theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_298

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to discuss support for the ceramics industry in relation to rises in energy costs. \p Sarah Jones: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

Companies in the ceramics sector are eligible to apply to the British Industry Supercharger scheme, which has provided energy bill support to hundreds of firms in energy intensive sectors. Financial relief to support energy intensive industries with electricity costs is worth £470 million per year through a mixture of spending and bill discounts.

I meet frequently with representatives of the ceramics sector to discuss challenges faced by manufacturers, including high energy costs. Government is committed to continuing to listen and engage with the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Joe Morris:To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for violence against women and girls in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East, and (e) England. \p Lucy Rigby: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a national emergency and through the Safer Streets Mission, this Government has committed to halve VAWG within a decade. A key part will be delivering effective prosecutions.

As Solicitor General, I superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is continuing to transform its approach to adult rape prosecution through the implementation of their national operating model, based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria, resulting in substantial increases in referral, charge, and prosecution volumes for adult rape.

The Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan, launched with policing in November 2024, has also led to better partnership with policing and modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.

Work has also begun to deliver the CPS’ VAWG Strategy for 2025-30, ensuring prosecutors have the right skills and tools to prosecute VAWG effectively.

In the Northumbria police force area in 2023-24, the CPS prosecuted 1,840 domestic abuse flagged cases (an increase from 1,631 in 2022-23), 124 rape flagged cases (an increase from 86 in 2022-23), and 389 sexual offences (excluding rape flagged) cases (an increase from 375 in 2022-23).

CPS North East (which covers Hexham, Northumberland and Newcastle) was a pilot area for Operation Soteria and early implementors of the rape national model. They are now a pilot area for the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan proactively encouraging collaborative working to improve the quality and timeliness of decision-making in domestic abuse cases.

The same area has also worked closely with local forces to restructure governance structures to drive up performance, including regular scrutiny panels on domestic abuse and rape cases attended by local Independent Sexual Violence Advisers and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in her Department. \p Lucy Rigby: We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

Additionally, a new cross-government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, the ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA), will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026.

In addition, my department continues to offer apprenticeship opportunities each year. Given the size of the Attorney General’s Office (approximately 60 staff) this number can vary. We currently have one apprentice.
wrans/answers2025-05-22 conversation_301
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants in his Department are employed in (a) Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh, (b) Dover House on Whitehall and (c) other locations in London. \p Ian Murray: As at 31 March 2025, the Scotland Office had 47 civil servants based at Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh and 38 civil servants based at Dover House, Whitehall, London. The Office does not have civil servants based at any other locations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-22)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what information the Electoral Commission holds on the average cost to local authorities for holding (a) Parliamentary and (b) local authority by-elections, broken down by local authority ward. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Electoral Commission does not hold data on the average cost to local authorities for holding elections. Local authorities are responsible for managing the costs of elections within their area and hold their own local data. The cost of conducting UK parliamentary elections is paid for by the UK Government through the Consolidated Fund, while local elections are paid for directly from the individual local authority budgets.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) produces a report on the costs of each UK parliamentary general election, including a breakdown of costs by category, such as staff costs and equipment. The report for the 2024 UK parliamentary general election will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of the drones that have been supplied to Ukraine were manufactured in the UK. \p Luke Pollard: Where the UK's drone industry can meet Ukraine's drone requirements, the Ministry of Defence sources from UK industry, and this is true of the majority of the spend on drone procurements for Ukraine.

As stated by the Defence Secretary at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 4 June, where he pledged £350 million investment into drones this financial year, the majority of the spend is with British companies. The proportion of drone spending spent with UK suppliers has varied year on year but this financial year we are on track to spend over 70% through UK suppliers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned delivery timeline is for all variants of vehicles within the Armoured Cavalry Programme between (a) 21 July and 31 December 2025 and (b) 2026 and beyond. \p Maria Eagle: The Armoured Cavalry Programme plans to deliver a further 55 platforms between July 2025 and December 2025. 182 platforms will be delivered by the end of 2025. A breakdown by variant is provided below.

