I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 24 July 2025 to question 68978. I can assure him that we raise issues concerning LGBT+ rights and human rights regularly at ministerial and official level with our Hungarian counterparts, and I have done so directly. Our Embassy in Budapest also works to support human rights, including LGBT+ rights in Hungary through engagement with civil society organisations locally.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 24 July 2025 to question 68978. I can assure him that we raise issues concerning LGBT+ rights and human rights regularly at ministerial and official level with our Hungarian counterparts, and I have done so directly. Our Embassy in Budapest also works to support human rights, including LGBT+ rights in Hungary through engagement with civil society organisations locally.

Hungary is an important partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally of the United Kingdom, and where there is mutual benefit we work together on shared interests, including on trade, security and defence. As in any bilateral relationship there are differences and where we have concerns, we raise them candidly, including on restrictions on essential freedoms, including respect for and freedoms for the LGBT+ community, and on our differing approaches to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Government maintains regular dialogue with its Hungarian counterparts. The Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Szijjártó in London for bilateral talks in January, and I am also in regular contact with EU Minister János Bóka and Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar, whom I met in London on 19 June.

The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Any security sector support to BiH should focus on upholding peace, stability and the rule of law across the whole of BiH. We engage with all regional partners, including Hungary, to work constructively to strengthen domestic institutions, to use their influence positively with BiH's leaders, and to uphold the constitutional framework in BiH. We urge all partners to refrain from any actions that could undermine sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH.

The Foreign Secretary met his Hungarian counterpart in January, and I most recently met Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar on 19 June. In both meetings, the Foreign Secretary and I raised wider European security and emphasised the importance of unity from all partners. Locally, our Embassy in Budapest has raised, with senior officials, the Hungarian government's engagement with the Republika Srpska entity's President Dodik. We encourage de-escalation, the need to uphold peace in accordance with the Dayton Agreement, and support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Europe's security is critical to our own and we recognise the contribution of the European Union's (EU) military operations and missions to regional security. This includes the EU Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), which the UK recognises as vital for maintaining peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We continue to support EUFOR's role in upholding the military aspects of the Dayton Agreement, and engage regularly with EUFOR and the EU Delegation in BiH. The composition of EUFOR and the nature of support provided in EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions remains a matter for the EU.

Defra has closely monitored the 2025 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany. Following Germany’s confirmed FMD case in January, its FMD-free status was temporarily suspended but reinstated by the World Organisation for Animal Health in April after swift containment.

Hungary and Slovakia reported FMD outbreaks in March 2025, prompting immediate action. Defra assessed the risk of FMD entering Great Britain from these countries as medium, citing potential spread via wild animals and human activity.

As a result, the UK imposed temporary import bans on live animals and certain products from affected regions. Defra also reinforced biosecurity messaging to livestock keepers and increased disease surveillance.

To strengthen long-term resilience, the UK is investing £200 million into its animal health infrastructure, including Weybridge’s national reference laboratory. Defra continues to adapt its policies in response to developments and remains committed to protecting the UK’s biosecurity and livestock sector.

Although I was not an addressee of the letter mentioned and therefore cannot reference it directly, this Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to ensure the UK’s biosecurity measures protect our farms from the risk posed by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). We’ve stepped up measures to prevent the incursion of FMD following the spread of cases in Hungary and Slovakia, including a case close to Slovakia’s border with Austria. The Government immediately implemented restrictions on broad categories of products ranging from fresh milk, dairy products, meat from susceptible animals to hay and straw from Hungary, Slovakia and Austria to Great Britain to protect the UK’s freedom from FMD, in addition to restrictions already in place for equivalent exports from Germany to Great Britain following a separate outbreak of FMD in Germany in January.

In line with the requirement to recognise regionalisation, these imports are also prohibited into Northern Ireland from the disease control zones in force surrounding each of the infected premises in the EU. We continue to review the situation, working with our disease experts and EU counterparts. Livestock keepers are urged to be extra vigilant and report any suspicion of FMD or other notifiable disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Great Britain and to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland.

The Government has stepped up measures to protect the UK from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) following recent outbreaks in Central Europe and Germany. This includes a ban on imports of live animals and certain animal products to Great Britain from Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. We have also imposed an equivalent ban from the region of Germany that experienced an FMD outbreak in January.

From 12 April 2025 we have also extended restrictions on personal imports. Travellers are no longer permitted to bring meat or dairy products from cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs into Great Britain from any EU country for personal use.

Together Government, travellers, animal keepers and the livestock industry must do everything we can to keep FMD out and protect animal health and welfare. We urge livestock keepers to be extra vigilant and report any suspicion of FMD or other notifiable disease immediately.

Since the introduction of foot and mouth controls for Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, there has been an effective prohibition on the movement of impacted goods into GB. It is important to note that most products of animal origin are not prohibited from these countries, for example poultry meat. Only products from susceptible animals that have not been treated to the required level to mitigate disease risk are prohibited, for example fresh beef.

The auto clearance system does not impact on our ability to prohibit live animals from foot and mouth affected areas, as these commodities are specifically excluded. The auto clearance system has also been updated to exclude goods subject to Foot and Mouth Regulations from impacted countries. This means that we can enforce the bands on impacted commodities.

In response to the outbreak of FMD in Germany, this Government took decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and certain untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. Following the outbreak in Hungary, these border control measures were immediately extended to cover imports of these products from Hungary and Slovakia (given the close proximity of the Hungarian FMD case to the Hungarian Slovakian border).

The agenda for the Summit will be set out in due course. The UK-hosted meeting will come at an important moment in efforts to galvanise support for Ukraine. It will also focus on how to work together to grapple with the common challenge of illegal migration across the continent, as well as other issues of shared concern. We are consulting with all European Political Community partners including Hungary as the next hosts.