Chris Elmore MP: speeches

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Speeches

15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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The best and most robust work we can do is to use our robust and transparent export control regime around the world. We are able to be nimble in ending exports where we find any undesirable end user, and that work will continue, not just in Sudan but in other conflicts around the world.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for his further questions. He is not correct about ODA cuts for Sudan. The Prime Minister has already committed to that funding continuing over the next three years, so it is not correct to say that there will be ODA cuts for Sudan. We continue to support the International Criminal Court’s active investigation of the situation in Sudan. In relation to arms, I say to the House that we take very seriously allegations that UK-made equipment may have been transferred to Sudan, in breach of the UK’s arms embargo. There is no evidence in recent reporting of UK weapons or ammunition being used in Sudan. In terms of reporting to the House, the Foreign Secretary answered substantive questions on Sudan at the beginning of this month and made a statement at the end of last month. It is notable that the hon. Gentleman was not here for those questions.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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We are alarmed by the use of drones to attack civilians. We are particularly concerned about the recent attack, which my hon. Friend mentioned and to which I referred in my opening remarks, that killed peacekeepers and may have involved drones. Our export controls on arms are strict and include military drones, and we are working as best we can to ensure that external actors refrain from fuelling the conflict and work together to secure peace, and particularly to try to introduce mitigations on the use of drones. We continue to work on all possible options in the multilateral space as the penholder at the UN.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I know how much my right hon. Friend cares about this issue, particularly as she was a development Minister last year. Tomorrow, the UK will co-host with Denmark a closed informal interactive dialogue at the United Nations Security Council. It will address the urgent need to harmonise regional international mediation efforts to bring about the much-needed humanitarian ceasefire.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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We are working with the African Union as best we can on ensuring that aid is delivered. There was a statement on 18 November, and there were oral questions to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at the beginning of the month. The fast pace of this work in Sudan, as a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary, means that it is under constant review and dialogue with various partners, including as recently as last week with US Secretary of State Rubio.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the most horrific element of this conflict. It appears that sexual violence against women and girls, and in some cases boys, is increasingly a part of all conflicts across the globe. We have utterly condemned the significant escalation of conflict-related sexual violence throughout Sudan at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council and via two joint statements of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. I would be glad to come and see the exhibition. I have seen some of the imagery and it is genuinely distressing, but it is important that we keep a focus on the Sudanese people, as they are the victims of this horrific conflict.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this urgent question. The thoughts of the whole House will be with those affected by the horrific antisemitic terrorist attack on Bondi beach yesterday. The Foreign Secretary will address this further at the start of her statement, which follows this UQ. Sudan is experiencing the most severe humanitarian crisis of the 21st century: 30 million people need lifesaving aid, 12 million people have fled their homes, and women and children are bearing the brunt of the violence. The drone strike on the UN peacekeeping base in Kadugli on Saturday was deplorable and exemplifies how the war is being fought with little regard for civilian life and international law. The strike killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, and our thoughts are with their families. The British high commission Dhaka has released a statement offering the Government’s heartfelt condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives and wishing a swift recovery to all those who were injured. The perpetrators must be held to account. On Friday, the UK announced a package of sanctions targeting four senior commanders from the Rapid Support Forces involved in the horrendous violence in El Fasher. The Government will do all they can to exert pressure on those responsible for these atrocities. The Foreign Secretary is working with her counterparts on three priorities: first, protecting civilians; secondly, strengthening humanitarian access; and thirdly, securing an immediate ceasefire and a political process to end the conflict. The war in Sudan was a priority for the Foreign Secretary on her visit to Washington DC last week, where she discussed these issues with Secretary of State Rubio and senior adviser Boulos. Last week, we stepped up our response to the crisis with an additional £21 million, taking the UK contribution to £146 million this year. UK funding will reach more than 800,000 people with lifesaving aid. That is in addition to our efforts as penholder for Sudan at the United Nations Security Council to call out atrocities committed and press for unimpeded humanitarian access. On 8 December, the UK led the UN Security Council consultations on the violence in Kordofan where members heard from senior UN officials on worsening conditions and access challenges. The UK will convene the Security Council again tomorrow to discuss mediation efforts. We are urgently pressing for a three-month humanitarian truce and will do all we can to support and help drive these peace efforts forward alongside the Quad. All those with influence over the warring parties must work to stop the suffering, and that must include ending external support for the conflict in line with the Quad statement on 12 September. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that the UK will use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to agree a cessation of hostilities and a sustainable end to this conflict that delivers peace for the Sudanese people.