theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with officials within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on further housing development near Castleton Rail Station in Heywood and Middleton North constituency to support (a) local and (b) regional economic growth. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department is continuing to work with MHCLG and other partners to deliver a well-designed, integrated, and affordable transport network that plays a vital role in unlocking homes, and delivering wider benefits, including reducing congestion and emissions, promoting less sedentary lifestyles, and ensuring communities can access jobs and services.

As recently announced by the Chancellor, as part of the governments reform of the planning system, untapped land near commuter transport hubs will be unlocked for housing - with plans to consult in the Spring on a new, streamlined set of national policies for decision making to guide planning decisions taken by local authorities and promote housebuilding in key areas.

We will continue to work closely with the Mayor and local leaders across Greater Manchester, including those in Middleton and Heywood, to ensure these reforms maximise transport investment benefits for housing and growth.

We are providing substantial transport funding for the Greater Manchester region, including over £1bn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2022/23 – 2026/27. This includes the tram/train scheme from Bury-Rochdale that goes through Castleton and Heywood. As the business case development progresses on this CRSTS scheme, DFT officials will continue to support GMCA officials, and will ensure potential benefits from planned housing are considered in this work.

Additionally, an extra £200m for CRSTS was announced in October to further support transport in major city regions, including Greater Manchester.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prevent cost overruns during the transition to Great British Railways. \p Simon Lightwood: The Rail Sector Transformation Programme, which includes the establishment of Great British Railways, is part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio, with Departmental governance overseeing delivery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) reliability of Northern Trains and (b) communications on the impacts of delays and cancellations on passengers. \p Simon Lightwood: Ministers have made very clear to Northern’s management and the Department for Transport Operator that its current performance is not acceptable, and that is why we issued it with a notice of breach of contract, requiring it to produce a detailed plan to improve its services, including moving to 90 per cent of all its trains arriving within 3 minutes of timetable and cancellations below 3 per cent.

One significant issue is a continuing dispute with conductors in the North West, which has been going for seven years and which the last Government did nothing to resolve. We are supporting Northern to step up its discussions with RMT about bringing Sundays into the working week and other reforms. We will be watching this closely to make sure this work continues at pace.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) her Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies has spent on external public relations since 5 July 2024; and which firms that funding went to. \p Mike Kane: A summary of the department and it’s Arm’s Length Bodies spend on external public relations since 5 July 2024 is as follows:

Department for Transport, DVSA, DVLA and National Highways: £0

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: £24,560 with the agency 23Red.

Network Rail: £21,250 with agencies Four Communications and On Broadcast.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of Russian shadow fleet vessels that have entered UK waters in the last 12 months. \p Mike Kane: The UK Government proactively monitors a variety of vessels of interest in UK waters to ensure the safety of seafarers, protect the marine environment, and for national security purposes.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26. \p Mike Kane: The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many taskings for Military Aid to the Civil Authorities from his Department required the use of RAF CH-47 Chinook helicopters since 2019. \p Emma Hardy: Since 2019, Defra has made two Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) requests that have resulted in the deployment of RAF CH-47 Chinooks. These were both in 2019.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2024 to Question 14343 on Litter, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the compliance of (a) local authorities and (b) outsourced companies with the provisions of the non-statutory Code of Practice on issuing fines to receive greater (i) revenue and (ii) profits. \p Mary Creagh: Local authorities remain responsible for the whole enforcement process. Authorities that outsource any area of enforcement to private companies should ensure that the contractor fulfils all the requirements set down for the authority itself.

This position is set down in existing advisory guidance on enforcement of environmental offences available here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of E. coli levels in the River Roding during dry weather; and what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on those levels. \p Emma Hardy: The River Roding faces challenges from urban pressures, storm overflow discharges, surface water runoff, misconnections, and pollution incidents. These factors can contribute to elevated bacterial levels, including E. Coli, particularly during wet weather when foul and surface water systems may interact. These urban influences are factored into the Environment Agency’s overall assessment of water quality.

