theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_564

Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of funding pay increases from school budgets on levels of (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants. \p Catherine McKinnell: At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Of this £2.3 billion increase, almost £1 billion is being allocated to high needs budgets. The outstanding £1.3 billion will cover the remaining mainstream costs of the 2024 teachers’ pay award in the 2025/26 financial year, as well as an increase to the mainstream schools national funding formula, and any increases to other elements of core funding.

On 10 December 2024, the department published our written evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to inform their recommendations for teachers’ pay in the 2025/26 academic year, which proposed a pay award of 2.8% for teachers. We expect that schools will also take into consideration the cost of support staff pay in the 2025/26 financial year. Schools will be expected to fund the 2025 teacher pay award from the additional investment provided at the Budget, alongside their existing funds. Most schools will need to supplement the new funding they receive with efficiencies in their budgets. The balance between new funding and efficiencies will vary at individual school level depending on their circumstances. It will continue to be for individual schools to decide how they spend their budgets, including on the balance between spending on teachers, support staff, including teaching assistants, and non-pay expenditure.

To support schools towards identifying efficiencies, the department is developing a suite of new productivity initiatives in partnership with the sector. This will complement the free support already available to schools, including new support to make budgets go further across technology, procurement, banking services and energy contracts. For example, we have already seen from our pilot that the 400 schools who have participated in the department’s ‘Energy for Schools’ offer will save 36% on average compared to their previous energy contracts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to integrate agricultural education into school curriculums. \p Catherine McKinnell: Cooking and nutrition are mandatory in the design and technology curriculum for key stages 1 to 3. At GCSE, pupils can choose to study a food preparation and nutrition course. The subject content requires pupils to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how foods are grown, reared or caught, and the primary and secondary stages of processing and production.

In the citizenship curriculum, the non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2 include content about what improves and harms local, natural and built environments and how people look after them. Pupils also consider social and moral dilemmas that they come across in everyday life, such as environmental issues.

Oak National Academy’s (Oak) freely available curriculum resources explore agricultural education in a number of subject areas, including science, history and geography. New Oak science lessons for key stages 1 to 4, which will cover how humans can live sustainably to protect earth for a better future, are also being developed. These will refer to agricultural practices and their impact on the environment.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review seeks to deliver a curriculum that readies young people for life and work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's funding to primary schools for free breakfast clubs is intended to cover at least 75% of the actual cost of provision. \p Stephen Morgan: Schools which are part of the breakfast clubs early adopter programme will receive funding from April 2025 to cover food, delivery and staffing costs. The final amount each school will receive is dependent on take-up of the breakfast club and school characteristics. The department has used existing programmes and costs to determine the funding rates and this has been tested and refined with a number of schools.

The new breakfast club scheme uses a different funding model compared to the existing national school breakfast programme (NSBP), which only covers the cost of 75% of food. Under the existing programme, schools are required to contribute the remaining 25% for food, plus staffing and other overheads. The new scheme will provide substantially more funding than the NSBP.

One function of the early adopters is to test how schools utilise the funding and understand what support schools need to deliver their free and universal clubs.

Based on analysis of this existing provision, we are confident that the total funding will enable schools to meet the minimum expectations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing free period products to learners in (a) further and (b) higher education settings in England. \p Stephen Morgan: Nobody should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England. Higher education (HE) institutions are independent bodies and so would be expected to make their own arrangements to ensure that pupils have access to the products that they need. Only girls and women aged 16 to 19 attending further education courses funded by the department within HE institutions would be eligible for the scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to calculate the number of experienced adult learners undertaking electrical training via the (a) experienced worker route and (b) an equivalent national vocational qualification. \p Janet Daby: Adult, those aged over 19 years old, government-funded further education and skills learning in England is recorded on the individualised learner record and published in the ‘Further education and skills’ statistics publication.

In the 2023/24 academic year, there were 33 adult education and training learning aim enrolments on the level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification. There were 3,017 enrolments on other level 3 learning aims that are electrical-related.

It should be noted that:

(1) Aim enrolments are a count of enrolments at aim level. Learners will be counted for each aim they are studying and so can be counted more than once.

(2) Learners that are self-funding will not be included.

(3) Electrical-related learning aims are identified as those with ‘Electric’ or ‘Electro’ in the title. The ‘Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification’ is the aim awarded by City & Guilds. There may be other relevant learning aims that are not readily identifiable as related to the electrical profession that are not included here.