AJAX

26

ARES

5

APOLLO

1

ATLAS

10

ATHENA

13

ARGUS

0

It is anticipated that a further 110 platforms will be delivered in 2026, with the remaining 297 platforms delivered by 2028.

To ensure alignment to the Army fielding plan and Defence priorities, the variant mix of vehicles is reviewed and agreed annually.

The programme remains on track to deliver all 589 vehicles by September 2029 as contracted.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring a mortar-capable variant of Ares. \p Maria Eagle: No internal assessment has been made regarding the merits of procuring a mortar-capable variant of ARES.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether anti-tank (Javelin) platoons within armoured infantry battalions will be equipped with (a) Ares or (b) Boxer. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 66728, which explains that the Army continues to undergo a combined programme of work to ensure our Land Forces will have lethality, protection and mobility to fight and win against any adversary. As part of this programme of work, the Army intends to equip anti-tank platoons with Ajax and Boxer. However, design of the full force structure remains ongoing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ares armoured vehicles have been ordered by his Department. \p Maria Eagle: 93 ARES vehicles have been ordered as part of the Armoured Cavalry Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of planned infrastructure upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard; whether those upgrades include the (a) removal and (b) treatment of legacy radioactive materials; and how many redundant nuclear-powered submarines are docked at that facility. \p Maria Eagle: The cost of planned infrastructure upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard are £340 million. The cost includes the requirement to deliver a contingent docking facility for HMS DREADNOUGHT during its sea trial period.

The Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) includes infrastructure works at Rosyth to enable the removal and processing of all legacy radioactive waste from dismantled submarines. Activity at Rosyth has begun, with HMS Swiftsure being dismantled and a further six decommissioned nuclear submarines awaiting disposal. The above costings include the elements of the SDP that are being undertaken at Rosyth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of infrastructure improvement works at HMNB Devonport; and whether those works involve the (a) removal, (b) containment and (c) replacement of equipment identified as radioactively contaminated. \p Maria Eagle: The current estimate for the costs of infrastructure improvement works at Devonport including the Naval Base and Dockyard are £5 billion. This important activity, which includes works at HMNB Devonport and investment in Devonport Dockyard, will support the Royal Navy’s military outputs for decades to come.

These works include areas of the Nuclear Authorised and Licensed Sites at Devonport and will include the removal, upgrade and replacement of equipment/systems which have been identified as radioactive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project Brynja. \p Maria Eagle: These projects are not formal projects within a broader programme. It is activity conducted by the Field Army that codifies ‘bottom-up’ efforts to improve how a modernised armoured battlegroup fights, through experimentation and innovation.

Any outputs will inform adjustments to the design of the future Army and how it trains, what equipment it uses and how, optimised structures, and better threat analysis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Establishment Management Plan at HMNB Clyde includes actions to monitor and manage any potential discharges of radioactive material into surrounding environments. \p Maria Eagle: The Establishment Management Plan (EMP) at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde does not include actions to monitor and manage any potential discharges of radioactive material into surrounding environments. Its focus is on maintaining safe, secure, and high-quality estate, buildings, and infrastructure. Whilst the EMP is not a nuclear safety document it will be informed by, and take into consideration, regulatory requirements.

While the treatment of radioactive material is outside of the scope of the EMP, I can confirm handling radioactive substances safely and securely at HMNB Clyde are of the utmost importance. HMNB Clyde engages frequently with regulators to ensure it is discharging its responsibilities in compliance with regulations concerning the treatment of radioactive materials. There are extant Defence and independent monitoring programmes in place also.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what components of the Challenger 3 will have been manufactured in the UK; and what other industrial processes associated with the programme will have taken place in the UK during its (a) demonstration and (b) manufacturing phase. \p Maria Eagle: The design, development and manufacture of the Challenger 3 tank is being undertaken by RBSL from its sites in Telford, Shropshire and Washington, Tyne and Wear. Challenger 3 sub-system design and manufacturing, including the fabrication of the turret structure and manufacture of the sighting systems, is being carried out by the wider UK supply chain.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the final fatigue index is of all remaining Royal Air Force Tranche 1 Typhoons. \p Maria Eagle: The final fatigue index of the remaining Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft remains in line with the response given to Question 19681 on 21 June 2022 to the hon member for Angus (Mr Doogan).

