Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent Turkish airstrikes in Northeastern Syria on the humanitarian situation in the area.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK, together with our humanitarian partners, is closely monitoring the impacts of recent Turkish airstrikes in North East Syria and continues to provide life-saving humanitarian support there. UK officials regularly engage with Turkey on the situation in North East Syria, most recently on 26 November. The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in Syria but also the need to protect civilian lives and infrastructure, and to avoid destabilising activity. Stability in the region is essential to prevent the worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support is available from her Department for women who have given birth to (a) twins and (b) other multiples.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

There are two types of maternity pay available to pregnant working women which offer a measure of financial security to help them take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth:

• Statutory Maternity Pay paid by employers
• Maternity Allowance paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women (including the self-employed and women in employment who are not eligible for SMP).

The DWP wants new mothers to be able to take time away from work in the interests of their own and their baby’s health and wellbeing. For this reason, maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provision for pregnant working women. It is not, and has never been, intended to replace a woman's earnings completely nor is it intended to help with the cost of having a baby; rather, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women to take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth. As such, maternity pay is paid for each pregnancy, not in respect of each child.

Additional financial support is available depending on individual circumstances, such as Universal Credit and Child Benefit. The Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available. For more information about benefits and financial support available to pregnant women and their families can be found on www.gov.uk via the Childcare and Parenting link on the home page.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the turnover threshold to £500,000 for businesses that are required to fund the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is currently funded by an annual levy on the 14 large retailers that are designated under the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code) by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA assesses annually whether retailers which have a turnover exceeding £1bn of grocery sales in the UK should be designated under the Code. The £1bn threshold is set out in the Groceries (Supply Chain Practices) Market Investigation Order 2009 which is the responsibility of the CMA.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will increase funding for the Access to Work scheme.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Spending on Access to Work was around £257.8m in 2023/24, a real-terms increase of 33% compared to 2022/23, and it has increased every year since 2021/22. The Department is working through how to allocate its funding settlement from the 2024 Spending Review for 2025/26. At the Spending Review next year, funding for years beyond that will be agreed.

To support more disabled people and those with health conditions to enter and stay in work, as part of the Get Britain Working plans, the Government is launching Keep Britain Working. This is an independent review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to tackle delays in the Access to Work scheme.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to reducing wait times for Access to Work, and we have deployed additional staff to process claims and streamlined our delivery processes. We prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks.

Access to Work continues to be in high demand and we recognise that further work is needed to ensure that it is providing a timely and effective service for customers.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that businesses comply with the Equality Act 2010 by allowing people with sight loss to enter their premises with an assistance dog.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services to the public must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those with assistance dogs.

The Act places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This could include allowing the use of assistance dogs so that disabled customers are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers.

This is an anticipatory duty, meaning businesses should expect that some customers will have assistance dogs and should put in place arrangements to assist their access. Failure to do so could ultimately leave the service provider open to legal action by the disabled person.

To help businesses comply with the law and disabled customers know their rights, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a range of guidance and codes of practice, for all to consult.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to issue any physical documents as part of the rollout of e-Visas.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have taken a number of steps to support people with the rollout and transition to eVisas.

We are running targeted communications to raise awareness of the decommissioning of physical immigration documents and our move to eVisas, and to encourage people to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa. This includes developing various communications materials, informative videos, guidance available at www.gov.uk/evisa, and engagement with stakeholders.

Support is available through the eVisa grant funded network of organisations for vulnerable holders of physical immigration documents who require support in making the transition to eVisa. There are a number of national grant funded bodies and community-based organisations spread across the UK, which offer immediate, free support for vulnerable people in their transition to an eVisa throughout the rest of 2024, and beyond. Details of support available, including the list of organisations is available on GOV.UK at: eVisa: community support for vulnerable people - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Our Assisted Digital service is available in the UK to provide individual support by phone, email and in-person to those with low/no digital skills or access, or who require assistance with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account.

People can also contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services.

Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person.

People can also nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application.

Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission, which they can keep for their personal records. Where this document cannot be used as evidence of their status, these printed documents can be used when interacting with the Home Office should any subsequent issues be encountered with their eVisa. Customers may also wish to print out their eVisa profile page if they would like a physical version for their own records.

We are taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS, removing the need for people to prove their status themselves.

