theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26149 on General Practitioners, if he will list the 200 GP surgeries being funded. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Primary Care Utilisation & Modernisation Fund was announced during the 2024 Spending Review and provides new capital funding of £102 million to support improvements in the primary care estate. We currently do not have a list of practices that will receive this funding; however, we anticipate the scheme will support approximately 200 practices.

Funding is being indicatively allocated to integrated care boards (ICBs) on a weighted population basis as part of the national allocations planning process.

The Department and NHS England are working with ICBs to prioritise high-impact projects where investment can unlock significant productivity gains and additional usable space from existing buildings. Until this process is complete, we do not have a list of the approximately 200 practices which will be receiving this funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support hospices in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are working at great pace to get this year’s funding to hospices as soon as possible. We are currently finalising the delivery mechanisms, and are pleased that Hospice UK is standing ready to distribute the money to hospices throughout England, including to hospices in Hexham, Northumberland, Newcastle, and the North East.

We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices. NHS England is currently making decisions on the allocation and administration mechanisms for the £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices in 2025/26, and hopes to communicate plans to the sector later this month.

I met with key palliative and end of life care, including hospice, stakeholders on 3 February to discuss the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to develop a pharmacy-specific workforce strategy. \p Stephen Kinnock: Community pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.

Community pharmacies already play a key role in delivering a wide range of vaccine services. Currently, NHS England commission the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and the COVID-19 Vaccination National Enhanced Service on a national level. The Department will keep the scope of vaccinations available in community pharmacies under review.

The Government recently resumed its consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for community pharmacy across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Additionally, the Government has also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities. The 10-Year Health Plan will also align with our priority for implementing the Women’s Health Strategy as we reform the NHS, ensuring that all women can access the care that they need.

The Department also remains committed to supporting people with long-term conditions and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We invest in health research for long term conditions through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long-term conditions. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and improve outcomes. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies which ICBs are expected to apply.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the United States, (b) France and (c) the European Commission on financial commitments to Gavi’s next strategic period; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making a comparable commitment. \p Anneliese Dodds: The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi contributing £1.65 billion to Gavi's current "5.1" strategic period covering 2021-2025. As part of the Spending Review (SR) the UK is looking at all global health investments in the round. Announcements will follow the completion of the SR. The UK is a strong supporter of Gavi and wants to see a successful replenishment. The UK is in regular contact with Gavi and Gavi donors to support the upcoming replenishment. The Foreign Secretary and I met with the Gavi CEO in February.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on potential restrictions on (a) Hallow and (b) other religious apps. \p Anneliese Dodds: 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. We continue to champion the right to FoRB, whilst promoting tolerance and mutual respect, through our engagement in multilateral fora, including through our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance.

The development and use of religious apps 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 regional organisations.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Development of 23 January 2025 on International Day of Education, Official Report, column 434WH, what (a) consideration and (b) priority has been given to UK global education funding in the development review. \p Anneliese Dodds: The international development review considers how to maximise the impact of the FCDO's integrated development and diplomacy model and how we can improve development capability and assurance within the department. The review scope did not include specific sectoral funding.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which initiatives have been supported by the £216 million funding to Ethiopia through the Official Development Assistance Programme in 2024-25. \p Anneliese Dodds: UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Ethiopia for 2024/25 was £216 million. Most of this allocation has been used to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid, focused on emergency health, nutrition, and social protection. This includes our Productive Safety Net Programme, supporting those in food-insecure households. We are also investing in education and health services, including a programme to prevent maternal, new-born and child deaths, as well as a programme that provides water and sanitation in drought affected areas. We have allocated UK ODA to promote peacebuilding including a sustainable peace process in Tigray, through disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of combatants. We are also investing UK ODA towards economic reform, job creation and revenue raising through more effective taxation.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Soft Power Council on the role of science and research in supporting the UK's diplomatic efforts; and whether the contribution of the science and research sector will be included in the upcoming soft power strategy. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The membership of the Soft Power Council includes several individuals with expertise spanning science, technology, education and research, in recognition of the importance of these themes to the UK's diplomatic work. As the strategy is developed over the coming months, science and research are among a broader set of sectors that are central to our planning.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what purposes the British Council has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The British Council has incorporated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its work to optimise productivity and efficiency. Examples include supply chain management and predictive analytics, automation of recruitment activities, analysis of grant applications, and the use of tools such as Copilot, Perplexity AI and ChatGPT in workplace activities.

The British Council released a commercial AI capability last year where AI is used to assess and adapt to English language learners' proficiency in real time. This capability will be incorporated into new learning and assessment initiatives.

The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Solicitor General, how many unclaimed estates are in Bromsgrove constituency. \p Lucy Rigby: The Bona Vacantia Division (“the Division”) of the Government Legal Department acts on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor (the Crown’s Nominee) to administer bona vacantia estates.

