theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help reduce delays in Building Safety Regulator processes that relate to the construction of (a) social and (b) affordable homes. \p Alex Norris: MHCLG and Building Safety Regulator (BSR) have taken significant steps towards reducing delays relating to the Gateways construction processes. We have put in place a range of mitigations including additional funding aimed at boosting BSR capacity for additional building control caseworkers, who are being trained and have started to make an impact on reducing processing times. This has already resulted in some green shoots of improvement including BSR reporting a reduction in processing times of newly submitted applications. BSR are now informing new applicants to plan on 16 weeks to clear Gateway 2.

Older and more complex applications which were transferred from private building control companies that ceased to trade present a particular challenge to the processing time of new applications, but please be assured that the BSR are focused on clearing this backlog as quickly as possible.

It is important to recognise that BSR is a newly established operational regulator which is critical to upholding the standard of building regulations to industry. We are working closely with BSR to support their plan for improved delivery and guidance to the sector whilst maintaining the building safety standards. If applications for buildings do not meet this standard and pose a risk to life BSR will not approve them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason BRE group will continue to certify (a) cladding, (b) insulation and (c) other products. \p Alex Norris: The BRE is a conformity assessment body accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS). Following the criticisms of BRE in the Grenfell Inquiry, UKAS has conducted additional assessments of the BRE, and we are working closely with UKAS to understand how BRE intends to address the identified failings.

Government has published a construction product reform green paper which includes proposals on the capacity, competence and oversight of conformity assessment bodies. We are addressing these criticisms through the government response to recommendations as set out in the green paper published on 26 February 2025, as part of measures for system wide reform. Our proposals include new requirements and obligations on conformity assessment bodies, including that they must obtain a licence from the national regulator, and be subject to a statutory code. This will improve confidence in the rigour and competency of conformity assessment bodies. Following this consultation, we will set out the government’s initial response and our next steps for long term reform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) air miles and (b) flights she has completed since 5 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: Data on minister’s overseas travel and on senior civil servant’s business expenses is published on a quarterly basis. The latest available quarterly publications can be found here: MHCLG: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, July to September 2024 - GOV.UK MHCLG: senior officials’ hospitality, July to September 2024 - GOV.UK.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22929 on Treasury: Employers' Contributions, whether she has received any requests for pricing reviews, in the context of changes to employers' National Insurance contributions. \p Jim McMahon: The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost as it would require collating information from individual contract managers from across the department.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local (a) planning teams and (b) councillors are aware of (i) housing and (ii) growth plans. \p Matthew Pennycook: MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with local planning authorities to ensure the government’s priorities are understood.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding to local authorities to support attracting and retaining senior planners. \p Matthew Pennycook: Attracting and retaining senior planners in local planning authority (LPA) planning departments is vital not only to maintaining a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities, but also to ensuring that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 25 February, the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were agreed. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30144 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Inspectorate, if she will (a) list the representations that were received after the deadline, but which have been accepted by the Inspector and (b) state how many representations were submitted late but not accepted. \p Matthew Pennycook: The representations which were received after the deadline that were accepted by the Inspector can be viewed in the inquiry library here.

The number of representations submitted after the deadline and not accepted by the Inspector stands at 33 as of 12 March 2025.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of moving into unfurnished homes on (a) prison leavers, (b) people escaping domestic violence and (c) people in poverty. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 32408 on 11 March 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to para 129 of the UK Government Response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, CP1248, published in February 2025, whether the extension of the Freedom of Information Act to Tenant Management Organisations (a) is limited to matters relating to social housing and (b) covers all information held by the organisation; and what her planned timetable is for secondary legislation on the issue. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to increasing transparency in the social rented sector, including by enabling residents of Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs) to request access to information about the management of their homes in the same way as other social tenants.

We will work closely with TMOs, local authorities and residents of homes managed by TMOs to consider how best to implement the requirements. Our priority will be to ensure tenants can access as much information as possible on their housing services. We will set out next steps in due course.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the number of people on social housing registers. \p Matthew Pennycook: Local authorities report on the number of households on social housing registers in England through the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) collection, which is publicly available in live table 600 here.

The government is working in partnership with local authorities to tackle the housing crisis and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 22777 on HM Land Registry: Buildings, and with reference to the Public and Commercial Services Union press release entitled Land Registry Action Short of a Strike begins, dated 22 January 2025, what the status is of the industrial action at HM Land Registry as of March 2025; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that industrial action on office attendance requirements at HM Land Registry; and what steps she is taking to help resolve that dispute. \p Matthew Pennycook: The action short of a strike (as per the Public and Commercial Services Union press release of 22 January 2025) is continuing as are talks with PCS to conclude the dispute.

The industrial action in question does not alter the expectation that HM Land Registry staff comply with the government’s 60% office attendance requirement.

