There has been no Ministerial level contact between the UK Government and the Mauritian Government since 20 January.

All ministerial meetings with external organisations, and relevant Special Adviser meetings, are published in the usual way on gov.uk. Details of ministerial overseas visits are routinely published in each department's quarterly transparency releases

The Government has set out its assessment on numerous occasions, including in the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanied the Diego Garcia Treaty. Maintaining long-term operational control of the Diego Garcia base is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Treaty.

Loans are classed as Official Development Assistance (ODA) where they meet the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) criteria for ODA eligibility, including being provided on concessional terms and having the promotion of economic development and welfare as their primary objective.

Under current OECD rules, only the grant-equivalent element of an eligible loan is recorded as ODA, rather than the full value of the loan.

The Government's position in relation to the UK-Mauritius treaty has been informed by legal advice throughout. A summary of the Government's legal position was set out on 22 May when the treaty was signed, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security. In accordance with the long-standing convention, adhered to by successive governments, whether or not the Law Officers have been, or will be, consulted, and the substance of any such advice is not disclosed outside government.

We are aware of reports concerning the case of Naama Afsari and continue to monitor this. The UK remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally. Officials, including up to ambassador level regularly engage on human rights issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities, most recently during the visit of the UK's Human Rights Ambassador in June 2026. At the most recent UK-Morocco Human Rights Dialogue in November 2025, officials discussed various human rights issues, including freedom of expression, rights of minorities, women's rights, media freedom, and judicial reforms.

The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is a valued partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). FCDO Ministers and officials routinely hold meetings with counterparts to discuss shared priorities such as global health, education, climate change, and women and girls. Our engagement with the CIFF includes co-hosting the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, alongside South Africa and British International Investment, and a range of co-funded initiatives. For example, the CIFF is working with the FCDO's Women's Integrated Sexual Health Dividend programme in West and Central Africa by providing over $150 million in parallel funding through the 'Challenge Fund'.

The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is a valued partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). FCDO Ministers and officials routinely hold meetings with counterparts to discuss shared priorities such as global health, education, climate change, and women and girls. Our engagement with the CIFF includes co-hosting the Global Partnerships Conference in May 2026, alongside South Africa and British International Investment, and a range of co-funded initiatives. For example, the CIFF is working with the FCDO's Women's Integrated Sexual Health Dividend programme in West and Central Africa by providing over $150 million in parallel funding through the 'Challenge Fund'.

The UK has committed £315 million to Afghanistan in the new spending review period to address the most severe impacts of Afghanistan's protracted crisis and protect the most vulnerable. While reducing the size of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for Afghanistan will necessarily have an impact on the scale and reach of the work we do, we have taken steps to limit this. Women and girls will remain central to our approach, as highlighted in the UK international strategic framework on women and girls 2026. Funding allocations for Afghanistan are based on a robust Equalities Impact Assessment and aim to address the rights and needs of women and girls. We also remain steadfast in our commitment that at least half of those reached by UK aid in Afghanistan will be women and girls.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

Through its British Climate Partners (BCP) Initiative British International Investment (BII) will principally provide equity and mezzanine finance. BII does not anticipate providing funding through BCP in the form of grants. BII plans to invest over £1 billion through BCP over the next five years, with this in turn expected to unlock an additional £3.5 billion in private capital. The financial return BII targets on its investments depends on a range of factors - particularly the risk profile of the investment. The terms of BII's individual investments are commercially confidential.

The Government remains committed to multilateral institutions. I refer the noble Baroness to the reply to HL2775, which affirms the Foreign Secretary's commitment to international institutions, as set out in a statement on 21 July. On 27 July, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced that the Foreign Secretary will take on the role of UK Governor to the World Bank, which provides around $100 billion in finance per year. In the announcement, the Foreign Secretary stated that in taking on this role, he wishes to send an unambiguous signal regarding this Government's commitment to global leadership on development and climate.

The UK remains committed to improving health outcomes for women and children globally, including in Sierra Leone. Over the last decade, the UK has helped improve maternal and child health services, including those highlighted in the Channel 4 documentary. This has contributed significantly to a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio from 1,682 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to an estimated 354 in 2025. The UK continues to work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone and multilateral partners, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, GAVI and the Global Fund, to strengthen the delivery of national health services and to increase domestic funding.

The UK is committed to supporting the humanitarian response in Sudan, providing vital healthcare, nutrition, and water. This is why we are providing £146 million of support this financial year and will uphold this figure over the spending period. We have also more than doubled our funding to Sudan's local responders, who are able to provide life-saving aid to communities in the hardest to reach areas, including Darfur. We continue to use all diplomatic levers to secure unimpeded humanitarian access, security guarantees for aid workers and the end to all siege tactics which block the free movement of civilians and aid.

The UK played a leading role in the establishment of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD) and remains committed to securing justice for survivors of Daesh crimes following UNITAD's closure. The UK paid its share of the UNITAD operating expenses on the UN budget. The UK continues to work with the Governments of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, alongside international partners, to help ensure that Daesh members are held accountable for the crimes they have committed. The UK also continues to support survivor-centred implementation of the Yazidi Survivors' Law (2021).

We are concerned by increasing tensions and instability across the West Bank. The UK has consistently made clear to the Government of Israel that any unilateral attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of Palestine is wholly unacceptable and would be inconsistent with international law. The UK remains firmly committed to a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a sovereign, viable and free Palestine. We continue to engage with Israeli counterparts on developments in the West Bank.