The Division currently has two unclaimed bona vacantia estates in the Bromsgrove constituency, neither of which involve the deceased owning property.

Current Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates are listed on the Division’s Unclaimed Estates List, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-listhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, for what purposes the Government Legal Department has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Lucy Rigby: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Government Legal Department is making limited use of generative AI (“Gen AI”) powered by large language models. Since December 2024, GLD has been running a trial of Microsoft’s M365 Copilot, which now has 100 participants and will shortly increase to 150. GLD’s AI Programme is considering where AI may be used and provide tangible benefits within specific work areas and processes, including proposed testing of online legal research tools with Gen AI-based capabilities.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Solicitor General, how many (a) meetings and (b) discussions (i) the Attorney General and (ii) his officials have had with the representatives of the Government of Mauritius since July 2024. \p Lucy Rigby: Since July 2024, the Attorney General and his officials have had one meeting with a representative of the Government of Mauritius.

This was a courtesy meeting with Mr Gavin Glover, the visiting Attorney General of Mauritius, in January 2025.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of leisure facilities available for disabled people in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone.

In June, we committed another £400 million to transform sports facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will ensure that this funding promotes health, wellbeing and community cohesion and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, including disabled people. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the requirement for local authorities to publish statutory public notices in local newspapers on (a) local transparency and (b) democratic accountability in Surrey. \p Ian Murray: The Government is concerned about the sustainability of local journalism and DCMS is developing a Local Media Strategy in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We also recognise that local press continues to play a vital role in informing local communities, and that public notices can be important in helping inform the public of decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property.

However, we are also aware of concerns from some sectors about the audience reach of these notices and the desire for greater digitalisation. In this context, the sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, taking advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We also welcome the Portal's current expansion to include archive and consultation functions to help public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively.

DCMS is monitoring the progress of the Portal, and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices. This type of industry innovation and collaboration is integral to securing the sector’s future. It will be taken into account in our planned review of public notices as part of the Local Media Strategy, which will more broadly consider the merits of making changes to existing requirements to place public notices in print local newspapers, including the impact this has on local transparency and democratic accountability across the country, including in Surrey. More will be announced on the Strategy and the review in the coming months.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of radio signal back up power systems in ensuring radio signals continue working during power cuts. \p Ian Murray: The Government understands the importance of access to information when other communications may be disrupted. Radio plays an essential role in providing such access. In order to fulfil DCMS responsibilities as Lead Government Department for Broadcast Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios including power outages.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with social media platforms on reducing the advertisement and sale of counterfeit toys online. \p Ian Murray: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator for advertising in the UK and enforces the Advertising Codes. These codes include specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications, which would apply to adverts for toys. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading. The ASA works with online platforms via its Intermediary and Platform Principles to promote greater adherence to the non-broadcast advertising codes, resulting in more responsible advertising online.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also requires online marketplaces to exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms, which would include the sale of toys.  The Government commenced Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Act, which sets out the rules for unfair trading, in April 2025.
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Andrew Ranger:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that every young person has access to sporting facilities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, should have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

Sports facilities provide important community hubs for people of all ages to be active and connect people to the places in which they live. On 19 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs, including for children and young people, and will then set out further plans.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department plans to support the LTA in developing covered (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) multi-sport facilities to help facilitate (i) year-round and (ii) all-weather participation. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to increase access to padel courts in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide funding to the New Brewery Arts in Cirencester through the Arts Everywhere Fund. \p Ian Murray: The government is making a substantial investment in the cultural sector across England through the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund, which includes the £85 million Creative Foundations Fund. This fund is specifically designed to address critical infrastructure issues faced by cultural organisations, ensuring their long-term sustainability and ability to continue providing valuable services to communities. The recent Spending Review also secured substantial investment for arts, culture, and heritage infrastructure. This significant financial commitment underscores the government's dedication to supporting the arts, culture, and heritage sectors

Arts Council England is responsible for managing the Creative Foundations Fund. They are currently in the process of assessing applications and plan to make their award decisions public, as well as notify all applicants, by the end of March 2026. We understand that New Brewery Arts has previously benefited from an Arts Council England grant.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency have had since January 2023 with (a) the Carbon Trust and (b) major food retailers on the introduction of carbon ratings on (i) food labels, (ii) menus and (iii) product packaging; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on consumers of introducing such a rating system. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Eco-labels on food are used by some businesses on a voluntary basis to help consumers make more sustainable choices.

