theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve GP (a) training in and (b) awareness of (i) endometriosis and (ii) women’s health issues in general. \p Stephen Kinnock: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring that their own clinical knowledge, including on endometriosis and women’s health issues in general, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and must meet the standards set by the GMC.

The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee GPs, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists.

In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Lorraine Beavers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the extent of regional inequities in the provision of early access programmes for (a) innovative treatments and (b) people living with SOD1 motor neurone disease. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: Company-led early access programmes (EAPs) are not endorsed by the Department or NHS England and no assessment has been made of whether there are regional inequities in the provision of early access programmes for innovative treatments and people living with SOD1 motor neurone disease.

Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level. Under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, but NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks. ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on reducing trial approval times to under 150 days. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department is committed to cutting the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up, to under 150 days by March 2026 with the aim of making the United Kingdom a world leader in clinical trials. We are streamlining the set-up and delivery of clinical research through the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme as set out in our recent publication, Transforming the UK clinical research system: August 2025 update, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-the-uk-clinical-research-system-august-2025-update

The UKCRD programme has rapidly implemented a Study Set-Up Plan, co-led by the Department and NHS England to address the delays affecting clinical research set-up through reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, by standardising commercial contracts and removing duplicative steps at sites to create a standardised pathway, for example in pharmacy set-up, to free up workforce capacity. The second phase of the Plan was completed in June 2025, with mandatory use of the new processes and templates for commercial trials by October 2025. The successful implementation of the Plan will be closely monitored for impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether patients will be able to access private healthcare services provided through the NHS on the NHS app. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: We estimate there are around 450 independent sector providers that are providing National Health Service services via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). There is no classification of private healthcare or independent sector in the e-RS Directory of Services. Patients can already access referrals to these private healthcare providers via the NHS App where they have been shortlisted by their GP.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 12 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether parents will be able to opt-out of universal newborn genomic testing. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambition to offer newborn genomic testing as part of routine care within the next decade. Delivering against this ambition will be subject to evidence gathered through the Generation Study. This research programme is evaluating the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to test 100,000 newborns for more than 200 rare genetic conditions.

Participation in the Generation Study is voluntary, with parental consent required to store genomic and health data securely. Consent is an ongoing process, and parents can withdraw their child at any time before age 16, when the child will be asked to re-consent. If genomic testing becomes part of routine screening, parental consent will still be required, as with the current NHS screening programmes for newborn babies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Newbury constituency are waiting for an ADHD assessment; what the average waiting time is for ADHD assessments in Newbury constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan. NHSE England has also released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June 2025, with the final report expected later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of recognising Essential Tremor as a disability. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. The Act defines ‘long-term’ in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for, at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

This could cover individual people who have Essential Tremor, where the condition has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will ringfence funding for independent patient advocacy services after the abolition of Healthwatch. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The independent complaints advocacy service in the National Health Service is covered by a wider grant for Local Reform and Community Voices and is not a requirement of Healthwatch England or Local Healthwatch. This grant provides funding to local authorities which assists them in meeting statutory duties. This funding will continue to be provided. This grant has not been ringfenced to date and there are no plans to ringfence it, moving forward.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to widen access to appropriate therapy treatments for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (a) nationally and (b) in Chichester constituency. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of the people in Chichester.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or their general practitioner can refer them.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services. We have chosen to prioritise funding to expand NHS Talking Therapies, so that the number of people completing a course of treatment is expected to increase by 384,000 by 2028/29.

We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) supply and (b) availability of mefenamic acid for people in (i) the East of England and (ii) England. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department has a responsibility to work with United Kingdom medicine license holders to help ensure continuity of supply. We monitor and manage medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand and therefore measures are not specific to the east of England.

We are aware of a supply issue with mefenamic acid 50 milligram/5 millilitre oral suspension which is expected to resolve in December 2025. Alternative formulations of mefenamic acid remain available, including capsules and tablets.

The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturer to resolve the issue as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines. Any patient who is worried about their condition should speak to their clinician in the first instance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that social workers receive specialist training to recognise signs of child sexual abuse connected to the production of online child pornography. \p Josh MacAlister: It is vitally important that all professionals working with children, including social workers, can recognise and respond quickly to the signs of child sexual abuse.