The Environment Agency’s routine monitoring is carried out under the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This includes sampling for a range of chemical, ecological, and biological indicators to assess the overall health of the watercourse

During Thames Water’s improvements in PR19, there was an investigation into the Snakes Lane Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) to look at options available to reduce spill frequency. In its final determinations for PR24 (2020-2025), Ofwat allowed Thames Water £784 million to reduce the use of storm overflows across its network. Improvement actions will include increasing treatment capacity at sewage works, providing storage for high flows, reducing flows entering the system and provision of treatment for storm overflows which are separate from the main treatment route.
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Tim Roca:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. \p Emma Hardy: This Government is clear that we will change existing policies to end the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and other vital pollinators.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the public appointment advertisement for Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, published on 19 December 2024, for what reasons equality, diversity and inclusion are listed as a desirable criteria for this position. \p Mary Creagh: Equality, diversity and inclusion are a priority for this Government, as they were under the last. Defra wants Kew’s Board to continue to have skills in those areas, in order for Kew to effectively implement their ten-year Manifesto for Change, which was launched in 2021. For example, one aim of the ten-year plan is to increase the number of visitors to Kew from under-represented communities whilst another is to train the next generation of plant experts, attracting a wide range of people to a career working in and with nature.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the practice of badger baiting and associated illegal activities. \p Mary Creagh: The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provide protection against certain methods of killing, injuring, or taking of badgers, or interference with their setts.

Badger persecution is one of seven UK Wildlife Crime Priorities, and a UK Badger Persecution Priority Delivery Group is in place. This is police-led and comprises a range of members (including Defra) meeting regularly to tackle horrific offences such as badger baiting, which is rightly illegal in this country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what processes are in place for Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies to consider (a) new scientific research and (b) evidence on the impact of offshore wind on the marine environment; and how this evidence is incorporated into the modelling parameters which developers use when assessing the impact of offshore wind projects on (i) ornithology and (ii) benthic ecology. \p Emma Hardy: Defra’s Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, work closely together on assessing and advising on the impacts of offshore wind on the marine environment. Advice is based on robust scientific methods and all new scientific research is scrutinised before incorporating it into advice. Specialists at Natural England are directly involved in many offshore wind research projects and contribute to the Offshore Wind Environmental Evidence Register to support the knowledge base for the development of new offshore wind farms. New evidence is incorporated into Natural England’s guidance to offshore wind developers on environmental impact assessments. The guidance covers both ornithology and benthic assessments and is updated when new evidence comes to light.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support people affected by flooding caused inadvertently by flood relief schemes. \p Emma Hardy: When building flood defences there is a legal requirement that any development cannot increase the flood risk to communities either upstream or downstream, and if an increase in risk is identified, it must be mitigated.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve water quality in rivers. \p Emma Hardy: Cleaning up England’s rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers.

For example, we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill. This includes giving Ofwat the power to ban bonuses for executives when companies fail to meet standards on environmental performance, financial resilience, customer outcomes or criminal liability, and enabling severe and automatic fines for wrongdoing. The Bill will also introduce new, statutory reporting requirements for emergency overflows and pollution incidents.

In addition, for Price Review 2024, which runs from 2025 – 2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment: £104 billion over the next five years. This gives the sector the opportunity for transformation, delivering better outcomes for customers and the environment

In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, also launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
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John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies has spent on external public relations since 5 July 2024; and which firms that funding went to. \p Daniel Zeichner: Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held. The Government Communication Service encourages the prioritisation of low and no cost public relations activities wherever possible. It is recommended that all external communications support should be procured through approved government frameworks, with strict controls in place to ensure cost-effectiveness.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide additional funding beyond the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to support the maintenance of historic places of worship in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) England. \p Chris Bryant: I note that the honourable member is asking us to spend more money and would be grateful if they could advise me on which other budget should be cut or tax should be commensurately increased. There is a range of funding available via DCMS and the Department’s Arm’s-Length Bodies that supports historic places of worship. These include the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who have committed to investing around £100m between 2023 and 2026 to support places of worship; the Churches Conservation Trust, which funds repairs and maintenance of over 350 churches in the CCT portfolio; and Historic England's Heritage At Risk grants, funding £9 million worth of repairs to buildings on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register between April 2024 and March 2025.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of funding provided to local authorities to promote tourism. \p Chris Bryant: I note that the honourable member is asking us to spend more money and would be grateful if they could advise me on which other budget should be cut or tax should be commensurately increased. Government recognises the vital role that local authorities play in supporting the Visitor Economy and showcasing the unique assets of their areas. Through DCMS’ Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) programme - that is being rolled out across England to transform the landscape of destination management organisations, and the two Destination Development pilots - Local Authorities are being provided with strong local and regional leadership and governance, enabling them to develop their visitor economies in their respective destinations. VisitBritain has also launched a new international marketing campaign this year - Starring Great Britain - to ensure that tourism remains a key driver of economic growth across the country.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the potential cost to the public purse was of her Department's Islamic network in each of the last five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The costs of individual faith and belief networks over the last five financial years are not held centrally in an accessible form, and could only be identified and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, the Department has previously provided cost figures for all Staff Networks. The answer to this can be found here: PQ 26338

