theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility of feedstocks in the SAF mandate to include dedicated energy crops. \p Mike Kane: We have been clear that fuel supplied under the SAF Mandate must have the highest sustainability credentials. This is why SAF derived from biomass must be made from wastes or residues, as these offer high greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential, whilst also minimising negative environmental impacts. This means that SAF produced from food, feed or energy crops are not eligible under the Mandate. We are continuing to examine the direct and indirect impacts of non-food crop use, including impacts on the environment and on food production.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to agree a multi-year public transport settlement with Norfolk County Council from 2026. \p Simon Lightwood: This government is committed to providing greater stability to local government by giving councils multi-year funding settlements and ending wasteful competitive bidding.

Funding to local authorities, including for transport in future years will be confirmed through the ongoing Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the reliability of battery (a) bi-mode, (b) tri-mode and (c) battery/electric hybrid trains and fully electric trains; and if she will publish the data underpinning this assessment. \p Simon Lightwood: The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the merits of different types of traction as this is a matter for operators when procuring rolling stock to deliver passenger services. The Rail Delivery Group collects common reliability data from operators and a range of industry systems as part of their role in improving performance across the industry. This data is shared with operators and other industry partners to help with reliability improvements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) discontinuous electrification and (b) battery locomotives on (i) the decarbonisation of rail freight and (ii) increasing the use of rail freight. \p Simon Lightwood: The department will consider all options, including battery locomotives and discontinuous electrification, when deciding on the best solution for decarbonising freight. Currently, it is unclear what role batteries will play in freight in the short term due to range and weight considerations; however, the technology is constantly improving. The department will continue to monitor developments in battery technology, although it is expected that most decarbonisation in rail freight will come from full electrification and fuel changes. Discontinuous electrification could also play a role decarbonising freight on lines which have lower volumes of freight traffic. Additionally, electric traction has advantages of more pulling power and speed compared to diesel traction and therefore could aid rail freight growth as well as contributing to decarbonisation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage people to transition to greener forms of transport in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: Since the beginning of this parliament, the Department has provided the following transport funding to Surrey County Council:

How these funds are allocated within Surrey is a matter for Surrey County Council.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate on automotive manufacturing. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government recognises the importance of reviewing the impacts of this significant legislation. The Government has committed to publish reviews in 2027 and 2029 to assess the overall impact of the ZEV Mandate. The Government will continue to work with stakeholders to increase the uptake of ZEVs, deliver green growth, protect and sustain UK manufacturing jobs, and provide confidence to infrastructure investors. This is especially important now as recent geopolitical challenges have created marked instability for the automotive sector. The Government has committed £2 billion through the Automotive Transformation Fund to help manufacturers make the switch to EVs, supporting manufacturing, giga factories, and supply chain alongside £320 million to support consumers through targeted grants and support for charging infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to defer the ban on the sale of new (a) petrol and (b) diesel vehicles; and whether she will make an assessment of the potential impact of deferring the ban on the sale of new (a) petrol and (b) diesel vehicles on carbon emissions. \p Lilian Greenwood: On 7 April the Government confirmed that we are committed to phasing out the sale of new cars that rely solely on a petrol or diesel engine by 2030 and phasing out all new non-zero emission cars and vans by 2035. We are providing industry with the clear direction it needs to invest in the transition, which will drive growth and create jobs as we cut carbon emissions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the affordability of electric vehicles for low-income households. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government offers Plug-in Vehicle Grants for eligible vans, trucks, taxis, motorcycles, and wheelchair accessible vehicles. These grants help to lower upfront vehicle costs and make zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) more accessible to consumers. ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives and a 0% Van Benefit Charge. ZEVs also receive preferential first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty at £10 until FY 2029-30, in comparison to the most polluting vehicles.