Eco-labels based on robust environmental impact data could support informed consumer choices and business competition based on sustainability. Through the Food Data Transparency Partnership, Defra and the Food Standards Agency have conducted engagement on eco-labelling across the food and drink sector in a range of settings including packaging and menus.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of animals were slaughtered without being stunned for the production of Halal meat in the UK in each year since 2005. \p Dame Angela Eagle: UK data regarding the number or proportion of animals slaughtered using the halal method without prior stunning is not collected.

The Food Standards Agency carries out a periodic slaughter sector survey in England and Wales, which started in 2011.

The latest 2024 survey is available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farm-animals-slaughter-sector-survey-2024.
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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to meet with animal welfare organisations to discuss tackling the illegal (a) breeding and (b) sale of hybrid cats. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Department is kept up to date with developments in cat welfare through regular engagements with key sector organisations.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas. \p Emma Hardy: The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168.

Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year.

The Department’s recently published Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the 2020 single use plastic bans and restrictions found evidence of reduced plastic litter on UK beaches, with plastic-stemmed cotton buds and straws showing significant declines. Cotton buds have dropped out of the UK’s top 10 most littered items in 2021 and reached their lowest levels in the Great British Beach Clean’s 28-year history.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Scottish government on tackling plastic pollution affecting beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other areas. \p Emma Hardy: Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges that we face today – it litters our beaches, threatens wildlife and contributes towards climate change.

The UK Government works closely with the Scottish Government on plastic pollution and beach litter is monitored across the UK under the UK Marine Strategy. Annual reports on UK beach litter are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168. Monitoring data is also reported in line with our obligations under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic and is used in the OSPAR beach litter assessment: Abundance, Composition and Trends of Beach Litter.

UK Government and the Devolved Governments have taken action to address some of the most commonly-found beach litter items – for example, legislation to restrict the supply of certain single-use plastic items has been introduced across UK nations.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of his policies for preventing plastic pollution on beaches in (a) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (b) other coastal areas. \p Emma Hardy: The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution. The monitoring is undertaken in accordance with regionally-agreed protocols, and annual reports are published online: Annual beach litter reports (2023) - ME4168.

Over the past six years, the total median litter count on UK beaches reveals a statistically significant downward trend, decreasing by 18.2 items/100m per year. Significant downward trends continue to be observed in several individual litter items, including those targeted by recent bans and consultations. Single-use plastics are significantly decreasing by 5.8 items/100m per year.

The Department has also recently conducted and published a Post Implementation Review (PIR) on The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020. The review found these measures have contributed to reducing plastic pollution, with items such as plastic‑stemmed cotton buds moving out of the UK’s top 10 most littered item list in 2021.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to raise public awareness of (a) the potential impact of low-welfare animal attractions abroad and (b) encourage responsible tourism through (i) education and (ii) regulation. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025 PQ UIN 73101.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to enforce the ban on piglet thumping. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Any allegations of poor animal welfare are investigated by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and where there are non-compliances with the regulations, appropriate action is taken. The local authority, as an appropriate enforcement agency, may initiate prosecution action for animal welfare offences where there is sufficient evidence.

Due to serious concerns about the welfare consequences of a manual percussive blow to the head, it is not a permitted method for killing piglets. In 2022, animal welfare regulations were amended to permit the use of a non-penetrative captive bolt device as a killing method for neonate piglets, kids and lambs, within certain parameters. This has provided a method of killing on farm for these species that is practical and humane.
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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help her counterpart in Northern Ireland tackle Asian hornets. \p Mary Creagh: Defra and staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have worked closely with officials from Northern Ireland to help them prepare and publish a contingency plan for action against Asian hornets. A sighting of Asian hornet was reported on 10th October close to Dundonald in Northern Ireland. Inspectors from the APHA National Bee Unit and the APHA Non-Native Species Inspectorate have drawn on their extensive experience and provided support to officials in Northern Ireland about deployment of the contingency plan to find and destroy a nest.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with local councils on improving street cleanliness. \p Mary Creagh: I have not had any recent discussions with local councils on street cleanliness.

My officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which they engage with a wide range of interested parties such as local councils, National Farmers Union and others, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping.

Local councils are responsible for keeping streets clear of litter and refuse. The Pride in Place Strategy sets out how Government will support local action by bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises.

