theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation outcome entitled Exchange of car driving licences issued in Moldova, published on 9 July 2025, whether her Department plans to review the 12-month period during which drivers from (a) non-EU and (b) non-EEA countries may drive in Great Britain without exchanging their licence. \p Simon Lightwood: My department does not currently have any plans to review the 12-month exchange period during which drivers from non-EU, or non-EEA countries may drive in Great Britain without exchanging their licence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide step-free access at Bickley rail station. \p Simon Lightwood: This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006, the Access for All (AfA) programme has delivered step free access at more than 260 stations across Britain.

In 2022, the previous government sought nominations from train operators and transport authorities for potential upgrades through the AfA programme. Bickley was not nominated.

The hon member may wish to engage with Transport for London and Southeastern to make that case that Bickley station is a priority in any future rounds of funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation outcome entitled Exchange of car driving licences issued in Moldova, published on 9 July 2025, on what evidential basis the (a) DVLA and (b) DVSA assessed the Moldovan theory and practical driving tests as equivalent to those in Great Britain; and whether any independent safety assessments were conducted. \p Simon Lightwood: Current driver licensing and testing standards in Moldova have been assessed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The technical evaluation looks at the following, including:

the minimum test vehicle requirements,

the duration of the test,

any specific requirements,

the manoeuvres completed,

and the standard of assessment applied.

The training and quality assurance arrangements for driving examiners of the applying country are also evaluated, along with the arrangements, content, technical approach and marking system for theory and hazard perception testing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her oral contribution of 26 June 2025, Official Report, column 1241, whether her Department plans to restrict the practice of drivers obtaining (a) taxi and (b) private hire licences in one local authority while operating predominantly in another; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of this practice on (i) passenger safety and (ii) local licensing standards. \p Lilian Greenwood: All taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists.

The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public.

Licensing authorities can already jointly authorise officers from other authorities so that compliance and enforcement action can be taken against licensees from outside their area. Such an agreement would set out the range of powers available, but these could include the ability to undertake compliance checks and immediately suspend a driver’s licence in the interests of public safety. This enables the use of the agreed powers regardless of which authority within the agreement the officer is employed by and which issued the licence.

A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is considering the potential merits of extending concessionary bus fare schemes to people aged 19 to 25 in (a) encouraging public transport use and (b) establishing long-term sustainable travel habits. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding the eligibility criteria to people aged 19-25, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

The government is committed to delivering better bus services and growing patronage, and as part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Warwickshire County Council has been allocated £8.7 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for 19-25 years olds.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), published on 26 August 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changing costs on the RIS3 capital investment programme; and whether her Department plans to amend funding for that programme. \p Simon Lightwood: The Draft Road Investment Strategy provided the first public indication of the likely size, shape and priorities for RIS3 over the period 2026/27 to 2030/31. National Highways has produced a draft Strategic Business Plan setting out how it intends to deliver the Government’s objectives within the proposed funding available, which the Office of Rail and Road is in the process of reviewing. This review will inform whether the proposed funding set out in the draft RIS is appropriate to deliver these objectives, taking account of matters such as likely inflationary and other cost pressures over the period.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to (a) allow fast-track approval routes, (b) introduce parliamentary sign-off and (c) implement other reforms to the judicial review process to help ensure nationally significant road projects do not have prolonged legal delays. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport is committed to ensuring that nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), including major road schemes, are delivered efficiently and without unnecessary delay.

The Department is actively exploring options to streamline the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) includes provisions to remove mandatory pre-application consultations and revise acceptance tests to accelerate decision-making and reduce potential bottlenecks.

We are also legislating to tighten the judicial review process. Key reforms include removing the paper permission stage; limiting appeals for cases deemed “Totally Without Merit” at oral hearings; exploring target timescales for judicial reviews in collaboration with the judiciary. These reforms aim to prevent meritless claims from delaying critical infrastructure while ensuring legitimate challenges are heard promptly.

In parallel, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also launched a public consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning. Proposals being consulted on include reforms to pre-application services, enhanced guidance for statutory bodies, and improvements to the fast-track process administered by the Planning Inspectorate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to help deliver (a) reliable and (b) timetabled bus services for (i) school and (ii) college students in (A) Stratford-on-Avon constituency and (B) Warwickshire. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government knows how important reliable and affordable bus services are in enabling people to access education, and is committed to delivering better buses throughout the country, including for school and college students.