Most drivers in the UK buy used vehicles, with 80% of all cars bought and sold in 2024 having been through the used vehicle market. Industry intelligence suggests that some EVs on the used market are now similar in price to their petrol and diesel equivalents. The Government will continue to monitor the health of the market and keeps all policies under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will update section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to include the dangerous use of illegal e-bicycles. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is making our streets safer, by introducing new cycling offences to tackle those rare instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cyclist behaviour.

This will ensure that all road users, whose behaviour results in the death or serious injury of another road user will face the same penalties.

The new offences will apply to legal e-bikes. Illegal e-bikes are classed as motor vehicles, and so the existing offences of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless driving, as well as section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, already apply to them.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential role of technology in the decarbonisation of the transport sector. \p Lilian Greenwood: Technological solutions will play a critical role in decarbonising transport across all modes, including through accelerated electric vehicle rollout and low carbon fuel deployment in shipping and aviation. Government will produce a plan later this year for reducing emissions from all sectors, including transport, in line with legislated carbon budgets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to (a) support and (b) encourage the installation of more audio-visual real time information on (i) busses and (ii) trains for (A) visually-impaired and (B) hard of hearing passengers in Wiltshire. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is committed to improving transport services right across the country, including in Wiltshire, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.

On 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide accessible audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026. Last year, the Department launched the £4.65 million Accessible Information Grant Scheme, to support the smallest bus and coach companies to provide audible and visible information onboard their services consistent with the Regulations.

With regard to rail, as of 1 January 2022, all passenger rolling stock is compliant with modern accessibility standards, including the requirement to have a dynamic audio-visual passenger information system for the benefit in particular of vision-impaired and hearing-impaired passengers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the sustainability of bus services in rural areas. \p Simon Lightwood: The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in rural areas. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Shropshire Council has been allocated over £4.4 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to (a) businesses and (b) public services of building charging points for electric vehicles in each year between 2025 and 2035. \p Lilian Greenwood: As of May 2025, there are 79,326 publicly available charging devices, up 30% on this time last year. We expect the majority of public chargepoints to be delivered by the private sector, with industry announcing over £6bn in charging infrastructure investment before 2030.

Government investment will continue to address market failures and accelerate the rollout of public charging infrastructure. Government confirmed in the Autumn Budget further investment of over £200 million in 2025-26 to accelerate EV chargepoint rollout across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of charging points scheduled to be built in each year from 2025 to 2035. \p Lilian Greenwood: As of 1 May 2025, there are 79,326 publicly available charging devices, up 30% on this time last year. We expect the majority of public chargepoints to be delivered by the private sector, with industry announcing over £6bn in charging infrastructure investment before 2030.

While the Government does not hold data on the number of chargepoints scheduled to be built annually, Government investment will continue to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure. Over 100,000 local chargepoints are expected to be delivered through the £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund alone, alongside grants to support the installation of chargepoints in certain residential and commercial properties as well as businesses, charities and public sector organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the average bus punctuality rates for Wiltshire for each year since 2015. \p Simon Lightwood: The average bus punctuality rates (specifically, the percentage of non-frequent bus services running on time) for Wiltshire are available for each year between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2024 in the Department’s published Annual Bus Statistics. This data can be found in Table BUS09a: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#bus-reliability-and-punctuality-bus09.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) early morning and (b) late evening bus services in Wiltshire for (i) shift workers and (ii) NHS staff. \p Simon Lightwood: The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to keeping communities connected, and ensuring people can get to education and work, including shift workers and NHS staff.

The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of communities that rely on them.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Wiltshire Council has been allocated £6.9 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services and infrastructure to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area, which could include supporting off-peak bus services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the road categorisation is of e-bicycles that do not require the rider to manually pedal. \p Simon Lightwood: If an e-bicycle complies with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 (as amended), it can be classed as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC).

EAPCs can be propelled to the maximum assisted speed of 15.5 mph without the rider manually pedalling but they require approval either to assimilated EU Regulation xx-xxxx-xxxx (for the approval of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles) or the domestic Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme.

