theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans make an assessment of the use of (a) fibrous forms of talc, (b) tremolite and (c) actinolite in products used by the NHS. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: From a medicines perspective, additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder. However, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.

NHS Supply Chain procurement activities require suppliers to comply with United Kingdom regulatory requirements such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service or international equivalent accreditation for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 and ISO 13485, to ensure that products procured under NHS Supply Chain frameworks and used within the National Health Service in England are subject to rigorous safety assessments.
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many deaths have been recorded in inpatient mental health settings in each of the last five years. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The information requested is not held centrally. All deaths of children and young people under the care of Tier 4 inpatient children and young people’s mental health services are routinely reported to the Department via NHS England. Such deaths are also notified to the Care Quality Commission and the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health.

Since 2019, there have been a total of 23 deaths of young people aged under 18 years old in contact with Tier 4 services, including those on home leave, or who had absconded. We are unable to provide the information broken down by year, as the annual data held by NHS England includes a small patient count of fewer than five cases which could lead to the identification of individuals.

All providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission of the deaths of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. The following table shows the number of deaths of patients detained under the Mental Health Act notified to the Care Quality Commission in the last five years:

Year

Total

2020

474

2021

405

2022

410

2023

335

2024

343

2025

311

Total

2278

Source: the Care Quality Commission

Notes:

This data is counts of notifications to the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 17 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, Notification of death or unauthorised absence of a service user who is detained or liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 83750 on Health Services: Innovation, what mechanisms are in place to monitor and evaluate the successful adoption and diffusion of health innovations across the NHS; which bodies are responsible for measuring this impact at (a) national and (b) regional levels; and how these findings inform future commissioning and policy decisions. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: No organisations hold a statutory responsibility specifically to monitor or evaluate the rates of the successful adoption and spread of health innovation in the National Health Service. However, the NHS Business Services Authority, on behalf of the Office for Life Sciences, publishes the Innovation Scorecard every six months. This is of significant use to the NHS and has been published since January 2013.

The Innovation Scorecard reports on the use of medicines and medicine groupings in the NHS in England, which have been positively appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). It reveals what NICE-recommended treatments are available at a local level within trusts and integrated care boards, as well as at national and NHS England region levels. Data limitations mean it cannot be used for performance management, but it does allow the NHS to identify variation, which, through discussion, can be explained, challenged, or acted upon.

Several organisations organise additional detailed evaluations for specific groups of health innovations. For example, the Health Innovation Network (HIN) oversees numerous national programmes which monitor the uptake and spread of selected health innovations. This helps them, and NHS England, determine how best to improve the uptake of these innovations.

Regionally, HINs also undertake monitoring and evaluation for selected innovations that they support. Integrated care boards and providers may also choose to conduct their own evaluations, using local data to understand whether innovations deliver expected improvements in outcomes or efficiency.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of advocacy voice and weight given to representations made by family members of patients over 18 years old who are detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: While no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise the value of representations made by family members of adult patients who are detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. That is why the Mental Health Bill, which is in its final stages, will give patients the right to appoint a nominated person to represent their interests and greater access to advocacy when they are detained.

The reforms in the bill also recognise the critical role that families and carers can play in keeping patients safe, providing insight and knowledge of their loved one’s wishes and preferences and an understanding of what keeps them safe. The bill will strengthen the rights of families and carers through changes to the nominated person role, and will require clinicians to consult with others close to the patient as they make decisions around their care where appropriate or where the patient wishes.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the (a) adequacy of support services for families of patients detained or likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, and (b) benefits of developing a single point of contact service to remove the occasions where multiple calls to numerous agencies are required to secure the required support. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: While no specific assessment has been made of support services for families, we know that families play a vital role in supporting people with mental health needs through their treatment and recovery.

The Mental Health Bill includes measures that aim to ensure that people who care for the patient’s welfare, such as family or carers, are consulted by clinicians and kept informed throughout the patient’s care, treatment, and discharge.

Guidance on what information and support should be provided to families throughout the discharge process is set out in the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings statutory guidance and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice. Engagement with families, carers, and close friends should also be standard practice in community mental health services.

