theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_44

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support Kenya’s security priorities as part of the newly announced strategic partnership. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Strategic Partnership will strengthen our joint response to regional terrorism, illicit finance, cyber attacks and organised crime, to keep Kenyans and British Nationals safe. This is underpinned by the UK-Kenya Security Compact which was also signed during the recent Presidential visit to the UK. The renewed Compact is designed to address both traditional and emerging security threats. Priorities include tackling risks from digital spaces and new technologies, reducing irregular migration, and countering illicit finance. The partnership will continue to build on its strong foundation, ensuring that previous achievements are sustained and that new challenges are met with a coordinated, forward-looking approach.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to help tackle (a) sexual and (b) gender-based violence in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Rt Hon. member to her previous question, 53517, to which our response outlined the UK's commitment to tackling gender-based violence in Sudan, and Ministerial engagement on the issue. Furthermore, through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutiliation programme, UK funding supports work on protection, prevention and care services for survivors of sexual violence. The UK funded Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme, has provided sexual and reproductive services to women, girls, men as well as persons living with disabilities, with UK aid delivered in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other contexts. We have also enhanced our atrocity risk monitoring, including monitoring of conflict-related sexual violence and are working with UN and non-governmental organisation partners to provide safe spaces, clinical treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services for survivors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the FCDO Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership: Joint Statement, published on 2 July 2025, what budget has been allocated for the Nairobi Railway City project; in which financial years the cost will be incurred; and whether this will be current or capital expenditure. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Nairobi Railway City Project is a Government of Kenya funded project. The UK government has allocated £2 million to provide Kenya with technical assistance to help it structure, phase, manage and deliver the series of infrastructure projects that will make up the 438-acre Nairobi Railway City Project. The first of these projects involves the construction of a new Central Railway Station and public realm. For this first project on top of our technical assistance the Government of Kenya is considering raising financing to construct the station with the support of potentially £150 million in funding through UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK's Export Credit Agency. As this project is in its early stages, the financial years in which the costs will be incurred, and the type of expenditure are to be yet confirmed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns about the treatment of (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities in Somalia at the United Nations. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Somalia, where persecution is severe and often exacerbated by insecurity and extremist violence.

The UK has supported human rights mechanisms that address religious persecution. We continue to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses on the international stage, through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

The UK is committed to defending FoRB globally and will continue to advocate for the rights of all individuals in Somalia to practise their religion or belief freely and without fear.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Eritrean counterpart on reported discrimination of Evangelical Christians who are serving members of the Eritrean armed forces. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We consistently raise human rights with the Eritrean government, including religious freedoms. We advocate for the end of discriminatory detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council. We call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released. The UK's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea raised human rights during her most recent visit to Eritrea in April 2025 and the UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with his international counterparts to provide security to humanitarian agencies in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK condemns in the strongest terms attacks on aid workers in Sudan. The warring parties are required to uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations and to implement relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR), including UNSCR 2736 (2024) on El Fasher, Darfur. In our recent public statements, we have reiterated the importance of the warring parties acting in accordance with such commitments. In June, the UK signed a joint statement with 30 other donors condemning an attack on a UN aid convoy, calling for the warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement following renewed attacks in El Fasher, calling for the warring parties to give humanitarian actors the security guarantees needed to deliver aid rapidly and safely, including through a 72-hour pause in fighting. The UK is also providing financial support to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to enable their human rights monitoring and reporting. In October 2024, we led the renewal of the UN Fact Finding Mission for Sudan's mandate as part of the Sudan 'Core Group' in the Human Rights Council to hold those harming humanitarian agencies to account.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has considered implementing (a) sanctions and (b) conditionality on development aid to Nigeria in the context of attacks on (i) Christians and (ii) other religious minorities in the Middle Belt region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.

