Topical Questions

Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs about steps being taken to address the use of offshore tax havens by individuals to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The Secretary of State, Mr David Lammy, acknowledged this as an issue he had raised previously and stated that he intends to take it up with "full vigour", noting concerns that parts of the previous government had "turned a blind eye" to these matters. He promised to come forward with further proposals in the coming weeks. The shadow Foreign Secretary, Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con), expressed support from the Opposition for imposing open registers of beneficial ownership on the overseas territories. He also raised concerns about the situation in Sudan, highlighting the ongoing displacement crisis and evidence of ethnic cleansing in Darfur. Mr Lammy acknowledged the issues in Sudan and stated that he had discussed them with G7 Foreign Ministers. Mr Mitchell also raised the commitment in party manifestos to restore the 0.7% international development target, and asked the Foreign Secretary to discuss with the Treasury returning to that target over the next two years. Mr Lammy acknowledged that this area had been "left in a mess", with a significant portion of the budget being spent on refugees in hotels, but stated that he and the Minister with responsibility for development would work to get back to the 0.7% target as soon as possible. Imran Hussain (Bradford East) (Ind) asked the Minister about the UK's position on the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A in Kashmir and the persecution of Kashmiris by Indian armed forces. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Catherine West, reiterated the UK Government's position that all countries should respect sovereignty, human rights and the rule of law, and stated that the UK pushes all parties to work towards upholding UN resolutions. Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) (LD) raised concerns about the escalation of violence between Hezbollah and Israel, including the tragic deaths of 12 Druze children. Mr Lammy acknowledged the concerning situation on the border between Lebanon and Israel, condemned the strike in the Golan Heights, and stated that he would say more on Lebanon in the coming hours. Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) (Ind) asked about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where half a million people are facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition. The Minister of State, Anneliese Dodds, acknowledged the dire situation and stated that the UK has provided £5.5 million to UK-Med to support a field hospital in Gaza, as well as ensuring the continued provision of essential supplies. Other MPs raised issues related to the UK's relationships with the United States, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cyprus, Venezuela, the European Union, Somaliland, West Papua, and the Irish Republic, among other topics. The Foreign Secretary and Ministers provided responses addressing the various concerns raised.