If an e-bicycle does not meet the EAPC regulations it will be treated as a motor vehicle within the meaning of ‘Road Traffic Act 1988’. As a result, it is subject to the requirements for approval, registration, compulsory insurance, vehicle excise duty, and annual roadworthiness testing. The rider will require an appropriate driving licence and will need to comply with the relevant helmet wearing requirements.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the construction of a new light rail line in Telford constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has not held any discussions on the opening of a new light rail line or tramway system in the Telford constituency.

Departmental officials have however held discussions with Telford Council, Transport Design International, Eversholt leasing and Network Rail on the proposed Greenway Initiative at Ironbridge Gorge. I understand the proposed scheme aims to use lightweight, battery powered ‘Revolution’ Very Light Rail trains to reopen 4 miles of disused heavy railway line.

The rail minister will write to you shortly following your request for a meeting on this scheme.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) ministers, (b), special advisors and (c) officials in her Department have had with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on the implementation of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. \p Lilian Greenwood: Ministers from across Government regularly meet to discuss the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), including policies to increase levels of ZEV ownership and the ZEV Mandate. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles is a joint office between the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and reports to Ministers in both departments in relation to the transition to zero emission vehicles.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) ministers, (b) special advisors and (c) officials in her Department have had with (i) Distribution Network Operators and (ii) National Grid on the power capacity of grid infrastructure to support charging points for electric vehicles. \p Lilian Greenwood: In line with our ambitions for a zero emission car, van, and HGV fleet, the Government is working with industry to make all charging easy, fast and reliable.

The Department for Transport regularly engages with Distribution Network Operators, and with National Grid on work related to accelerating the delivery of chargepoint infrastructure. This includes discussions on power capacity and grid infrastructure required to meet growing demand for EV charging.

In March, I met with Distribution Network Operators, along with other industry groups, such as motorway service area operators and chargepoint operators, to understand industry’s perspective on improving charging on the Strategic Road Network (England’s motorways and major A roads).
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of airfields evicting gliding clubs on the extra-curricular opportunities for young people. \p Mike Kane: The aviation sector, including Gliding, offers many unique opportunities and experiences for young people, supporting their development and helping to provide pathways to exciting new careers.

We continue to work with industry, associations and other partners to encourage young people to explore what the sector has to offer.
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Natalie Fleet:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding to Derbyshire County Council for bus routes in rural areas. \p Simon Lightwood: Government funding for bus services in Derbyshire has been allocated to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). The government allocated £40.6 million to EMCCA in 25/26 to support and improve bus services. This is an increase on funding allocated to EMCCA’s constituent authorities in 24/25, including Derbyshire County Council, which totalled £39.5 million. This funding can be used whichever way the local transport authority wishes to deliver better bus services for passengers, including supporting bus routes in rural areas.
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Natalie Fleet:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that all communities in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas have access to public transport. \p Simon Lightwood: The government knows that integrated public transport is vital to keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural and semi-rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. East Midlands Combined County Authority has been allocated £40.6 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area.

Rail services, including those in rural and semi-rural areas, are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including renewable electricity in the Renewal Transport Fuel Obligation. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport continues to review all policy options that may support the continued rollout of public electric vehicle chargepoints. This includes reviewing the potential for inclusion of electricity in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to engage with (a) devolved governments, (b) local authorities and (c) regional transport partnerships to share best practice on electric vehicle charging strategies and implementation. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles engages regularly with devolved governments, local authorities and regional transport partnerships on a range of issues related to improving electric vehicle charging. This includes work through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund which is supporting local authorities to scale up local EV charging provision across England. Support includes £381m of funding, one-to-one guidance, regional workshops and an online knowledge repository to share practice. This is in addition to a dedicated electric vehicle training course, completed by over 150 local authority officers to date.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to engage with Distribution Network Operators on (a) grid connections and (b) the standardisation of electric vehicle charging. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport engages regularly with Distribution Network Operators, and with National Grid, on work related to accelerating the delivery of electric vehicle (EV) charging. This includes discussions on power capacity, grid infrastructure, and standardisation required to meet growing demand for EV charging.