This Government also remains focused on delivering a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers due to go live in October 2027. Single-use drinks containers are some of the UK’s most commonly littered items. It is expected that providing a financial incentive for people to return their drinks containers through the Deposit Return Scheme will drastically reduce the amount of litter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Rebecca Long Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations for UN member states in the UN Human Rights Council Conference Room Paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 to Question 55524.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_20

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether the United Arab Emirates has exported military equipment for use by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: We are deeply concerned by the terrible violence across Sudan. We are aware of reports alleging different states' involvement in supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan, including those detailed in the UN Panel of Experts report. External provision of support to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) only furthers the suffering of the people of Sudan. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the need to prevent external actors from providing financial and / or military support to both the SAF and RSF and the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. Those who have influence with the parties must use it to bring them to the negotiating table, to seek a political resolution to the conflict in Sudan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_21

Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its policies in tackling malnutrition in Nigeria. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 October to Question 73649.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_22

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the minimum level of security vetting is for people taking part in civil service internship schemes. \p Anna Turley: All Fast Stream Summer Interns will complete the Baseline Personal Security Standard (BPSS) checks as part of their onboarding. Candidates will be put forward for higher levels of clearance if their placement requires it. It is a condition of employment that candidates are required to successfully obtain all necessary levels of clearance prior to taking up their placement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_23

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Government exits and redundancies, published in September 2025, if he will publish the latest dataset on civil service exit scheme applications provided to the National Audit Office by his Department. \p Anna Turley: Data contained in the current National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) Good Practice Guide was provided to the NAO to help explain the context of the guidance that the NAO has issued.

There are no plans to publish further data as this information is held by individual departments, and will be reported in their Annual Report and Accounts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_24

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, whether guidance on staff diversity networks will be issued to (a) local government, (b) the police, (c) the NHS, (d) the armed forces and (e) other parts of the public sector. \p Anna Turley: The Cabinet Office does not have responsibility for public sector organisations outside of the Civil Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_25

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Civil Service staff networks to only meet outside working hours and have all events signed off by senior managers, published on 23 September 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that policy on the provisions on trade union equality representatives in the Employment Rights Bill. \p Anna Turley: Civil Service staff networks are separate to trade union activities and duties carried out by trade union representatives in the Civil Service. As such the Civil Service Staff Network Policy does not apply to its trade union representatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_26

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 September 2025 to Question 74509 on Members: Pay, whether the pay freeze for ministers who continue to claim a lower salary to their entitlement under law will be maintained for Ministers who are Members of the (a) House of Commons and (b) House of Lords for the rest of this Parliament. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The pay freeze for ministers remains in place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_27

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 55 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what his planned timetable is for including the Office of Defence Exports within the GREAT campaign. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Defence is one of the key growth sectors identified by this government, and the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign (GREAT) has renewed its efforts to support defence exports. GREAT coordinates activities enabling government departments and overseas posts to deliver integrated local campaigns boosting British defence exports globally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_28

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2025 to Question 69366 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, what the provisional cost of the works approved is. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: A one-off refresh of the facility was undertaken in December 2024. This has restored the room back to its original politically neutral state. The indicative cost of these works was up to £80,000, as was reported at the time of undertaking the work. The final cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns, when the invoice is submitted and paid.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_29

Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on the work of his Department. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The extension of the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty will require the Cabinet Office to have due regard to the principles of the Covenant across a wide range of new policy areas. A full assessment of the impact of the extension on the Cabinet Office will take place once the necessary legislation is progressing through Parliament.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_30

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 70476 on UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government, for what reason that forum has not met in 2025. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The next MSF is being organised to take place before the end of 2025. There have been no meetings of the MSF thus far in 2025 due to a Machinery of Government change which moved the former Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) from Cabinet Office to the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. CDDO was the business unit previously responsible for open government policy, but this responsibility has now transferred to the Civil Service Strategy Unit within Cabinet Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_31

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of section 1 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill on judicial reviews of (a) public bodies and (b) Ministerial decisions. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Clause 1 of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill sets out that the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that public authorities and public officials at all times perform their functions (a) with candour, transparency and frankness, and (b) in the public interest. Clause 1 then sets out how the remainder of the Bill achieves that purpose.

Clause 1 does not in itself establish new obligations subject to judicial review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_32

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Prime Minister will attend the COP30 UN climate summit in person. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Prime Minister plans to attend COP30.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_33

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what support his Department has provided to bereaved families of infected individuals who died without receiving compensation to ensure awareness of the new registration process. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The delivery of compensation, including the opening of a registration service, is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA opened their registration service on 9th October to allow people to register their intent to claim online. Those who are unable to register online or who require additional support can call IBCA’s dedicated registration support line on xx-xxxx-xxxx. Additionally, an individual can ask someone to register on their behalf. This could be a family member, trusted adult, legal representative, carer or someone with power of attorney. IBCA has worked with infected blood charities and community groups to raise awareness of the registration service opening.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-24 conversation_34

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2025 to Question 70506 on Cabinet Office: Contracts, whether the Crown Commercial Service has made an estimate of the number of suppliers increasing prices as a result of the increase in National Insurance. \p Chris Ward: Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information that would show whether suppliers have increased prices in response to the April 2025 National Insurance rise, so cannot make an estimate. Pricing under CCS arrangements is determined at contract level by contracting authorities.