HM Land Registry has been monitoring office attendance of staff during the action short of a strike, and there has been no discernible impact.

MHCLG is in regular contact with HM Land Registry management and supports their attempts to resolve the dispute.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support (a) councils and (b) local authorities to improve high streets. \p Alex Norris: The commercial vacancy rate is 13.3% in England and 16.2% in the West Midlands. This government is committed to tackling high street vacancy and supporting small businesses. On 4 March, we launched the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a £1.5 billion investment to help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation in 75 places across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. We also introduced High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), a power to auction the lease of persistently vacant commercial properties. This is backed by a fund of over £1 million to help local authorities implement these measures. Our Small Business Strategy, to be published in due course, will set out how we intend to further support small businesses on the high street and beyond.
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Julia Buckley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with private parking firms on issuing penalty charge notices where a person has paid for parking but has made a mistake in keying in the car registration number. \p Alex Norris: The government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

I am arranging to meet with industry representatives soon. My officials meet regularly with the two private parking trade associations and consumer groups.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response, published on 26 February 2025, whether she plans to implement recommendations accepted in principle in full. \p Alex Norris: The government has accepted all the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report, and we will take forward all of the recommendations. We are committed to fixing all of the problems highlighted by the recommendations, including those we have accepted in principle. We will make sure that we achieve the best outcomes for the public where the implementation of a recommendation requires further consideration, such as through public consultation.

Where the delivery of recommendations or wider commitments we have made in the response document require legislation, we will deliver these measures as soon as parliamentary time allows.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish a timeframe for updating the Decent Homes Standard. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with councils increasing council tax on the potential impact of those increases on residents. \p Jim McMahon: Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of council tax. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed referendum principles.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to the cost of (a) Lawful Development Certificate and (b) householder planning consent application in relation to making changes to the windows of an existing dwelling. \p Matthew Pennycook: The fee for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a dwellinghouse will increase to £528 from 1 April 2025. The fee for lawful development certificates will vary depending on the type of development involved.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.2.5 of the Devolution White Paper, published in December 2025, CP 1218, whether the Integrated Settlement for London will entail devolution of funding to (a) London Boroughs, (b) the pan-London organisation of London Councils and (c) the Greater London Authority; and whether she plans to transfer power from London Boroughs to the Greater London Authority. \p Jim McMahon: At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government committed to exploring how the Integrated Settlement policy could be applied for the Greater London Authority from the 2026-27 financial year onwards, taking into account the capital’s unique devolution arrangements. This work is currently taking place and the Government plans to announce further details following the conclusion of Phase 2 of the Spending Review 2025.

In the English Devolution White Paper, the Government committed to working with the Greater London Authority to ensure the capital city benefits from new powers and funding being made available to other Strategic Authorities, while retaining pre-existing bespoke London arrangements. This work is currently taking in place in preparation for the English Devolution Bill.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that critical cavity nesting bird habitats are mandated in new housing developments. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 30226 on Children’s Play: Business Rates, whether children’s soft play centres are entitled to retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief; and what Special Category Code the Valuation Office Agency uses to categorise such hereditaments. \p Jim McMahon: The administration of business rates, including billing, enforcement and decisions on the award of relief, including for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme is the responsibility of local councils. They do so having regard to the guidance published by the government.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for valuation matters. Soft play centres occupy a range of different types of building from retail premises to warehouse units and leisure centres. There is no specific VOA special category code that covers all soft play centres, they are attributed a special category code dependant on the type of premises in which they are located.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many days each of her departmental Ministers has spent working at the Darlington Campus since 5 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: The Deputy Prime Minister and ministerial team work from a number of locations and offices across the country. The Deputy Prime Minister does not regularly work from the Wolverhampton office or Darlington Campus.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 on types of tenure used in new build development. \p Matthew Pennycook: As set out in the Commonhold White Paper published on 3 March 2025, the government are continuing to develop proposals and consulting with experts on the best way to achieve our aim of a more accessible route to conversion. It is our intention to set out further detail on the approved proposals for conversions in the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Bill later this year, alongside the reforms for commonhold and new supply.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of service charges for (a) unadopted roads and (b) community spaces in (i) new build housing and (ii) private estate developments. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department does not hold data on the level of estate management charges for specific services.

Data was, however, provided by the Competition and Markets Authority as part of their recent housebuilding market study which can be found on gov.uk here.

The government is determined to end the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. This consultation will help gather further data on this matter.

The government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. This year we will consult on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75m homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help protect Ahmadiyya Muslims from hate crimes. \p Alex Norris: All forms of hatred and intolerance are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Ahmadiyya Muslims. We are committed to protecting the rights of individuals to freely practice their religion and we will not tolerate Islamophobia in any form.

The Government has established a working group to provide a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, members will engage widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom.

