Wendy Morton MP: written questions
1974 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on any potential reallocation of savings from in-donor refugee costs to the FCDO’s ODA budget.
Answer: The UK Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog and reform the asylum accommodation system to help end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period to ensure more of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budg...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHumanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the FCDO’s crisis response fund for 2025-26.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) maintains the Humanitarian Crisis Reserve (HCR) fund, which has the primary benefit of enabling flexible and rapid response to new humanitarian crises (e.g. earthquakes, floods, cyclones). Decisions ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordVoluntary Service OverseasForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Voluntary Service Overseas ACTIVE programme in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: The Prime Minister has taken the decision to increase spending on defence to 2.5 per cent of GDP from 2027, funded by reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA).The ODA budget will be gradually reduced to the equivalent of 0.3 per cent of GNI by 2027,...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Natural DisastersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of planned levels of future official development assistance spending on the ability of programmes supporting (a) schools
Answer: Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments. We plan to publish final Financial Year 2025/26 ODA prog...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Farmers and WomenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of planned changes to the level of future spending on official development assistance on programmes supporting
Answer: The Government recognises the important role women smallholder farmers play in agrifood systems in developing countries, and that investing in women and girls and breaking down the barriers they face supports inclusive development. Decisions on how the Of...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to reallocate reductions in in-donor refugee costs to other official development assistance programmes from the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: The UK Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog and reform the asylum accommodation system to help end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period to ensure more of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budg...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47681More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision not to automatically adjust UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spending in line with eco
Answer: Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets from 2025/26 onwards are set in cash terms based on Gross National Income (GNI) forecasts. This change means the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) ODA budgets will no longer be exposed to...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to set annual aid budgets from 2027 in cash terms based on GNI forecasts at the Spending Revie
Answer: Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets from 2025/26 onwards are set in cash terms based on Gross National Income (GNI) forecasts. This change means the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) ODA budgets will no longer be exposed to...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Infectious DiseasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planned reductions to the Official Development Assistance budget on the effectiveness of programmes to tackle infectiou
Answer: Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.We plan to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocation...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which development programmes he plans to maintain funding for after the planned reduction of the Official Development Assistance budget is implemented.
Answer: Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.We plan to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocation...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Overseas LoansTreasuryTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47677More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41839 on Ukraine: Overseas Loans, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the loan to Ukraine.
Answer: The Government is providing £2.26bn as part of the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme. This will be repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets in the EU.The G7 has assessed and agreed that the ERA can s...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAnzhalika MelnikavaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Poland on reports of the disappearance of Anzhelika Melnikava and her daughters.
Answer: I am concerned by reports of Angelika Melnikava's disappearance. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials are following the case closely. While the situation remains unclear, we have not raised this with the Polish government.
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBelarus: RussiaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to monitor the potential impact of the Mutual Security treaty between Russia and Belarus on (a) regional security and (b) human rig
Answer: Across His Majesty's Government we take steps to ensure we stay up to date on relevant developments in Belarus, including on the Russia-Belarus Treaty on Mutual Security Guarantee signed into force by Presidents Putin and Lukashenko in March. Foreign, Com...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAnzhalika MelnikavaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47674More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) political repression and (b) reports of the disappearance of Anzhelika Melnikava.
Answer: We are appalled by the repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. UK policy on Belarus seeks to support a more open society, democracy, and human rights, directly opposing political repression. In August 2024, the UK announced ...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBelarus: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on accountability for the actions of the Lukashenko regime.
Answer: I condemn Belarus' relentless repression, which continues to become ever more draconian and punitive. The UK works closely with our likeminded partners on the ground in Minsk, in capitals, and in international organisations to work to hold the Lukashenko ...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBelarus: Democracy and Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47672More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is encourage democracy and human rights in Belarus; and what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Belarus on the disappearance of (
Answer: We are deeply concerned by the ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. The UK works closely with its likeminded partners on the ground in Minsk, in capitals, and in international organisations such as the Organizatio...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAid Workers: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41094 on Aid Workers: Armed Conflict, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of UN Security Council R
Answer: The scale and severity of threats to humanitarian aid workers is alarming. The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2730 to draw attention to the protection of humanitarian aid workers, including protection for national personnel who oft...
Answered 3 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael and Occupied Territories: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47670More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March to Question 39447 on Israel and Occupied Territories: Development Aid, whether the funding levels for the years 2025-26 and 2026-27 will re
Answer: In financial year 2025-26, the UK will provide £101 million for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which will prioritise humanitarian relief, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform. W...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department’s policy paper entitled London Sudan Conference, 15 April 2025: co-chairs' statement, published on 15 April 2025, what the UK’s comparative a
Answer: As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, leader of the core group on Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council and as a major humanitarian donor, the UK occupies a unique position to keep international attention on the conflict. On 15 April, the Londo...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Soft Power Council: Science and TechnologyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47242More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Soft Power Council at utilising UK science and technology.
Answer: The Soft Power Council is now operational but still in an early phase of developing its work. The Council includes several individuals with expertise spanning science, technology, education and research, in recognition of the importance of these themes to...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBBC World Service: Cost EffectivenessForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the value for money of the BBC World Service in terms of (a) reach and (b) impact, when compared with spending by other states on comparable se
Answer: The Government highly values the World Service, which makes a significant contribution to UK soft power. Soft power indices and perception studies regularly highlight the BBC's soft power attraction. Tapestry Research carried out an international study in...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBBC World Service: Soft PowerForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has he made of potential opportunities for the BBC World Service to further support UK soft power.
Answer: The Government highly values the World Service, which makes a significant contribution to UK soft power. Soft power indices and perception studies regularly highlight the BBC's soft power attraction. Tapestry Research carried out an international study in...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSoft Power: ExportsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK soft power on exports by UK companies.
Answer: Our soft power is an important driver for growth; the sectors that contribute to our soft power are the economic backbone of the country and deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK. Greater coordination of the UK's soft power through the Soft P...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCommonwealth: Soft PowerForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking through the Commonwealth to support (a) UK soft power and (b) the soft power of Commonwealth partners.
Answer: Our Commonwealth membership plays an important role in the projection of UK soft power. Shared history means the English language is spoken widely, we have strong cultural links and similar systems of rule of law and parliamentary democracy. The Commonwea...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNigeria: Defence and SecurityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Overseas Development Aid changes on the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.
Answer: The UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) provides a comprehensive framework to coordinate the full spectrum of the UK's partnership with Nigeria in addressing shared security and defence challenges. Part of the UK's Official Development Assis...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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