In addition, the Cabinet Office last year has audited the cost-effectiveness of all equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities and in response to that audit, new guidance was published on Civil Service EDI Expenditure, including an end to all external spending on EDI activity, unless cleared and authorised by Ministers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) her Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies has spent on external public relations since 5 July 2024; and which firms that funding went to. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held. The Government Communication Service encourages the prioritisation of low and no cost public relations activities wherever possible.

It is recommended that all external communications support should be procured through approved government frameworks, with strict controls in place to ensure cost-effectiveness.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions for financial year 2025-26. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only.

This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on steps to tackle violence against women and girls on public transport in Greater Manchester. \p Jess Phillips: This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade. Achieving this requires a transformative approach to the way we work together across national and local Government, public services, the private sector, and charities.

This includes working with the Department for Transport and the transport sector, on how we can improve safety for women using the transport network.

I meet Ministerial colleagues from across Government regularly and recently met with the Minister for Local Transport 2024 to discuss how we can better tackle VAWG on transport networks right across the country. My officials and I also engage regularly with the British Transport Police on this issue.

On 27 November 2024, we launched the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in select areas, including Greater Manchester, which will go further than existing protective orders to protect victims.

In addition, Greater Manchester Police is continuing to drive forward the work of Operation Soteria, a unique police and Crown Prosecution Service programme, which has introduced new operating models for the investigation and prosecution of rape in England and Wales.
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Jack Rankin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on subsequent family migration patterns of people with Indefinite Leave to Remain. \p Seema Malhotra: The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the potential cost to the public purse was of her Department's equality network in each of the last five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office does not have an equality network, but in relation to the cost of staff networks in general, the Hon Member may want to look at Answer of 23 May 2024 to Question UIN 26338.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Police and Crime Commissioners in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England on the potential impact of changes to the cost of firearms licenses on the police. \p Dame Diana Johnson: On 15 January 2025, the Government laid a statutory instrument before Parliament that will increase fees charged by police forces to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications, in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment on firearms fees. The fees were last increased in 2015 and they are now considerably below the cost of the service provided. The new fees came into effect on 5 February.

The new fees are based on data produced by a review of firearms licensing costs in 31 police forces in January 2023. This data has since been updated to reflect increases in costs since then. The review was discussed by the Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office, and which included representation from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that full cost recovery fees are introduced so that service improvements can be made. I have therefore written to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the income from increased fees must be used to ensure their firearms licensing teams are properly resourced and trained for this purpose.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are responsible for (a) processing and (b) responding to Freedom of Information Act requests related to police forces in England and Wales; and if she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of this work. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office does not centrally hold this information.

Each police force is a separate public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act and is responsible for processing and responding to requests they receive.

However, we agree with the Hon Member that the burden of responding to FOI requests is not one that we wish to see increasing unnecessarily on police forces at a time we are seeking to maximise the resources devoted to neighbourhood policing.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the implementation of the right person right care policy by Devon and Cornwall constabulary. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) national programme commenced in May 2023 with a focused team supported by subject matter experts.

Whilst appreciating that police forces remain operationally independent, the national implementation team at the National Police Chiefs Council conduct a monthly meeting with all force representatives and partners (including Devon and Cornwall). Alongside this, one to one meetings are arranged between force representatives responsible for the governance and implementation of RCRP and the national team, of which Devon and Cornwall are engaged.

To support the partnership working, guidance has been produced for police forces by the NPCC and College of Policing and additional guidance has been produced by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) arrested and (b) charged for shoplifting offences in 2024. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of shoplifting offences, and their investigative outcomes (including those resulting in charged/summons), on a quarterly basis. The latest information, to the year ending September 2024, were on published Thursday 30 January 2025 and can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests made by police in England and Wales, broken down by offence group, on an annual basis. The latest data, covering the period to March 2024, is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/stop-and-search-arrests-and-mental-health-detentions-march-2024

The data is collected by broader offence group, such as ‘Theft offences’.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the length of prison sentences for violent shoplifting offences. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In the last year of the previous government, shoplifting soared to a twenty-year high, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse . We will not stand for this.

Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work and this Government is committed to tackling retail crime.

That’s why we will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if will make an assessment of the potential merits of a national firearms application process. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms licences to Chief Officers of Police. Since November 2021, however, the Statutory Guidance issued by the Secretary of State requires forces to make certain checks on the suitability of the applicant to hold a license and ensure their subsequent continuous assessment. The application process is now also supported by the refreshed police Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and a national training programme.

We keep the framework of firearms licensing controls under constant review as it is important that we maintain strong controls on firearms to safeguard the public.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle retail crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In the last year of the previous government shoplifting soared to a twenty-year high, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.

This Government will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods under £200. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.

We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide law enforcement with over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.

I remain committed to regular engagement with both the retail sector and policing through the Retail Crime Forum, to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement, which had its inaugural meeting at the end of 2024.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of reported retail crime cases resulted in prosecution in each of the last three years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of shoplifting offences, and their investigative outcomes (including those resulting in charged/summons), on a quarterly basis. The latest information, to the year ending September 2024, were on published Thursday 30 January 2025 and can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Prosecutions are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Statistics on prosecutions at court are published by the MoJ and can be accessed via their outcomes by offence data tool, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2024
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) improve reporting rates of disability hate crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Disability hate crimes are completely unacceptable, and this Government is committed to tackling these appalling crimes.

We have a robust legislative framework in place in England and Wales to respond to hate crimes, including those which target disability, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.

We are carefully considering next steps to tackle the full range of hate crime offences.

The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, that was designed so that victims of all types of hate crime - including disability hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. The Government also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these offences.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with opposition figures in Venezuela since the Presidential election in that country in July 2024. \p Catherine West: Since the elections in July, the Foreign Secretary has discussed the concerning situation in Venezuela on multiple occasions, including with international partners and members of the opposition. On 10 January, he announced that Maduro's claim to power was fraudulent and announced new sanctions designations against members of the Maduro regime. The UK will continue to engage internationally in order to achieve a peaceful solution that respects the will of the Venezuelan people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed between his Department and his Chilean counterparts during the delegation to Santiago and Punta Arenas in January 2025. \p Catherine West: Baroness Chapman, Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, visited Chile 7-9 January to meet with Chilean political and business leaders, and to strengthen bilateral and trade ties following the UK's recent accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In Santiago, Baroness Chapman met her ministerial counterpart, Gloria de la Fuente, and visited the Chilean headquarters of Anglo American to discuss the growing use of carbon-neutral technologies within the mining sector. Baroness Chapman also visited Punta Arenas to celebrate the longstanding and enduring UK-Chile relationship on Antarctica, and our strong naval partnership.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_57

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the threat posed to underwater cables by foreign states; and what steps are being taken across Government to protect this infrastructure. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely on this issue across government, in particular with the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which is the lead department for developing policies for the security and resilience of underwater energy infrastructure and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which is the lead government department for telecommunications and is responsible for developing policies to help ensure the security and resilience of underwater telecommunications cables.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_58

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had any discussions with his counterparts in Colombia regarding the ongoing conflict in the Catatumbo region. \p Catherine West: The UK continues to monitor the concerning escalation of conflict in the Catatumbo region of Colombia. At the UN Security Council meeting on the Colombian Peace Process in January, we condemned the violence between the National Liberation Army (ELN in Spanish) and General Staff of Blocks and Front (EMBF in Spanish), which has left many dead and thousands displaced. Senior Embassy officials have been in contact with government negotiators and the relevant government ministries to express our concern at the situation. The START fund is providing £150k of aid, and the UK is one of its largest donors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_59

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect native wildlife on South Georgia in the context of the potential risk of a collision of the iceberg A23a with the island. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close contact with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) about the movement of iceberg A23a. BAS and GSGSSI are both actively monitoring the movement of the iceberg and are working to identify a range of likely future scenarios and potential implications, including for the region's wildlife. It is currently anticipated that A23a will run aground on the continental shelf before it reaches the landmass of South Georgia, and that any impacts on wildlife are likely to be localised and transient, but we will keep this assessment under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_60