This announcement builds on existing work with police and community partners to ensure effective monitoring of Islamophobia. The Government has worked with the police to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. We have also made up to £1 million of funding available this year to monitor Islamophobia and provide support to victims.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making telecommunications companies statutory consultees in the planning process for new housing developments. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the submission by Historic England on potential impact of the Royal Mint Court Development on the Tower of London. \p Matthew Pennycook: An appointed Inspector held a public inquiry into the proposals in question, considering a range of evidence.

As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG to determine, it would not be appropriate to comment
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help Ukrainian refugees on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme secure private rented accommodation. \p Rushanara Ali: The Government provides guidance for Ukrainian guests on renting private accommodation at Renting private accommodation: Homes for Ukraine - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. They have the flexibility to use the funding to support households as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation. Councils are also using the funding to support measures such as 12 month rent guarantees, or paying rent in advance.

Ukrainians who hold a Homes for Ukraine visa permission may be entitled to Universal Credit, which could help with the cost of rent. Homes for Ukraine visa holders could be entitled to a 50% Council Tax discount if they live alone or if all adults in the property have a Homes for Ukraine visa.

We know that English language is a key factor to integration and economic independence, a critical enabler of access to the private rented sector, whilst in the UK. The Government has provided £11.5 million of funding for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. This will support their integration whilst in the UK, and economic independence - a critical enabler of access to the private rented sector (PRS). Ukrainians can also access the Adult Education Offer through councils which provide ESOL classes.

We engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled New Towns Taskforce: Terms of Reference, published on 18 September 2024, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of New Towns Taskforce’s performance in engaging with (a) central government, (b) local government and (c) external stakeholders under paragraph 6(b) of those terms of reference. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the pre-application process for nationally significant infrastructure projects. \p Matthew Pennycook: Duties set out Chapter 2 to Part 5 of the Planning Act 2008 require applicants for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to publicise their proposals and consult specific persons and bodies as part of the pre-application process before their application is submitted. Paragraph 006 of the pre-application guidance sets out the statutory requirements applicants need to comply with, which includes publishing their Statement of Community Consultation. The relevant guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-pre-application-stage-for-nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to prevent freeholders holding leaseholders liable for outstanding service charges incurred by the previous leaseholder. \p Matthew Pennycook: The seller of a leasehold property is legally responsible for service charges owed up until the completion of the sale to the next leaseholder. A freeholder cannot require a leaseholder to pay charges owed by the previous leaseholder if the new leaseholder has not agreed this as part of the sale contract. The government would expect the incoming leaseholder’s solicitors to act in their client’s best interests in advising them and negotiating the terms of the sale contract.

If a landlord tries to claim that a leaseholder is liable for charges for which they are not liable, we recommend that the leaseholder seeks independent legal advice on how to proceed. Free initial advice is available from the government’s Leasehold Advisory Service. The landlord may be able to take action against the previous leaseholder regarding their failure to pay service charges due for the previous leaseholder’s period of ownership.   The government believes that all liabilities and ongoing financial responsibilities should be made clear to potential purchasers of leasehold properties, prior to purchase.

The landlord should provide relevant information, including on any ongoing or planned service charges, and specify how regularly these charges will be reassessed or increased, during purchase of the property. This is most often set out in a Leasehold Property Enquiry form 1 (LPE1) enquiry form. Prospective buyers and their legal representative are advised to check this information carefully and take it into account when negotiating the purchase price of the property.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of (a) mould and (b) damp in the housing stock of housing associations. \p Matthew Pennycook: The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and the prevalence of damp and mould in people’s homes. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were found to be living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, and 4% of those in housing associations.

The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould.

The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will be bringing Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in October 2025.

Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social housing tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.

The government is also committed to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards this year.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to regulate increases in service charges; and what steps she is taking to bring into force the legislative provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to service charges. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26965 on 4 February 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) reduce the level and (b) increase the transparency of service charges on (i) private estates and (ii) new build developments. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided funding to children's therapists to support families residing in women's refuges. \p Rushanara Ali: This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse, including children.

Since 2021, local authorities in England have had a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims and their children have access to support in safe accommodation, including women’s refuges. In delivering this duty, local authorities should provide support to children, in line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which makes it clear that affected children and young people are victims of domestic abuse in their own right.

For 2025/26, £160 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver this duty, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This funding is for crucial support within safe accommodation, including therapeutic support for children. To deliver this duty in 2025/26, Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £2,615,252 and St Albans District Council has been allocated £37,869 for relevant administrative costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Leader of Essex County Council and (b) the Leader of Thurrock council on the potential of Thurrock becoming a London Borough. \p Jim McMahon: The Deputy Prime Minister has not had any meetings with either the Leader of Essex County Council or the Leader of Thurrock Council on the potential of Thurrock becoming a London Borough.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 32981 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether provisions for the continuation of the current marine protected area are included in the proposed treaty with Mauritius; and if the proposed treaty includes restrictions on fisheries activities. \p Stephen Doughty: The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius on conservation. This partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. The Treaty reflects both Parties' shared commitment to uphold international environmental law, ensuring high conservation standards across the Archipelago in line with global frameworks, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to develop internal guidance for including child and youth consultation for policymaking across his Department. \p Stephen Doughty: As a ratifier of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights at home and overseas, with the meaningful engagement of children and young people a core part of this commitment.