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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We are working at pace in the international multilateral space to do our very best to bring about a cessation of violence, even if it is over a short period, and we are working with the Quad to ensure that we bring about a permanent ceasefire.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I thank the shadow Foreign Secretary for her opening remarks and questions. She is right to say that there should be no politics in this. We all want to see an end to the unimaginable suffering that is taking place in Sudan, and as was mentioned by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan), the idea that we can see that from satellite imagery shows its unimaginable scale. On sanctions, we will not rule anything out and we will keep the issue under constant review following the announcement on Friday—that was the second round of sanctions that the Government have issued in relation to Sudan. We are continuing to work with all members of the Quad, and we want to be as clear as we can be that all sides must come together in ensuring what will hopefully be a humanitarian pause, and more broadly a wider ceasefire. On the specific points about support for refugees and people on the ground in Sudan, the funding so far has supported over 1 million people, including 98,000 children, in tackling severe malnutrition; in food assistance for 744,000 people; in vital protection for services for 350,000 people in relation to victims of international humanitarian law violations; and indeed in cash assistance. I am confident that the money is reaching the people it needs to reach. On more support, the additional £20 million—or the £146 million—is about aid directly on the ground and supporting 800,000 people. Some of that is supporting refugees in Chad and other countries that people are moving to, but fundamentally it is about support. We are absolutely working on the wider points about work in the multilateral space with the United Nations. This is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary, and she is in pretty much constant dialogue with Secretary Rubio, including last week. Baroness Chapman, the Minister for Africa in the other place, is in regular dialogue with African near neighbours, and she is having broader conversations to ensure that we find a humanitarian ceasefire and the broader ceasefire that is so desperately needed.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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The right hon. Gentleman will know from his time in government and opposition that we do not comment on individuals in relation to specific sanctions, but I confirm to the House that we will not rule out any additional sanctions. On the work of the Quad, the statement on 12 September is a significant development, and we remain completely focused on pushing for the humanitarian pause, the wider ceasefire, and supporting the Sudanese-led political transition. It is for all sides as part of that Quad to ensure that they can do that work— [ Interruption. ] The right hon. Gentleman pushes me on sanctions for UAE. As he knows, we do not comment on individual sanctions decisions. He is an experienced Member of the House, and he knows that. We will keep this matter under constant review, and keep working with the Quad towards the cessation of violence.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for his important question. Prevention work is ongoing to try to avoid further horrendous scenes. This conflict is ongoing and we are doing our very best at the UN level, across the European Union and working with the African Union to ensure that these conflicts do not continue and that we learn lessons as soon as possible.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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As I have mentioned, we do not provide a running commentary on individual sanctions, but I assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that we will keep this matter under constant review.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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The hon. Gentleman raises an extremely important point in relation to children, as have other Members. Conflict is unimaginable in any form, but the killing of children specifically and the use of children as weapons of war is an atrocity all of its own. We continue to work at the UN level, at both the Human Rights Council and the Security Council, to ensure that, as penholder, we bring about an end to the conflict as quickly as possible. Obviously, we will keep up that work, including on the specific impacts on children.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I know how much these issues matter to the hon. Gentleman. We are working as quickly and as robustly as we can at the UN level, and we are working with European and American partners to ensure that we bring about the cessation of violence. We will continue to do that work. This is a personal commitment of the Foreign Secretary, given all her work in recent months to try to bring about a peaceful settlement for the people of Sudan.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend raises such an important point. In a previous answer, I spoke about the 98,000 children who we are supporting to tackle malnutrition. I reassure her that we are working with organisations like UNICEF to ensure that we are getting support to children on the ground. Conflict is horrific in all its forms, but there is no worse conflict than that against children, and it must be called out and stopped.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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Let me give the hon. Gentleman one example. Over the past two years we have provided the World Food Programme with £55 million, which has been explicitly targeted at populations at risk of or experiencing famine, including in Sudan, and £2 million of additional funding for Cash Consortium Sudan’s El Fasher response, supporting over 100,000 people with lifesaving aid in north Darfur. We also work regionally, including around eastern Chad. We do ensure that the funding through the aid programmes reaches the people who are most in need.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I can confirm that, as I have done for all questions throughout the session.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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As I have said, any arms found were non-lethal supplies, and they were not arms or ammunition. Although we are aware of reports of a small number of UK-made items being found in Sudan, none of the equipment reported on recently has been licensed for export to the UAE in recent years, and there is no evidence in recent reporting of UK weapons or ammunition being used in Sudan. As the hon. Lady may know, we have previously refused licences to the UAE due to the risk of diversion.
