Rachael Maskell MP: written questions
4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025
How these years work
Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
23 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Iran: JewsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to engage with his Iranian counterparts on the status of the Jewish community in Iran; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the prote
Answer: Iran's human rights record continues to be of serious concern to the UK. Religious minorities, including the Jewish community, suffer discrimination in law and practice, including in access to education, employment, child adoption, political office and pl...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57641More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in aid spending on the global influence of (a) China and (b) other countries.
Answer: To fund a necessary increase in defence spending, the Government has taken the decision in the current fiscal and economic circumstances to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.This was not an ideological decision, but a hardheaded one,...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: EducationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57640More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in Overseas Development Assistance on the number of children able to access education.
Answer: Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through following the recent Spending Review and through resource allocation processes. We intend to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations i...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic Service: ExpenditureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57639More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spends on diplomacy (a) in numerical terms and (b) as a proportion of gross value added each year.
Answer: Diplomacy is at the heart of all Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) activity, both in the UK and overseas. It is not possible for the FCDO to accurately present a numerical cost of diplomacy, nor the proportion of gross value added each y...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: WomenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions to international development aid on (a) women and (b) children.
Answer: The UK remains committed to empowering women and girls around the world through our international work. We recognise that supporting women and girls is essential for development and we will continue to do so by using our voice to be a champion for women a...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear DisarmamentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to achieve multilateral disarmament of nuclear weapons.
Answer: The UK remains committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and to our Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty obligation to pursue nuclear disarmament negotiations in good faith. Nuclear disarmament is a process as well as an end-state, which is be...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Non-proliferation TreatyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK Government complies with its Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons obligations.
Answer: The UK is compliant with and remains committed to its obligations across all three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In line with its commitment under Article VI, the UK continues to pursue negotiations in good faith...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordIran: Baha'i FaithForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Iranian authorities following reports of 10 Bahá'í women being sentenced to a combined 90 years in prison for facilitating
Answer: Iran's abhorrent repression of Baha'is is unacceptable. We continue to take action in multilateral fora to spotlight abuses against Baha'is and hold Iran to account. On 18 March, at the Human Rights Council, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN, sa...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review ConferenceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48968More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department’s negotiating priorities are for the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Answer: Our priorities for the 2025 Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) include to promote and strengthen the NPT for the future, demonstrate the UK's enduring commitment to taking i...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review ConferenceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48967More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to attend the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weap
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Director for Defence and International Security and the UK Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament are representing the UK at the 2025 Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to publish legal advice on the licensing of arms sales to Israel.
Answer: The Government has published a summary of the international humanitarian law (IHL) process used to assess and review Israel's compliance with IHL. This summary, informed by legal advice, alongside the Foreign Secretary's Oral Statement outlined the decisi...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordReligious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40493More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the potential merits of introducing a special envoy on the freedom of religion or belief.
Answer: The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.The appointment of David Smith MP as the UK Special Envoy for FoRB in December 2024 is a clear signal ...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSaudi Arabia: Capital PunishmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Saudi counterpart on the (a) policy and (b) scale of capital punishment in that country.
Answer: The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as our joint statement with the EU on World Day Against the Death Penalty made clear. The Saudi authorities are well aware of our opposition. As the Minister for the Middle East, I raised Saudi human r...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFood Insecurity: Climate ChangeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12739More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024
Answer: The UK is closely monitoring the potential development of La Niña conditions and in particular the risk of food security impacts in the Horn of Africa and Southern Africa.The UK is a committed humanitarian donor, channelling over £277 million in humanitar...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDeveloping Countries: Food InsecurityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12738More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024
Answer: The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the June-October 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the second largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and to date in 2024 have contributed over $360 million to WFP programmes, including in...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDeveloping Countries: Food InsecurityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024
Answer: The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the June-October 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the second largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and to date in 2024 have contributed over $360 million to WFP programmes, including in...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will restore the parameters for spending of overseas development aid to its previous criteria.
Answer: Official Development Assistance (ODA) is an international standard used to measure aid flows to developing countries. Spend classified as ODA must meet the definition and rules that are set and governed by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). ...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: OilForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1298More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential merits of dis-investing from oil products which originated from R
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure the effective design and implementation of relevant sanctions. The action the UK and its partners have taken to limit Russian ene...
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: Freezing of AssetsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1297More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on repurposing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Answer: This Government is clear that Russia is responsible for its illegal war in Ukraine. That includes its obligations under international law to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. Together with our G7 partners, we have agreed to make available appro...
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: OilForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that oil from Russia is not imported to the UK through a third party.
Answer: The action taken by the UK and partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with Russia forced to shoulder a 24% reduction in oil and gas revenues in 2023 compared to 2022. We took robust action against Russia's 'shadow fleet'...
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps at the UN General Assembly to help de-escalate the conflict in Israel and Palestine.
Answer: The Government is determined to do all we can to help bring the conflict in Gaza to an end and make progress towards long-term peace and security in the Middle East, including through the auspices of the UN. We are pushing for an immediate ceasefire, the ...
Answered 23 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 99More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the amount of (a) food, (b) medical and (c) other humanitarian aid that is able to enter Gaza.
Answer: The UK is committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it. The Foreign Secretary announced on 19 July that we will restart funding to UNRWA, releasing £21 million for Gaza and the region. We have also announced an addit...
Answered 23 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 95More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the sale of UK arms to Israel on the conflict in Gaza.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. This government will uphold our internat...
Answered 22 Jul 2024
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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