theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on steps to help reduce investigation times by the SRA. \p Sarah Sackman: The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of government. The responsibility of regulating the sector sits with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). This framework is set out in the Legal Services Act 2007.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and Law firms in England and Wales.

As part of its role, the SRA investigates consumers’ complaints when allegations of solicitor misconduct are made. It has a number of disciplinary powers, including the power to issue fines and refer an individual to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll. If someone wishes to complain about the conduct of a solicitor to the SRA, they can do so via the following link: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.

The SRA aims to complete 93% of investigations within 12 months, 95% within 18 months and 98% within 24 months. A small number of more complex investigations, especially those leading to prosecution before the SDT, may take longer. The SRA have confirmed that they are generally meeting or exceeding these targets.  The SRA has seen a rise in reports of solicitors’ misconduct and is taking steps to manage this increase though increasing resource in its investigation teams. It is also continuing to seek improvements in both the quality and timeliness of its investigation work.

Given the independence of the regulators, it would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to interfere with the process of the SRA’s investigations. However, the Ministry of Justice maintains regular dialogue with the legal regulators in respect of their statutory functions. This ensures that regulatory independence is respected while also supporting the wider objective of protecting consumers and maintaining public confidence in the justice system. Within this context, I will raise whether investigation timeframes could be made more ambitious at my next meeting with the SRA.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department tracks the locations of foreign national offenders following release. \p Jake Richards: Foreign national offenders (FNOs), if not detained under immigration powers, are released on licence at the conclusion of the custodial element of their sentence, under the supervision of the Probation Service.

They are subject to licence conditions to protect the public, reduce re-offending, and enable them to be supervised effectively in the community. These conditions can be varied during the licence period, if necessary, to reflect any change in level of risk.

The licence conditions include a requirement for FNOs to inform the Probation Service of their address and obtain prior approval for any change. The Probation Service liaises with the police during the address approval process, to ensure the address is suitable, and to safeguard the public. Any unauthorised change of address would constitute a breach of licence. Enforcement action may include recall to custody.

Where standard conditions are insufficient to manage risk, additional licence conditions may be imposed, such as restrictions on movement, contact, or residence, and the use of GPS tagging. GPS tagging is applied only where it is assessed as necessary and proportionate to the individual’s level of risk.

The Probation Service’s supervision of FNOs runs in parallel with any action on deportation being undertaken by the Home Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials in his Department have faced disciplinary action following the mistaken release of asylum seekers convicted of criminal offences in each of the last five years. \p Jake Richards: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of foreign national offenders released in error were awaiting deportation at the time of release in each of the last five years. \p Jake Richards: We regularly publish information on releases in error but this does not show how many of these releases relate to foreign nationals or the proportion of such offenders who were awaiting deportation at the time of release.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We are also rightly deporting foreign national offenders faster than ever.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new prison places have been approved since 5 July 2024. \p Jake Richards: Between 5 July 2024 and 7 November 2025, HM Treasury has approved the Full Business Cases for the delivery of c.1,200 new prison places.

These places are part of the 14,000 additional places this Government committed to delivering in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. We are currently on track to deliver these by 2031, with the expectation they will be operational by 2032. Under this Government, c.2,600 places have already been delivered.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what locations he plans to create new prison places. \p Jake Richards: As set out in the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and are on track to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

The remaining places will be delivered across the following regions, rounded to the nearest 50 places:

HMPPS Region

Places

North East

650

North West

2,900

Midlands

2,800

Wales

350

South East & East

2,400

South West & Central

3,250

This breakdown represents current projections and may vary in response to changes in programme scope or delivery constraints. Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, totals exceed the 14,000 place commitment.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release entitled UK and Albania agree groundbreaking new arrangement on prisoner transfers, published on 24 May 2023, how many prisoners have been transferred under the agreement with Albania since 31 December 2024. \p Jake Richards: Since 31 December 2024, six Albanian national offenders have been transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early from prison, and it is more suited to those serving longer sentences. The Government pursues removal through all available mechanisms. The latest Home Office data indicate that 1,625 Albanian foreign national offenders were removed from England and Wales in 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what communications protocols exist between his Department and the Home Office to prevent the erroneous release of asylum-seeker prisoners. \p Jake Richards: The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the level of remuneration for expert witnesses in family cases. \p Sarah Sackman: Between January 2023 and March 2025, the Ministry of Justice undertook a comprehensive review of civil legal aid. This included family legal aid. The evidence from the review indicated that the housing and debt, and immigration and asylum sectors face particularly acute challenges with service provision and high demand.

Following a consultation, we recently announced uplifts to housing and debt, and immigration and asylum legal aid fees, which will inject £20 million into the sector each year once fully implemented.

