Written questions by Dhesi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the welfare of British nationals detained in Mongolia, including access to legal representation.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how frequently consular officials visit British nationals detained in Mongolia.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British nationals are detained in Mongolia.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on cases of British nationals in Mongolia a) subject to arbitrary detention and b) prohibited from leaving that country.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps have been taken alongside international partners to ensure the safety of Orthodox Christian communities in Ethiopia.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps have been taken to provide humanitarian aid to Ethiopia.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its processes for (a) identifying, (b) monitoring and (c) reporting potential breaches of international humanitarian law globally.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with participating European countries regarding compliance with obligations under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with international counterparts on the availability of safe drinking water in Gaza.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what volume of UK aid has been successfully delivered to Gaza in the last six months.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made on negotiations for a Framework Participation Agreement with the EU.

We do not give a running commentary on the scope of discussions with the EU, or their progress, but we have made clear that the UK will continue to engage the EU where cooperation aligns with our shared interests, including in relation to security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which officials in her Department have the authority to (a) override vetting decisions of appointments made within her Department and (b) provide access to secret or top secret information to people that have not obtained the required clearances through vetting, and where do they derive their authority to make these decisions.

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to help ensure the protection of UK citizens who visit holy sites in Jerusalem.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 April in response to Question 124464.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the average staffing complement is for a ministerial private office within their Department; what grades those staff are appointed at; what the typical remuneration and contracted working hours are for those posts; and what the staff turnover rate is.

The size, grading and remuneration of ministerial office staffing vary depending on the responsibilities of the Minister.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 5 March in response to Question 115943.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of a) the number of British citizens and their dependents who are seeking to return to the UK from the Middle East as of Monday 09 March and b) the number who have already returned since the Israeli-US military action in Iran.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 March in response to Question 118590.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 5 March in response to Question 115943.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 88 of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, how many meetings Ministers in their Department have attended related to the Home Defence Programme.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is actively supporting this work, driving international engagement to tackle global threats to the UK's national security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is actively supporting this work, driving international engagement to tackle global threats to the UK's national security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in Bangladesh on elections in that country and international law.

We welcome the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh which took place on 12 February 2026. The peaceful and credible election process represents an important step forward in Bangladesh's ambitions and the aspirations of its people.When I met Prime Minister Rahman on 17 February, I looked forward to working with Bangladesh on advancing democratic, economic and social reforms.The UK is providing £27 million in support through the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme to protect civic and political space and address the underlying tensions that can lead to violence.