We have enabled transport operators including airlines, ferries, and international trains to securely and automatically access the immigration status of passengers travelling on their services when they present their passport which is linked to their eVisa for a more convenient journey. We have also established a 24/7 Carrier Support Hub in case a carrier does not receive confirmation of the passenger’s immigration status.

A partner pack of readily shareable content, including factsheets and social media content, has been developed and shared with other government departments and third-party support networks which they can use to disseminate eVisa information to people with whom they engage. We have also issued press notices about the transition to eVisas, and delivered detailed media briefings with UK and International media outlets.

The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.

Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital immigration status, which they can keep for their personal records. These printed documents can be used when interacting with the Home Office should any subsequent issues be encountered with their eVisa. People may also wish to print out their eVisa profile page if they would like a physical version for their own records. However, these documents cannot be used as evidence of their status.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support people with the roll-out of e-Visas.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have taken a number of steps to support people with the rollout and transition to eVisas.

We are running targeted communications to raise awareness of the decommissioning of physical immigration documents and our move to eVisas, and to encourage people to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa. This includes developing various communications materials, informative videos, guidance available at www.gov.uk/evisa, and engagement with stakeholders.

Support is available through the eVisa grant funded network of organisations for vulnerable holders of physical immigration documents who require support in making the transition to eVisa. There are a number of national grant funded bodies and community-based organisations spread across the UK, which offer immediate, free support for vulnerable people in their transition to an eVisa throughout the rest of 2024, and beyond. Details of support available, including the list of organisations is available on GOV.UK at: eVisa: community support for vulnerable people - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Our Assisted Digital service is available in the UK to provide individual support by phone, email and in-person to those with low/no digital skills or access, or who require assistance with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account.

People can also contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services.

Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person.

People can also nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application.

Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission, which they can keep for their personal records. Where this document cannot be used as evidence of their status, these printed documents can be used when interacting with the Home Office should any subsequent issues be encountered with their eVisa. Customers may also wish to print out their eVisa profile page if they would like a physical version for their own records.

We are taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS, removing the need for people to prove their status themselves.

We have enabled transport operators including airlines, ferries, and international trains to securely and automatically access the immigration status of passengers travelling on their services when they present their passport which is linked to their eVisa for a more convenient journey. We have also established a 24/7 Carrier Support Hub in case a carrier does not receive confirmation of the passenger’s immigration status.

A partner pack of readily shareable content, including factsheets and social media content, has been developed and shared with other government departments and third-party support networks which they can use to disseminate eVisa information to people with whom they engage. We have also issued press notices about the transition to eVisas, and delivered detailed media briefings with UK and International media outlets.

The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.

Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital immigration status, which they can keep for their personal records. These printed documents can be used when interacting with the Home Office should any subsequent issues be encountered with their eVisa. People may also wish to print out their eVisa profile page if they would like a physical version for their own records. However, these documents cannot be used as evidence of their status.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has plans to widen the scope of the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Groceries Code Adjudicator enforces the Groceries Supply Code of Practice which regulates the relationship between large supermarkets in the UK and their direct suppliers. At the production end of the supply chain, powers in the Agriculture Act allow the government to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers. Such regulations have been introduced to cover the UK dairy sector and will be enforced by the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator.

The government will continue to monitor the supply chain and will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of statutory paternity leave on new families.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As committed to in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government will review the system of parental leave, including Paternity Leave, to ensure that it best supports working families. We are in the early planning stage for this Review and are actively considering its parameters.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department will launch the review of the parental leave system.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As committed to in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government will review the system of parental leave, including Paternity Leave, to ensure that it best supports working families. We are in the early planning stage for this Review and are actively considering its parameters.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) reduce (i) socio-economic and (ii) ethnic disparities in the rates of (A) neonatal death, (B) brain injury and (C) pre-term birth.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies across ethnicity and deprivation, including what targets are needed. This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.

There has been some good progress to date. As part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and includes initiatives to reduce inequalities. All Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

The Government is currently piloting a training programme to help avoid brain injury in childbirth, and to address variation and improve safety for mothers and their babies. If successful, national rollout is expected to commence next year.

The Department’s officials work closely with NHS England and maternity and neonatal sector partners to monitor inequalities in perinatal outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation, including through the published Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK reports.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set clear and measurable targets to help tackle socio-economic and ethnic disparities in the rates of (a) neonatal death, (b) brain injury and (c) pre-term birth.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies across ethnicity and deprivation, including what targets are needed. This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.