The Government keeps legal aid policy, including family legal aid and remuneration for expert witnesses, under review.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts in the North East. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government is committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the court system.  This is being delivered through a combination of increased funding and improving efficiency. In the North East, specifically, the Government is taking the following steps:

CRIMINAL COURTS

For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 111,250 sitting days this year, 5,000 higher than the previous Government funded in the last financial year.

As a result of increased government funding, the North East circuit will sit an extra 1,500 days in FY25/26, taking the total to around 15,000 days.

In the magistrates’ courts, we continue to recruit trainee legal advisers and magistrates to deal with the increasing levels of cases coming into the courts.

FAMILY COURTS

The North East has strengthened arrangements between the judiciary and HMCTS operational teams. This collaborative approach ensures early triage of applications, timely allocation of judicial resources, and improved scheduling of hearings. By jointly reviewing case readiness and safeguarding information at the outset, courts are better able to identify appropriate pathways, reduce unnecessary delays, and maintain progress toward the 16-week measure.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce court delays in relation to hearings for possession orders for anti-social behaviour. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not currently collect or publish data broken down by the specific grounds used in possession claims, such as anti-social behaviour.

The Civil Procedure Rules stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks. The most recent published statistics, covering the period April to June 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.9 weeks, consistent with the same period in 2024. The timeliness of subsequent enforcement of an order, where this is required, can be influenced by the actions of users as well as the court. Less than 25% of possession claims require progression to enforcement.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 which has recently received Royal Assent, will shorten the notice period for the existing mandatory anti-social behaviour eviction ground. As soon as landlords have served their notice for eviction to the tenant for anti-social behaviour using this ground, they can begin possession proceedings through the court immediately.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 84015 on Legal Aid Scheme: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, what criteria the Legal Aid Agency uses to assess the adequacy of access to legal aid services in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Sarah Sackman: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 7 November to Question 86918.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of waiting times at the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Chamber) on claimants’ financial wellbeing. \p Sarah Sackman: Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

The Ministry of Justice is working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.

The Department continues to invest in improving tribunal capacity and productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. We expect these actions to have a positive effect, improving timeliness and overall performance in the Social Entitlement Chamber.

The Ministry of Justice has not conducted assessments of the impact of tribunal waiting times on claimants but we recognise the potential negative impacts and uncertainty for individuals waiting for their appeal to be resolved.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times a court has cited (a) Article 3 and (b) Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights as a reason for the non-deportation of an asylum seeker in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Sackman: The information requested is not held centrally. It may be held in court records, but to determine that and obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward legalisation to expunge the criminal records of victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation which were obtained during the period of abuse. \p Alex Davies-Jones: We already have an appeals system in place which can quash convictions of victims of child sexual exploitation, so no legislation is needed to expunge criminal records.

My officials are working with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to ensure it is properly resourced to review the applications from victims who believe they were unjustly convicted when their position as a victim was not properly understood. Where appropriate, the CCRC will then refer individual convictions to the relevant appeal court.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether funding for (a) immediate humanitarian needs and (b) crisis support is provided through the budget for Official Development Assistance. \p Chris Elmore: Yes.
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Sir Edward Leigh:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterparts on the detention of Pastor Jin Mingri; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure his release. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 75048.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the US government shutdown on (a) sanctions coordination, (b) security cooperation and (c) other joint UK–US foreign policy initiatives. \p Stephen Doughty: We remain in constant contact with our US counterparts on a range of joint foreign policy initiatives and priorities.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the targeting of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 70115.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many flights were arranged to bring UK citizens home from impacted areas following Hurricane Melissa. \p Chris Elmore: It is expected that airlines, travel operators and travellers will routinely consider the latest Travel Advice provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) before taking their travel decisions. The FCDO provided regularly updated information and advice in relation to Hurricane Melissa between 22 October and 2 November.

The FCDO arranged for one commercial charter flight to support British nationals and other eligible persons who wanted to return from Jamaica to the UK during that period, which departed from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport on Saturday 1 November. Commercial options were available shortly thereafter resulting in low demand for further FCDO flights.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department has to publish (a) performance data and (b) impact evaluations of programmes funded through Official Development Assistance. \p Chris Elmore: As set out in the Programme Operating Framework (published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-programme-operating-framework) - all Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) programmes are required to have a monitoring framework and to report on performance through annual reviews.

The FCDO Evaluation Policy requires publication of evaluation by default and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-evaluation-policy-2025.

All planned, live and completed evaluations are registered on the Government Evaluation Registry.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to safeguard budgets for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning within aid programmes. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she received on 6 May 2025 in response to Question 48105.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her polices of reports that UK weapons are being used in the Sudanese conflict. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the protection of Christians in Sri Lanka. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK supports the right to freedom of religion or belief for all and regularly raises the importance of religious tolerance and the protection of rights for all Sri Lankans to practise their faith. Our High Commission in Colombo regularly meet government and religious leaders, including affected minorities and civil society, to hear their concerns and support interfaith dialogues and counter discrimination work based on religion or belief. During her visit to Sri Lanka in January 2025, the former Minister for the Indo-Pacific met activists working on freedom of religion or belief issues to reaffirm the UK's commitment to protecting these fundamental rights. More recently, the Minister for the Indo-Pacific met the Sri Lankan Speaker, Justice Minister and wider ministerial delegation in October and discussed the importance of respecting human rights and having an inclusive and transparent process as part of Sri Lanka's reconciliation.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff in her Department have language proficiency in Ukrainian at (a) CEFR level C1 and (b) higher. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 6 November in response to Question 86285.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to help tackle (a) religious persecution and (b) violence in (i) northern and (ii) central Nigeria. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November to Question 85661.
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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82284 on Russia: Sudan, what steps she is taking with international partners to (a) monitor and (b) respond to the involvement of (i) the Africa Corps, (ii) other parts of the Russian military and (iii) other foreign nations in the conflict in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.
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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82283 on Sudan: Arms Trade, what assessment she has made of the (a) role of the UAE in supplying weapons to warring parties in Sudan and (b) risk of British weapons being used in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.
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Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the reported attacks by the Armenian government against the Armenian Apostolic Church; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure its protection. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is monitoring the situation between the Armenian Government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We expect all actions to comply with Armenia's constitutional and legal framework, allowing due process to take its course and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly under the law, with judicial proceedings remaining transparent and impartial. The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief worldwide.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her (a) officials leading the UK's geographic and atrocity prevention thematic response and (b) diplomatic counterparts on options for protecting civilians in (i) El Fasher, (ii) Tawila, and (iii) across Darfur. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK’s commitments at the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit are implemented through integration with (a) education, (b) immunisation, and (c) other relevant areas of development policy. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is a global leader in nutrition and continues to prioritise nutrition integration across sectors. At the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, the UK launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration, encouraging all 86 signatories to integrate nutrition into sectors such as education and health, for example through GAVI's Immunisation Nutrition Integration work. Since 2021 the FCDO has adopted a Nutrition Policy Marker, which prompts teams to consider nutrition objectives and integration during programme design. This is applied across programmes on early childhood development, food and agriculture, and social protection that are delivered bilaterally or through multilateral partners.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of steps taken by the US to discourage third countries from engaging with (a) the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade and (b) other Cuban international medical cooperation programmes on health outcomes in Cuba. \p Chris Elmore: The UK continues to support access to essential health services, alongside transparency and ethical labour standards, and there is no reason those objectives should not be compatible.
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Steff Aquarone:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories on the effective prosecution of fraud and economic crime. \p Stephen Doughty: This Government regards registers of beneficial ownership as key tools for tackling illicit finance, including investigating fraud and economic crime by law enforcement both in the UK and the Overseas Territories (OTs). The UK expects OTs to implement legitimate interest access registers at a minimum, and as soon as possible, in line with the commitments made at the Joint Ministerial Council in 2024. Our ultimate expectation is that the OTs implement fully public registers. I refer the Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July on this subject, and my contribution to the Westminster Hall debate on 5 November. I will provide a further update following the Joint Ministerial Council this month.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support mass atrocity prevention in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 30 October 2025.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Department has assessed trends in global audience reach for state-controlled international broadcasters based in (a) Russia and (b) China over the last 10 years. \p Chris Elmore: Details of funding and audience reach for the BBC World Service are published in the BBC's Annual Report and Accounts, available on the organisation's website. We do not centrally collate the equivalent data for Russian and Chinese state broadcasters.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the US was charged for the use of Diego Garcia as a military base for each of the last five financial years. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon Member to the answer to question 81887 on 22 October.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK's role in supporting private sector investment in global health initiatives. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to her on 12 May in response to Question 49375.
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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will consider adding Sudan as a focus country within the Women Peace and Security National Action Plan. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is appalled at the severe impact of the conflict in Sudan on women and girls, including widespread sexual violence.

Through our leadership roles at the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, we have championed evidence collection and accountability. On 6 October, the UK led efforts to renew the mandate of the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), the only independent mechanism preserving evidence of atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence. We also fund a specialist Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) investigator within the FFM and are deploying a UK secondee to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Darfur investigation.