Integrated care boards and local authorities are also expected to work in partnership to support carers, in line with statutory guidance and local priorities. Many areas also have dedicated carers' support organisations that help connect families with resources and advocacy services, and signposting at the point of discharge from inpatient care.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring forward a strategy for dental health research. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Whilst there are currently no plans to develop a dental health research strategy, the NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dental research. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The Department, through the NIHR, funds clinical academic training for doctors and dentists through the Integrated Academic Training Programme. This includes Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) at the pre-doctoral level and Clinical Lectureships (CLs) at the post-doctoral level. Over the last five years, 91 ACFs and 24 CLs were recruited in dentistry.

The Department also funds the NIHR Oral Health Research Incubator, which is a researcher-led initiative aimed at building dental research capacity at the national level.

Ongoing research at Newcastle University is investigating the roles and skill utilisation of professionals in dental practice.

In addition, investments in NIHR infrastructure support the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research that is funded by the NIHR’s research programmes, other public funders of research, charities, and the life sciences industry. For example, through the NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre’s Oral and Dental Medicine research theme.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of recent divestments made by the life sciences industry on local economies across England, including St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We do not hold specific data on the impact of recent divestments on local economies, including in St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, specifically.

We know this has been a challenging time for the life sciences sector, with commercial uncertainty and global competition driving recent divestment decisions. To address this, the Government has agreed a landmark trade deal with the United States which makes the United Kingdom the only country in the world to secure a zero percent tariff on pharmaceutical exports to the US, and preferential terms for medical technology exports. The Government is further securing the confidence of the pharmaceutical industry by committing to invest approximately 25% more in innovative, safe, and effective treatments, which will be the first major increase in over two decades.

We will continue to work with industry to deliver our Life Sciences Sector Plan, improve the commercial environment, and bring the benefits of a growing life sciences sector to local economies across the country.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what specific actions the Department is taking, in response to the Chief Medical Officer’s report on the health of people in prison, published on 6 November 2025, to improve access to effective drug treatment and support services across the criminal justice pathway, including upon release from custody. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We welcome the Chief Medical Officer’s report on the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure National Health Service estate in England and we are carefully considering the findings and recommendations.

The Department is committed to working with partners to reduce health inequalities for prisoners and is a signatory of the National Partnership Agreement which supports commissioning and delivery of appropriate service in prisons. We recognise that there is more we need to do to address health issues for this cohort. In addition, NHS England is updating all 19 health and justice service specifications by March 2026, which should provide opportunities to improve healthcare in prisons.

With specific regard to improving access to effective drug treatment and support services across the criminal justice pathway, including upon release from custody, the Department works closely with national partners and with local authorities to improve continuity of care between prison and community drug and alcohol treatment systems. To support this the Department has published a continuity of care self-assessment toolkit and shares actionable data and good practice with drug and alcohol partnerships on a regular basis. The toolkit is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuity-of-care-from-prison-to-community-self-assessment-tool
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the proportion of chatbots deployed in the UK that use search-based functionality as part of their responses; and what assessment she has made of the whether AI chatbot users in the UK are adequately protected from harmful content. \p Kanishka Narayan: Generative AI services, including chatbots, that allow users to share content with one another or that search live websites to provide search results are regulated under the Online Safety Act and must protect users from illegal content and children from harmful and age-inappropriate content.

The Secretary of State confirmed in Parliament this week that the government is considering how AI chatbots interact with the Act and also urged Ofcom to use its existing powers to ensure that AI chatbots are safe for children.

Where evidence demonstrates that further action is necessary to protect children and the wider public, we will not hesitate to act.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to monitor and report on its progress towards phasing out animal testing; and whether industry stakeholders will be involved in assessing the effectiveness of the strategy once implemented. \p Kanishka Narayan: We will establish governance structures to oversee strategy delivery, including a cross-governmental Ministerial group on alternative methods, chaired by the Science Minister, key performance indicators (KPIs) and a publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables. From 2026 we will also report biennially on updated research and development priorities, alternative methods accepted by regulatory agency and priorities for future development and validation.

We will work closely with experts from across many fields including regulators, academics, industry and civil society organisations, to ensure that this strategy remains up to date, focused on the key issues and delivers on track.
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Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to phase out the use of animal-derived biomaterials and promote non-animal alternatives in medical research. \p Kanishka Narayan: This Government’s recent strategy commits to reducing the use of animals in research and promotes the use of any validated alternative method. This includes replacing the use of animal-derived products, including for example, animal-derived polyclonal antibodies which we aim to replace by 2030. Other animal-derived substances/biomaterials generated in procedures regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 may be considered as part of the alternative-methods research and development priorities that will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and published biennially from 2026.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to being forward legislation to (a) ban and (b) limit mobile phone and broadband above inflation contract increases. \p Kanishka Narayan: We have no current plans to legislate to ban or limit above inflation contract price increases for mobile and broadband. Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, introduced rules in January 2025 which required that any in-contract price rises must be set out prominently and transparently in pounds and pence so that consumers can make better informed choices. These rules banned in-contract price rises being linked to inflation.