There has been some good progress to date. As part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and includes initiatives to reduce inequalities. All Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

The Government is currently piloting a training programme to help avoid brain injury in childbirth, and to address variation and improve safety for mothers and their babies. If successful, national rollout is expected to commence next year.

The Department’s officials work closely with NHS England and maternity and neonatal sector partners to monitor inequalities in perinatal outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation, including through the published Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK reports.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support postgraduate students.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government introduced postgraduate loans which, alongside other sources of funding, are a contribution to the cost of postgraduate level study to stimulate take-up.

Decisions on student finance have had to be taken to ensure the system remains financially sustainable and that the costs of higher education (HE) are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university

We will set out this government’s longer term plan for HE reform by summer 2025.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is working with key postgraduate research stakeholders to deliver a UK postgraduate research offer under the New Deal for Postgraduate Research that attracts, empowers and supports talent. Between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 academic years, UKRI has raised the minimum student stipend that UKRI funded students receive by over 23% in cash terms.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding for postgraduate researchers.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government introduced postgraduate loans which, alongside other sources of funding, are a contribution to the cost of postgraduate level study to stimulate take-up.

Decisions on student finance have had to be taken to ensure the system remains financially sustainable and that the costs of higher education (HE) are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university

We will set out this government’s longer term plan for HE reform by summer 2025.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is working with key postgraduate research stakeholders to deliver a UK postgraduate research offer under the New Deal for Postgraduate Research that attracts, empowers and supports talent. Between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 academic years, UKRI has raised the minimum student stipend that UKRI funded students receive by over 23% in cash terms.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with (a) people that have experienced immigration detention and (b) charities and NGOs on the review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

We will be engaging with NGOs as part of the review at the appropriate time, to ensure that they have the opportunity to share their views and experiences of working with those who have been in immigration detention.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations of the 14th Report of Session 2017-19 of the Home Affairs Committee entitled Immigration Detention, HC 913, published on 12 March 2019, in the context of her Department's review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Adults at Risk review is a wholesale review of the policy, including Rule 34 and Rule 35 of the detention centre rules. Accordingly, the review will engage broadly with some of the themes in the Report, since the focus of the review centres on vulnerability in detention.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to tackle tax avoidance in British Overseas Territories.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Overseas Territories are an integral part of the British family, and the elected governments of inhabited Overseas Territories are responsible for many fiscal matters, including tax.

The Overseas Territories have all made commitments to following the highest international tax standards, including the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for the automatic exchange of information for tax purposes.

The UK provides support to the Overseas Territories to implement those standards.

The communiqué from the Joint Ministerial Council on 19 to 21 November included commitments to improving corporate transparency by completing plans to implement Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2024-communique/b71f1ac8-d55c-44fb-b6a3-365f07a98689.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with international counterparts to help protect marine environments.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Internationally, the UK continues to work to protect the marine environment.

The United Nations Convention Law on the Sea is the legal framework for all activities in the ocean. The UK supports a moratorium by the International Seabed Authority on the granting of exploitation licences until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems and strong, enforceable Regulations are in place. The UK is committed to ratifying the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement),

In the Convention on Biological Diversity, we are leading efforts as Chair of the Global Ocean Alliance to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. In the International Whaling Commission, the UK in steadfast in our support for the global moratorium on commercial whaling. In the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) the UK supports designations of large-scale Marine Protected Areas. Through UN climate talks, the UK promotes ocean action. The UK is currently working towards agreeing a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, as a member of the High Ambition Coalition.

The UK is one of 19 countries of the ‘High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy’ – a leader level initiative pressing for sustainable management of 100% of national waters.

UK Ocean science is recognised as world leading, and UK overseas aid includes technical assistance through the £500 million Blue Planet Fund to support developing countries around the world to reduce poverty and protect the marine environment. The £50 million Blue Belt Programme supports marine protection and sustainable management across the UK Overseas Territories.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many entry clearance applications from Palestinians in Gaza have been approved since 7 October 2023.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Since 7 October 2023, the Home Office have granted 143 predetermination requests, and 5 biometric excusal requests to Palestinians located in Gaza.

The Home Office is aware from legal representatives that two Palestinian nationals located in Gaza died before their applications for predetermination/bio excusal had been concluded.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enable Palestinians from Gaza to be reunited with their family members in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Palestinian nationals who wish to come to the UK and do not have a current UK visa can apply under one of the existing visa routes available.