While local authorities and other employers are responsible for the professional development of their workforces, we are supporting them to ensure that social workers are equipped to recognise and respond to signs of child sexual abuse, including those connected to online pornography.

The government recently launched a consultation on a new post-qualifying standards and training programme for child and family social workers, and we will be publishing our response shortly. This will support social workers new to the profession, including developing the knowledge and skills required to respond to cases of sexual abuse and exploitation.

In the future, we will expand on these post-qualifying standards to include those for advanced practice, which will look to increase social work expertise and leadership in child protection, including in relation to sexual abuse and exploitation.

The government has also committed, in the Home Office’s Progress Update on tackling child sexual abuse, to develop specialist child sexual abuse and exploitation training for all key members of the children’s services.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people with disabilities were employed in her Department on 2 September 2025. \p Josh MacAlister: Information on the number of people declaring a disability by each government department is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Latest published data are as at 31 March 2025 and can be found in Table 29 of the statistical tables, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025.

Information for 31 March 2026 is due for publication in July 2026.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking t support the expansion of (a) return to work and (b) accredited conversion courses at UK universities for (i) overseas workers and (ii) BNO visa holders seeking to re-enter the UK workforce. \p Josh MacAlister: UK higher education (HE) providers offer a wide range of conversion courses designed to help individuals transition into new career areas. Many providers also offer tailored support for students, including pre-sessional programmes, careers guidance and post-graduation employability support.

As autonomous bodies which are independent of government, universities and other HE providers are responsible for their business decisions in relation to both domestic and international students.

The UK European Network of Information Centre supports the recognition of international qualifications in the UK. The service facilitates the entry of students with qualifications from other countries into UK educational institutions and work by enabling them to provide evidence that they meet the entry requirements for courses and jobs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for children and families. \p Olivia Bailey: The Spending Review, announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 11 June 2025, ensures this government can drive forward progress on its mission to break the link between background and success.

Children’s early years are crucial to their development, health and life chances. Through the government’s Plan for Change, we will ensure every child gets the best start in life, investing in the strongest evidence-based interventions to ensure a record proportion of five year-olds have a good level of development by 2028 and transforming outcomes for children and young people.

The Spending Review includes an additional £1.6 billion a year by 2028/29 for childcare entitlements for working parents, giving children the best start in life and supporting more parents to balance family life and work. It also includes funding to expand a network of family hubs to support families when they need it and get a record proportion of children ready for school.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department is taking to intervene when a multi-academy trust does not investigate serious safeguarding complaints adequately. \p Olivia Bailey: Academy trusts must comply with their statutory safeguarding responsibilities set out in the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. The regulations require trusts to have regard to the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ and ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance. This includes having robust procedures for managing safeguarding concerns. Each academy within a trust must have a designated safeguarding lead responsible for managing referrals and working with external agencies. Failure to act appropriately can trigger external review or intervention.

The department follows up safeguarding issues, where appropriate, to obtain assurance that trusts are meeting their statutory responsibilities to safeguard all children in its schools. The department can enforce compliance through the trust’s funding agreement and the Academy Trust Handbook, which includes safeguarding obligations. Breaches may lead to formal intervention and regulatory action such as issuing a notice to improve or terminating the agreement.
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Helen Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to prevent branches of fast food brands opening in (a) sixth-forms and (b) colleges. \p Olivia Bailey: The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. We encourage a whole-school approach to healthy eating and would not expect fast food brands to be opening within sixth forms or colleges.

All sixth forms which are part of a secondary school must follow the school food standards. The standards apply even if the sixth form section of the school is located in a separate building or on a separate site. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty, and we would expect food provided in the sixth form sections to follow the standards.

Further education colleges in England are autonomous institutions, but local planning policies and college governance often restrict or discourage fast food outlets, especially if they conflict with health promotion efforts. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should refuse applications for hot food takeaways and fast food outlets within walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate, unless the location is within a designated town centre.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on (a) internal and (b) fixed-term exclusions in primary schools, broken down by race. \p Olivia Bailey: The department does not collect data on circumstances where schools remove a pupil from the classroom, for serious disciplinary reasons, and where they are required to spend a limited time out of the classroom. Some schools call this internal suspension.

The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England. The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This has been available since 10 July 2025.