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-06-16/19681
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Tranche (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 3A Typhoons are in service with the Royal Air Force. \p Maria Eagle: The table below details the number of Typhoon aircraft currently in service with the Royal Air Force.

Tranche 1

Tranche 2

Tranche 3

4

67

40

The Royal Air Force does not have any Tranche 3A Typhoon aircraft.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out-of-service date is of all (a) Tranche 1, (b) Tranche 2 and (c) Tranche 3/3A Typhoons. \p Maria Eagle: The planned out-of-service dates for the RAF's fleet of Typhoon aircraft are given below:

Out of Service

Tranche 1 2027

Tranche 2 2040

Tranche 3 2040

The RAF does not have any Typhoon Tranche 3A aircraft.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of Tranche 1 Typhoons have been scrapped as of 1 July 2025. \p Maria Eagle: 26 of the 30 Tranche 1 Typhoon aircraft have been scrapped as of 1 July 2025; this equates to 87% of the Tranche 1 fleet.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost is of the warhead dismantlement programme across Atomic Weapons Establishment sites; and what protocols are in place for the secure (a) handling, (b) storage and (c) disposal of radioactive materials. \p Maria Eagle: The Mk4 warhead components are being disassembled and re-used, recycled or safely disposed of at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield site, following the transition to the Mk4A warhead in 2023. The cost of disassembling our nuclear warheads and details around the reuse of components are being withheld for national security reasons.

AWE is committed to the safe and secure handling, storage and disposal of radioactive materials, and this activity is regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's planned timetable is for awarding the contract for the New Medium Helicopter. \p Maria Eagle: The New Medium Helicopter programme is an initiative to acquire a modern medium-lift support helicopter, addressing multiple rotary wing requirements to improve efficiency and operational flexibility.

All capability requirements, including the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme, are being considered as part of the Government's Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Investment Plan which is due to be published later in the year. The NMH programme is currently awaiting Government approval which must be allowed to complete before a decision on contract award is made. Whilst this approval process continues, the Ministry of Defence cannot comment further.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of replacing the L3A1 socket bayonet as part of Project Grayburn. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on the 28 April 2025 to Question 45196.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-04-08/45196#
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the £400m Afghan Response Route funds announced on the 15 July 2025 was classified as Official Development Assistance in each year of operation; and from which Departments’ budgets it was sourced. \p Luke Pollard: No money spent on relocation or resettlement in the UK as a result of the data loss incident is being paid for out of the Official Development Assistance budget.

HM Treasury included the cost of Afghan resettlement schemes, including the ARR, in the spending audit in July 2024, we have since fully funded the cost of the resettlement schemes as part of the 2025 Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of dismantling the pressurised water reactors from redundant submarines at (a) Devonport Dockyard and (b) Rosyth Dockyard; and what ongoing collaboration exists between the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in relation to this work. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 65493 from the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) on 14 July 2025.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-07-07/65493#
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising manufacturers based in the UK for (a) defence and (b) aerospace procurements. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence is actively prioritising UK businesses and manufacturing through its Defence Industrial Strategy, aiming to boost economic growth and national security. This strategy focuses on supporting domestic businesses, fostering innovation, and enhancing the UK's sovereign defence capabilities, including in the aerospace sector (eg GCAP, Typhoon upgrades).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many buildings managed by his Department have been found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Maria Eagle: The Defence Infrastructure Organisation determined what buildings on Ministry of Defence land might potentially contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) material based on the period in which they were constructed and their construction type.

Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using RAAC.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number of buildings owned by his Department that have asbestos. \p Maria Eagle: We take the health and safety of our Service personnel and defence employees extremely seriously and have robust procedures around managing asbestos which comply with Health and Safety regulations.

We are responsible for circa 1,967 sites and each building with confirmed asbestos is listed on the relevant site asbestos register. This data is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of procuring an order of Tranche 4 Typhoons for the Royal Air Force. \p Maria Eagle: The 2025 Strategic Defence Review described the increasingly demanding threat environments in which UK Defence will operate. The Defence Investment Plan will analyse this changing threat and determine our future mix of 4th and 5th generation combat aircraft, in order to provide the UK the most relevant and capable Combat Air capability. As part of the four Partner-Nation Eurofighter Programme, the UK is committed to upgrades to ensure the Typhoon aircraft remains competitive into the future, including the introduction of the European Common Radar Standard 2 radar.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 67746 on Military Aircraft, whether any aircraft leasing contracts include the provision of ground crew services. \p Maria Eagle: Yes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 60432 on Ajax Vehicles, if she will list the journalists invited to Bovington to (a) attend and (b) observe activities relating to the Ajax armoured vehicle programme since 1 February 2025. \p Maria Eagle: Journalists are routinely present at events where Ajax is demonstrated and/or discussed. Ajax is currently in the manufacturing and fielding platforms to the Army phase of the programme. Since 1 February 2025, there have been no Ajax-specific events to which to invite journalists.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of contracts awarded by his Department were given to (a) UK and (b) non-UK companies in the last 12 months. \p Maria Eagle: The Department records contract awards based on the administrative address provided in the supplier’s successful tender. However, the actual delivery of goods or services may be carried out by an international parent company. To ensure accurate reporting of economic impact and regional value within the UK, we compile contractual statistics based on the location where the services are delivered.

Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, the Department awarded a total of 2,674 contracts, with a combined value of £23 billion. Of these:

The remaining 1,256 contracts, representing £3 billion, are currently undergoing reconciliation to determine the actual location of the supply base.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of reliance on Chinese-made drones on levels of risk for defence procurement. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews its critical supply chains to identify and mitigate risks to defence capability.

The Department does not procure Chinese manufactured drones for use in operations.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of procurement contracts were awarded to UK companies in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Maria Eagle: Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. This includes a note of the winning supplier. (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to improve the domestic (a) development, (b) production and (c) delivery of autonomous systems for service in the Royal Air Force. \p Maria Eagle: The Strategic Defence Review recognised that the RAF must stay at the leading edge of Combat Air's evolution, through the transition from exclusively crewed Combat Air platforms to a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with a mix of crewed, uncrewed, and increasingly autonomous platforms, integrated into the UK's digital targeting web.

Both Protector and Stormshroud, the RAF’s first ACP, entered service this year, the latter being an excellent example of how the RAF is taking modernising its approach to autonomous systems, by combining expertise of the RAF, the Governments Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and UK industry.

The RAF are committed to the exploitation of autonomy and other complimentary technologies in a range of systems, delivering effects across the Air domain. The pace of adoption will be facilitated by the Defence Investment Plan, due for publication later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Investment Plan will be published before the rise of the House on 18 December 2025. \p Maria Eagle: We expect to publish the Defence Investment Plan this autumn, before the Christmas recess period.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Minister for Defence Procurement plans to respond to the hon. Member for South Suffolk's letter dated 1 July 2025. \p Maria Eagle: I responded to the hon. Member’s letter of 1 July 2025 on 29 July 2025. This was within 20 working days of receipt, in accordance with longstanding policy.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what engagement he has had with local authorities on the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant. \p Al Carns: In developing policy areas for the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty Extension, Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials conducted an extensive programme of research and engagement. This included hosting roundtable discussions and workshops with more than 150 organisations, including a wide range of local authorities.

This engagement is ongoing as the Extension to the Legal Duty progresses, with MOD officials maintaining regular engagement with key stakeholders, including Local Government Associations across the Devolved Administrations. I would encourage local authorities to continue participating with this engagement as we move to implementation.

