they discussed next steps on sanctions and the recent violence in coastal areas of Syria. In my statement in Parliament last week, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with international partners and the interim Syrian authorities.On 6 March the UK Government revoked 24 designations under the Syrian sanctions regime. These changes will support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability. We keep all our sanctions regimes under close review to ensure that they are used as a responsive tool.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department have made to the interim government of Syria on the protection of (a) Alawite, (b) Christian and (c) Druze people.

As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the future of the Iran nuclear deal, in the context of the withdrawal of the United States from that agreement.

The Foreign Secretary and his predecessors have engaged the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) participants, and the US. The Foreign Secretary and our officials continue to engage France, Germany, Iran, China and the EU as JCPoA participants, as well as the US, in support of a diplomatic solution.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on reports of the deaths of minorities in Syria.

I discussed the recent violence in Syria with my Turkish counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, during our meeting at the Syria Donors' Pledging Conference in Brussels on 17 March. The Foreign Secretary also discussed this issue with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on 10 March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help promote freedom of religion and belief in Syria.

As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Commonwealth Secretariat on the promotion of (a) open learning and (b) distance education through the Commonwealth of Learning.

The UK supports the role of the Commonwealth in promoting open learning and distance education through the Commonwealth of Learning. The Commonwealth of Learning promotes greater access to quality education and training and allows Commonwealth citizens to benefit from improved livelihoods, greater gender equity and overall economic, social, and cultural development leading to sustainable development. The UK continues to support and encourage collaboration across the Commonwealth and it's institutions to ensure this important work can continue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his counterpart in Papua New Guinea to help tackle illegal logging.

The UK Forest Governance, Markets and Climate phase 2 (FGMC2) programme aims to improve forest stewardship by supporting countries to improve their forest governance and how they make decisions about forest land use. This includes reducing the illegal and unsustainable use of forest resources. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), FGMC2 is partnering with the PNG Forest Authority to (i) develop a Forest Sector Economic Model, which will allow stakeholders to examine the impacts of land use decisions, including timber extraction, on forest land; (ii) build on earlier timber legality standards to expose PNG to the experience of other countries that have developed timber verification systems and are able to demonstrate the legality of their timber to international markets.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Congolese counterpart on illegal mining activities by armed groups in North Kivu.

The UK is deeply alarmed by the events unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We also condemn the recent offensives by the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Rwanda Defence Force, including the capture of Goma and Bukavu, as an unacceptable violation of DRC's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of the UN Charter. The Foreign Secretary visited Kinshasa in February and met with President Tshisekedi. During their meeting they discussed reports of illicit mineral extraction in eastern DRC. We are deeply concerned by reports from the UN Group of Experts about M23 and Rwanda illegally extracting critical minerals from the DRC. We have been clear that illegal economic activity must stop.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Kenya on the potential impact of the recent drought on UK-Kenya agricultural cooperation.

The UK has strengthened its partnership with Kenya to enhance agricultural resilience amid worsening droughts. The Kenyan Government, with support from the UK through the Hunger Safety Net Programme, makes monthly cash transfers to 133,800 households in the North East Arid and Semi-Arid lands of Kenya. These cash transfers have provided a consistent source of income to households, minimising the impact of the recent drought. Water shortages have also heightened the need for sustainable irrigation and climate-smart agriculture, areas where UK programmes like Commercial Agriculture for Smallholder Agribusiness (CASA) and Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) play a key role through a combination of technical assistance, grants, and access to investment to grow climate resilient agribusiness. The Foreign Secretary last spoke to His Excellency Musalia Mudavadi on 29 January when they had a wide ranging conversation across our shared priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recent increase in the number of internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on UK humanitarian aid distribution.

The UK is a leading humanitarian partner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have allocated over £80 million in humanitarian support this financial year, supporting emergency lifesaving assistance and providing access to clean drinking water treatment for malnourished children, as well as life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. The humanitarian crisis is dire and rapidly worsening. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since January.Humanitarian access to the areas with populations of displaced people is a key challenge, due to the ongoing insecurity and closure of airports, for example. The UK is working with partners to improve humanitarian access and humanitarian partners are active and adapting to deliver life-saving services. We call on all parties not to obstruct the vital services that humanitarians are providing, and to cease hostilities and uphold the protection of humanitarian workers, as outlined in international humanitarian law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands following the grounding of iceberg A23a.

The Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) has not requested any support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at this stage following the recent grounding of iceberg A23a off the island of South Georgia. The current assessment remains that the iceberg is unlikely to significantly affect the wildlife, and Southern Ocean shipping operators are currently easily able to avoid the iceberg as it hasn't yet started to break up. The FCDO will remain in close contact with the Commissioner for SGSSI and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) about A23a to identify any support required as it starts to break up and melt. The Ministry of Defence are also seeking to monitor the grounding site when conditions allow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recent discovery of lithium deposits in Quebec on UK-Canada energy cooperation.

Critical minerals are pivotal to the net zero transition and we welcome Canada's focus on this during their G7 Presidency this year. We have welcomed the Canadian Global Minerals Action Plan, which helps set out a path to ensure diverse, resilient and sustainable supply chains around the world. We look forward to further collaboration with Canada and our partners in this field.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress has been made on adopting publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership in the British Overseas Territories.

At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, all Overseas Territories (OT) committed to implementing registers with the maximum possible degree of access and transparency by June 2025. The registers will be fully public, or at least accessible to those with a legitimate interest in the interim.UK Officials are working proactively with OT officials to ensure their proposals meet the JMC requirements. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders, including in my meeting with Premier Wheatley of the British Virgin Islands, in his own capacity, and as President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) last week.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes in the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation on (a) capacity building, (b) technical assistance, (c) development projects and (d) the implications for UK-funded initiatives.

The UK is deeply committed to the Commonwealth. We are the largest donor to Commonwealth inter-governmental organisations and their programmes, including the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC). We believe the Commonwealth's institutions can deliver even more tangible benefits to its members and have encouraged them to focus on those areas where they can add most value. We therefore support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to engage with CARICOM authorities on the issue of freedom of movement for CARICOM nationals and its implications for UK citizens in the region.

The UK has regular engagement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat through our High Commission in Georgetown, Guyana. Part of this engagement includes discussions on issues which affect UK nationals and British Overseas Territories. Immigration is a matter for the local governments in each of the Caribbean Overseas Territories.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support British Overseas Territories to (a) tackle illegal fishing and (b) protect marine biodiversity.

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office's Blue Belt Programme supports the UK Overseas Territories (UKOT) to tackle illegal fishing, including through the provision of maritime domain awareness capabilities. This includes risk-based satellite surveillance, tasking of satellite imagery to detect illegal activity, intelligence support and training for fisheries patrols. The Programme also provides regional coordination through relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, supports Flag State engagement, and supports the implementation of compliance and enforcement frameworks to deter illegal fishing activity. This has resulted in fewer illegal incursions and a high level of compliance within UKOT waters. The Blue Belt supports the protection of the unique biodiversity of over 4.4 million square kilometres of UKOT waters through marine protected areas and other area-based conservation measures, which are underpinned by thorough scientific evidence, as well as ensuring they are well monitored, managed, and protected against the threat of harmful activity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Canadian authorities on the preservation of the endangered Vancouver Island marmot and its implications for UK-Canada biodiversity initiatives.

The Foreign Secretary has not spoken to his Canadian counterparts about the endangered Vancouver Island marmot. He speaks regularly to Foreign Minister Joly about a whole range of issues, including the importance of tackling climate change and biodiversity loss in this important year of the Canadian G7 Presidency. We are proud of our strong partnership with Canada, and together, we will continue to champion delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.