15 Dec 2025 · Sudan: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source
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I appreciate that colleagues from across the House care deeply about this particular point, but I cannot go beyond the clear evidence in front of us: there is no evidence in recent reporting of UK weapons and ammunitions being used in Sudan. Where anything has been found, it is in non-lethal supplies—that is the reality about what has been found. We take the allegations in the reviews seriously and we have one of the most robust and transparent systems. It is simply not the case that those weapons have been found to have been made in Britain.
10 Dec 2025 · International Human Rights Day 2025 · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship for the first time, Ms Butler. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Penrith and Solway (Markus Campbell-Savours) for securing this debate and for his work with the APPG on human rights. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds North East (Fabian Hamilton) for his long-standing commitment to human rights as a shadow Minister, through his work with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and his work in this House over what I believe is now 28 years—I am testing my memory. I am grateful to him, too. I congratulate the APPG, and all those Members who declared their interest today, on the International Human Rights Day events it held last week. I am genuinely sorry not to have been there. The reason, you will be glad to hear, Ms Butler, is because I was in Jamaica looking at the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Melissa and at the work the UK Government have been doing out there since the hurricane as we build towards reconstruction. I will try to answer the questions that have been asked, but I am conscious of time. The hon. Member for Penrith and Solway asked about overseas security and justice assistance guidance, and I reassure him that we are in the process of reviewing the OSJA guidance to make sure it is effective, up to date and clear to internal users across His Majesty’s Government. And we support the independence of the ICC—I cannot be clearer than that. We do not support sanctioning individuals or organisations associated with the court, which I hope gives him some reassurance. Today I have played my part in marking International Human Rights Day, which is an important occasion. Earlier, in the Foreign Office, I hosted more than 100 parliamentarians, academics, diplomats and campaigners from around the world—the commitment and determination in that room was simply inspiring. Among those present were human rights defenders from as far afield as Malawi and Mexico. The hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Dr Chowns) mentioned Claudia, who was there today to speak on a panel about the work she has done, not just in recent times but throughout her life. I was so sorry to hear that her niece had been killed as a human rights defender. Of course, she is one of many who have been murdered over the last year simply for defending the basic principles of the rule of law and human rights that many of us take for granted in the United Kingdom. It was a privilege to hear about it at first hand before taking part in this thoughtful and engaging debate. I am grateful to all hon. Members for their contributions, and I will try to respond to their points in the order in which they were raised. As the shadow Minister, the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), and a number of colleagues mentioned, this year’s theme for International Human Rights Day is “our everyday essentials.” That is exactly right. Human rights are not just abstract ideas; they shape our daily lives, protect our freedoms and help our communities to thrive. Standing up for human rights is not just the right thing to do; it is also in Britain's interests. When we defend human rights, we protect our future security, growth and prosperity. If we respect the rule of law, businesses can plan and invest. And if we protect people’s rights at work and in society, we can build a healthier and more skilled workforce. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon). In the 10 years that I have served with him in this House, barely a week has gone by without his talking about freedom of religion or belief. On violations, about which he has talked so passionately in debates over the years, I reassure him that we are an active member of the Article 18 Alliance. We continue to raise these issues in our role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and, of course, the G7. In addition, I warmly pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith), the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, and his predecessors in that role. Regardless of party politics, all those envoys have done significantly good work in not just highlighting but challenging positions around religious persecution—whether of Christianity or of any faith. It is important that we acknowledge the work of my hon. Friend and all his predecessors. If we defend the right to life and freedom from torture, we keep our country safe. The Government stand firm in defending human rights, the rule of law and democracy. We do that because it is right and it is good for Britain. Let me now turn to the current situation, which is of huge concern and was mentioned by all Members across