The routes available for families to reunite will depend on the status of the sponsor. Options available may include appendix family reunion, appendix family migration - where the sponsor is a British national or has indefinite leave, and can also include dependents of those with most work or certain postgraduate study visas.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

It is the decision of the Israeli authorities as to who can leave Gaza.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestinians in Gaza seeking to reunite with family members in the UK have died while waiting for her Department to decide requests for (a) predetermination and (b) biometric excusal since 7 October 2023.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Since 7 October 2023, the Home Office have granted 143 predetermination requests, and 5 biometric excusal requests to Palestinians located in Gaza.

The Home Office is aware from legal representatives that two Palestinian nationals located in Gaza died before their applications for predetermination/bio excusal had been concluded.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for (a) predetermination and (b) biometric excusal have been granted to Palestinians in Gaza seeking to reunite with family members in the UK since 7 October 2023.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Since 7 October 2023, the Home Office have granted 143 predetermination requests, and 5 biometric excusal requests to Palestinians located in Gaza.

The Home Office is aware from legal representatives that two Palestinian nationals located in Gaza died before their applications for predetermination/bio excusal had been concluded.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.

ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.

The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the viability of carbon capture technologies.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Carbon capture technology has been proven in many countries across the world, and the Climate Change Committee have described it as a “necessity not an option” for reaching Net Zero. As a part of the initial assessment for choosing the first CCUS clusters, projects were assessed against five criteria including deliverability, under which technical viability was considered.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse of carbon capture technologies in each of the next three years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Autumn Budget settlement provides £3.9bn in 2025-26 for the first carbon capture and storage clusters in the UK. The breakdown of costs by financial year is commercially sensitive whilst negotiations progress. The cost of carbon capture after 2025-26 will be disclosed following the conclusion of the second phase of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to reduce exports of plastic waste.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Plastic waste is a commodity which is traded on a legitimate global market. Exports can complement UK based reprocessing to help ensure more materials are recycled rather than landfilled or incinerated. Some of the plastic waste we export is used in the manufacturing of products which UK consumers subsequently purchase, thereby promoting the efficient circular economy we are striving for.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to collect biometric data from Palestinians seeking to reunite with family members in the UK in the absence of a functioning visa application centre in Gaza.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

In most circumstances, foreign nationals who are required to apply for entry clearance to come to the UK are required to enrol their biometrics in the form of a facial image and fingerprints as part of the application process.

The Visa Application Centre in Gaza has been closed since 7 October 2023 due to the conflict in the region and to ensure the safety of staff and customers. UKVI will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the supplier, VFS, to re-open the centre when it becomes safe to do so.

In the interim, those who wish to make a UK visa application are required to enrol their biometrics at an alternative Visa Application Centre. For those in OPT this includes Ramallah or Jerusalem. Customers can visit Welcome to VFS Global | vfsglobal for an up to date list of Visa Application Centres in the region.

The Government is working with the Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian authorities to identify alternative safe routes for British nationals and other eligible people to leave Gaza. Ultimately, it is at the discretion of the Israeli authorities as to who can leave Gaza.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.

ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.

The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.46 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, how much of the additional funding for further education will be spent on adult learning.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to driving economic growth and supporting opportunity for all, and further education (FE) is central to this. The government is providing an additional £300 million for FE to support development of the skills our economy needs, and a further £300 million to support colleges to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estate. The department will set out how the additional funding will be distributed in due course.

Review into breast cancer screening

Institutes of Technology

Residence-based voting rights

Found: (Chair); Aphra Brandreth; Richard Foord; Claire Hazelgrove; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall; Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Charlotte Nichols Carla Denyer Dr Simon Opher Cat Eccles Kim Johnson Zarah Sultana Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Charlotte Nichols Carla Denyer Dr Simon Opher Cat Eccles Kim Johnson Zarah Sultana Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Charlotte Nichols Carla Denyer Dr Simon Opher Cat Eccles Kim Johnson Zarah Sultana Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Margaret Mullane Charlotte Nichols Carla Denyer Dr Simon Opher Cat Eccles Kim Johnson Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Margaret Mullane Charlotte Nichols Carla Denyer Dr Simon Opher Cat Eccles Kim Johnson Abtisam Mohamed

Submit Evidence (by 31 Dec 2024)

The inquiry will ask how the UK and its allies can help to achieve a ceasefire and lasting end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon.