theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. This is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.

It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.
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Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the (a) quality, (b) suitability and (c) adequacy of the nutrition of food provided to (i) babies and (ii) children in contingency asylum accommodation. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office remains committed to ensuring the wellbeing and safety of those staying in asylum accommodation. There are mechanisms in place to allow asylum seekers to request assistance, provide feedback and/or report issues, including any related to the provision of food for themselves or their children.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The median age of computers issued to officials is 1.8 years old.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the National Security Technology and Innovation Exchange has been closed. \p Dan Jarvis: The functions of National Security Technology and Innovation Exchange will be taken forward within other national security teams, building on the capabilities, practices and networks successfully established since it was formed in 2021.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings policy and operational officers from her Department in West Africa have had with countries in that region on child-trafficking; and which countries were involved. \p Jess Phillips: Home Office International Operations (HOIO) in Nigeria hold Ad Hoc meetings with The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to help combat the threat of human trafficking from West Africa.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against women and girls; and what support is being provided to local police forces and frontline services in the Vale of Glamorgan. \p Jess Phillips: We have already announced a series of measures designed to strengthen the police response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), protect victims and hold perpetrators to account across England and Wales. This includes:

The Home Office also continues to fund a range of organisations providing vital frontline support to victims of VAWG.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) identification, (b) investigation and (c) prosecution of stalking; and what engagement she has had with police forces in Wales on this issue. \p Jess Phillips: Stalking is an insidious crime that can leave victims living in fear every day, and tackling it forms a key part of our mission on to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) over the next decade.

That is why the Home Office is:

- investing £13.1 million next financial year (25/26) to set up a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection which will drive consistency in the police response to these crimes;

- introducing provisions for new multi-agency statutory guidance on stalking which will set a robust framework for how agencies such as the police, local authorities and health should work together, including statutory guidance for the police on when they should release identifying information about stalking perpetrators to victims;

- conducting a review of stalking legislation to determine whether the law should be changed and strengthened to take tougher action against perpetrators, and better protect victims; and

- the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are updating their joint protocol on the handling of stalking offences, so police and prosecutors are better equipped to recognise and respond to stalking. The CPS will also shortly launch a revised training module on stalking to support prosecutors.

Home Office officials engage regularly with the police and Welsh Government on this issue to understand how measures to improve identification, investigation and prosecution of stalking will apply to Wales.

In addition, we have established a VAWG Strategy Advisory Board which is feeding directly into the development of the new VAWG Strategy and has representatives from Wales, including the Independent Adviser on VAWG for Wales.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle spiking incidents; and what support is being made available to local authorities and hospitality venues to improve prevention and victim support. \p Jess Phillips: Spiking is an appalling crime that undermines the people's right to feel safe when they are simply enjoying a night out.

The Government is currently delivering a range of measures to tackle this vile practice, specifically targeted at raising awareness, identifying perpetrators, and gathering evidence. They include:

The Home Office works closely with the hospitality and third sectors, as well as law enforcement to ensure that we are delivering measures on spiking which make it more difficult to carry out in the first place, that venues and the emergency services are proving the best possible response, and that victims are listened to and feel supported.

A wide range of spiking training, resources, support and advice options are available across a number of organisations, many of whom are referenced on the Government's spiking web pages or within our training package.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40928 on Human Trafficking: West Africa, in which West African countries her Department has (a) policy and (b) operational officers. \p Jess Phillips: Home Office International Operations (HOIO) has UK based staff operating in Ghana and Nigeria. These teams work with host countries to support on combatting Serious Organised Crime.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Home Office's closed consultation entitled Impact assessment: alcohol in licensed pavement areas, published on 10 May 2024, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the decision to allow the Covid-19 easements in relation to alcohol licensing on (a) pavement licences and (b) takeaway pints to expire at the end of March 2025. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The previous government ran two consultations in 2023 and 2024 to consider the future of this temporary easement, each accompanied by an impact assessment. The most recent impact assessment, published alongside the 2024 consultation, can be found at Impact Assessment - licensing the pavement area.

A new impact assessment relating to the lapse of the easement was not required as new policy or legislation was not being introduced. To assist businesses that have made use of the easement, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for and obtain a licensing variation.
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Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve collaboration between businesses and law enforcement agencies. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office works closely with businesses across a wide range of shared interests and priorities, from prevention of fraud and cybercrime to tackling the sale of dangerous knives. A particular focus of this cooperation over the past year has been shop theft.

Town centres play a key role in the success of local economies. However, some town centres have become a shadow of their former selves with anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime being both a cause and effect of their decline. As set out in our Plan for Change, this Government is focusing on town centres, including how the police and businesses can work together to make them safer for our communities.

Our Retail Crime Forum ensures we bring together and regularly engage with retailers and policing, promoting collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

Pegasus is a unique private-public partnership and an excellent example of business and policing working together. Through Pegasus, retailers have agreed to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national police intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime. We will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund the team.

The National Business Crime Centre recently hosted a Safer Action Business Days (SaBA) national week of action. SaBA Days is a joint approach by police, business, private security, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and Business Improvement Districts working in partnership to focus resources into designated location to create a significant impact to reduce crime.
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Tom Rutland:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to establish a national structure to set national standards across the UK Fire Service. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services: these cover a range of topics relating to operational management, leadership and ethics.

The Government has accepted, in principle, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a national college of fire and rescue. The Inquiry report suggested a range of potential functions for a college to fulfil, including the development of policies and procedures to ensure both the effectiveness of fire and rescue services and the safety of firefighters and the public. The Government response to the Inquiry’s report notes that a necessary first step in the process will be to consult on the functions a college should have and how it could best be structured and delivered. We expect to launch this consultation later in the year.

Any future college function relating to national standards would build on the work already undertaken by the FSB.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of domestic burglaries in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities. This includes delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be thousands of additional police officers, police community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues.

As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what diversity, equality and inclusion targets her Department has for staff recruitment. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In 2018, the Home Office agreed a series of targets for the representatives of its workforce, which it intended to achieve by 2024. More information on these targets can be found here: Home Office workforce diversity statistics: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of police forces that have introduced discounted salary schemes for employees who own electric vehicles. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office has not in the past monitored the procurement and management of vehicles by individual police forces in England and Wales, and does not therefore hold the specific information requested for this question.
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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act in recovering criminal profits made from high-profile theft. \p Dan Jarvis: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) is the primary framework for recovering the proceeds of crime. POCA is crime agnostic and can be applied for any crime type where the criminal has benefited from crime. If a defendant is convicted of a criminal offence, such as high-profile theft, an order can be placed on the individual to pay the equivalent value of their criminal benefit.

POCA also provides for the recovery of any assets that are suspected to be derived from criminality, regardless of a criminal conviction.

The Home Office publishes an annual statistical bulletin which outlines the high-level trends on the use of POCA powers and other relevant legislation. Within the bulletin a breakdown by offence group is provided of which Theft is a category. Over the past six years of collecting data, criminal confiscation receipts for theft are of a value of £40.1 million and a further £224.8 million was restrained to pay toward confiscation.

Further detail of these figures can be found in the published tables 6, 7 and 8 as part of the Annual Statistical Bulletin on Asset Recovery.
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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the police to recover money obtained via theft by serious organised crime. \p Dan Jarvis: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 contains significant powers to assist police forces in identifying, freezing and recovering criminal assets. Police forces utilise confiscation orders to deprive offenders of the proceeds of their criminal conduct. A confiscation order is imposed by the court against a convicted defendant, ordering them to pay the amount they benefited from their criminal activity.

If the defendant has benefited from the crime but has no assets, the court will record the amount of the benefit and make a nominal order. If the defendant later acquires assets, or further assets are discovered, the prosecution can apply to the court to increase the amount that a defendant must pay.

Police forces have dedicated 'Asset Confiscation Enforcement' (ACE) teams that provide a coordinated response to confiscation enforcement and tackling priority enforcement orders to ensure proceeds of crime are recovered.

Financial investigation practices and legislation are regularly reviewed. The Crime and Policing Bill includes reforms which will bolster confiscation, by giving the courts more powers to make realistic and proportionate confiscation orders, expedite the enforcement of unpaid orders, and streamline confiscation proceedings. These reforms will improve asset recovery outcomes ensuring criminals are deprived of their benefit from crime and lead to more funds being returned to victims; and more funds reinvested into law enforcement.
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Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of financial investigation practices by police forces in cases where significant funds remain unrecovered. \p Dan Jarvis: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 contains significant powers to assist police forces in identifying, freezing and recovering criminal assets. Police forces utilise confiscation orders to deprive offenders of the proceeds of their criminal conduct. A confiscation order is imposed by the court against a convicted defendant, ordering them to pay the amount they benefited from their criminal activity.

If the defendant has benefited from the crime but has no assets, the court will record the amount of the benefit and make a nominal order. If the defendant later acquires assets, or further assets are discovered, the prosecution can apply to the court to increase the amount that a defendant must pay.

Police forces have dedicated ‘Asset Confiscation Enforcement’ (ACE) teams that provide a coordinated response to confiscation enforcement and tackling priority enforcement orders to ensure proceeds of crime are recovered.

Financial investigation practices and legislation are regularly reviewed. The Crime and Policing Bill includes reforms which will bolster confiscation, by giving the courts more powers to make realistic and proportionate confiscation orders, expedite the enforcement of unpaid orders, and streamline confiscation proceedings. These reforms will improve asset recovery outcomes ensuring criminals are deprived of their benefit from crime and lead to more funds being returned to victims; and more funds reinvested into law enforcement.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what data his Department collects on the outcomes of performance management procedures. \p Georgia Gould: Cabinet Office staff, except those on career breaks or new joiners, are allocated a performance marking at mid-year and end of the year. These performance markings are Exceeding, High Performing, Achieving, or Partially Met. All line managers are instructed to upload these performance markings onto our HR system, which is called SOP.

For SCS grade staff, at both the mid and end of year point, performance markings are centrally collated and moderated.

For delegated grade staff, markings are not centrally collated, but business units are expected to collate and moderate these.

In March, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced that the Government will be strengthening performance processes for the SCS.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the contract between OCS and his Department. \p Georgia Gould: On 22 August 2023, following contract award, the OCS (formerly Atalian Servest Limited) Contract was published on Contracts Finder. It can be accessed using the link below.

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/d27d862b-a997-44e4-a8d4-49eb871cb512?origin=SearchResults&p=1
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2025, to Question 34730, on Civil Service: Redundancy, if he will place in the Library a copy of all revised guidance on (a) new and (b) updated protocols on Civil Service performance, management and termination; and whether senior civil servants who do not deliver expected efficiency savings will be made redundant. \p Georgia Gould: Many of the documents pertaining to the management of civil servant performance and termination are already published on gov.uk. This includes the Senior Civil Service Performance Management Policy and accompanying formal poor performance guidance, the Cabinet Office Redundancy Protocol 2016 and the Civil Service Management Code.

In March, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a new exit process termed “Mutually Agreed Exits” to bring the Civil Service more in line with the private sector. The plans will give managers more tools to address substandard performance and introduce a more efficient and flexible system that will save money for the taxpayer. More information will be provided in due course.

Under the Senior Civil Service performance management framework, civil servants who do not meet the expected minimum standards of their role will be placed onto formal poor performance measures.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how frequently performance management statistics are (a) reviewed and (b) reported in the civil service. \p Georgia Gould: Departments are responsible for collating, and monitoring their performance management. For Senior Civil Service, this is normally collated annually. For grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS), each department has delegated responsibility for monitoring and reporting via their internal governance arrangements.

The Civil Service People Survey, which is reported annually, captures data on civil servants’ views on the performance management systems in their department.

In March, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced that the Government will be strengthening performance processes for the SCS.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how long routinely deleted Downing Street emails are held for the purposes of (a) public inquiries, (b) subject access requests and (c) Freedom of Information requests. \p Georgia Gould: All emails generated, or received, in the Prime Minister’s Office, including any attachments, may be public records and therefore are subject to records management policies and procedures. The fact that they may be public records does not mean that all emails will be kept for ever. Most will be archived in accordance with standard record keeping procedures. If it is decided that an email needs to be kept for more than a very short period it is placed on the official record keeping system.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Downing Street special advisers have met with Quadrature since 5 July 2024. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: In line with longstanding process, relevant meetings are declared in the Special Advisor transparency publications.
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John Whitby:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help protect the natural world. \p Catherine West: This Government remains strongly committed to tackling the international climate and nature crises. The UK played a key role at the Biodiversity COP16 Conference in February, which agreed a strategy to mobilise more finance for nature. We are working closely with a wide range of partners to build global ambition on nature ahead of London Climate Action Week in June and COP30 in Brazil.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the suspension of USAID funding on the UK's HIV and AIDS prevention programmes. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat. The US decision to suspend USAID, pending a review, is a matter for the US. Progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending HIV and AIDS by 2030, requires collective action. The UK will continue to work with all international partners toward that vision.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in the People's Republic of China on the execution of four Canadian nationals earlier this year. \p Catherine West: The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. This Government believes that the death penalty's use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.

We raise our concerns about human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively)
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the (a) arrest of Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin in Wenzhou and (b) treatment of religious leaders in China. \p Catherine West: The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).

More broadly, this Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the People's Republic of China's Nine-dash line in the South China Sea on the maritime sovereignty of Commonwealth nations. \p Catherine West: We are concerned about China's excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea, which have been ruled inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK opposes any maritime claims which are not founded in UNCLOS. We take no sides in sovereignty disputes but we encourage parties to settle disputes peacefully through existing legal mechanisms, particularly UNCLOS.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34791 on Iran: Democracy, whether he has met with Iranian pro-democracy campaigners in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) elsewhere since 4 July 2024. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide the future of Iran. We regularly engage the Iranian diaspora and human rights organisations to better understand the lived experiences of Iranians. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart and we continue to hold Iran accountable at the UN Third Committee and Human Rights Council.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Poland in countering Russian pressure. \p Stephen Doughty: We are taking coordinated action with allies to respond to the growing threat to Europe from Russian hybrid activity. This includes exposing the activities of the Russian Intelligence Services, expelling intelligence officers, and sanctioning individuals. We will continue to work at pace, including through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), to hold Russia accountable, to counter the threat posed by Putin's regime and to increase our resilience to Russian malign activity. As set out in the Prime Minister's joint statement with Prime Minister Tusk following his visit to Warsaw on 17 January, the UK and Poland co-operate closely on defence and security, including on the joint training of Ukrainian troops and the development of integrated air defence.

There is currently a squadron from the UK deployed to Poland as part of the US-led NATO battle group. In addition to this, the UK is providing 4-6 Eurofighter Typhoon jets for Air Policing missions in Polish airspace and a new Polish-British Joint Programme Office in the UK will be established later this year to support greater defence industrial co-operation. The UK is also offering support to Poland's East Shield project to further strengthen its border through a number of infrastructure and security tasks.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help promote freedom of religion and belief in Syria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Europe and (b) the United States on (i) the lifting of sanctions on Syria and (ii) reported mass killings of minorities in Latakia Governorate. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary met European and US counterparts 12-14 March at the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Canada, where they discussed next steps on sanctions and the recent violence in coastal areas of Syria. In my statement in Parliament last week, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with international partners and the interim Syrian authorities.