On 25 November, the Chancellor and Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom to request an interim review of the new rules by spring 2026 and a full review in 2027.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what arrangements exist for sharing threat intelligence between central Government and local authorities. \p Ian Murray: The Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GC3) shares intelligence across government and the public sector, enabling organisations to better understand and defend against the cyber threat

GC3 and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) work closely together - alongside the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement - to share cyber threat intelligence with local authorities.

DSIT will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this winter which will set out clearer responsibilities and structures for sharing intelligence across Government.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has formalised reporting requirements for departments that experience repeated cyber incidents. \p Ian Murray: The Government Cyber Security Policy Handbook sets clear expectations for departments to follow in the event of a cyber incident, including the communication plans that departments need to have in place to notify relevant bodies and organisations.

The Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GC3) will shortly publish the Government Cyber Incident Response Plan (G-CIRP) which reiterates departmental responsibilities during cyber incidents, including reporting.

Furthermore, DSIT expects to publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which sets out clear structures and actions to improve our collective response to fast-moving incidents. It also articulates how the Government Cyber Coordination Centre will provide departments with more support in understanding, detecting and responding to threats.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms the Government uses to assess public sector compliance with national cyber security standards. \p Ian Murray: GovAssure is the cyber security assurance scheme for assessing the critical systems of government organisations. The scheme was launched in April 2023 and DSIT recently initiated the scheme’s third year of operations.

GovAssure requires government organisations to self-assess the cyber resilience of their critical systems using the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF). Outcomes are independently verified by accredited third-party reviewers and returned to the Government Cyber Unit, providing DSIT with a clear and objective understanding of cyber resilience levels across government, including the systemic issues preventing organisations from achieving target resilience levels.

DSIT expects to publish the Government Cyber Action Plan later this Winter. The plan sets out how we will adopt a radical shift in our approach to cyber and digital resilience risks across the public sector, with a focus on strengthening accountability. It sets out the underlying milestones and a performance framework for measuring Government’s progress towards these goals, providing DSIT with a further mechanism for assessing compliance.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has a framework for evaluating cyber-security workforce shortages within the public sector. \p Kanishka Narayan: DSIT has a number of different mechanisms for evaluating the public sector’s cyber workforce.

DSIT completes an annual Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market Survey, which identifies key challenges facing the public sector’s cyber security workforce, including skills gaps.

Additionally, DSIT expects to publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter which will set out our approach to tackling cyber skills across Government. To develop this approach, DSIT considered a range of data sources, such as the cross government Security Profession Workforce Commission, the People Survey, the recent National Audit Office report on Government Cyber Resilience, and Civil Service Jobs databases to understand where we are facing cyber workforce shortages, why these shortages exist, and how best to tackle them.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what procedures are in place for cross-border data exchange within UK-EU institutional partnerships. \p Ian Murray: UK and EU organisations that transfer personal data in the context of institutional partnerships can rely on respective applicable arrangements that facilitate the free flow of such data. These are known as adequacy decisions

Following EU exit, the UK legislated to deem the EU institutions adequate while in 2021 the EU also adopted its own adequacy decisions for the UK. Some exchanges of personal data are also governed by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement or arrangements for specific areas of cooperation.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many organisations and companies (a) reported cyber incidents in the last 12 months and (b) had adopted the Cyber Essentials scheme beforehand. \p Kanishka Narayan: While we do know which organisations are certified to the Cyber Essentials scheme, we do not hold data on whether they reported a cyber incident in the past 12 months.

We are confident that the controls are effective with insurance data indicating that organisations with Cyber Essentials are 92% less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance than those without it.

