Written questions by Rosindell.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that educational materials used in primary schools are (a) age-appropriate and (b) free from (i) extremist and (ii) emotionally manipulative content.

Schools are subject to statutory duties regarding political impartiality under section 406 and 407 of the Equality Act 1996. This means schools must not promote partisan political views and should ensure that pupils are provided with a balanced treatment of political issues. In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools#using-external-agencies.This includes sections on choosing resources and working with external organisations.The department does not approve or monitor externally produced resources or track their distribution. We have also not met or corresponded with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and do not fund them.If a parent is concerned about a school using politically partial, inaccurate or inappropriate resources, they should raise the matter with the school immediately and, if necessary, escalate it through the school’s publish complaints process: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle illegal private hire taxi drivers.

Enforcement of the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing regime is a matter for licensing authorities and the police. Best Practice Guidance issued by the Department for Transport to licensing authorities in England highlights some of the actions licensing authorities should take to reduce the use of those unlicensed, uninsured and unvetted who are seeking to illegally carry passengers. These include assisting the public to recognise the difference between taxis and PHVs; taxis should be required to display a roof sign and, these should be prohibited for PHVs. Taxi marshal schemes provide an opportunity to prevent the use of unlicensed vehicle that might be plying for hire. The important role ‘test purchasing’ can play in identifying and evidencing illegal drivers that should be prosecuted is highlighted. Licensing authorities should also recognise that unnecessary barriers to obtaining a licence can potentially restrict the availability of the licensed trade to such an extent that the public resort to the use of unlicensed drivers and vehicles.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) development and (b) deployment of artificial intelligence to reduce the use of animals in scientific (i) research and (ii) testing.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. While it is not yet possible to replace all animal use, we support the development and application of approaches that replace, reduce and refine animal use in research (the 3Rs), including via artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan in January which outlined 50 actions needed to drive up the development and deployment of AI.The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Syrian counterpart on the establishment of de-radicalisation programmes in that country.

The UK is committed to combatting all forms of terrorism emanating from Syria, including from Daesh. Alongside our international partners, we are pressing the Government of Syria to demonstrate their commitment to combat terrorism and extremism in all forms. I raised the security situation with Foreign Minister al-Shaibani in March. The UK National Security Advisor also discussed countering Daesh when he spoke to Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa on 10 April.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Syrian counterpart on protecting the Druze minority.

Recent violence against the Druze community in Syria was appalling. In our statement on 3 May, we publicly urged the Syrian government to take steps to shield civilians from violence and hold those responsible to account. The protection of all civilians and their full inclusion in the transition process is vital for peace in Syria. This will continue to be a priority in our engagement with the Syrian government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided guidance to the Inter-American Development Bank on the financing of infrastructure in Caribbean nations as an alternative to Chinese state-backed loans.

The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of China’s Belt and Road initiative investments in Caribbean states on the UK's strategic interests in the region.

The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed Chinese military infrastructure developments in the Caribbean on risks to national security.

The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support civil society organisations working on (a) human rights and (b) democratic freedoms in Venezuela.

The UK firmly supports the right of civil society to operate freely in all countries, including Venezuela. We remain deeply concerned by restrictive legislation brought into law last year and publicly raised our concerns about the bill. We actively engage with civil society and human rights defenders in Venezuela, and run local projects to deliver UK objectives. We repeatedly call for human rights to be protected and for the cooperation of the Venezuelan authorities in bringing about a democratic transition, most recently at the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the role of Venezuela as a transit hub for cocaine shipments to Europe; and whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle such shipments.

There are credible reports that local conditions have allowed criminal enterprises to substantially increase illicit activities in Venezuela, which has likely resulted in increases in cocaine trafficked through the country. The UK collaborates with regional partners to fight such organised crime, including drug trafficking.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to publish the finalised text of the proposed treaty with Mauritius on the matter of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Once the treaty is signed it will be put before both Houses for scrutiny before ratification in the usual way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent fighting between Druze minorities and Sunni militias in Damascus.

Recent violence against the Druze community in Syria was appalling. In our statement on 3 May, we publicly urged the Syrian government to take steps to shield civilians from violence and hold those responsible to account. The protection of all civilians and their full inclusion in the transition process is vital for peace in Syria. This will continue to be a priority in our engagement with the Syrian government.

What discussions his Department has had with his (a) US counterpart and (b) counterparts in the Caribbean Community on countering Chinese strategic influence in the region.

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. The UK recognises that deepening our cooperation with partners is needed to strengthen collective security and push back against behaviour that undermines international law or seeks to coerce or create dependencies. The Ministry of Defence has had a number of productive conversations with the US and partners in the Caribbean Community.

What assessment she has made of the impact of drug trafficking networks operating in and through Venezuela on the UK and its overseas territories.

Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities.The UK takes a global approach to continuously assess the impact of global drug trafficking, working with international partners to try and reduce the flow of drugs to the UK and to ensure we stay flexible and coordinated in our response.Tackling the supply of drugs and drug trafficking remains a priority for this Government and will play a critical role in making our streets safer. We are taking an end-to-end approach, including working with law enforcement partners upstream and at the UK border to tackle the gangs responsible for drug trafficking.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) piracy, (b) terrorism, (c) proxy activity by state adversaries and (d) other security threats in the Indian Ocean; and what steps he is taking to ensure UK forces on Diego Garcia are prepared to help tackle those threats.

The UK actively contributes to initiatives that counter security threats in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This is achieved bilaterally through Maritime Domain Awareness programmes and counter terrorism activities, and multilaterally through organisations such as the Combined Maritime Force, which actively support Maritime Security operations, including counter-piracy and counter-terrorism. Although dislocated geographically from the main threat areas, the base on Diego Garcia could be used as a logistics hub or staging area to support such activities.Under the agreement with Mauritius we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. This will ensure the long term secure and effective operation of the base well into the next century.

Whether the UK has been invited to participate in the Regional Security System in the Caribbean; and whether his Department plans to support its operations.

The UK has not been invited to participate in the Regional Security System. The Ministry of Defence works closely with our partners and allies in the Caribbean, including directly with the Regional Security System. This has included the provision of capacity building and key leader engagement with Caribbean Chiefs of Defence and the Regional Security System Executive Director.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met the Commonwealth Secretary General since her appointment in March 2025.

The Foreign Secretary met with Shirley Botchwey in her capacity as Secretary-General elect during January and at Commonwealth Day in March. The Minister for Africa has met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General twice since she took office on 1 April 2025.

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

The Foreign Secretary met the High Commissioner during a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on 4 September 2024. I have met the High Commissioner on multiple occasions, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and the former Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds have also met with the High Commissioner.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44421 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the 99-year initial period of UK exercise of Mauritian sovereign rights on access for the (i) US and (ii) UK.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to his previous Question 44421, which remains the same.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK trade policy on (a) levels of UK-Caribbean economic engagement and (b) Chinese influence in that region.

The UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement with CARIFORUM, which is the most comprehensive trade agreement that the UK has signed with developing countries, supports growth across the region and in the UK. Between 2023 and 2024, UK-CARIFORUM bilateral trade in goods and services increased by 20.5% in current prices. The UK and CARIFORUM regularly discuss how to strengthen bilateral trade further through the structures outlined in our agreement. The UK will continue to position itself as the trading partner of choice in the Caribbean, building on our historic, economic and cultural ties.