In addition, as well as organising an annual Conference, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders including local government representatives and Armed Forces Champions from across the nation to share best practices in delivering the Covenant, the MOD also co-chairs the Covenant Community Action Group (CCAG) which serves as a platform for local authority champions to exchange knowledge and showcase their initiatives. The CCAG meets quarterly and includes membership from local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned studies into unidentified anomalous phenomena since 2013. \p Luke Pollard: The Department has not conducted or commissioned any studies into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the specified operational locations are which qualify service personnel to receive the Operational Allowance. \p Al Carns: The number of Service personnel who have received tax free operational allowance in each of the last five financial years including the financial year 2025-26 to date, can be found in the table below.

Financial Year

Number of Employees

2020-21

5336

2021-22

5283

2022-23

3015

2023-24

2108

2024-25

2525

2025-26 to date

435

Service personnel on deployed operations in the following Specified Operational Locations (SOL) qualify for the payment of Operational Allowance:

Chad (all locations)

Egypt (Sinai only)

Iraq (all locations)

Mali (all locations)

Somalia (all locations)

South Sudan (all locations)

Democratic Republic of Congo (Goma only)

Lebanon (Naquora only) – backdated to 7 Oct 23

Red Sea (within operational areas) – backdated to 19 Oct 23

I am withholding the names of some locations for the purpose of safeguarding national security, as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_35
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_35

Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the relocation of Armed Forces personnel causing families to lose their place in the waiting list for NHS dental provision in their new location; and what requirements the Armed Forces Covenant makes on this matter. \p Al Carns: The Armed Forces Covenant requires organisations to give due regard to the principle that Service personnel and their families should face no disadvantage when developing, delivering, and reviewing policies and decisions that may impact the Armed Forces community. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to supporting the Armed Forces community under the Armed Forces Covenant and as announced by the Prime Minister in June, work is currently underway to put the Covenant fully into law. This means that the Legal Duty will apply across 14 broad policy areas, increasing from three, applying also to Central Government, Devolved Governments and at a local level.

The MOD recognises that, while there are challenges in accessing NHS dental care nationally, these difficulties are often exacerbated by the mobile nature of Service life. Defence actively works in close partnership with the NHS and other government departments to address these issues and explore solutions to improve access to essential services for Service families. Families of Service personnel who are currently receiving dental treatment in the UK and are about to be mobilised, or are returning from overseas can contact NHS England at xxx@xxx.xx for advice on continuity of care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_36

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support he is providing to the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that group on prosecutions for war crimes committed in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK, in partnership with the EU and the US, launched the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) in May 2022. Its mission is to support the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (OPG), and to ensure efficient coordination of our respective support to accountability efforts on the ground, including facilitating the deployment of financial resources and skilled personnel. UK funding for this work has totalled £6.2 million to date. ACA has made significant progress in supporting the OPG, including through the case-mapping and prioritisation of over 170,000 recorded atrocity crimes. ACA's Mobile Justice Teams operate on the ground across Ukraine to support OPG investigations, including in areas such as evidence collection and case building.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_37
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_37

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to increase support for international justice initiatives aimed at prosecuting people responsible for (a) war crimes and (b) crimes against humanity in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. As early as February 2022, the UK led efforts to expedite an ICC investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The ICC's investigation is ongoing, with several arrest warrants already issued.

The UK has led the way in ensuring the ICC has the resources and support necessary to conduct its independent investigations, including by seconding personnel to support the Ukraine investigation. The UK is one of the Court's major funders, providing £13.6 million to the annual budget in 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_38

Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on improving sexual and reproductive health by implementing the programme entitled Strengthening grassroots organisations and countering efforts to roll back. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is working with other governments globally to protect and progress sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including through diplomacy and ODA programming. In December 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme, which includes support to high-level cross country political coordination to defend and progress SRHR. The programme also works with other government donors in support of pooled funds, including the Robert Carr Fund, which strengthens, connects and amplifies bottom-up efforts to change laws and policies, improve accountability and expand access to services, including for the most marginalised people.

The Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls on 08 March 2025. She met international counterparts and programme partners at a Wilton Park meeting on SRHR in June 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_39
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_39

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support pandemic preparedness. \p Stephen Doughty: Strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is a priority for the Government. Through our multilateral and bilateral programming and working across Government and with our international partners we are helping to safeguard lives and economic stability in the UK and globally from pandemic threats. The UK's role in helping secure the recent adoption of the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in May 2025 and our support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Gavi are examples of this effort.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_40
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_40

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has implemented the recommendations of the Second Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 2021-22 on Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond, HC 198, published on 29 June 2021. \p Catherine West: The UK has carefully considered and implemented several of the Foreign Affairs Committee's recommendations on responding to human rights violations in China since 2021. This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. In the recently published Trade Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade launched a Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) review to consider the effectiveness of the UK's current RBC measures and alternative policy options, including approaches to tackle forced labour.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_41

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made with international counterparts on cooperating to protect the human rights of Uyghurs. \p Catherine West: This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

We will continue to work closely with international partners in a number of areas, including holding China to account in international fora. For example, we joined a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. We also work together to monitor, expose and react to human rights violations in Xinjiang. This includes working with international partners to understand the impact and effectiveness of measures to combat forced labour.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_42
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_42

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what response he received from his Chinese counterparts on the concerns he raised about human rights abuses in Xinjiang in October 2024. \p Catherine West: I am not able to comment on the details of discussions with international counterparts. The effective conduct of the UK's international relations depends upon maintaining the trust and confidence of other states and international organisations.

This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_43
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_43

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that British businesses follow human rights obligations set out in the Second Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 2021-22 on Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond, HC 198, published on 29 June 2021. \p Catherine West: The UK has carefully considered and implemented several of the Foreign Affairs Committee's recommendations on responding to human rights violations in China since 2021. This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

Regarding recommendations on forced labour and the business sector, this Government has launched a Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) review to consider the effectiveness of the UK's current RBC measures and alternative policy options, including approaches to tackle forced labour. There are a number of ways in which HMG currently tackles the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains. The Overseas Business Risk Guidance makes clear to UK companies the risk of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions. The UK also has reporting requirements for companies with a turnover of £36 million or more under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_44

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) diplomats and (b) heads of mission on promoting freedom of religion or belief overseas. \p Stephen Doughty: In June 2025, Lord Collins, the Minister for Africa, wrote to all Heads of Mission to underline the importance of embedding our human rights priorities - including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) - into every aspect of our work. On 8 July 2025, the UK Special Envoy for FoRB and Lord Collins outlined the UK's approach to FoRB at an event for stakeholders and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff. Both speeches were published on GOV.UK and shared with all our diplomatic posts.

FoRB is incorporated within FCDO's broader human rights training programme. This includes workshops on religious or belief engagement for staff delivered in the UK and overseas. We also provide several additional tools for staff, particularly those based overseas, to support work on FoRB, including a FoRB Toolkit, scale of persecution and framework for FoRB reporting.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_45

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with African Union partners to help meet commitments under the Abuja declaration. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is actively supporting African Union partners to achieve the global health commitments outlined in the Abuja Declaration and the 2023 Lusaka Agenda, including by allocating 15 per cent of their annual budget to health. We are providing ongoing support to African partners such as Ghana and Nigeria as they work to increase domestic health resourcing and maximise its effectiveness. Internationally, we are seeking to reform the global health architecture and agree a clearer approach for aligned international investments in domestic health systems; we co-sponsored a landmark resolution on health financing at the World Health Organisation last year.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_46

Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles by the Metropolitan Police. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary has not had any conversations with his Israeli counterpart on the purchase of Plesan Sandcat armoured vehicles. Questions of police procurement are for the Home Secretary.