On 6 March the UK Government revoked 24 designations under the Syrian sanctions regime. These changes will support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability. We keep all our sanctions regimes under close review to ensure that they are used as a responsive tool.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of25 February 2025 to Question 28896, whether his Department has now received and processed all outstanding invoices for external legal costs relating to (a) sovereignty matters and (b) migration issues on the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024; and if he will publish a full breakdown of the total costs incurred. \p Stephen Doughty: Due to the ongoing issues highlighted in the answer to his previous Parliamentary Question (28896), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is still to receive a number of invoices for these costs, and it is not possible to provide an accurate figure at this time.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on increasing the number of days British citizens with property can stay in Spain without a residence permit. \p Stephen Doughty: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials and Ministers regularly engage Spanish counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals, including on visa matters. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. Applications for visas to visit or stay for longer periods of time would be processed according to the rules of individual Member States.
wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_188
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_188

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria will be used to determine allocations from the John Bunyan Fund. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund provides funding to overseas posts to support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world. UK posts are invited to submit applications that support the central objective of the fund: to curtail FoRB violations and abuses. Diplomatic missions have full control over the exact design and scope of project work to best develop an intervention that suits their specific in-country context and priorities and is complementary to any other financing they receive. Projects must provide value for money, have a clear strategic focus and realistic, tangible outcomes in keeping with FCDO priorities.
wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_189
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_189

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the Financing for Development Conference 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK views the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) as a pivotal moment to secure global consensus on a modernised development finance landscape that addresses the interlinked challenges our world is facing: be that climate change, stagnating growth, stalling poverty reduction, increasing vulnerability or rising conflict. Reforming the Global Financial System must be at the heart of our efforts.

As we are three months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending FfD4 at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to the financing for development agenda.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_190

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the World Summit for Social Development 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK recognises the significance of the second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), marking 30 years since the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995 which set strong foundational principles on poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and equalities and social inclusion as interconnected priorities - with people at the centre. WSSD will be an important moment to reinvigorate and modernise the priorities set out in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, aligning them to the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Effective modern partnerships will be essential to deliver on commitments.

As we are eight months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending the World Summit for Social Development at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to key social development agendas.
wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_191
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_191

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department have made to the interim government of Syria on the protection of (a) Alawite, (b) Christian and (c) Druze people. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. In my meeting with interim Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March we discussed this, and the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge the interim authorities by their actions and will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria.
wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_192
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_192

Nesil Caliskan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_193

Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) suppression of the freedom of (i) religion or (ii) belief, (b) persecution of people who convert to Christianity and (c) the targeting of house churches on Christians in Iran. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We condemn Iran's severe repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief including against Christians. The UK was integral to the delivery of the Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity, to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities as part of a religious minority group, and to ensure religious rights are upheld. We will continue to raise human rights issues directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_194
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_194

Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 17 March 2025 on G7, Official Report, column 41 and 46, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK is fulfilling its obligations under international humanitarian law. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As soon as the Foreign Secretary took office, he ordered a review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which concluded that there was a clear risk that UK export items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations IHL. I also receive legal advice as appropriate on the UK's obligations. The IHL assessments continue and we are closely monitoring developments in Gaza and will keep this position under review. The UK has raised compliance with IHL with Israel at the most senior levels and has discussed it with G7 partners.

We have suspended relevant export licences to Israel for use in military operations in the Gaza conflict. We have continued to review export licences for items to Israel and assess that there are no extant licences for items that might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL. This is subject to the specific measures set out before Parliament excluding exports to the global F-35 programme from the scope of the suspension.

Our longstanding position is that it is for the courts to determine whether or not a crime has been committed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_195

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on reports of the deaths of minorities in Syria. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I discussed the recent violence in Syria with my Turkish counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, during our meeting at the Syria Donors' Pledging Conference in Brussels on 17 March. The Foreign Secretary also discussed this issue with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on 10 March.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_196

Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting cooperatives in developing countries. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-01 conversation_197

Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reasons his Department took seven years to respond to freedom of information request entitled FCO xx-xxxx-xxxx Training of the Sri Lankan military in the UK. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) received a request for access to information held on file reference FCO xx-xxxx-xxxx in June 2018. A response was issued four months later in October 2018. The material in question is subject to ongoing legal proceedings under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We cannot comment on ongoing legal cases.