the conversation today. Freedom House reports that global freedom has declined for the 19th year in a row. As mentioned by a number of hon. Members, 60 countries saw a deterioration in political rights and civil liberties last year, and conflicts are spreading instability and undermining democracy. We are seeing record levels of humanitarian crises and displacement. Every news report seems to bring fresh horrors: Palestinians attacked in olive groves in the west bank; journalists in Georgia imprisoned for speaking out; children killed by Russian missiles in Ukraine—I will come back to the Russian abduction issue shortly; Gazan families suffering while aid is blocked at the border; and crimes in Sudan so appalling that they are literally visible from space. It is unimaginable. Doing nothing is not an option. We must act, and as a UK Government we are. Earlier today at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office event, I reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to human rights. We are backing words with action, highlighting concerns on the international stage while providing financial and practical support to partners around the world. The shadow Minister and a number of other Members have mentioned Sudan. In this context, that issue includes an update from the conference held in the earlier part of the year. I hope that most Members will be aware that the Foreign Secretary led efforts to call the Human Rights Council into a special session to condemn atrocities in Sudan and push for better humanitarian access. We have supported a fact-finding mission to investigate violations in El Fasher and are providing £125 million in lifesaving aid this year, reaching over 650,000 people, and including the £5 million for El Fasher announced by the Foreign Secretary just last month. We will continue to work with partners to keep the spotlight on Sudan. There was a specific question from the hon. Member for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew), who has since left, but I want to be as explicitly clear as I can about the issue of arms sales: we take very seriously allegations that UK-made military equipment may have been transferred to Sudan in breach of the UK arms embargo. To be clear, there are no current export licences for that equipment and there is no evidence of UK weapons or ammunition being used in Sudan. I hope that that will reassure colleagues. I turn to the middle east. On 27 November, we joined France, Germany and Italy in condemning settler violence in the west bank. Meanwhile, UK funded tents are providing urgent shelter for 12,000 civilians in Gaza this winter. We have also pledged to match £3 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s middle east appeal. We continue to do all we can to ensure that aid is delivered to Gaza. I agree with the shadow Minister that it is incredibly important that the body of the last hostage is returned and that we all work as much as we can on the very basic principle that we should have a long and sustained peace in the region and work towards a two-state solution. In Ukraine, we are backing efforts to hold people responsible for war crimes. We have supported the special tribunal for Ukraine, helped set up the atrocity crimes advisory group, and worked with others to refer cases to the International Criminal Court. We have funded training for hundreds of Ukrainian judges, prosecutors and investigators so that victims can have their voices heard. The shadow Minister asked specifically about the abhorrent deportation of children. The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), has spoken recently about that and directly challenging what the Russian Government have done. We continually raise it with allies and play a significant and full part in the international efforts to reunite those children with their families. I am sure we can all agree that there can be no greater victim of conflict than children. There is also the additional horror to their abduction: their re-education, so that they forget their families. We need to make sure that that is dealt with and that those children are returned as quickly as possible. We also continue using our position at the United Nations to encourage states to uphold their international human rights obligations. The UK has led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council on renewing mandates on countries such as Syria, Sudan and South Sudan. Those mandates matter: they keep international attention focused and help drive accountability. We are also leading negotiations on a new international convention on crimes against humanity. The treaty will reflect progress on international law, including on sexual and gender-based violence. I am very pleased that the UK was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council in October, and we will use our membership to defend civic space, uphold the rule of law and champion equal rights. Today, we are marking not just International Human Rights Day, but the conclusion of 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence. Over the past two weeks, our actions have included the Foreign Secretary launching a major new global coalition, bringing together pioneering women from across the world to tackle violence against women and girls. Officials have also met activists and organisations working to end violence in Sudan and elsewhere, to understand what more can be done to