Published data includes numbers and rates of suspensions, by ethnicity, in state-funded primary schools and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f3a89f3f-b18e-46c3-a167-08dde2cf2374.
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Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing unannounced Ofsted inspections in early years settings. \p Olivia Bailey: While Ofsted does typically provide notice before an inspection in early years, inspections without prior notification do happen, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 there were 1,400 unannounced inspections in early years, which was 16% of all inspections. The department recognises the importance of unannounced inspections and they will continue.

Routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are increasing inspection frequency in early years to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the National Curriculum to include lessons on (a) sustainability and (b) ethical consumerism in relation to fast fashion. \p Georgia Gould: The curriculum already includes themes relating to sustainability, giving schools the flexibility to include teaching about these topics if they wish.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE. The Review aims to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published its Interim Report in March 2025, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf. The Group will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.​
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report by Bite Back entitled Fuel us, don't fool us, published in July 2025; and what steps she is taking to strengthen compliance with the School Food Standards across all education settings. \p Olivia Bailey: To ensure the quality and nutrition of school meals, the department is working with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.

We are aware of Bite Back’s ‘Fuel Us, Don’t Fool Us,’ School Food report. We are engaging with stakeholders, including Bite Back, on revising the school food standards, to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.

School governors and trustees have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the school food standards and should work with the headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

In November 2024, the department and the National Governance Association launched an online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This training is designed to improve understanding of the school food standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their-whole school approach to food.

As with all aspects of the school food standards review, we will keep our approaches to compliance under consideration.​
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on providing USAID to Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: We have engaged closely and productively with our US colleagues about the crisis in Sudan and the UK greatly values the role played by the US as the largest financial humanitarian donor. The former Foreign Secretary has raised Sudan personally with the US Secretary of State; discussions have focused on bettering humanitarian access and how to push for an end to the fighting. We also continue to engage with the US at official-level on humanitarian issues and to coordinate support for the UN-led push for a humanitarian ceasefire in El Fasher.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of attacks against Christian communities in Sudan; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the (a) protection of places of worship and (b) promotion of religious freedom in that country. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. The Government's strategy on FoRB was published in July and is firmly rooted within our overall approach to human rights and governance. The Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith, made a statement at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 4 March, highlighting our concerns regarding the coercion of non-Muslims in Sudan to change their beliefs through denial of work, food aid, and education. He has also visited Port Sudan three times since December 2024 to press the parties to comply with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians from continued atrocities. We will be raising this issue again at the UNHRC next month when, as part of the Sudan Core Group, we push for a renewal of the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan's mandate - an impartial mechanism that investigates human rights violations and abuses. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Officials have also spoken with representatives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on different occasions since the start of the conflict. We have used these exchanges to request that their leadership make every effort to protect civilians and cease atrocities.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for International Climate Finance to support countries in the Global South in tackling climate change. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided on 21 July to Question 66691.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with (a) civil society and (b) women's organisations in Sudan on advancing a pathway to peace. \p Chris Elmore: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials, including our Special Representative to Sudan, regularly meet Sudanese civil society and diaspora groups. We also had extensive engagement with civil society and NGOs prior to the London Sudan Conference on 15 April. This included engagements led by Baroness Chapman who, on 9 April, spoke at a 'Women's Inclusion Roundtable' in London that was attended by Sudanese civil society and academics. The recommendations of the roundtable were used to help shape discussions at the London Sudan Conference.

In addition, the UK supports the neutral, anti-war element of the Somoud civilian coalition (formerly known as Taqaddum) with technical facilitation and logistics to help broaden its base and promote a more inclusive and unified civilian vision for Sudan. The UK will continue to champion the importance of Sudanese civilians, especially women and youth, as well as civil society, in any efforts to resolve the conflict and shape the future of Sudan.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Kenyan counterpart on targeted killings of Christian workers in Mandera County in June; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure the protection of religious minorities in that country. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is aware of frequent attacks in the north-eastern border regions, most of which are attributed to Al Shabaab. The UK-Kenya Security Compact, signed in July 2025, commits UK support to Countering Violent Extremism, which will help protect vulnerable communities, including religious minorities. The UK also provides support to the Government of Kenya to degrade Al Shabaab influence in Mandera (and the wider Kenya - Somalia- Ethiopia borderlands) through the UK's Integrated Security Fund (ISF) funded Deris Wanaag programme, which aims to enhance peace and stability efforts in the East Africa. We will maintain a constructive dialogue with the Government of Kenya on these issues.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the French Government on the political situation in Togo. \p Chris Elmore: The UK engages with the African Union (AU) on a range of regional issues, including political developments in West Africa.