We do not publicly speculate on future sanctions as doing so can limit their impact. The UK has a modern development partnership with Nigeria across the full spectrum of development needs. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not provide bilateral Official Development Assistance directly to the Government of Nigeria.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Alison Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has prepared an evacuation plan for injured children in Gaza who have family members in the UK; what his planned timetable is for agreeing a safe evacuation route with adjacent countries; whether there is a limit on the number of injured children from Gaza that can be hospitalised in the UK for treatment; and what steps his Department is taking to settle (a) children with a family member and (b) orphaned children in the UK (i) until the war ends and (ii) permanently. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The humanitarian situation in Gaza is horrific, we have consistently pressed the Government of Israel to allow access to essential healthcare. Getting patients out of Gaza remains challenging, particularly since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024. There are provisions that allow a person to come to the UK for Private Medical Treatment under the Immigration Rules. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children arrived in the UK to begin privately funded medical treatment through support to Project Pure Hope. However, the government is not currently considering implementing a bespoke visa route for Palestinians fleeing Gaza to come to the UK. The UK took the decision in December 2023 to extend consular support exceptionally to Palestinian nationals seeking to leave Gaza, in certain circumstances. Details of who the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office can try to help leave Gaza are published in our Occupied Palestinian Territories Travel Advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what lessons his Department has learnt from countering malicious Iranian cyber activity; and what discussions he has had with his (a) Middle Eastern and (b) international counterparts on this matter. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assesses that Iran-based threat actors remain aggressive in cyberspace and continue to achieve their objectives through less sophisticated cyber techniques (including prolific use of spear-phishing), but also targeting industrial control systems.

The NCSC continues to work closely with government, industry and international partners to understand and mitigate the cyber threat from Iran. This includes the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In September 2024, the UK and the US jointly issued a Technical Advisory focusing on attackers working on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps use social engineering to gain access to victims' online accounts. This Advisory provided network defenders with information to help mitigate these threats.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ministers and officials raise the UK's concerns about the cyber threat regularly with their international counterparts, including the activities of particular states where appropriate. The UK works with international partners to ensure the perpetrators of malicious cyber activity are held to account, and will continue to expose and take action against such groups to make it clear that irresponsible behaviour in cyberspace will have serious consequences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza following the partial resumption of border crossings on 19 May 2025; and what steps the Government is taking to increase (a) access and (b) scale of aid. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are appalled by the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where famine is now unfolding, as confirmed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on 29 July. This is unacceptable. We urge Israel to lift restrictions on aid access, as we stated to the UN Security Council on 16 July. While the Israeli Defence Force's "tactical pauses" are a necessary step, they are long overdue. Alongside 30 partners, we reiterated this call in a UK-led joint statement on 21 July. The Foreign Secretary emphasized to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 July the urgent need for safe, large-scale aid delivery and condemned civilian deaths at aid sites.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to Questions (a) 58600 and (b) 58602 tabled by the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton on 10 June 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member's written parliamentary questions. I issued responses to the hon. Member on 4 and 6 of August 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Nigerian counterpart on the accountability of militant groups targeting Christian communities in (a) Benue and (b) Plateau States. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria, a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.

During his visit to Nigeria on 28-30 May, the Minister for Africa met ministers and officials to address insecurity and intercommunal violence, with a focus on tackling root causes. Most recently, he raised FoRB with Nigerian counterparts during the third UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue on 15-16 July in London.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the adequacy of the steps take by the Nigerian government to (a) protect religious minorities and (b) prevent attacks by Fulani Islamist militias. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria, a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on establishing field hospitals in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Healthcare in Gaza is on the brink following Israel's expanded military operations.  It is appalling that nearly all Gaza's hospitals are damaged or partly destroyed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). We recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med. Through our partnership with UK-Med, they have provided over 500,000 patient consultations in their field hospitals, emergency departments, and mobile clinics in Gaza since January 2024.

We urgently need more supplies reaching healthcare facilities and better protections for aid and medical workers. As the Minister for International Development said in August, we are straining every sinew to get the aid that is needed in, and quickly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question HL5327 on Israel and Palestinians: Development Aid and in the context of discussions held in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the potential impact of the Associations Bill (Amendment—Donation from Foreign State Entity) 2024 on the UK’s overseas development assistance to (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian (i) humanitarian and (ii) human rights organisations. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply troubled by the proposed non-governmental organisation (NGO) taxation bill which threatens to undermine the ability of NGOs to operate effectively and continue their essential work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We continue to raise these concerns with the Israeli government. Israel must immediately allow the UN and NGOs to safely deliver aid at scale and in line with humanitarian principles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help de-escalate the conflict in Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are engaging with a range of international partners to coordinate action on de-escalation of the conflict in Sudan, including through our role as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council. The UK has shown clear leadership on Sudan, including the London Sudan Conference on 15 April, convened by the Foreign Secretary and attended by Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from 21 countries and multilateral bodies. Discussions focussed on how to make progress on shared goals of ending the conflict, protecting civilians and scaling-up the delivery of humanitarian aid, echoed in the Co-Chairs' Statement. Participants agreed on the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and committed to proactively support efforts to find a peaceful solution. We continue to engage with international partners towards this goal. Senior UK officials also continue to engage with the warring parties to urge them to return to the negotiating table and commit to a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire in Sudan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the airstrike on Palestinians at a water distribution point at al-Nuseirat refugee camp on 13 July 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Reports of women and children killed while waiting in line for water at al-Nuseirat camp are devastating. We have been clear that civilians in Gaza must be protected from attack and able to access aid without fear.