protect them and amplify their calls for justice. On the shadow Minister’s concerns around online platforms, which I share, we also announced new support to tackle non-consensual intimate image abuse, expanding a UK-hosted online system to help victims remove and block online images. Our special envoy for women and girls, Baroness Harman, continues to champion the issue worldwide, co-ordinating international efforts and sharing best practice. Sanctions are an important tool that we are using to hold rights abusers to account. In May, we sanctioned individuals and organisations supporting violence against Palestinians in the west bank. In October, alongside the US, we sanctioned the Prince Group, a scam-centre operator responsible for widespread abuses. These measures are targeted and co-ordinated with international partners to maximise their impact. We will keep up the pressure and continue to send a strong signal to the world that we will not stand by. We are also working closely with partners on the ground to protect human rights and the rule of law. That work is backed by £50 million in funding this year, and includes support for organisations working to prevent torture, to end the death penalty and to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten. Our rule of law expertise programme sends UK experts to more than 50 countries. We have helped train police chiefs in east Africa to use interview techniques that respect people’s rights. That means people are treated fairly and the evidence gathered can be used in court. In Malawi, we supported the legal process to abolish the death penalty, taking the number of people on death row from 33 to zero. Those are real, practical results delivered in partnership with local authorities and organisations. I recognise concerns about reductions in the UK’s official development assistance budget and what that means for our work; I acknowledge the question from the hon. Member for North Herefordshire on the subject. We are responding by finding new, innovative ways to support change, working in greater partnership with local actors and tailoring our work for maximum impact. The development of new FCDO centres of expertise will support the delivery of human rights objectives in individual countries, providing practical help and advice to posts and partners—something that countries right across the world have called for. We will continue to report publicly on our work ensuring transparency and accountability. Our commitment is not just to fund and support projects, but to share what we learn and show the impact that we are making. To conclude, this Government are working to protect and promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law internationally—not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is in our national interest. A world where human rights are respected is a more peaceful world, where Britain and our partners are more secure and prosperous. We remain committed to achieving that goal.
10 Dec 2025 · International Human Rights Day 2025 · Hansard source
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indicated assent.
8 Dec 2025 · Draft International Development Association (Twenty-First Replenishment) Order 2025 · Hansard source
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I thank the shadow Minister. I will come back to her in writing on the issues around governance and transparency, because I would rather that she receive a substantive answer. I reassure her that we take those issues very seriously. On what the UK got out of the negotiations, I will run through a couple of things for the Committee’s benefit: stronger capability in fragile and conflict-affected countries; greater focus on crisis preparedness and supporting countries in resilience and scaling up investment; a stronger focus on adaptation and nature financing, in line with the UK’s priorities around climate and nature; increased ambition on sexual and reproductive health rights; and IDA using more of its own resources than ever before, in terms of additional funding. On supporting countries’ debt, IDA provides grants to the poorest countries and those facing the highest levels of debt distress, ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable without adding to their debt burden. I can give the shadow Minister that reassurance. On her broader questions around debt, countries at high risk of debt distress get 100% of their allocation as grants rather than loans. Again, we are not adding to that burden through the IDA programme. As I said, I will come back to the shadow Minister more formally on the governance elements, but I reassure her about our key focus as a Government. Because of IDA’s efficiency and the fact that we are able to deliver on the ground, much of what she has raised is part of the work that happened under the last Government, and that has happened and will continue under this Government. I welcome the comments of my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West, and the fact that we are finding an efficiency in the 10% saving, which enables the Government to use it for other pieces of work. This is a really positive piece of work that has been done, cross-party, for more than a decade now, by the previous Government and this one. It shows how we can actually deliver meaningful support for the countries that need it the most. I commend the draft order to the Committee. Question put and agreed to.