(4) The department does not hold information on how much prior experience of the electrical trade that learners taking these aims have.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to maintain current levels of funding in real terms for secondary school breakfast clubs in the national school breakfast club programme. \p Stephen Morgan: There are over 2,600 schools currently participating in the national schools breakfast programme (NSBP), which enables schools to purchase breakfast food at 25% of the cost, with 75% of the cost of food and delivery provided by government.

We have confirmed funding to support schools, including secondary schools, currently on the NSBP, and schools on the scheme will continue to receive the same level of funding and support already available to them until at least March 2026.

Decisions about future funding for breakfast clubs and the NSBP will be taken as part of the next phase of the spending review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure wraparound childcare is sufficiently funded in areas with high SEND staffing requirements. \p Stephen Morgan: The department knows that parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) need childcare provision that meets their and their children’s needs. This government is determined to help these parents and has funded the national wraparound programme to support working families and improve the availability of before and after school childcare, to ensure that parents have the flexibility they need to care for their children.

Wraparound programme funding includes resource for additional staffing to support inclusive provision, including for pupils with particular needs. Local authority allocations are varied to take account of regional differences in the number of pupils with SEND.

The Childcare Act 2006 places a legal duty on local authorities to ensure there are enough childcare places within its locality for working parents or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0 to 14, or up to age 18 for disabled children. All local authorities should be able to demonstrate how they have discharged this duty and should include specific reference to how they are ensuring there is sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children with SEND, as per the statutory guidance. This should be available from the local authority.

The wraparound programme is helping local authorities discharge this duty, by distributing funding to ensure that local areas can increase the supply of wraparound places. Local authorities across England can decide how best to use the funding to set up or expand wraparound childcare in their area to meet the needs of their local community, including children with SEND.

​The government is also committed to making quick progress to deliver on our commitment to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school. Departmental officials are working closely with schools and sector experts to develop a programme that meets the needs of all children, including those with SEND.

In order to test and learn about how best to support schools in implementing new free universal breakfast clubs, we have selected 750 early adopter schools to deliver from April 2025, ahead of the national roll out to all schools with primary aged children. This includes 50 special schools and alternative provision settings. These settings will receive a higher funding rate, in addition to the fixed termly payments and set up cost funding, in recognition of the need for higher staff to pupil ratios.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to confirm funding for the adoption and special guardian support fund for 2025-26 financial year. \p Janet Daby: The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help students studying classroom-based electrical technical diplomas transition into the electrical workforce. \p Janet Daby: The department is looking at ways of improving the transition rate from further education (FE) courses into construction sector jobs. This includes through the defunding of low-quality courses through the qualifications review.

The department is also working to find ways to narrow the practical experience gap that the industry reports is preventing them from employing people directly after achieving an FE qualification. We will likely need alternative bridging provision for some occupations for those completing FE courses. We are working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and competency bodies to improve the learner journey and bridge the gap between achieving qualifications and being competent to begin work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Mr Jonathan Brash:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the potential value to the economy of the export of Advanced Level (A-level) qualifications overseas. \p Janet Daby: The department does not hold information on the value of exporting A level qualifications overseas.

Ofqual publishes a range of information about exported qualifications. The latest information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-qualifications-market-report-academic-year-2022-to-2023/annual-qualifications-market-report-2022-to-2023-academic-year#in-focus-international-market. This data does not include unregulated qualifications, such as international A levels, which are also offered overseas by awarding organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to withdraw funding for the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Stone Masonry Heritage and Skills on (a) the preservation of heritage skills and (b) the employment prospects of people trained in this field. \p Janet Daby: The government has a central mission to drive forward opportunity and growth, which relies on people having the skills needed to thrive in life and work. The construction sector is vital in driving economic prosperity and providing career opportunities for people at all ages and stages of their careers. For this reason, the department works closely with the construction sector to ensure our skills offer meets the needs of the sector.

Stonemasonry is a key skill, which is why an apprenticeship covering several stonemasonry occupations is available. This apprenticeship is, however, at level 2 and not at level 3. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is currently working with industry to split this apprenticeship standard into a level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and a level 3 Craft Stonemason apprenticeship, to better meet the needs of the sector. Classroom qualifications can be developed against occupational standards.

