Lord Bishop of Gloucester

We are committed to tackling poverty and raising living standards across the country. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper sets out details of reforms to employment support, including creating an inclusive labour market in which everybody can participate and progress in work. Our vision is for a service where people can access support through the channels that best meet their needs – whether that is online, on the phone or in person. We will also be devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they service.

This Government is also committed to delivering the biggest increase in affordable housing in a generation. Our long-term Housing Strategy, which will be published in the Spring, will set out a plan to reform the housing market so that it works better for communities and for building 1.5 million high-quality homes. In addition, the existing Rural Housing Enablers Programme has established a network across England which works with housing providers, rural communities and local authorities to identify local housing needs, source sites, and facilitate the development of small-scale affordable rural housing schemes.

This Government knows how important bus services are to local communities and that buses can be a lifeline in particular for those in rural areas. We have set out a plan to deliver better buses throughout England by giving local leaders the tools they need and empowering them to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities they serve, including through the introduction of the Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session. The government also recognises the importance of providing funding to support and drive improvements to bus services over the longer-term. In the Budget we confirmed over £1 billion of funding to support and improve bus services, and keep fares affordable in England outside London.

The Government’s Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund supports the modernisation and improvement of village halls across England helping to keep these valuable assets and the services they provide accessible to rural communities. We also provide support to rural communities for actions to address local needs and capacity building through a programme of activities delivered through the Action with Communities in Rural England Network.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) launched a new consular case management system in October 2023 and is renewing the information management system that tracks data relating to consular assistance provided to British nationals. Due to the transition between systems, the FCDO is unable to provide comparable data from before and after October 2023 and has currently paused publishing online transparency reports on the number of arrest and detention cases where the FCDO is providing consular assistance. The FCDO expects to resume publishing of these reports in early 2025.

The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We condemn settler violence, and champion the right to freedom of religion and belief (FoRB). The Foreign Secretary was clear with PM Netanyahu on his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (July 2024) that the Israeli government must clamp down on settler violence and end settlement expansion. The Foreign Secretary also met Palestinian community members during his visit to the West Bank on 15 July, where he heard how communities are affected.

The UK will champion FoRB for all abroad. We are clear that incitement of violence or hatred against individuals based on their religion or belief is unacceptable. Respect for FoRB, and the promotion of interreligious dialogue, plays an important role in securing sustainable peace. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly engages with the Christian community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

West Bank settlement expansion and settler violence have reached record levels. The Israeli government has seized more land this year than in the past twenty years combined. This is unacceptable: it runs counter to multiple resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and undermines the viability of a two-state solution. The Foreign Secretary met Palestinians displaced by settlers during his visit in July. The UK condemns settler expansion and the increase in settler violence. We keep all these issues under review and discuss them with our closest allies.

We have received the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday 19 July and are considering it carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. The government is absolutely clear on the fundamental importance of the international rule of law.

To maintain the integrity of the equipment including various anti-tamper measures and taking account of the necessarily robust nature of the equipment, there is a minimum strap size that the equipment manufacturer has provided. Field staff carry a range of strap sizes with them when conducting installation visits.

Offenders released on home detention curfew (HDC) are still serving the custodial element of their sentence and it is a statutory requirement that the curfew is electronically monitored for at least 9 hours a day. In cases where it is no longer possible to electronically monitor offenders in the community, through no fault of their own, they will be recalled until it is possible for them to monitored in the community.

All prisoners were decanted fully from HMP Dartmoor by July 2024 following the operational decision to close the prison temporarily. Following the temporary closure, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to reduce levels of radon sufficiently to allow us to re-open the prison safely.

The health and safety of prisoners and staff continues to be a top priority, and while this process is ongoing, we are unable to provide an estimated timeline for the return of Dartmoor to its full operational capacity. We continue to work with Health and Safety experts to further our understanding of the impact that exposure levels could have on individual prisoners and staff.

The cost of the work involved would depend upon which is the most appropriate option. If it is concluded that it is feasible and cost effective to return the prison to use, we will complete a full assessment, considering all options for the site.

All prisoners were decanted fully from HMP Dartmoor by July 2024 following the operational decision to close the prison temporarily. Following the temporary closure, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to reduce levels of radon sufficiently to allow us to re-open the prison safely.

The health and safety of prisoners and staff continues to be a top priority, and while this process is ongoing, we are unable to provide an estimated timeline for the return of Dartmoor to its full operational capacity. We continue to work with Health and Safety experts to further our understanding of the impact that exposure levels could have on individual prisoners and staff.

The cost of the work involved would depend upon which is the most appropriate option. If it is concluded that it is feasible and cost effective to return the prison to use, we will complete a full assessment, considering all options for the site.

All prisoners were decanted fully from HMP Dartmoor by July 2024 following the operational decision to close the prison temporarily. Following the temporary closure, we have been working with specialist radon experts to investigate and assess options to reduce levels of radon sufficiently to allow us to re-open the prison safely.

The health and safety of prisoners and staff continues to be a top priority, and while this process is ongoing, we are unable to provide an estimated timeline for the return of Dartmoor to its full operational capacity. We continue to work with Health and Safety experts to further our understanding of the impact that exposure levels could have on individual prisoners and staff.

The cost of the work involved would depend upon which is the most appropriate option. If it is concluded that it is feasible and cost effective to return the prison to use, we will complete a full assessment, considering all options for the site.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission will provide updates on applications to family members where the applicant has given authority for that information to be shared.

Support for those who have suffered a miscarriage of justice is provided through the Miscarriage of Justice Support Service, part of Citizens Advice and funded by HM Prison and Probation Service. They offer support to people who have had their convictions quashed in an out of time appeal, such as help with accommodation, accessing benefits and obtaining ID documents, as well as pastoral and social support.