No one should have to risk their life to get water for themselves or their families, especially after enduring almost two years of relentless conflict.

This is why I called for an immediate and independent inquiry into the incident. We expect those responsible to be held to account and changes made to protect those seeking aid.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Boston Consulting Group since 4 July 2024. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not held discussions with the Boston Consulting Group since 4 July 2024 concerning Gaza. We have always been clear that any plans to enforce a reduction in territory or demographic change in Gaza are totally unacceptable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the meeting held between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Yair Golan on Thursday 10 July 2025, whether he discussed the use of human shields in (a) war and (b) conflict. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply disturbed by reports that soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces have used Palestinians as human shields in Gaza. Use of civilians as human shields is a breach of international humanitarian law. We call on the Government of Israel to fully investigate all such reports and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable. The Minister for the Middle East discussed the situation in Gaza with Yair Golan on 10 July, but did not discuss reports of the use of human shields.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the availability of fuel in Gaza for (a) desalination and (b) healthcare services. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. We remain deeply concerned at the lack of fuel supply in Gaza, which puts vital services such as water desalination at risk. On 18 July, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) described the deepening fuel crisis in Gaza, including the impact on solid waste collection and availability of clean water supplies and health services. We highlighted the impact of the lack of fuel on water supplies and hospitals and the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance of ensuring adequate healthcare for Palestinians in a call with Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 July. As the Prime Minister stated on 29 July, the UK will recognize the state of Palestine in September unless Israel takes substantive steps to end the crisis, including restarting without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of levels of availability of fuel in Gaza; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of fuel availability on water desalination plants in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. We remain deeply concerned at the lack of fuel supply in Gaza, which puts vital services such as water desalination at risk. On 18 July, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) described the deepening fuel crisis in Gaza, including the impact on solid waste collection and availability of clean water supplies and health services. We highlighted the impact of the lack of fuel on water supplies and hospitals and the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July, and at the International Development Committee on 16 July.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to encourage international humanitarian access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has called for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to be granted unfettered and immediate access to the hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence, and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. As the Prime Minister said on 21 July, the UK demands an immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter, that the UN be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a continuing basis to prevent starvation, and the immediate release of the hostages.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UN report entitled A/HRC/59/23: From economy of occupation to economy of genocide - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, published on 16 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the report on (a) UK-based companies and (b) companies with UK government contracts listed in the report. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: No formal assessment has been made. We are of the clear view that Israel must fully respect International Humanitarian Law and should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as rapidly as possible - this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the OPTs are illegal under international law. Goods from illegal Israeli settlements are not eligible for tariff or trade preferences under UK agreements with Israel or the Palestinian Authority. The UK does not support economic or financial activities in these settlements due to associated risks. Businesses are advised to seek legal counsel before engaging in such activities. Official guidance on handling goods from Israel and the OPTs is available on gov.uk to help UK operators make informed decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department provides consular support for Christian missionaries in (a) Kenya and (b) other countries. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and our Embassies, High Commissions and consulates provide consular support to British nationals abroad in line with published guidance on gov.uk. In Kenya we have staff based in Nairobi who provide consular assistance to British nationals. We are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year, globally, whatever the purpose of travel.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the killing of over 200 Christians in Yelewata on 19 June 2025; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) support the protection of religious minorities and (b) hold perpetrators accountable in that country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: While the Foreign Secretary has not yet discussed the violent attacks in Yelewata with his Nigerian counterpart, UK officials have been actively engaging on broader security issues in Benue State. On 10 June, UK officials met the Member of the House of Representatives for Makurdi/Guma in Benue State to discuss the root causes of insecurity in the region. During his visit to Nigeria in May, the Minister for Africa raised Freedom of Religion and Belief and ongoing insecurity in discussions with Nigerian counterparts, including the Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker. We are working with Nigeria's security forces to tackle insecurity and violence against civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems, through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). Additionally, through the Strengthening Peace and Resilience Programme (SPRiNG), the UK supports initiatives to enhance the capacity of state institutions and community groups to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published on 30 June 2023, whether (a) he and (b) officials from his Department had discussions with (i) J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd , (ii) Opodo Ltd and (iii) Greenkote PLC on their inclusion in the list of companies undertaking business activities in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem in (A) 2024 and (B) 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are aware of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database but do not comment on individual businesses. The Government does not encourage or offer support to business activity in Israeli settlements. When approached by businesses, we set out the UK's clear position on Israeli settlements and share with them our online guidance found on the Overseas Business Risk website. We advise British businesses to bear in mind the British Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. Those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using asset-based community development strategies to support displaced people in South Sudan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: In South Sudan, we support the World Food Programme's asset creation and livelihoods interventions, which help local communities to become more self-sufficient and resilient. This includes constructing wells, roads and supporting small businesses. We are also supporting an NGO-led project THRIVE (Transforming Household Resilience Through Inclusive Economic Development in South Sudan), which is helping vulnerable pastoral communities to sustain livelihoods and strengthen the markets they rely on. For example, this includes supporting farmer cooperatives, sustainable tree nurseries and cold storage of fisheries. In addition, we work with the International Organization for Migration to support people displaced by conflict or natural disasters. Together, we help them find safer, more stable places to live and rebuild their lives. These efforts align with our broader objectives of sustainable development and conflict recovery in South Sudan.
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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on (a) the numbers of Palestinians detained without charge or trial, (b) the conditions of Israeli detention centres and (c) the treatment of prisoners under international law. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of detainees. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities and we continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the blockages are that are preventing the safe (a) delivery and (b) distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Israeli restrictions on aid have created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza with civilians in desperate need of a variety of aid. We called on Israel to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza in our statement to the UN Security Council on 16 July. The announcement of "tactical pauses" by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to allow humanitarian corridors to open is essential but long overdue and currently insufficient to address need. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza, including allowing the entry of more types of aid such as medicine, fuel and shelter. We set this out clearly along with 30 other partners in a UK-led joint statement on 21 July. The government of Israel must facilitate the issue and renewal of visas for humanitarians providing vital services on the ground. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 July to reiterate the importance of facilitating the safe delivery of aid at scale, condemning civilian deaths at aid sites.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_73
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_73