In December 2024, the Government published the outcome of a review on improving the grid connection process for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In March, I met with Distribution Network Operators and other industry groups to understand industry’s perspective on improving EV charging on the Strategic Road Network (England’s motorways and major A roads).
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Emma Foody:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on levels of air pollution at Moor Farm Roundabout between the A19, A1 and A189 in each of the last five years. \p Lilian Greenwood: National Highways does not have any air quality monitoring for Moor Farm Roundabout and has not monitored here, or similar locations, because there are no sensitive receptors such as houses or schools anywhere nearby.
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Emma Foody:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the level of funding is for projects under the road investment strategy (a) 1 and (b) 2, by region. \p Lilian Greenwood: The level of capital funding invested through the major enhancement projects portfolio during Road Investment Strategy (RIS) 1 and 2 split by region is show in the below table. To note, the spend for the final year of RIS2 (FY2024/25) isn’t reported until summer 2025, therefore the figures for RIS2 only cover the first four years of that period.

Region

RIS1 (2015/16 to 2019/20) (£m)

RIS2 (2020/21 to 2023/24) (£m)

East

1520.5

634.1

Midlands

1408.4

1049.8

North West

893.4

722.3

South East

1669.2

2186.4

South West

135.1

740.1

Yorkshire and North East

784.9

1077.2
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to support Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: On 9 May, the Foreign Secretary travelled with European partners to Lviv, where they formally endorsed the legal texts required to establish a Special Tribunal to hold those responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine to account. On 12 May he hosted Foreign Ministers from the Weimar+ group of key European allies to discuss our joint efforts to strengthen European security and secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The Prime Minister attended the Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders' Summit in Oslo on 9 May and travelled to Kyiv on 10 May alongside President Macron, Chancellor Merz, and Prime Minister Tusk, where he met President Zelenskyy and co-chaired a virtual meeting of leaders from the Coalition of the Willing. These discussions continue. The Prime Minister also announced in Oslo our largest ever package of sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet raising the total number of ships designated for transporting Russian energy past 250, including 233 oil tankers - the highest by any country.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what budget his Department has allocated to the HAVEN programme for 2025-2026; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the budget for the rest of the Parliament. \p Stephen Doughty: By the end of the last financial year, the UK had provided over £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion. This support included funding for the Humanitarian Action through Volunteers, Enablers and Networks (HAVEN) vital work in frontline areas. During a visit to Lviv on 9 May, the Foreign Secretary announced almost £25 million of new humanitarian funding for Ukraine which includes an additional £10 million for the HAVEN consortium, enabling them to continue providing essential frontline assistance this financial year.
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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will increase development funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights. \p Stephen Doughty: Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review and resource allocation process, following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027. Decisions on individual programmes and thematic areas will be based on various factors including equality impact assessments.

The UK is committed to promoting and defending universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including safe abortion. The evidence shows that supporting comprehensive SRHR through proven evidence-based public health interventions saves lives and supports prosperity. The UK's commitment to defending and promoting SRHR has never just been about aid. We will use multiple levers: working to influence policy, through health and development diplomacy, as well as using our ODA budget, to advance SRHR for all.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make an assessment of the impact of Official Development Assistance reductions on women and girls before decisions on reductions are made. \p Stephen Doughty: Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments. Equality Impact Assessments - which consider impacts on women and girls - are an essential part of how we make decisions on ODA allocations.

The UK is committed to empowering women and girls around the world through our international work.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consultation his Department has conducted with women's rights or women-led organisations on the decision to reduce Official Development Assistance. \p Stephen Doughty: At this time of profound change, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home, the Prime Minister has taken the decision to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product from 2027, funded by reducing Official Development Assistance to 0.3 per cent of gross national income.