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people.  Warwickshire County Council was allocated £8.7 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, published on 26 August 2025, which enhancement projects included in the Draft Road Investment Strategy 2 have been (a) cancelled, (b) paused and (c) descoped; and if she will make an estimate of the costs incurred for each of those schemes. \p Simon Lightwood: In any portfolio of this size, there will always be schemes that have feasibility or value for money issues that appear through the course of development, and there will always be a need to spend money on schemes to develop them to a certain stage to make an informed decision on whether to proceed or not. National Highways reported the write-off costs associated with cancelled RIS2 schemes in its Annual Report and Accounts 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, what proportion of funding originally allocated to enhancement schemes has been reallocated to (a) road renewals, (b) maintenance, (c) safety upgrades and (d) technology and carbon reduction initiatives. \p Simon Lightwood: The Final Road Investment Strategy 3 document (RIS3), and National Highways’s subsequent final Delivery Plan for RIS3, will set out in detail matters such as the amount of funding allocated to operations, maintenance, renewals and enhancements as well as wider investment to support specific outcomes. These will be informed by National Highways’s proposals in its draft Strategic Business Plan, and by the efficiency review of these proposals that is being carried out by the Office of Rail and Road.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) construction inflation and (b) other cost pressures on the (i) scope and (ii) delivery timetables of planned enhancement projects. \p Simon Lightwood: Following the publication of the Draft Road Investment Strategy (RIS), National Highways has produced a draft Strategic Business Plan setting out how it intends to deliver the Government’s objectives within the proposed funding available, which the Office of Rail and Road is now in the process of assessing in its Efficiency Review. This review will include detailed considerations on matters such as the treatment of cost pressures and deliverability and will inform the final RIS which is due to be published next year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s guidance entitled Lane rental schemes: guidance for English highway authorities, updated on 3 April 2025, whether she has implemented the proposal to allow overrun charges under section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to be applied on (a) weekends and (b) bank holidays. \p Simon Lightwood: Following consultation, the Government announced its intention to double fixed penalty notices, extend overrun charges to apply on bank holidays and weekends, and permit highway authorities to allocate 50% of surplus funds from lane rental schemes towards road maintenance. The relevant Statutory Instrument will be laid shortly to enable the necessary changes to come into force, with practical implementation in early 2026, the intervening period will help ensure the industry and Local Highway Authorities have time to adapt and be ready for them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to renew its contract with Specsavers to provide eye tests for people over 70. \p Simon Lightwood: All drivers who notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of an underlying medical condition that may affect their visual field, regardless of age, are required to have a visual field test with the DVLA’s contracted eye test provider. Specsavers. The current contract for this purpose was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 following a competitive tender exercise.

The contract is for three years with the option to extend for up to another two years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, published on 26 August 2025, what her Department's planned timetable is for publishing a revised list of Strategic Road Network enhancement projects that will proceed during Road Period 3. \p Simon Lightwood: The final Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) document will confirm the enhancement projects being taken forward for delivery in the period from 2026/27 to 2030/31, and those in the pipeline being developed to be considered for possible delivery beyond 2031. It is due to be published in March 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress her Department has made on improving the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of streets for blind and partially sighted pedestrians. \p Simon Lightwood: Local authorities have a legal responsibility to manage their roads and public spaces in a way that meets the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. It is for them to ensure that their streets are designed and maintained in a way that takes account of the needs of everyone, including visually impaired people.

The Government has produced good practice guidance to help them in this, and this is available at

www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mobility-making-transport-accessible-for-passengers-and-pedestrians

The Government recognises the problems that blind and partially sighted pedestrians can face when motorists park on pavements, and when e-scooters and e-bikes are left blocking pavements. It will make an announcement shortly on next steps on pavement parking, following the 2020 consultation, and is introducing new regulatory powers through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to help local authorities manage shared micromobility schemes more effectively.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), published on 26 August 2025, whether she plans to publish the final RIS3 by March 2026. \p Simon Lightwood: As set out in the draft RIS3 document published on 26 August 2025, the Department does indeed intend to publish the final Road Investment Strategy 3 by March 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of judicial review challenges on the construction (a) timelines and (b) costs of nationally significant road infrastructure projects. \p Simon Lightwood: Judicial review is an important legal process that allows democratic challenge to the lawfulness of a decision. While it plays a vital role in upholding accountability and transparency, the Department has assessed that in some cases judicial reviews can have an impact on the delivery of nationally significant road infrastructure projects.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to enable powered two wheelers to use bus lanes in each region in England. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government remains committed to supporting efforts to improve the safety of road users but has no plans to bring forward legislation to allow motorcycles and other powered two wheelers to access bus lanes by default. Decisions on this matter are for local highway authorities to make on a case-by-case basis.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 24 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I issued a response to the Hon. Member on 18 August.
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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Iranian counterpart on (a) the illegal obtention of (i) property and (ii) assets of and (b) other attacks on the Baha’i community; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the (a) protection of that community and (b) promotion of religious freedom in that country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Our Ambassador in Iran and the former Foreign Secretary raised have human rights directly with the Iranian government and we regularly highlight Iran's repression of Baha'is in multilateral fora, including at the UN Human Rights Council in March. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. On 3 July, the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic repression of Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, the Special Envoy delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the projected cost to the public purse is of Chevening scholarships awarded to students from Gaza for 2025-26. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: All costs will be covered under the normal Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Chevening Scholarship Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Egyptian authorities on reports of discrimination against the Baha’i community; and what steps she is taking to help (a) ensure the protection of the Baha’i population and (b) promote religious freedom in the country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), for all. The Egyptian Government has stated its commitment to protecting the rights and freedom of worship as well as the protections enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. We continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure enforcement of international humanitarian law protections for journalists in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK strongly condemns all violence directed against journalists and media workers. Civilian reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law. We are therefore appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In a recent joint statement with 28 other countries, we called on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can conduct their work freely and safely. The statement also called for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.