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based. \p Daniel Zeichner: Information on civil servants employed by Defra based overseas is publicly available.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_74
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_74

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to NHS trusts to support mental health inpatient wards operating above safe occupancy levels. \p Stephen Kinnock: Individual mental health trusts and local health systems are expected to effectively assess and manage their bed capacity. NHS England’s mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient quality transformation programme is supporting cultural change and a new model of care across all National Health Service-funded mental health inpatient services, so that people can access timely, high-quality community support, closer to their families and loved ones. Local health systems have now published their three-year plans for localising and realigning inpatient care, in line with this vision.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are focussing on treatment that is away from hospital and inpatient care and are making sure that more mental health crisis care is delivered in the community through new models of care and support, so that fewer people need to go into hospital.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_75
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_75

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of reforming Employment Allowance rules to ensure that NHS dental practices are adequately encouraged to provide predominantly NHS care. \p Stephen Kinnock: HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.

We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_76
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_76

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention in the mental health workforce. \p Stephen Kinnock: As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and is there when people need it, we are over halfway towards our target to recruit an extra 8,500 mental health staff. NHS England is also working to improve retention within the mental health workforce through clearer career progression pathways.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_77
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_77

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has he made of the average length of stay in mental health inpatient units; and how this compares with the average length of stay for physical health inpatient admissions. \p Stephen Kinnock: The following table shows the median average length of stay for adults and children who were discharged from mental health inpatient units in England between 1 March and 31 May 2025:

People aged 0 to 17 years old

People aged 18 to 64 years old

People aged 65 years old and over

Number of people discharged

731

13,681

2,737

Median average length of stay of people discharged

5 days

27 days

73 days

Source: Mental Health Services Dataset, NHS England.