We are currently working through the details of the Prime Minister's announcement, including engagement with a range of stakeholders.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has with his counterparts in (a) Japan, (b) Australia and (c) the United States on (i) defence, (ii) trade and (iii) foreign policy relations. \p Stephen Doughty: We continue to engage with our allies across the world on defence, trade and foreign policy relations. It is the long-standing practice of successive governments not to comment on matters of national security and private diplomatic meetings. I refer the Rt Hon Member to the read outs available on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_167

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 47234 on Anzhelika Melnikava, whether he has had recent discussions with his international counterparts on the reported disappearance of Anzhelika Melnikava and her daughters. \p Stephen Doughty: As previously stated, I am concerned by reports of Angelika Melnikova's disappearance. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials continue to follow the case closely. Our understanding is that her daughters are currently in Belarus with their father. As the situation regarding the circumstances of Ms Melnikova's disappearance remain unclear, I have not raised this with international counterparts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_168

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to ambassadors on (a) declaring and (b) reporting their interests. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has established comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure transparency and accountability among its ambassadors. These guidelines are designed to mitigate conflicts of interest and maintain high ethical standards. Ambassadors are required to declare any personal or business interests that may influence their judgement in performing their duties. They must also report any gifts and hospitality they receive. The FCDO maintains an internal register for these declarations, which is regularly reviewed to uphold the integrity of the diplomatic service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_169

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which ODA-funded programmes in countries classified as (a) non-priority, (b) high-income and (c) of no current strategic interest are due to receive funding in the 2 025-26 financial year; and whether any such programmes are planned for reduction or cessation. \p Stephen Doughty: We will publish the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Official Development Assistance allocations for Financial Year 2025/26 in the Annual Report & Accounts in July.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_170

Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to improve accountability measures against (a) state and (b) non-state actors that sponsor terrorism. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK's Counter-Terrorism strategy, CONTEST, seeks to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK, its citizens and interests overseas, so people can live freely and with confidence. The UK, thus, prioritises international terrorism that affects us and our interests. The overwhelming majority of the terrorist threat to the UK is from non-state actors such as Daesh and Al-Qaeda. However, the lines are increasingly blurred between state and non-state threats. The UK has multiple tools to reduce terrorism risk under the four CONTEST pillars of Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare, and these can be applied in certain cases in a threat agnostic manner. Accountability measures come under Pursue: to disrupt and degrade. We work with and through bilateral and international partners to build capacity to support the investigation and prosecution of terrorists in a rule of law and human rights compliant manner, in efforts to hold them accountable by bringing them to justice. Another tool in Pursue is multilateral (UN Security Council Resolution 1267) and sovereign 'CT2' sanctions, which we use to build international solidarity and to disrupt terrorists' activities. Significant international terrorist threats to the UK, regardless of ideology, are listed under the CT2 regime.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_171

Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on proposals for an ecocide law. \p Stephen Doughty: Tackling the climate and nature emergency is a priority for this Government. The UK has strong regulations to protect the environment and contravention of many of these is a criminal offence. At the international level, we are aware of the proposal by Vanuatu to recognise ecocide as an international crime under the Rome Statute, in addition to the environmental protections the Statute already provides during armed conflict. We welcome the leadership shown by Pacific Island States on environmental issues and will consider this proposal in cooperation with all of our international partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_172

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many ODA-funded projects currently operating in Ukraine (a) have secured funding beyond 2024–25 and (b) are at risk of early termination due to ODA budget constraints. \p Stephen Doughty: Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reaffirmed the need to support Ukraine's needs over the long term as a priority for our future development assistance. Detailed decisions on how the Official Developmental Assistance budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing and will prioritise support for those most in need, including for Ukraine.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_173