While the Foreign Secretary has not held direct discussions with African Union counterparts specifically on Togo, UK officials regularly exchange views with AU representatives on governance, stability, and democracy across the region.

The UK works alongside the AU in supporting democratic outcomes in Africa through high-quality AU election observation and AU engagement during political transitions.

Through our partnership with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), we continue to support the AU to train and deploy election observers, with regular assessment of its effectiveness.

The UK and France maintain regular diplomatic engagement on regional developments in West Africa, including Togo. Officials from our Embassy in Abidjan recently met French counterparts in Togo to exchange views on the political situation.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the cholera response in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused a devastating cholera outbreak with more than 100,000 cases and 2,500 deaths since July 2024. More than 33.5 million people are at risk across all 18 states. The UK Government is working with a range of international partners delivering lifesaving emergency health interventions, including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. In addition, through a 'match funding' arrangement we have recently partnered with the State of Kuwait to deliver an additional £3.75 million to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), supplementing UK resources already allocated to combat the outbreak. We continue to urge the warring parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help tackle anti-Christian violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. \p Chris Elmore: We are deeply concerned by an escalation in attacks by Islamic State - Democratic Republic of the Congo (IS-DRC), also known as the Allied Democratic Forces, who primarily target Christians. The UK has repeatedly raised the actions of IS-DRC in the United Nations, including at the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council, and have sanctioned them through the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference his Department's document entitled Conflict Resolution Department (CRD) Conflict Resolution Programme, Annual review (D0006064) 400035, published in October 2024, in which countries Inter Mediate has (a) organised strategy sessions with foreign governments and (b) undertaken backchannel engagement with non-state armed groups; and if he will publish a list of countries in which Inter Mediate is commissioned to operate. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funds a number of different civil society and non-governmental organisations for its mediation and conflict resolution work. We have partnered with Inter Mediate for over 10 years to advance peace efforts in conflicts around the globe. We do not share details of the individual projects funded.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_44

Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) respond to the humanitarian situation in Somalia and (b) help mitigate (i) regional and (ii) humanitarian impacts. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is a major humanitarian donor to Somalia. Last financial year the UK contributed £65 million to humanitarian efforts in Somalia, reaching over 1.6 million people. These funds provide emergency cash support, water and sanitation services and specialised health and nutrition treatment. They will also fund efforts to boost the climate resilience of communities, to mitigate the risk of natural disaster, and provide assistance for people already displaced by extreme weather. The UK is driving efforts to reform the humanitarian system in Somalia to improve impact and value for money, including increasing Somalia's access to international climate finance.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_45
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_45

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received on the (a) political and (b) security situation in the United Republic of Tanzania. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Tanzania. Ministers have engaged with Tanzanian counterparts to raise areas of concern. The British High Commission in Dar es Salaam continues to maintain an active dialogue with the Government of Tanzania on issues of governance and its stated commitment to free and fair elections.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_46

Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding available in September for Emergency Response Rooms in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: The UK is third largest humanitarian donor to the crisis in Sudan. We recognise the vital role played by Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and Mutual Aid Groups (MAGs) in delivering life-saving assistance across hard-to-reach areas of the country. As one of the most generous donors to the UN's 'Sudan Humanitarian Fund' (SHF), which supports ERRs and other local responders, UK support is reaching front-line Sudanese responders. We are also providing assistance to MAGs via an allocation to the NGOs Mercy Corps. As a member of the SHF Advisory Board we have worked with the UN to increase their proportion of funding to local responders from $13.6 million in 2023 to $57.5 million in 2025. We are now in the final stages of concluding funding agreements with two Sudanese organisations.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_47
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_47

Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has paid to Inter Mediate since July 2024; and what (a) programmes and (b) purposes this funding was for. \p Chris Elmore: For over ten years, Inter Mediate and the UK Government have successfully partnered to advance peace efforts in conflicts around the globe. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funds a number of different civil society and non-governmental organisations for its mediation and conflict resolution work. We do not share details of the individual projects funded.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_48
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_48

Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the £120m funding increase for Sudan is going to (a) local and (b) national organisations; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the funding strengthens the longer-term resilience of communities. \p Chris Elmore: National organisations in Sudan are leading the humanitarian response to the brutal conflict. Recognising their critical role in delivery, the UK's humanitarian programme partners with national organisations. For example, the UK is one of the largest contributors to the UN's Sudan Humanitarian Fund and the Mercy Corps Cash Consortium, which provides vital support to Mutual Aid Groups and Emergency Response Rooms who operate on the ground. In addition, through our Sudan Stability and Growth Programme, we are supporting long-term efforts to promote community resilience and poverty reduction by enabling reforms in economic growth, governance, and local conflict management.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_49
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_49

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has conducted an assessment of the potential impact of the Israeli E1 settlement plan on the requirement under the Open General Impost Licence not to import goods from the illegally Occupied West Bank. \p Chris Bryant: The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law. The Israeli government must reverse this decision. Goods from illegal Israeli settlements are not eligible for preferential treatment under UK trade agreements. The Government’s overseas business risk guidance outlines the risks of economic activity in settlements and advises businesses to seek legal advice. The Government does not encourage or support such activity, and its guidance enables businesses to make informed decisions.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_50
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_50

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will confirm that the Open General Import License does not permit the importation of illegal Settlement Goods from the Occupied West Bank. \p Chris Bryant: The Open General Import Licence does not prohibit the importation of goods from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Goods from illegal Israeli settlements are not eligible for preferential treatment under UK trade agreements. The Government’s overseas business risk guidance outlines the risks of economic activity in settlements and advises businesses to seek legal advice. The Government does not encourage or support such activity, and its guidance enables businesses to make informed decisions.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_51
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_51

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he last conducted an assessment of the Open General Import Licence criteria to ensure that the Import Licences do not permit the importation of illegal settlement goods from the Occupied West Bank. \p Chris Bryant: The Government keeps the Open General Import Licence under review to ensure it aligns with UK trade and national security priorities, and our international obligations. Goods from illegal Israeli settlements are not eligible for preferential treatment under UK trade agreements. The Government’s overseas business risk guidance outlines the risks of economic activity in settlements and advises businesses to seek legal advice. The Government does not encourage or support such activity, and its guidance enables businesses to make informed decisions.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_52
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_52

Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit are affected by the two-child limit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Statistics about the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit are published annually. The latest publication is available here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_53

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants have salaries over (a) £150,000, (b) £200,000 and (c) £250,000. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Information on the number of civil servants by salary band is published annually as part of the Cabinet Office accredited official statistics publication, Civil Service Statistics. Information on the number of civil servants earning more than £150,000 and £200,000 as at 31 March 2025 can be found at Table 26 of the statistical tables published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025

Across the Civil Service, there are five earning over £250,000.

All outputs are rounded to the nearest five in accordance with the disclosure control protocols for these accredited official statistics.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_54

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has had recent discussions with the British Ambassador to the United States on his relationship with Jeffery Epstein. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: In light of additional information in emails written by Lord Mandelson, the Prime Minister asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador to the United States.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_55

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement of 21 July 2025 entitled Government of service, HCWS870, whether the Civil Service Commission will include political members nominated by the main political parties in the House of Commons. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: As set out in the Written Statement of 21 July 2025, HCWS870, the Government has decided to close the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) and to transfer its function to provide independent advice on the application of the Business Appointment Rules (BARs) in respect of the most senior civil servants and special advisers to the Civil Service Commission (the Commission).

The requirements for membership of the Civil Service Commission and the appointment of Commissioners are set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and do not include political members nominated by the main political parties.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_56
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_56

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement of 21 July 2025 entitled Government of service, HCWS870, whether the Ethics and Integrity Commission will consider complaints relating to alleged breaches of ethics and integrity. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Written Ministerial Statement "Government of Service", laid on 21 July 2025, outlines the role of the Ethics and Integrity Commission. Further detail on the Commission will be published when it becomes operational on 13 October 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_57
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-25 conversation_57

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2025 on Government of service, HCWS870, what the line management structure of the (a) Ethics and Integrity Commission secretariat and (b) secretariat supporting the Independent Advisor on Ministers Interests will be; and whether those staff will report to a named senior civil servant in his Department. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: I refer the member to the answer provided by Baroness Anderson on 6 August 2025 (HL9881).