On 1 November, the Foreign Secretary announced an additional £5 million to support critical humanitarian services in Sudan, £2 million of which will be specifically allocated to bolster responses which focus on supporting the survivors of rape and sexual violence. This is in addition to the £120 million in UK funding already allocated for Sudan this year, including support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

We directly support women and girls through our programming, including the Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme which provides sexual and reproductive services to women, girls, persons living with disability and men, with UK aid delivered in camps for IDPs and elsewhere. Through our Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) programme, the UK is providing an additional £4.95 million until March 2026 to support 100,000 women and girls with a range of services to prevent and respond to FGM, child marriage and gender-based violence. This brings the total UK support delivered through this programme to £19.95 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_399

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consideration her Department has given to exploring new minilateral partnerships to deliver aid. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps all aspects of its Official Development Assistance programmes under review to ensure the maximum impact on our objectives, in consultation with other government departments and a wide range of other stakeholders.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_400

Kevin McKenna:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with (a) the World Health Organization, (b) Gavi and (c) the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to help eradicate polio. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 76022 on 17 September 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_401

Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has taken steps to help prevent the use of British weapons by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_402

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) other donor countries and (b) the private sector on encouraging further pledges to the Global Fund. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she received on 3 November in response to Question 84226.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_403

Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussion she has had with her counterparts at the UN on the resettlement of Rohingya refugees. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 77966 on 20 October 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_404

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to support representations for an independent investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in Tanzania since October 2025. \p Chris Elmore: Alongside her counterparts from Canada and Norway, the Foreign Secretary published a statement on 31 October, stating: "We are concerned by the situation in Tanzania following the national elections of 28 and 29 October. There are credible reports of a large number of fatalities and significant injuries, as a result of the security response to protests, which began on 29 October. We urge the authorities - as previously discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - to act with maximum restraint and respect the right of assembly and freedom of expression. We remain concerned that the run-up to the elections was marked by harassment, abductions and intimidation of opposition figures, journalists and civil society actors. We call on the Tanzanian authorities to uphold their international commitments and ensure that all citizens can participate freely and safely in public life." We are continuing to monitor the situation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_405

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the £40 million Trust Fund for Chagossians under the agreement with Mauritius forms part of the £40 million support package for Chagossians pledged in 2016. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to question 90351.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_406

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the protection of civilians following the capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces on 26 October. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_407

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support countries in determining their own healthcare partnerships without external interference. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is committed to modern development partnerships in health - designed with the Global South - with countries and communities at the heart of decision making, shaping systems that reflect their priorities and realities - not imposing our own. Our support of the Lusaka Agenda emphasises a coordinated approach focused on country priorities and supported by increasing domestic spending on health. In our work on health system strengthening we support country-led strategies, which include a focus on primary health care, as a cost-effective and equitable approach, and one which reflects our own reforms in the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_408

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ring-fencing funding for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning to (a) maintain accountability and (b) the evidence base for decisions on value for money. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she received on 6 May 2025 in response to Question 48105.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_409

Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase UK humanitarian aid to protect (a) women and (b) children targeted by sexual violence in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_410

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with Bangladeshi counterpart on the (a) proposed Islamist rally in Dhaka on 15 November and (b) protection of the Ahmadiyya community in that country. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question 87224.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_411

Jesse Norman:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on what statutory authority Companies House is able to exclude non-digital in-writing applications for director ID verification. \p Kate Dearden: The statutory authority for Companies House to exclude non-digital applications for identity verification is provided by sections 1068 and 1117 of the Companies Act 2006, which enable the registrar to impose requirements as to the form and manner of the delivery of applications via the registrar’s rules. Individuals can verify their identity through Companies House routes or via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. The verification process has been designed to be as straightforward and accessible as possible and where identity cannot be verified online, users may be directed to complete the process in person at a participating Post Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_412

Michelle Welsh:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure online retailers clearly disclose (a) international return locations and (b) costs before purchase. \p Kate Dearden: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions and omissions of material information, that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decision.

The DMCCA also requires traders, including online retailers, to display prices inclusive of all taxes and unavoidable charges before payment is made. Prices must be accurate and not misleading. Failure to do this may be taken as an unfair trading practice and constitute an offence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_413

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84448 on Timesharing: Regulation, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) extend the 14 day exit right in the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010. \p Kate Dearden: Enabling consumers to exit timeshares is a balance between protecting consumers wanting to leave and the interests of the business and those customers who remain and share admin costs. The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 provide significant protections, including stipulating the information consumers must be aware of prior to purchase and a 14 day right to exit. This exit timeframe is in line with other areas of consumer law, such as The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and not mis-sold.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_414

Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with local Chambers of Commerce on the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill. \p Kate Dearden: The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development of Make Work Pay policy and implementation. This will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill. We have engaged directly with over 250 stakeholders across 254 meetings since August 2024. We have engaged directly with 138 businesses of which 75 are Small and Medium Enterprises. Department officials meet routinely with the British Chambers of Commerce, as one of the key business stakeholders.

We will continue to work closely with businesses and business organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-17 conversation_415

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support pubs in Poole constituency. \p Kate Dearden: The Government recognises the vital role that pubs, restaurants and other food outlets play in local communities and the economy, including in the Poole constituency.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.