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22001 on Belarus: Sanctions, who has been appointed to lead the cross-Government review of sanctions enforcement. \p Stephen Doughty: I launched the cross-Government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October. The review is examining whether we have the right powers, approach, capacity and resourcing on policy, implementation and enforcement, with an urgent focus on strengthening the latter. The objectives are to make our sanctions easier to comply with, increase the deterrent effect of enforcement and maximise the flexibility of our cross-government toolkit. It is being led by the FCDO in collaboration with key sanctions Departments and is expected to conclude in Spring 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_61

Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve development cooperation within the Commonwealth. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is collaborating on development across the Commonwealth to build societal, democratic, environmental, and economic resilience. Since 2016, the UK, with partners, has supported the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub to help mobilise over $310 million (£249 million) of finance for small island members - as well as tackle barriers to accessing essential climate finance. Last year, the UK and other members launched the Commonwealth Plan of Action on Investment aimed at building economic resilience in small and vulnerable members. A few Commonwealth countries, including the UK, fund Commonwealth Scholarships which support developing countries to realise Sustainable Development Goals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_62

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23476 on USA: Diplomatic Service, if he will instruct Lord Mandelson to recuse himself from discussions on matters relating to Global Counsel's (a) EU and (b) China (i) clients and (ii) operations. \p Stephen Doughty: As in the answer of 20 January, there is a robust and established process in place for the management of interests held by all Senior Civil Servants. This process is designed to identify and, where necessary, mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process applies in the normal way to Lord Mandelson's appointment. It is improper to discuss the specifics of any individual case.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_63

Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cypriot counterpart on the use of Cyprus-based financial structures by UK (a) businesses and (b) individuals to evade VAT. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary has not had discussions with Cypriot Foreign Minister Kombos on the use of Cyprus-based financial structures by UK businesses or individuals for tax evasion. The UK and Cypriot governments committed to share expertise and invest in capacity building to tackle illicit finance at the UK-Cyprus strategic dialogue in December 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_64

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to provide an answer to Question 24486 on Republika Srpska and Serbia: Politics and Government, tabled on 16 January 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: The answer to this written parliamentary question was published on 31 January.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_65

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of distributing humanitarian aid to civilians in need through (a) local civil society, (b) education programmes and (c) faith groups in Myanmar. \p Catherine West: 19.9 million people in Myanmar need humanitarian assistance, many of whom are living in hard-to-reach areas. To overcome these barriers, over 54% of UK funding is directed to local civil society organisations, including faith groups and education providers, to reach those most in need. Due to the increasing humanitarian crisis, on 1st February the Minister of State for Development announced an uplift of £22.45 million in humanitarian support. Our increased humanitarian funding will help deliver healthcare to one million people in Myanmar.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_66

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Soft Power Council on levels of funding for the British Council. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Soft Power Council will advise the Government on the development of a Soft Power Strategy, including how to support the UK's soft power assets, and how to harness them through international interventions in support of foreign policy priorities.

The Soft Power Council does not have a formal role in respect of British Council funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_67

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of British citizens travelling in Central America. \p Catherine West: Through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) consular prevention work, we aim to provide information and guidance to help British nationals make informed decisions and take responsibility for themselves when they are living and travelling abroad. FCDO Travel Advice for countries in Central America is kept under regular review and provides information to help British nationals make informed decisions. The FCDO also works closely with host authorities in Central America to reduce risks, share expertise, and build capacity to improve the support British people receive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_68

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential implications for his policies of the treatment of Christian refugees from Myanmar in India. \p Catherine West: The UK Government is committed defending religious freedom for all in Myanmar. We are aware of Myanmar Christian refugees in India's Christian-majority states, Nagaland, and Mizoram. We continue to raise concerns about discrimination of religious minorities in international forums, including through our co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April 2024, which underscored the importance of addressing the root cause of violations against religious minorities, including Christians. Additionally, we provide funding to the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and have established the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups within Myanmar.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-07 conversation_69

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect children from the impact of climate change in conflict-affected states. \p Anneliese Dodds: We are focused on tackling the climate and nature emergencies and global development challenges together with partners, by working for peace and preventing conflict, supporting the most vulnerable people, and promoting the global economic development and growth necessary to deliver opportunity for all. We know that children are disproportionately at risk from the effects of climate change, including in conflict-affected states, and children and young people will be at the forefront of shaping a resilient, sustainable future. The UK-led Glasgow Climate Pact urges Parties and stakeholders to ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in multilateral, national and local decision-making processes.