Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support families who are seeking therapeutic support from the adoption and special guardianship support fund beyond the financial year 2025–26.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

To support families seeking support beyond the current financial year, adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) applications are currently permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are approved, therapy which starts during March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

Announcements on funding for the ASGSF from April 2025 will be made shortly. All future funding decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of making the adoption and special guardianship support fund permanent.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

To support families seeking support beyond the current financial year, adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) applications are currently permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are approved, therapy which starts during March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

Announcements on funding for the ASGSF from April 2025 will be made shortly. All future funding decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the resumed fighting in Gaza, what plans they have to ensure access to humanitarian aid and a return to a ceasefire.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities and urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. We have been clear that Hamas must release all the hostages, negotiations must resume and in all scenarios Israel must allow the entry of humanitarian aid. We are appalled by recent attacks on aid workers and their premises - they must be protected and never targeted. The Government of Israel must urgently ensure that effective deconfliction mechanisms are in place to enable them to conduct their lifesaving work safely.  We've repeatedly called on Israel at the UN and elsewhere to immediately allow urgently-needed aid back into Gaza. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March and pressed them to reopen humanitarian access, restore a ceasefire and work for a negotiated path forward, and has discussed the situation with UN leadership.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make a further response to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and the subsequent UN General Assembly resolution of 13 September 2024; and what steps they are taking to ensure an end of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. We continue to consider the Court's Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.

We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as rapidly as possible - but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards a two-state solution. On settlements, we said in the UN Security Council on 21 March that 'Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians. Violent settlers must be held to account. The UK has introduced three rounds of sanctions on violent settlers and their supporters to bring accountability for abuses of human rights, in the absence of sufficient Israeli action. We will consider all further options.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relative impact of providing (1) a PIN telephone system, and (2) in-cell telephones, on the number of calls prisoners and young offenders make to (a) family members, (b) support workers, and (c) others in the community.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

In-cell telephony has now superseded the former PIN system in all prisons in the closed estate. The introduction of in-cell telephony across the prison estate has significantly improved the ability of prisoners and young people to access support, and to establish and maintain relationships.

We know phone calls help prisoners maintain family ties and relationships which are vital to their rehabilitation and, therefore, cutting crime.

The table below provides an annual breakdown of call volumes and time spent on calls, since 2013, in prisons managed by HM Prison & Probation Service. The figure for 2024 (*) covers the six months up to 30 June.

It would not be possible to provide the requested disaggregation of calls by type of recipient without incurring disproportionate cost.

Found: BARONESS LISTER OF BURTERSETT BARONESS MORGAN OF COTES LORD HAMPTON THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER

Found: BARONESS LISTER OF BURTERSETT BARONESS MORGAN OF COTES LORD HAMPTON THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER

Found: BARONESS LISTER OF BURTERSETT BARONESS MORGAN OF COTES LORD HAMPTON THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER

Found: THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER LORD DHOLAKIA 16★_ Clause 1, page 1, line 15, at end insert— “(13) For

Found: BARONESS LISTER OF BURTERSETT BARONESS MORGAN OF COTES LORD HAMPTON THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER

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Found: Letter dated 14/04/2025 from Lord Timpson to Lord Bishop of Gloucester regarding a parliamentary question