Topical Questions 2025-09-02
2025-09-02
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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The American President is devising a plan to carve up Palestinian territory, creating a 'Gaza Riviera' or similar development. This raises concerns about the forced displacement of Palestinians.
For Palestinians, if suffering decades of oppression and apartheid, thousands being killed, and millions confined in an ever-reducing area as their homes are stolen and communities are destroyed was not bad enough, now the American President is devising a plan to carve up what is left of Palestinian territory for prime real estate. Will the Foreign Secretary categorically say at the Dispatch Box today that under no circumstances will the UK support this reprehensible plan to ethnically cleanse Palestine and create a “Gaza Riviera”, a “Trump Gaza” or whatever this grotesque plan is?
I say to my hon. Friend that we have been clear right throughout this crisis that Palestinian territory must not be reduced in the conduct of this war, and we do not support the forced displacement of people. Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild their lives.
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Q2
Direct Answer
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The Joint Committee on Human Rights has recommended that China be placed on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights’ recent report into transnational repression recommended that China be placed on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme, alongside Iran and Russia. Clearly, this follows concerns following the China audit and the national security strategy, so I have a very specific question for the Foreign Secretary: when will he recognise that China is a threat to our national security and put it on the enhanced tier of FIRS?
The right hon. Lady and I exchanged debate when we published the China audit. There was discussion at the national security strategy, and the Defence Secretary also set out his concerns about Chinese activity in the South China sea in the defence strategy. There have been a lot of debates and discussion in relation to China, and I have been very clear that there are areas where we will co-operate, but we will always challenge where we must.
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Q3
Direct Answer
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Lee and Joanna Woodcock's daughter Holly was found deceased in France. The FCDO has provided consular support.
My constituents Lee and Joanna Woodcock’s daughter Holly was found deceased in France in August last year. They have raised significant concerns regarding the investigation by the French authorities, and some lesser concerns regarding the support they have received from the FCDO. Will the Minister meet Mr and Mrs Woodcock to hear directly about their experience?
First, I express my deep condolences over Holly’s death. I know this is a very distressing time for Mr and Mrs Woodcock and the whole family. My hon. Friend will know about the consular support that is being provided, as we have spoken about that. I would, of course, be very happy to meet him and the Woodcock family to discuss the matter further, although he will understand that I cannot get directly involved in overseas investigations by authorities in France.
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Q4
Direct Answer
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The Business Secretary is due to travel to China next week, following Beijing’s announcement of arrest warrants and bounties targeting pro-democracy Hongkongers.
The Business Secretary is due to travel to China next week to restart trade talks. His trip will fall 50 days after Beijing announced its latest round of extraterritorial bounties, targeting 19 pro-democracy Hongkongers, including several more UK-based activists. In an earlier answer, the Minister laid out the many steps to sanction the Georgian Government for their assault on democracy. Will the Foreign Secretary implore the Business Secretary to cancel his trip and press for a block on all UK ministerial visits to China until Beijing rescinds those bounties?
In June, the Minister for Security, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley North (Dan Jarvis), and I met the UK activists targeted by the Hong Kong arrest warrants and bounties. We have raised concerns regarding the arrest warrants and bounties directly with the Chinese ambassador here in London, reaffirming that the safety and security of Hongkongers in the UK is of the utmost importance to the Government. The matter is being raised at all levels—by Ministers and by the Foreign Secretary, and will indeed be raised, if there is such an occasion in the future, leader to leader.
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Q5
Direct Answer
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Israeli citizens are marching for a release of hostages and a ceasefire, while the Opposition parties feel let down by the government.
I share the anguish and profound distress of my constituents over the conflict in Gaza. Many of them have friends and family in the region; they are living with that torment every day. The Minister will have seen hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens marching for a release of the hostages and for a ceasefire. What are the UK Government doing to support those citizens and the Opposition parties in Israel, who are being so let down?
I thank my hon. Friend for her sustained engagement in these issues. As the Foreign Secretary has said, we talk regularly to hostage families in Israel and to participants in Israeli politics right across the spectrum, and we will continue to do so. We make our disagreements with the Israeli Government clear, both in private and in public, and we will continue to do that, too.
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Q6
Partial Answer
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Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, a British citizen undergoing cancer treatment in the US, was denied boarding her flight back to the UK on 23 July. It took three weeks to obtain an emergency travel document despite interventions from Sarah Bool.
Why has it taken three weeks to issue emergency travel documents for Dr Lindsey Fitzharris when she faced difficulties returning home due to cancer treatment in the US? Will the Department apologise and investigate?
The Foreign Office seeks in its consular assistance to always provide timely support to British nationals overseas. I will investigate the case and report back to the hon. Lady.
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Q7
Partial Answer
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The International Association of Genocide Scholars has passed a resolution concluding that Israel’s conduct meets the legal definition of genocide, noting 50,000 Palestinian children killed or injured.
What is the Foreign Secretary's assessment of this resolution and does he agree that accountability for these crimes and justice for Palestinians are necessary?
We have seen those reports; the Foreign Secretary referred to them in the House yesterday afternoon. As I said earlier, the threshold that the Government must test against is about the real risk, and our actions have flowed from that determination.
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Q8
Partial Answer
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Constituents who fled Hong Kong are worried about democratic voices being silenced due to proposed changes in indefinite leave to remain.
What steps are the Government taking to hold accountable those responsible for the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong and to reassure refugees?
I thank the hon. Lady for raising this important matter on behalf of her constituents. I can reassure her that the UK Government have called on Beijing numerous times to repeal the national security law, and we continue to work closely with the Minister for Border Security and Asylum to ensure safety.
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Q9
Direct Answer
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The issue of conditional recognition of the state of Palestine was reiterated, and concerns were raised about ensuring Israel's security in any future peace agreement.
If the Government want to conditionally recognise the state of Palestine, would it not be better equally to make it a condition that any future state of Palestine does not threaten the right of the state of Israel to exist, and that if anyone carries out terrorist actions from any future state, they will be handed over to the international authorities?
There have been important commitments about the future nature of any Palestinian state, including from President Abbas, who said that any such state would be demilitarised. There was absolute clarity in New York—where we made the announcement about the recognition decision—that Hamas can have no future role in Gaza and that a future Palestinian state must pose no threat to an Israeli state. Two states requires two states living in safety and security and posing no threat to each other.
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Q10
Direct Answer
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Concerns were raised about the reliability and trustworthiness of the Israeli Government, particularly in light of recent sanctions.
Has the Foreign Secretary ordered a review of the UK’s relationship with the Israeli Government over the last 13 months? If not, why not?
I set out the detail of the sanctions to which my hon. Friend refers, and the Foreign Secretary has announced a review of some of the elements of our bilateral co-operation with Israel, including a number of steps in relation to free trade agreements and so on.
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