For example, youth sit on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) External Gender Challenge Board and the Girls' Education Department regularly consults with the Youth Council on Global Education, including in preparation for the first Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children.

Moreover, children and young people are at the heart of the Foreign Secretary's new global campaign on children's care reform. Engagement sessions with care-experienced children and young people have directly contributed to the development of a Global Charter which will be launched later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his European counterparts to help tackle anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe. \p Stephen Doughty: There is no space for religious intolerance in pluralistic, modern societies. We are championing the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The Special Envoy for FoRB met with European and US counterparts in the margins of the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March. We actively participate in the Article 18 Alliance - bringing together 38 Member States, 26 of whom are European, to discuss actions our nations can take so that together we can promote respect for FoRB worldwide. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials attended the Article 18 Alliance and International Contact Group meetings in Geneva in March. We will continue to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of artificial intelligence to target minority religious communities on freedom of religion or belief globally. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and risks for the enjoyment of human rights, including FoRB. It is important that we champion the positive potential of technology, whilst taking action to mitigate risks. We do this by working with international partners and through multilateral fora including the UN and on FoRB specifically, through our engagement in the Article 18 Alliance, which has a dedicated workstream on AI and FoRB.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) Russian advocacy of and (b) US support for holding elections in Ukraine as part of any agreement to cease fighting on the risk of (i) installing a pro-Russian government in Kiev and (ii) facilitating Russian control of the entirety of the country. \p Stephen Doughty: It is for Ukraine to decide when and how to hold elections. On 19 February, the Prime Minister spoke to President Zelenskyy and reiterated his ongoing support and recognition of him as Ukraine's democratically elected leader. Ukraine's laws are clear that it cannot hold elections during martial law. Martial law continues to be in place due to Russia's ongoing war of aggression. Ukraine has a strong record of free and fair elections, and we are supporting Ukraine to hold them when it is appropriate to do so. We have been clear about the threat of Russian interference in the region and have been a long-standing partner in countering the threat from Russian disinformation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the international community on the recognition of transnational repression as a distinct human rights threat. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Attempts by foreign States to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals overseas, or undermine democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. We regularly assess potential threats to the UK and use a range of measures, including operational, policy, and legal tools, to counter them, in co-ordination with international partners.

The UK is working closely with international partners to tackle transnational repression. We also work closely with Canada as part of their G7 Presidency in 2025 to better align international efforts to counter this activity and publicly call out all forms of transnational repression.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's response to transnational repression, to develop our understanding of the issue and ensure a strong, system-wide, response. This review will inform our approach to internationalising this issue.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Defence of the potential merits of appointing a cross-departmental co-ordination unit to oversee efforts to (a) liaise with other countries on initiatives to support Ukraine and (b) maximise (i) efficiency and (ii) productivity in supplying (A) weapons and (B) ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces. \p Stephen Doughty: In September 2024, the Government announced a new joint Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence Ukraine Unit, led by the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary. This Unit integrates expertise across the two departments and helps ensure a joined-up approach to international engagement, in support of the Government's efforts to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. The two departments are working seamlessly together to maximise the impact of UK defence support, ensure that Ukraine gets the military equipment it needs to resist Russian aggression; to deny the Kremlin the resources it needs to sustain its illegal war; and to build a coalition of countries willing and able to help ensure Ukraine's future security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister for Development's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, column 873, which international courts and tribunals could issue a legally binding judgment on UK sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory. \p Stephen Doughty: There are numerous avenues through which Mauritius could pursue a legally binding judgment, including relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or under dispute provisions of treaties to which both states are parties. Such cases could be brought rapidly and include seeking provisional measures, themselves legally binding, which could be introduced within weeks. This would have had serious implications for base operations. The status quo was not sustainable and ignoring these issues was not a responsible approach for a government serious about protecting the UK's national security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35007 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius, what access the UK would have to any economic exclusion zone implemented by Mauritius around the British Indian Ocean Territory. \p Stephen Doughty: Under the Treaty, the UK will retain full control over Diego Garcia, including unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US. Further details will be set out when the Treaty is published after signature.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27263 on Development Aid: Asylum Hotels, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the use of asylum hotels in advance of the first meeting of the re-established ministerial ODA board. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with his Cabinet colleagues.

The Official Development Assistance Board's first meeting in February 2025 focused on in-donor refugee costs. The co-chairs were joined by the Minister for Border Security and Asylum.