Written questions by Rosindell.

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, 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 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 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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support British Overseas Territories to improve their disaster (a) preparedness and (b) response capabilities in the context of trends in the number of natural disasters.

The UK continues to support UK Overseas Territories to develop preparedness, capability, and capacity to respond to disasters effectively.This Financial Year, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has funded crisis leadership and technical skills training for disaster management stakeholders across the Overseas Territories. The FCDO has also supported efforts to improve emergency shelter capacity and standards, grow emergency communications resilience, and understand future threats linked to climate change.I visited the emergency response centre in Anguilla on my recent visit and have regularly discussed these issues with Overseas Territories leaders, representatives, and Governors, including at the Joint Ministerial Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on the potential impact of interprovincial trade barriers on UK-Canada trade relations.

The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly, most recently in late February, where they discussed a range of bilateral and global issues. They also spoke on 28 January 2025. I met my counterpart Rob Oliphant last week. Canada is one of our closest allies, underpinned by a broad trade and investment relationship which we are committed to deepening further. The Foreign Secretary has not discussed interprovincial trade with his counterpart.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent changes in Canada's border security measures for UK citizens traveling to Canada.

We have taken note of Canada's new border policies, which include expanded surveillance, heightened screening, and enhanced tools to detect fraud. We will continue to monitor any impact on British travellers.UK citizens travelling to Canada should ensure they have an Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa as required, and they should ensure their passport is valid for the length of their stay. They should also consult FCDO Travel Advice, which is kept up to date with the latest requirements.

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, whether he has held recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the ongoing legal proceedings against Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The Government looks to Turkey, as a modern democracy and a fellow member of the Council of Europe, to undertake any legal processes fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. The Government regularly raises human rights and rule of law issues with Turkey. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right.

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 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 his Department is taking to help (a) support economic (i) development and (i) diversification and (b) reduce reliance on financial services in British Overseas Territories.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) promotes economic development in Official Development Assistance-eligible territories primarily through budget support and essential capital programmes. These amounted to £100.53million in Financial Year 24/25 and, with advisory input, enables the development of diversified private sector economies.While non-aided Overseas Territories (OTs) are responsible for their own public finance decisions and economic policy, the FCDO provides technical assistance and project funding to improve diversification. This has included, but is not limited to, funding a financial adviser, contributing to the airport redevelopment in Anguilla and providing infrastructure expertise available to all OTs. The FCDO continues to engage with the OTs on matters related to diversification.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met his counterparts in Jamaica since taking office.

The Foreign Secretary spoke to Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, on 2 August 2024. They discussed the importance of the UK-Jamaica bilateral relationship and climate issues including Hurricane Beryl. They later had a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia in October 2024. The Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean visited Jamaica 14-16 October 2024, with a focus on collaboration around growth, climate resilience and development. The Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean also met the Jamaican Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Aubyn Hill, on 4 November 2024 to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration between the UK and Jamaica on trade and business.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of Jamaica's legislative steps to remove His Majesty King Charles III as head of state.

It is for all Realms to consider their own constitutional arrangements. We are confident in our relationship with our Jamaican partners, and we will respect any decisions they make. The UK also looks forward to continuing a modern partnership with all Commonwealth partners regardless of their status as a Realm or republic.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is collaborating with international partners to support Guyana's territorial integrity.

Our support for Guyana's territorial integrity is unwavering and we are clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The Foreign Secretary underlined our support for Guyana's territorial integrity in a call with President Ali in July 2024 and has reiterated this in subsequent engagements. The UK will continue to work with our international partners, including through the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana, to de-escalate tensions and ensure respect for Guyana's territorial integrity. We are pleased that the Leaders' Statement following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting 2024 underlined the Commonwealth's unswerving support for Guyana's territorial integrity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the High Commissioner of Guyana since taking office.

The Foreign Secretary hosted President Ali of Guyana and his delegation, which included Guyana's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Rajendra Singh, for lunch at 1 Carlton Gardens on 27 September 2024. They discussed a number of issues: climate, biodiversity, the situation in Haiti and the Essequibo border controversy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with regional partners to help prevent illegal gold mining operations in (a) Honduras and (b) Guatemala.

The UK recognises the importance of combatting illicit and uncontrolled gold mining to prevent the negative impact it has on biodiversity and people, including in both Honduras and Guatemala. We regularly raise this issue with host governments in the region, working in conjunction with other international partners to help mitigate the impact of illegal gold mining.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the (a) proposed designation of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organisations and (b) the potential impact of that proposal on UK-Mexico relations.

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They have not discussed the US's designation of cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organisations. This is a decision for the US. It is unlikely to have any significant impact on our bilateral relationship with Mexico.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his New Zealand counterpart on the signed strategic agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Cook Islands.

My officials in Wellington and London have been in close contact with New Zealand officials to discuss the signed strategic agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Cook Islands.