In February, the UK jointly led the third UN Security Council (UNSC) visit to Colombia in support of the 2016 peace process. The Council met with President Petro and the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace to discuss progress and challenges for implementation of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement and the Government's efforts to broaden peace through dialogue with armed groups. The Council discussed the dialogue and temporary bilateral ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) which it has indicated a willingness to consider mandating the UN to monitor and verify. Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in support of the peace process in Colombia.

Whether violations of International Humanitarian Law have occurred depends on numerous factors. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press these in engagements with Israeli counterparts.

The UK is steadfast in its position that all states should uphold international humanitarian law and we call on our friends and partners to do so. Israel has the right to defend itself proportionately and its military operations must be conducted in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilians must be respected and protected. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have, in their discussions with their Israeli counterparts, emphasised the importance of taking all possible measures to protect innocent civilians. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has stated that Israel will operate in accordance with international law.

The UK Government is clear that civilian infrastructure like schools, hospitals and shelters must be protected in conflict. The UK is calling for unimpeded humanitarian access so that essential aid can reach civilian populations in Gaza including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. The UK is steadfast in its position that all states should uphold International Humanitarian Law and we call on our friends and partners to do so. Israel has the right to defend itself proportionately and its military operations must be conducted in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilian infrastructure must be respected and protected. The Prime Minister, along with the Foreign Secretary, continues to engage regularly and closely with their Israeli counterparts, including in relation to ensuring the protection of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

The UK is calling for immediate, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access for lifesaving aid to reach civilians. This includes adequate volumes of food, water, fuel and medical supplies as a priority. The safety of civilians and humanitarian personnel is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most.

We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence directed towards healthcare workers. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza and the West Bank should be able to access the urgent medical care they need. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of this issue with the Israeli authorities.

The Foreign Secretary continues to engage regularly and closely with his Israeli counterparts, including in relation to ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. The Prime Minister has announced £30 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in response to the escalating conflict. This funding will allow trusted partners, including key UN agencies, to provide essential relief items and services.

The UK is calling for immediate unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza so that essential aid can reach civilian populations, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. The UK is also calling on all parties to protect border crossings to support safe humanitarian access and mitigate harm to civilians. The Foreign Secretary continues to engage regularly and closely with his Israeli counterparts, including in relation to ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. He most recently spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, on 23 October. The UK will remain committed to mitigating the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling for International Humanitarian Law to be respected, while standing alongside the people of Israel against the terrorist group Hamas.

The available evidence indicates that immediate action is needed to prevent death and illness from lack of sufficient safe water. According to the United Nations, 50 per cent of water infrastructure has been destroyed or heavily damaged. The opening of the Rafah crossing to humanitarian traffic is insufficient to meet minimum requirements, and the bottled water carried by humanitarian convoys into Gaza is severely insufficient.

The UK is calling for immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza so that essential aid including food, water, fuel and medical supplies can reach civilian populations. On 16 October, the Prime Minister announced £10 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and on 23 October a further £20 million, in response to the escalating conflict. This funding will allow trusted partners, including key UN agencies to provide essential relief items and services. The UK is also calling on all parties to protect border crossings to support safe humanitarian access and mitigate harm to civilians.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The UK Government remains committed to pressing the case for improvements in the human rights situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and to advocating for human rights for all, including in relation to freedom of expression and the freedom for journalists to do their jobs free from harm. The UK Government, through our Consulate General in Erbil, takes a close interest in the treatment of journalists and human rights activists in the KRI, and we are closely monitoring the cases of Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari. We have raised our issues about the case of Guhdar Zebari in public and in private with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) at the highest levels, and a representative from the British Consulate General attended his trial. We have always been clear that journalists and political activists should be free to operate without undue interference from security forces or fear of indefinite detention.

The FCDO follows matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. The UK Government's long-standing policy is to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, in all countries, as a matter of principle, and Bahrain is fully aware of that. During Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review in November 2022, the UK recommended an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty. We also encourage those with specific concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.

The FCDO most recently published our assessment of the human rights situation in Bahrain in the annual FCDO Human Rights and Democracy Report, in December 2022 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-rights-and-democracy-report-2021]. Bahrain remains a FCDO Human Rights Priority Country and we continue to engage regularly, privately and effectively across a range of areas with the Government of Bahrain. During Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review in November 2022, the UK recommended Bahrain move quickly to pass a new Journalism and E-Media Law, to ensure stronger protections for journalists and enhance wider media freedoms.

The FCDO continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain and is aware of a letter sent to the Government of Bahrain by UN Special Rapporteurs on 8 May 2023. We welcome engagement between Bahrain and the UN and encourage both sides to do so in a constructive manner. We continue to draw upon a range of sources when assessing the human rights situation in Bahrain.

The FCDO follows matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed a range of human rights issues during his visit to Bahrain on 12 February, including the case of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

The FCDO continues to support Bahraini-led reform in a range of areas, including security and justice. The FCDO will continue to support the Ministry of Interior's reforms in Financial Year (FY) 2023/24, though project areas are yet to be formally confirmed. There is no direct funding provided to prisons and all technical assistance is delivered through implementing partners.

The UK unequivocally condemns the persecution of religious minorities in Iran. Reports of increased detentions, expropriation of land and destruction of homes indicate the regime intensified its repression of the Baha'i community in 2022. On 20 December 2022, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce, expressed the UK's condemnation of the sentencing of Baha'i leaders Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi to a further decade of imprisonment. We continue to work closely with our international partners to hold Iran to account for its dire human rights record and raise these issues with the regime at all appropriate opportunities.

We have been clear that we do not support the Israeli government's decision last year to designate six Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGOs) as terrorist organisations. The subsequent raids on the offices of seven Palestinian NGOs, and on St Andrew's Anglican Church in Ramallah, and arrests of their staff, are equally troubling. We have not changed our approach, based on the information provided by the Government of Israel and we continue to engage with a number of these organisations. Civil society organisations play an important role in upholding human rights and democracy and they must be able to operate freely in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). Officials at the British Embassy Tel Aviv, alongside our European partners, have directly raised our opposition with the Israeli Government on the designations, and made clear our support for Civil Society Organisations in Israel and the OPTs.

The Covid Local Support Grant ended on September 30^th 2021. However, we recognise that some people continue to require extra support, which is why we have introduced £500m of funding to boost households this winter. £421m of this will help vulnerable people in England with essential household costs through the Household Support Fund, whilst almost £80m will be given to the devolved nations (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive). This new grant began on 6^th October 2021, and will run to 31^st March 2022.