Lord Turnberg

HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will not issue or maintain an export licence to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences as circumstances require.

My right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education is due to host a roundtable shortly with leading vice chancellors to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities safe and inclusive environments for all.

Departmental officials continue to liaise closely with Universities UK and with key Jewish community stakeholders, to remain appraised of issues and how they are being handled by universities.

According to Skills for Care’s The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2024 publication, three quarters of the adult social care workforce had a British nationality in 2023/24, and the remaining quarter, 394,000 filled posts, had a non-British nationality.

The policy for health and adult social care is devolved across the United Kingdom. The Department is responsible for adult social care in England, and therefore only captures information on vacancy rates for England. The following table shows estimates of the vacancy rates for the adult social care workforce, including the independent and local authority sectors, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Source: Skills for Care using the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set.

It is important to note that vacancies include roles advertised by independent providers and therefore reflect market conditions. Vacancies include both posts that are vacant in the short term, due to recent or anticipated staff turnover, and posts created by employers who want to expand and grow their businesses, rather than only roles needed to meet statutory entitlements. Therefore, vacancy rates are likely not the best measure of capacity, or lack of capacity.

The Department does not hold the information requested. NHS England publishes quarterly National Health Service hospital trust vacancy and job advert data. The publication sets out vacancy rates for total NHS trust staff and, separately, for registered nurses and doctors at a national and regional level. The latest data for December 2024 shows that the vacancy rate for total NHS trust staff was 7.2%. The data is not detailed enough to identify vacancy rates for clinical psychologists.

This information is not held in the format requested. NHS England publishes data on the average waiting time for patients to start treatment with NHS Talking Therapies services, but the condition with which a person may be presenting is not recorded.

The policy for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is an independent expert advisory committee on vaccination and immunisation. This advice is provided to the Government to inform, develop, and make policy.

In the JCVI’s statement summarising the advice for the RSV programme, the committee stated that an extension to the initial programme would be considered when there is more certainty about the protection provided by the vaccination in the very elderly and evidence of the real-world impact of the programme in the 75 to 80-year-old cohort.

Following an assessment of specific individual clinical situations, a doctor such as a general practitioner or hospital consultant may choose to prescribe vaccines outside of the national programme, under clinical discretion.

Like many of our partners, the UK Government uses data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to report on daily casualties in the current Gaza conflict. OCHA draws on figures issued from the Gazan Ministry of Health (MoH). Producing reliable casualty statistics in contexts of violent conflict is never straightforward. The MoH verify and identify the dead by age, gender and ID number.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has consulted experts, including from the London School of Tropical Medicine, OCHA, the World Health Organization and Every Casualty Counts, and interrogates relevant research. Experts assess that the total number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October 2023 estimated by the Gaza Ministry of Health is a reasonable figure, and likely to be an underestimate. MoH data does not differentiate between civilians and Hamas operatives.

Reports of the mistreatment of the hostages held by Hamas, as set out by released hostages such as Eli Sharabi, are deeply concerning. We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, including Avinatan Or, Shay Levinson, and Yossi Sharabi who have strong links to the UK.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has consistently shared that it hasn't been permitted access to hostages. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We have reiterated our call for the ICRC to be granted unfettered and immediate access to the hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The ICRC has been facilitating the handover of hostages and the delivery of aid into Gaza.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has consistently said that it has not been permitted access to hostages. The ICRC has been facilitating the handover of hostages and the delivery of aid into Gaza. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. We have reiterated our call for the ICRC to be granted unfettered and immediate access to the hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Qatar plays a vital role in negotiations towards a ceasefire deal to secure the release of all those being held hostage by Hamas, and bring the conflict in Gaza to an end. We thank Qatar, Egypt, the US, and all international partners, for their coordinating efforts. Securing an immediate ceasefire and the safe release of all hostages, including Emily Damari and three other hostages with strong UK links, remains the UK's top priority. During the State Visit of His Highness the Emir of Qatar to London, the Foreign Secretary thanked Qatar for its leadership in ceasefire negotiations and made clear what an absolute priority Emily and the hostages are for us. He raised the importance of ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza to enable their safe release, protect civilians and deliver a surge of aid.

Since day one of this government, we have prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners. The Prime Minister - along with other G7 Leaders - has fully endorsed efforts by the US and regional partners to reach a comprehensive deal in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735. The UK continues to call for the International Red Cross to be given access to the hostages to provide urgent humanitarian support. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have personally raised Emily Damari's case with the Israeli government, with partners in the region and with close allies like the United States.

The Government's top priority is our national security, and we will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from any Iran-linked threats. As is our longstanding position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on specific operational matters.