The UK has contributed £3 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Global Media Defence Fund, benefitting over 9,000 journalists, including time-sensitive emergency support to journalists and media experiencing sudden major crises in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. Earlier this year the UK provided funds to UNESCO's Special Fund for Gaza, supporting locally based journalists with vital equipment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the interim Syrian authorities on (a) preventing human rights violations, (b) protecting all Syrians and (c) ending all forms of sectarian violence. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We have pressed the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. The former Foreign Secretary and I have raised these issues during our recent visits to Damascus We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

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John Grady:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international allies to help bring greater stability to Lebanon. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK works with many international allies to support stability in Lebanon. In August, the UK supported the renewal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's mandate alongside other international partners. The UK lobbied other UN Security Council members to ensure that the mission is able to continue its operations in Southern Lebanon for a further 16 months, ahead of a 12-month draw-down period.

In September, the UK will convene allies via the Military Technical Committee, to coordinate international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces as the only legitimate armed force in Lebanon. The UK will also coordinate with our international allies when considering how best to support the Government of Lebanon's efforts to disarm non-state actors, including Lebanese Hizballah. The Foreign Secretary discussed this, and the broader situation in the Middle East, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 2 September.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on compliance with international humanitarian law in relation to access of Gazan civilians to water. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 6 August to Question 67532.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to provide (a) urgent aid and (b) longer-term climate adaptation support to Pakistan following recent floods. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK was among the first countries to respond to the floods in Pakistan, approving £2.53 million in emergency funding to date across the seven most affected districts reaching over 400,000 people with search and rescue, emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Additionally, the UK has contributed to the Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system in Pakistan. £500,000 has been released, reaching 20,000 people across Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to anticipate and mitigate humanitarian impacts from future flooding.
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John Grady:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking (a) on its own and (b) with international counterparts to improve the rights of Women and Girls in Afghanistan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Government condemns the Taliban's appalling repression of Afghan women and girls, and officials regularly raise those issues, and other priorities, most recently in July. In parallel, we continue to engage directly with a range of Afghans to inform and shape our policy and programmes.

Working both bilaterally and multilaterally with international partners, the UK Government is committed to sustaining collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhumane restrictions. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative, but essential for building a stable, inclusive, and prosperous country for all Afghans.
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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Iranian authorities on attacks on the Baha’i community including the illegal obtention of property and assets; and what steps is he taking to ensure (a) their protection and (b) the promotion of religious freedom in the country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK strongly condemns the repression of religious minorities in Iran, including Baha'is. On 18 March, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN highlighted the continued systematic targeting and repression of religious minorities at the UN Human Rights Council. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. On 3 July, the Special Envoy met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic situation of  Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterparts on increases in the number of arrests of (a) human rights defenders and (b) religious minorities in that country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has strongly condemned the arrest of human rights defenders and religious minorities in Iran. In the past ten months, the UK was integral to the delivery of two Iran human rights resolutions. The first, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, called on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release persons arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including human rights defenders, journalists and all those who remain under detention for taking part in peaceful protests. The second, adopted by the Human Rights Council in April 2025, renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, and renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. Our Ambassador in Iran and I continue to raise human rights directly with the Iranian Government.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 August 2025 to Question 69070 on Syria: Inter Mediate, for what reason his Department does not disclose details of the individual projects funded. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: In circumstances where sharing details of projects would present personal risks to partners working in sensitive contexts, or prejudice national security, international relations or data protection rights, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not share this information publicly.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterparts on its use of capital punishment in (a) non-lethal criminal cases and (b) other criminal cases. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries as a matter of principle, and in all circumstances. Saudi Arabia is well aware of the UK's opposition to the use of the death penalty. We regularly raise our concerns about the use of the death penalty with the Saudi authorities using a range diplomatic channels, at Ministerial level and through our Ambassador and our Embassy in Riyadh.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Colombian counterpart on the enforced disappearances and murder of religious and social leaders in Calamar municipality; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help uphold freedom of religion or belief in that country. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 17 July 2025 to question 66106 regarding these murders in Calamar municipality, Guaviare Department.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 73318 on Diplomatic Service: Political Impartiality, whether any members of his Department or the Diplomatic Service have been given permissioned to attend the Labour Party Conference 2025. \p Seema Malhotra: No such permissions have been issued within the reporting period.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_71

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2025 to Question 70574 on Diplomatic Service: Political Impartiality, whether the political restrictions on ambassadors extend to a prohibition on (a) speaking in public in favour of a political party and (b) fundraising for a political party. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to question 70574.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_72

Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) his Department and (b) the British Council has provided funding to Common Purpose since 4 July 2024. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not provided any direct funding to Common Purpose since 4 July 2024.