No comparison can be made with the average length of stay for physical health inpatient admissions. NHS England has advised that data is not collected under the description of ‘physical health’ as the term is too broad.
wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-08-06 conversation_78

David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) campaigners and (b) stakeholders on treatment for (i) lobular breast cancer and (ii) other rare cancers. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving outcomes and experiences of cancer treatment, including lobular breast cancer and other rare cancers, is a priority for the Government. Engagement with campaigners and partners is vital to achieving this.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, accompanied by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health, met with representatives of the Lobular Moonshot Project on 14 July 2025 to discuss their work. Following this meeting, the Chief Scientific Adviser and officials from the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) met again with the Lobular Moonshot Project to provide advice on existing funding options. Both the MRC and the National Institute for Health and Care Research have committed to continuing to work with the Lobular Moonshot Campaign team to support the development of fundable research proposals in this area and help drive our collective ambition to increase understanding and effective management of this disease.

In April 2025, I attended an event with Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, and Cancer52. The was followed by a roundtable in May 2025, in which I met with Cancer52 members, representing a wide range of cancer types, to discuss how the National Cancer Plan can prioritise rare cancers, to make a meaningful difference to how patients experience cancer treatment, and to bring cancer survivability back up to the standards of the best in the world. I have also met with brain cancer campaigners and All-Party Parliamentary Group members on several occasions since taking up post.

The National Cancer Plan will include more details about improving treatments for all tumour types, including lobular breast cancer. The Department continues to engage with a wide range of cancer partners on the Plan, including charities and patient representative bodies.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_1

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43178 on Defence: Procurement, how much has been spent on the Land Ground Based Air Defence Mounted SHORAD; and when the business case was first submitted. \p Maria Eagle: The Full Business Case for GBAD, which included Mounted SHORAD, was submitted for approval in November 2023. Following approval, contracts have recently been placed and further spend will support the Weapon systems development for Mounted SHORAD.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_2

Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nuclear site events there were at (a) Coulport and (b) Faslane in the last 12 months. \p Maria Eagle: The table below shows the number of Nuclear Site Event Reports (NSERs) at Coulport and Faslane recorded between 22 April 2024 to 22 April 2025. These are shown according to agreed categorisation:

Nuclear Site Events- 2024 22/04/2024 - 31/12/2024

Category A

Category B

Category C

Category D

Below Scale

Coulport

0

0

9

25

1

Faslane

0

3

22

58

36

Nuclear Site Events- 2025 01/01/2025 - 22/04/2025

Category A

Category B

Category C

Category D

Below Scale

Coulport

0

0

4

9

0

Faslane

1

2

7

13

5

In line with Industry Good Practice and in common with other defence and civil nuclear sites, His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde has a well-established system for raising NSERs.

NSERs are raised to foster a robust safety culture that learns from experience, whether that is of equipment failures, human error, procedural failings, documentation shortcomings or near-misses.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_3

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to procure the MQ-9B Sea Protector variant for use by the Royal Navy. \p Maria Eagle: The Royal Navy has a requirement for Carrier Strike Airborne Early Warning following the planned withdrawal of the Crowsnest Airborne Early Warning system when it reaches the end of its service life. A market survey is being conducted to identify suitable solutions to fulfil this requirement. This will aid refinement of the requirements and determine the availability of credible choices based on their performance, availability and wider benefits such as to UK industry and the Government’s sustainability agenda.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_4

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of the weaponary gifted to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. \p Luke Pollard: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2025 to Question 46206.

The UK continues to work with our Ukrainian partners to identify the capabilities they need to counter Russian aggression. We will not provide further details of vehicle or equipment due to security classification.

Ukraine: Motor Vehicles (docx, 29.0KB)
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_5

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 May 2025 on Veterans Support, HCWS619, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this announcement on Op COURAGE. \p Al Carns: VALOUR is a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. A new VALOUR HQ within the Ministry of Defence, a network of field officers, regional VALOUR-recognised support centres, and development funding to support local delivery will be established, overseen by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs. VALOUR will foster the enterprising spirit of veteran charities, better connect local and national services and ensure veterans’ support is data driven.

VALOUR will ensure that services such as Op COURAGE are connected with others so that veterans receive the support they require.