That is why we have written to businesses and organisations encouraging them to use the Cyber Essentials scheme. We have been pleased with the positive feedback on this. The number of live certifications as of October 2025 was 54,678, representing an increase of 8,335 certificates on the previous 12 months (an 18% increase).
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal published on 18 September 2025, what assessment has the Government made of the role that Northern Ireland companies and universities can play in delivering the eight component parts of its Accelerating AI Innovation Strategy, and what steps has it taken to secure full Ireland engagement in this aspect of the Technology Prosperity Deal. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Technology Prosperity Deal supports businesses, universities and research organisations across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland, to unlock growth for our most strategically important tech companies and harness R&D to tackle some of the most pressing problems we face. The Deal was informed by experts from across the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland’s universities and companies are recognised as key partners in delivering the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. Recent government investment of £2 billion from the AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to target and benefit all regions of the UK and highlights Northern Ireland’s growing strengths in artificial intelligence and next-generation networks. We are also working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on the delivery of our flagship TechFirst programme.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to several NI tech firms and universities in Belfast, to make sure the business ecosystem is meeting the needs of NI AI and tech companies to international markets, including the United States. We continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on matters relating to growth to ensure we are working collaboratively to achieve the best results for the people of Northern Ireland.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment the Government has made of the feasibility of replacing animal testing in the UK with Non-Animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs); and if this will be reflected in the upcoming strategy to phase out animal testing. \p Kanishka Narayan: I refer the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield to the answer of 01.12.2025 to Question 92600.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merit of redirecting existing funding and resources to support the transition to Non-Animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to support the phasing out of animal testing. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government’s publication “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods” is supported by new funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology including £30 million to set up a translational hub and £30 million for the UK centre for the validation of alternative methods.   £11.4m has also been committed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK’s core budgets and £4.5m from the Wellcome Trust to support strategy implementation to build a world-class UK research system by enhancing investment.
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh since the signing of the Joint Declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington DC in August 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 September to Question 69852.

I met both the Armenian and Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers for constructive discussions in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial on 5 December 2025.
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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to coordinate with a) the co-signatories of the Joint Statement Condemning Atrocities and Violations of International Humanitarian law in Sudan, published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 10 November 2025, and b) other states on atrocity prevention in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has she made in fulfilling the UK contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in 2025-26. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November to Questions 91556 and 91557, which sets out the UK's contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF). In 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has so far disbursed £1 million to the CNF.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN Human Rights Council’s recent urgent call for an inquiry into violations in El Fasher, Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on our efforts to ensure that there is proper accountability for all atrocities committed in this conflict.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for the total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees (ii) other subscriptions by her Department in the last financial year. \p Chris Elmore: The requested information is not centrally collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. All spending is subject to standard value for money assessments.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on protecting women and girls in El Fasher, Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on our efforts to protect women and girls throughout Sudan.
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Jessica Morden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support recent progress by Haiti’s transitional presidential council to hold elections. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is supporting international efforts to stabilise security in Haiti, and advance Haitian-led solutions. We welcome the Haitian Government's efforts to agree an electoral timetable, while acknowledging that continued gang violence remains a major obstacle. We are backing the UN-supported international Gang Suppression Force, which aims to tackle that violence, and enable progress towards free and fair elections. I spoke with the Haitian Foreign Minister in October and met with the Coordinator of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council in November to reaffirm UK support.
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Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent conversations he has had with the Indian Government on the release of Jagtar Singh Johal from detention. \p Seema Malhotra: We remain committed to pushing the Government of India for faster progress in resolving Jagtar Singh Johal's case. The UK Government has raised Mr Johal's case on multiple occasions with the Government of India, including regarding Mr Johal's allegations of torture. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with her Indian counterpart on 11 November, and the Prime Minister raised Mr Johal's case with Prime Minister Modi on 9 October. Consular staff regularly visit Mr Johal to check on his welfare, most recently on 21 November.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan regarding the imprisonment of former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: While judicial matters are for Pakistan's courts, the UK has consistently emphasised to its counterparts in Pakistan the need for due process, fair trials, and humane treatment for all, including Mr Imran Khan. I covered these matters during a wide-ranging discussion with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister when we met in August 2025.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, entitled Database of all business enterprises involved in the activities detailed in paragraph 96 of the report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, published on 26 September 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Our clear position is that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. We are aware of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) database but do not comment on individual businesses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to review UK National Archive material relating to Britain’s administration of the Mandate in Palestine between 1917 and 1948. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Available materials from the era in question can be accessed by any member of the public who wishes to do so via the National Archives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_267

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many visas a) the British Council, b) the Great British China Centre and c) the Westminster Foundation for Democracy have sponsored since 4 July 2024. \p Chris Elmore: The requested information is not held centrally by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_268

Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the recent detention of Baha’i, Aminollah Koushkbaghi; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure his release. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 67802 on 6 August 2025, and add that we are aware of the reported case concerning Aminollah Koushkbaghi, and are monitoring the situation for Baha'is more widely.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_269

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies UK’s trust ratings in France, Germany and Italy as reported in the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 study; and what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help improve the UK's reputation within Europe. \p Chris Elmore: We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_270

Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of cars used by ambassadors and embassy officials at UK embassies are manufactured by British manufacturers; and if she will provide a breakdown by manufacturer for each embassy. \p Seema Malhotra: The specific information requested is not centrally held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and could only be collated for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, it is the long-standing policy of the FCDO to buy British-made cars for use both in the UK and overseas, where they are readily available, represent value for money, and meet the necessary security requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_271

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what value and tonnage of UK government aid to Gaza is assessed as (a) delivered, (b) awaiting delivery and (c) not delivered for each month from October 2023 to date. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to Question 84625.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_272

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what methodology the Department uses to assess the financial sustainability of long-term UK-funded capacity-building projects. \p Stephen Doughty: The Department assesses the financial sustainability of long-term UK-funded capacity-building projects through its business case process, annual reviews and Project Completion Reviews. During delivery, sustainability is monitored through quarterly progress reports and annual reviews, which include checks on financial performance, risk management and alignment with agreed objectives. Programme Responsible Owners (PROs) apply the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) to ensure ongoing viability, using tools such as risk registers, results frameworks and value-for-money assessments throughout the project lifecycle.

UK support to aided Overseas Territories contributes to economic diversification and local capacity-building in line with our commitment to the prosperity of the whole UK family. Various metrics such as visitor numbers and overall GDP growth are used to track outcomes, as appropriate for each territory and in line with programme operating framework requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_273

Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she plans to take to help deter extremist settler violence in the West Bank; and whether she has considered (a) targeted sanctions against individuals and organisations implicated in attacks and (b) the use of travel bans and asset freezes against leading figures within the settler movement. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: On the Palestinian economy, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to Question 81795, and on the issue of illegal settlements, I refer him to the answer given on 3 July to Question 62975.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_274

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking to press for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question HL10542, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_275

Jessica Morden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the threat of Russian-backed disinformation campaigns to (a) peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, (b) Armenian democracy and (c) relations between Armenia and the United Kingdom. \p Stephen Doughty: Together with our international partners, we remain committed to supporting lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to safeguarding Armenia's electoral integrity and democratic resilience, including against any attempted acts of information manipulation and interference by Russia. Working closely with our international partners, we are always ready to defend the information environment and will always act to disrupt any malign activity targeting democratic elections. I held constructive discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the OSCE Ministerial on 4 December.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_276

Jessica Morden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of allegations of the use of bromobenzyl cyanide by Georgian authorities against demonstrators. \p Stephen Doughty: I was deeply concerned by the BBC report alleging that Georgian police used toxic chemicals against protesters in Tbilisi in late 2024, and we expect Georgia to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention to ensure that any alleged breaches of the Convention's prohibitions on uses of toxic chemicals are properly investigated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_277

Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Russian interference in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Hercegovina. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK opposes any attempts by Russia or other states to interfere in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The UK works with BiH authorities and international partners to counter destabilising Russian interference, including to address disinformation campaigns, dependence on Russian energy, and vulnerability to political and economic coercion. We are working to bolster independent media in BiH. This financial year we are investing £400,000 to improve BiH's cyber defences. The UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans reaffirmed our support for BiH's sovereignty during a meeting with BiH Presidency Chair Željko Komšić in London on 4 December.

I met Foreign Minister Konakovic on 5 December in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial meeting to discuss our continued support for peace and stability in BiH and the wider region.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_278

Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the hon. Member for Angus and Perthshire Glens on the work of her Department's Murder and Manslaughter Team. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I will always be happy to arrange meetings with the Hon. Member to discuss issues of concern, either with myself or with relevant officials. I am also hosting a drop-in session in Parliament on 10 December with my counterpart from the Ministry of Justice for Members who want to raise relevant cases overseas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-08 conversation_279

Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her Israeli counterpart on demolition orders in Umm Al Khair in the South Hebron Hills. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We remain deeply concerned by the levels of settler violence and settlement growth in the West Bank, and we continue to urge Israel to halt evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in the South Hebron Hills and elsewhere.