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many ODA-funded projects operating in Ukraine (a) have secured funding beyond 2024–25 and (b) are at risk of early termination due to ODA budget constraints. \p Stephen Doughty: Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reaffirmed the need to support Ukraine's needs over the long term as a priority for our future development assistance. Detailed decisions on how the Official Developmental Assistance budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing and will prioritise support for those most in need, including for Ukraine.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_174

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of humanitarian aid funding to Ukraine beyond the 2025-26 financial year; and whether there are any forthcoming funding cliff-edges. \p Stephen Doughty: As the Prime Minister has said in Parliament, we will continue to support Ukraine's humanitarian needs. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing, and we will prioritise support for those most in need. We continue to work with international partners and non-governmental organisations to respond to those urgent needs. The second phase of the Spending Review is currently underway and will inform spending plans for 2026/27 onwards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_175

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ODA reductions on support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine; and whether he plans to ringfence funding for such programmes in conflict zones. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK remains committed to ensuring justice for Ukrainian survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We will continue to provide capacity building support to respond to CRSV through the UK Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), to help embed international guidance and best practice, including on survivor-centred approaches, into the work of Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_176

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the revised ODA budget in the 2024–25 financial year is allocated to support Ukraine; and how much was allocated in (a) 2022–23 and (b) 2023–24. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is a leading bilateral donor to Ukraine. In 2022-23, UK Official Developmental Assistance (ODA) spend for Ukraine was £210.11 million and in 2023-2024 it was £222.95 million.

The UK allocated £236.7 million of ODA financing for Ukraine in the 2024/25 financial year. The final outturn and future planned allocations will be published in the 2024-25 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Annual Report and Accounts in summer 2025 (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-02-06/hcws421 5 February 2025).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_177

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to prioritise funding within the reduced ODA budget for the reconstruction and rebuilding of (a) healthcare, (b) housing and (c) education infrastructure in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: Recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine is estimated to require a total cost of $524 billion over the next decade. Given the scale of the damage, the UK's aim is to use its Official Developmental Assistance resources to deliver impact directly, mobilise other financing and facilitate the UK private sector to engage in supporting the recovery process.

Through initiatives like the Foundations for Infrastructure and Recovery (FIRE) programme, we are helping the Government of Ukraine to lay the foundations for a robust approach to infrastructure identification, appraisal, project preparation, design, and delivery in support of Ukraine's reconstruction.

Through the UK-led multi-donor programme Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), we support local Ukrainian authorities with direct assistance to enable the repair of critical services in regions on the front line. In its first phase, PFRU completed 401 rapid recovery interventions to improve service delivery across eight oblasts in front line areas, enabling more than 2 million residents to regain access to priority services such as healthcare, education, power, and water supplies. Our funding remains prioritised to those in greatest need.
wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_178
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_178

Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to increase security cooperation with India to help tackle terrorism. \p Catherine West: The UK condemns the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April. Our thoughts are with those affected, their loved ones and the people of India. The UK and India have a long-standing security relationship, including on counter-terrorism and we work together both bilaterally and through multilateral mechanisms. We continue to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation to take decisive and concerted action against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. India hosted the sixteenth meeting of the UK-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi in May 2024. We look forward to hosting the seventeenth Joint Working Group this year in London.

Ensuring the utmost safety of British nationals - and the protection of British interests - in India will continue to inform our deepening relationship with the Government of India.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-19 conversation_179

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any UK Government-funded humanitarian aid projects in Ukraine are scheduled to conclude in 2024; and what assessment has been made of the impact of discontinuation on the Ukrainian population. \p Stephen Doughty: We are proud of our fast, flexible, and responsive support to Ukrainians living through Russia's invasion. The UK has provided £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion. The Prime Minister has recently said in Parliament that we will continue to support Ukraine's humanitarian needs. Funding allocation decisions for the current financial year are ongoing, which will prioritise support for those most in need. We continue to work with Ukrainian government systems, local organisations, international partners, and non-governmental organisations to respond to those needs.