The British Council has provided £7,650 to Common Purpose since July 2024. This was to deliver three workshops under the Study UK GREAT Scholarships programme, which is part of the Government's Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GREAT) Campaign. The workshops were delivered as part of an event to support postgraduate scholars in their transition from academia to work.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_73
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_73

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) diplomatic and (b) consular support his Department has given to Craig and Lindsay Foreman in the last three months. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply concerned by Craig and Lindsay's detention in Iran. We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members. We continue to raise the case directly with the Iranian authorities.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_74
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_74

Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether reviews of export licenses for defence equipment for Israel excluding F-35 parts identified equipment used for military operations in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank between 1 July (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Data for export licences are published by the Department for Business and Trade. The latest data on Israel export licences was published on 28 August 2025 and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel/israel-export-control-licensing-data-31-july-2025.

All export licences are assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available at the time. All licences for exports to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are kept under careful ongoing review to ensure they are not being used for military operations in Gaza or the West Bank. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) draws on information from a large variety of stakeholders, including our diplomatic network, other government departments, reporting from NGOs, international organisations and the media.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_75
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_75

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the (a) political, (b) economic and (c) humanitarian situation in the West Bank. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The previous Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in the West Bank, including the economic situation, with Prime Minister Mustafa in April, and the current Foreign Secretary did likewise with President Abbas on 8 September.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_76
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_76

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on (a) the detention of political figures in Tunisia in recent years and (b) compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK monitors the situation in Tunisia closely. As noted in a statement by the UK at the Human Rights Council last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably and the way legitimate political actors have been arrested raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.

During my visit to Tunisia in July, I raised our concerns on the human rights and civil society environment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with representatives of Tunisian civil society to understand more about the situation. The Foreign Secretary also noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government in January. Our Ambassador in Tunisia regularly raises individual cases of concern in discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK actively explores a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_77
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_77

Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support compliance with International Humanitarian Law by the Israeli Government on the protection of journalists reporting on the conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK strongly condemns all violence directed against journalists and media workers. Civilian reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law. We are therefore appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In a recent joint statement with 28 other countries, we called on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can conduct their work freely and safely. The statement also called for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.

The UK has contributed £3 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Global Media Defence Fund, benefitting over 9,000 journalists, including time-sensitive emergency support to journalists and media experiencing sudden major crises in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. Earlier this year the UK provided funds to UNESCO's Special Fund for Gaza, supporting locally based journalists with vital equipment.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_78

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of children expected to be impacted by planned reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on nutrition programmes in 2025-26. \p Chris Elmore: Our 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations reflect the first step as we begin to pivot to a lower ODA budget. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) - which considers impacts on women and girls and wider equalities - was an essential part of how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) made these decisions. Final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations were published in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts on 22 July alongside the EIA. As confirmed by the EIA, the allocations process for 2025/26 has protected against disproportionate impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities.

The UK remains committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and we are placing women and girls at the heart of our international work.
wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_79

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has specified (a) targets and (b) benchmarks for gender equality spending from the ODA budget as a (i) principal and (ii) significant objective. \p Chris Elmore: As we transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Government is reviewing existing commitments. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be informed by impact assessments, ahead of publishing multi-year allocations.

Data on ODA spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid. Further information and annual reviews on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_80

Jim Shannon:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps her Department has taken to help prevent shipments of illicit oil to the UK. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC leads on the enforcement of trade sanctions at the border. The department implements controls to help prevent goods being exported or imported in breach of sanctions and respond to breaches when these do occur.

At UK ports and airports, HMRC in partnership with Border Force carries out targeted risk and intelligence-based checks to ensure traders are compliant with sanction measures and identify potential breaches. This includes checking certain goods being imported into the country or exported to non-sanctioned countries to ensure there’s no evidence that these goods will be diverted to a sanctioned country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-18 conversation_81

Victoria Collins:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent tax changes on employment levels in the hospitality sector. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recognises that the nature and rate of taxes on business is important to the hospitality sector, and the success and competitiveness of the UK. Given the difficult fiscal conditions we inherited, the Government asked all businesses to help contribute to fixing the foundations.

The UK hospitality sector is largely made up of small businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector and local businesses across the UK, and we frequently engage with the sector to understand their concerns.