On 12 December 2024, the government announced the outcomes of the review of qualifications reform at level 3 in England. As part of this review, three level 3 qualifications in Stonemasonry will continue to have public funding removed from 31 July 2025. Awarding organisations have had the opportunity to appeal where necessary, so that specialist qualifications could be retained if it was demonstrated that they were needed. Full details of the review outcomes can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-provisional-outcomes.

The department has continued to remove funding from existing level 3 qualifications, not only because the standards are at level 2, but also due to the qualifications having less than 100 enrolments for three successive years, highlighting that a classroom-based qualification at level 3 is not being sufficiently used.

At level 2, there are still four qualifications in Stonemasonry available to young people and adults. These qualifications are used currently within apprenticeships and are closely aligned with the industry standards by design.

The department wants to ensure that qualifications are developed at the right level to enable people to enter skilled employment, and where qualifications attract public funding, we want to ensure that they are needed. Where they are not needed, including having very low levels of enrolments, we will continue to remove public funding so that students and employers have a simpler range of qualifications to choose from.
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Jake Richards:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children under the care of English local authorities were living in (a) Wales and (b) Scotland on (i) 31 March 2024 and (ii) for each of the preceding four years. \p Janet Daby: The number of children looked after by English local authorities who were living more than 50 and 100 miles from home on 31 March 2024 and for each of the preceding four years is shown in the table below.

Year

Living more than 50 miles from home

Of which: living more than 100 miles from home

2020

6,850

2,920

2021

7,210

2,990

2022

7,010

2,970

2023

7,210

3,060

2024

7,350

3,120

Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.

The number of children looked after by English local authorities who were living in Wales and Scotland on 31 March 2024 and for each of the preceding four years is published annually in section 4.7 of the methodology document that accompanies our statistical release. This can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions#content-section-4-content-7.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure the adoption and special guardian support fund can continue to offer support beyond March 2025. \p Janet Daby: The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.

Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.
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Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to make it easier for people over the age of 25 to access skills training and employment support. \p Janet Daby: The government is taking several steps to make it easier for adults to access training. The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) fully or co-funds education and skills training for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for deciding what provision and support to offer their residents, allowing them the flexibility to respond to local needs.

The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more people a foot in the door of work, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. Skills Bootcamps also continue to be funded and are available across England, giving adults the chance to build sector-specific skills, including in digital, construction and green industries, with an offer of a job interview on completion.

Lastly, in the 2026/2027 academic year, the department is also introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). The LLE will transform the post-18 student finance system by allowing people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications at a time that is right for them. From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for the first time for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards. From its launch, the LLE loan will be available for full courses at level 4 to 6, such as a degrees, technical qualifications, designated distance-learning and online courses, and modules of high value technical courses at level 4 to 5.

Under the LLE, eligible learners will be able to access a tuition fee loan, with new learners able to access up to the full entitlement of £38,140, equal to four years of study based on the 2025/ 2026 academic year fee rates, and a maintenance loan to cover living costs, for courses with in-person attendance. Ultimately, this will enable individuals to learn, upskill, and retrain across their entire lives.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the compatibility of UK university STEM courses with the skills required by the tech sector. \p Janet Daby: The department published a Jobs and Skills Dashboard in May 2024, which allows users to explore employment, demand and education pathways for both science, technology, engineering, and mathematics occupations and occupations most relevant to the UK critical technologies. This dashboard can be accessed here: https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/ufs-jobs-and-skills-dashboard/?_inputs_&navbar=%22Jobs%20and%20skills%22&tabsID=%22Summary%22&sectorChoice=%22STEM%22&shortageTimeChoice=%22Air-conditioning%20and%20refrigeration%20engineers%20SOC2010%22. An accompanying ad-hoc statistics release was also made available on Explore Education Statistics in May 2024, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supply-of-skills-for-jobs-in-science-and-technology.

Skills England will continue to assess the skills needs of the tech sector and the skills provision required to meet these skills needs. It is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Industrial Skills Council to bring businesses, training partners and unions together with national and local government, including Mayoral Strategic and Combined Authorities, to develop a clear assessment of the country’s skills needs for the tech sector and map pathways by which they can be filled.
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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that students with EHCPs have access to a wide range of post-16 educational opportunities (a) within and (b) outside of their catchment area. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.

Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. High needs funding helps local authorities with the ongoing costs of post-16 education provision for students with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Local authorities must publish a local offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND and keep it under review, including the sufficiency of provision. This must be co-produced with parents, young people and a wide range of education providers, both within and beyond the local authority area. The local offer must include provision within the local authority’s area alongside provision outside the local area that the local authority expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEND for whom they are responsible.

Local authorities’ duties include securing enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or aged 19 or over and for whom an EHC plan is maintained. This is a duty under section 15ZA of the Education Act 1996. To fulfil this, local authorities should have a strategic overview of the provision available in their area and identify and resolve gaps in provision.

If a local authority places students at a special post-16 institution (SPI) and would like the SPI to be considered for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding, the department will take the SPI through the due diligence process and award a funding agreement if successful.
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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support students with EHCPs to access post-16 educational placements that support their (a) interests and (b) career goals. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.

We want to ensure that impartial, lifelong careers guidance is available to everyone when they need it, regardless of age, circumstance or background. This will allow everyone to develop skills, progress into work or the next stage of their career, and boost long term economic prosperity.

The department has published statutory guidance on careers guidance to set out what is expected of schools and colleges, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools.

The National Careers Service offers free, up-to-date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the labour market in England. It helps people to achieve and thrive and supports social mobility by working with individuals to motivate them and develop their understanding of the full range of options open to them, whatever their background or circumstances. More information is available on the National Careers Service website, which can be found here: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/.

Preparing all children and young people with SEND for adulthood is a key part of the SEND system and should begin from the earliest point.

A wide range of training programmes are available to suit the needs of the individual and their aspirations. This includes academic or vocational courses such as supported internships and apprenticeships which provide experience of workplace activities. For those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching, and which are tailored to the needs and interests of the young person.

The department knows that with the right preparation and support, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained, paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and should provide the career advice and support that helps young people develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications, that they need to succeed in their careers.
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David Williams:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the timelines for the delivery of Young Future Hubs to be clarified. \p Janet Daby: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. Too many children and young people do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive. Young Futures Hubs are just one part of addressing this, as part of a much wider youth landscape which will be brought together in the forthcoming youth strategy.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building upon the successes of existing infrastructure and provision, the department will first establish early adopter hubs. These early adopters, and work with local areas, will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs. We will set out more details on timelines in due course.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will announce a future funding settlement for the Adoption Support Fund beyond this year. \p Janet Daby: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26025.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to extend the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund beyond March 2025. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Wokingham to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26025.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking through Young Futures Hubs to help tackle violence against women and girls. \p Janet Daby: The government has set an ambitious target to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. To achieve this, we plan to reduce the current levels of offending and reoffending and prevent abuse from happening altogether.

This focus on prevention also sits at the heart of the Young Futures programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures prevention partnerships.

Young Futures Hubs will be set up across the country, bringing together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling young people to thrive.

Young Futures Prevention Partnerships will bring local partners together to intervene earlier to ensure that vulnerable children at risk of being drawn into a variety of crime types, including anti-social behaviour, knife crime and violence against women and girls, are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

Officials from across government, including the Department for Education, the Home Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice are working together using their various bodies of evidence of what works to shape Young Futures Hubs.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29255 on Immigration: Overseas Students, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of (a) access and (b) participation in university services by (i) UK and (ii) international students. \p Janet Daby: Universities and higher education providers are independent institutions, and the government plays no part in their day to day running. Consequently, the department does not hold data about trends relating to university services for UK and international students.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department. \p Catherine West: Staff within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are not currently required to book or schedule attendance at the office, although individual teams may have their own arrangements to meet business needs.

The FCDO does not book desks for arm's length bodies. Desk booking services for these bodies are not centrally held and would come at a disproportionate cost to the department in producing this information.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his German counterpart on the current investigation into allegations that Riol Chemie GmbH supplied toxic chemicals to Russia. \p Stephen Doughty: The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has not had discussions with his German counterpart regarding their investigation into the German company Riol-Chemie GmbH for suppling toxic chemicals to Russia. We work closely with our allies and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to prevent the proliferation and deter the use of chemical weapons. On 8 October 2024, the UK announced sanctions on Russia's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops, its commander Igor Kirillov, and two of its subordinate laboratories for their involvement in the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. We will continue to work with our partners to uphold and protect the Chemical Weapons Convention's ban on the development, production, transfer or use of chemical weapons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_592

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 22931 on Beijing: Embassies, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the steps required to secure planning permission and associated consents for the new British Embassy in Beijing. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary has met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on three occasions so far. They have discussed the breadth of priority foreign policy and bilateral issues.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_593

Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the number of (a) non-bond and (b) other private creditors have reached debt restructuring agreements; and what information his Department holds on when Zambia is expected to complete the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments. \p Catherine West: Zambia has now reached agreement on restructurings with its official creditors and private bondholders, though progress was slow initially. Good faith negotiations continue with remaining commercial creditors. The UK has been clear that private creditors must play their part in debt restructurings. The Paris Club, and now the G20 as part of the Common Framework process, are also clear on our collective expectation that private creditors must participate in restructurings on terms at least as favourable as those provided by government creditors, to ensure comparability of treatment. The UK continues to push for the improvement and expansion of the Common Framework to all lower and middle-income countries, including through our participation in the Paris Club, G20 Finance Track, and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_594

Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve partnerships with major humanitarian relief donors, in the context of the recent USAID funding freeze announcement. \p Catherine West: We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors, geographic regions and multilateral organisations. We are gathering information and working with other donor partners to share analysis of the pause before making any decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_595

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date his last discussion with representatives of the Indian Government took place on the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal. \p Catherine West: The UK Government remains absolutely committed to pushing the Government of India for a faster resolution to Jagtar Singh Johal's case. The Foreign Secretary continues to raise concerns with the Government of India, most recently with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on 25 November. The Prime Minister also raised Mr Johal's case with Prime Minister Modi on 18 November and I raised Mr Johal's case on 19 November with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_596

Bambos Charalambous:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to fill the humanitarian and development gap left by the USAID funding freezes. \p Catherine West: We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors, geographic regions, and multilateral organisations. We are gathering information and working with other donor partners to share analysis of the pause before making any decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_597

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on steps to help African countries manage (a) debt burdens and (b) service payments. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary regularly meets with international counterparts. As set out by the Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, and the former Minister for Development, tackling unsustainable debt is a key development priority for this government. Where low-income countries are facing unsustainable debt, the government's position is that they should undertake a restructuring through the G20 Common Framework. We welcome recent Common Framework debt agreements with Zambia and Ghana and are calling for efforts to strengthen and speed up debt restructurings.

We are also focussed on strengthening the system for the future. This means improving debt transparency, strengthening debt management, global implementation of sustainable lending and borrowing practices, and wider roll out of Natural Disaster Clauses which pause debt repayments when a climate or health disaster hits.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_598

Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 24912 on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, whether the measures to implement the provisions needed to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty will be complete by the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025. \p Catherine West: The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_599

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria. \p Catherine West: The UK Government proactively raises cases where blasphemy legislation has been used to restrict human rights with the Nigerian authorities and opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, including in the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. We will continue to raise Mr Sharif-Aminu's case as he appeals his sentence. Dialogue on human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), is a vital part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential to a free and open society.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_600

Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reinstate humanitarian aid routes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. \p Catherine West: The humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is critical. Close to a million people have been displaced recently in eastern DRC and hundreds of thousands are in desperate need of lifesaving support. There is a responsibility on all parties to protect the people of eastern DRC who have suffered so much in this conflict.

The UK will continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and respect for international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary delivered these messages to both President Tshisekedi and President Kagame during his visit to Kinshasa and Kigali on 21 and 22 February. During the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced an additional package of £14.6 million of humanitarian support to help those in eastern DRC who are suffering most.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_601

Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of his Department’s budget he has allocated for child-focused aid in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years. \p Catherine West: The former Minister for International Development published the FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations for 2024/25 in a Written Ministerial Statement on Thursday 6 February 2025.

ODA allocations for future years are being worked through given the Prime Minister's announcement on 25 February 2025 regarding a reduction in UK ODA.

This Government remains fully committed to a globally significant role on development. Our mission remains to help create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.

We report all ODA spending on a calendar year basis in the Statistics on International Development publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_602

Chris Ward:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help bring peace and stability to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the conflict doesn't spread to other countries. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary met with President Tshisekedi in Kinshasa and President Kagame in Kigali on 21 and 22 February, where he was clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict. There must be an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The Foreign Secretary urged both leaders to engage meaningfully with African led peace processes to find a lasting political solution and avoid regional escalation. The UK will continue to discuss with partners, including in the region, what more it can do to support these efforts.

On 25 February the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures which aim to bring about a ceasefire, avoid regional escalation and bring Rwanda back to the negotiating table.