8 Dec 2025 · Draft International Development Association (Twenty-First Replenishment) Order 2025 · Hansard source
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I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft International Development Association (Twenty-First Replenishment) Order 2025. It is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship for the first time, Mr Western. The draft order, which was laid before the House on 11 September, will permit the UK Government to make financial contributions to the World Bank’s International Development Association up to the values stated in the order. The International Development Association, or IDA, is the largest source of grant and concessional finance for the world’s poorest countries and plays a vital role in supporting growth, tackling poverty and getting the sustainable development goals back on track. The external financing needs of low-income countries are growing, but progress on global poverty reduction has stalled following high inflation, low growth and increasing fragility. Poverty today is also increasingly concentrated, with more than 70% of the global population in extreme poverty living in countries supported by IDA. This is exacerbated by protracted crises, regional conflict and the effects of climate change. Addressing those challenges will become increasingly important for achieving our objectives on migration, growth, security and development. IDA is normally replenished by donors every three years, and following negotiations throughout 2024, the UK and other donors agreed to a $100 billion IDA21 replenishment, the largest yet. The UK has committed to increase our pledge by 40% to £1.98 billion over the next three years, positioning us as the third-largest donor, after the US and Japan. The decision to protect the UK’s pledge, despite reductions to the official development assistance budget, is a testament to the UK’s new approach to development: delivering value for money for the British taxpayer and maximum impact for the most vulnerable overseas. That means prioritising spending through the most impactful multilateral organisations. IDA delivers excellent value for money for UK taxpayers. The use of an innovative financing model, which combines donor contributions with income from loan repayments and borrowing from the markets, means that every £1 we put into IDA generates over £4 for its borrowers. The UK has also agreed a new way to make payments that reduces costs to UK taxpayers. By paying our contribution to IDA on an accelerated timeframe, we will get a discount from the bank. That is because it reduces the amount that the bank needs to borrow from financial markets in the short term. That means the UK will pay around 10% less, while providing the same value to the bank. The UK has also pushed IDA to use more of its own resources than ever before. The bank’s middle-income-country lending arm will transfer $2.8 billion to IDA21—three times higher than IDA20—and the bank’s private sector arm will use $500 million to support IDA21. IDA not only provides good value for money but is one of the most impactful development organisations. In the last year alone, it has supported 81 million people in receiving essential health and nutrition services and provided 23 million people with new or improved electricity services, while 12 million benefited from interventions to help to create more jobs. Through the IDA21 negotiations, the UK also secured important new commitments from the bank to ensure that IDA delivers even greater impact: deepening support to fragile and conflict-affected states and improving the association’s staffing in fragile countries, which will also help to tackle the root cause of migration; improving disaster preparedness and scaling up access to ready-to-use insurance-type financing for emergency response; creating more jobs and expanding private investment while increasing accountability on progress; and supporting the advancement of gender equality through the implementation of a new gender strategy and the inclusion of a new target for sexual and reproductive health rights interventions in 35 countries. IDA also plays a leading role in supporting IDA countries to build resilience to climate change, with 45% of its financing going to tackling climate change, at least half of which will help countries to adapt to the changes brought about by climate change. IDA is also becoming simpler and faster for borrower countries, through simplifying its policy commitments and financing architecture. Since its creation, there has been strong support across the House for IDA and recognition of its central role in improving the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people. The UK can be proud of its leadership as one of the major donors to IDA. We have played a central role in the negotiation of the financing and policy package to ensure that IDA resources deliver the best impact and align with UK foreign policy and development priorities. However, in a constrained ODA world, that support must come with a renewed push for reform to further maximise efficiencies and the impact for people on the ground. The draft order secures our commitment to the UK’s most important development partner, IDA—the largest provider of concessional assistance worldwide. Through its scale, multilateral character and proven impact, IDA enables us to tackle the global challenges that the UK cannot address alone. I commend the draft order to the Committee.
28 Oct 2025 · BBC World Service · Hansard source
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The BBC World Service remains the world’s most-trusted international news source and supports our national security, growth and development objectives. That is why we provided a 31% increase in Government funding for the World Service this year. Funding allocations for the next three years will be announced in due course.
28 Oct 2025 · BBC World Service · Hansard source
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I agree with my hon. Friend about the work of the BBC World Service, and we are working with the BBC. I am shortly due to visit Broadcasting House to see at first hand the work it is doing, particularly its innovative work to deliver and develop its funding programmes, which will form part of the charter review. In response to Russian interference in the media around the world, I echo my hon. Friend’s support for the journalists who work in the World Service, who do so much to expose what is happening globally, particularly around conflict.

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