Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make an assessment in (a) the six monthly report on Hong Kong and (b) the overseas business risk guidance for UK firms of the potential impact of declining public access to (i) the ombudsman archives, (ii) company, land and court records and (iii) other official information in Hong Kong.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Assessments in the six-monthly report and the overseas business risk guidance will be made in usual way. No decision has yet been made on whether to include analysis on the ombudsman archives and company, land, and court records in Hong Kong. As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, the UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to its international obligations.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to encourage (a) the private sector and (b) other donors to increase funding for water, sanitation and hygiene programmes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recognises the potential of private investment to accelerate progress on water supply, sanitation and hygiene. We work with governments in eight countries to improve the performance of the water and sanitation sector, strengthening systems and capacity and reduce commercial risks that discourage private investment. Our support to the World Bank also helps do this, for example through the Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge Programme. This work is complemented by our support to the Heads of State Initiative for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is mobilising domestic finance and encouraging collaboration between governments, donors and other development partners. These initiatives mark the FCDO's shift from projects that delivered WASH infrastructure to a more strategic focus on governance and finance, improving the sustainability and resilience of WASH services that can attract funding from users, government budget allocations and private investors.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to integrate water, sanitation and hygiene into the UK’s international (a) climate adaptation and (b) resilience programmes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2020 we have supported UNICEF to help governments in climate-vulnerable countries strengthen the resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene services. This work extends from climate risk assessments, capacity building and systems strengthening, to establishing risk-informed policies and plans. The latter includes Nationally Declared Commitments and National Adaptation Plans. This work has also helped governments prepare multiple proposals for climate finance worth over £250 million over the last four years, potentially benefitting up to 9 million people with climate resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services. The UK also supports the World Bank to develop climate resilient water and sanitation services, as well as the Resilient Water Accelerator. This aims to establish a pipeline of climate resilient water and sanitation programmes that are attractive to private investors.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation by 2030.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Steps we are taking to help deliver SDG 6 include the Enhanced Water Leadership in a Changing Climate programme. This is raising the profile of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector with a focus on national leadership, sector governance and finance. The programme also supports the generation of critical data governments need to establish effective strategies and plans. A sister programme, WASH Systems for Health, is strengthening WASH services in eight countries in Africa and South Asia. Finally, our Just Transitions programme is working to improve water resource management and climate resilience, through better planning, water governance, and increased investment in water related infrastructure.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which water, sanitation and hygiene programmes his Department plans to continue funding through the Official Development Assistance budget in the next five years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remain a key part of the UK's focus on global health; our work on tackling climate change; and our humanitarian action. The latest consolidated Statistics on International Development report shows UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on WASH totalled £37 million in 2023.
The transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income on ODA by 2027 demands significant shifts in the scale and shape of our ODA spending over the next five years. ODA allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be finalised in an internal resource allocation round following the recent Spending Review. In the meantime, our existing WASH sector programmes will continue.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the chemical flame-retardant sector is represented in discussions on furniture and furnishings fire safety regulations.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to maintaining a high level of fire safety for domestic upholstered furniture. The Policy paper The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture published on 22 January sets out the Government’s intention for wider reforms to furniture fire safety regulation and some immediate actions the Government has taken. The Department for Business and Trade is carrying out extensive, targeted stakeholder engagement across industry to inform decision making, including discussions with chemical producers and trade associations. As part of this ongoing work the Government will assess the impact of any proposals.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to furniture and furnishings fire safety regulations on fire safety.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to maintaining a high level of fire safety for domestic upholstered furniture. The Policy paper The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture published on 22 January sets out the Government’s intention for wider reforms to furniture fire safety regulation and some immediate actions the Government has taken. The Department for Business and Trade is carrying out extensive, targeted stakeholder engagement across industry to inform decision making, including discussions with chemical producers and trade associations. As part of this ongoing work the Government will assess the impact of any proposals.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle the skills shortage in the (a) electrical and (b) plumbing sectors in (i) Erewash constituency and (ii) England.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors across the country, including in Erewash.
A range of apprenticeships are available, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard.
Higher Technical Qualifications across a range of occupational routes are also available, including qualifications such as HNC Electrical Systems Engineering, and HND Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Additionally, T Levels in Building Services Engineering for Construction provide students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.
The government has announced an additional £625 million to support construction skills training. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament.
Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of national and regional skills needs in all sectors, now and in the future, which will include identifying skills gaps and ensuring a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications which are aligned with skills gaps and the needs of employers.
The Construction Industry Training Board states that plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are some of the occupations that will have the highest average growth (1.5%) to 2028. Electricians and electrical fitters also currently have one of the highest skill-shortage vacancy densities, with 46.5% of vacancies being linked to skills shortages.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of future workforce demand in the electrical sector in the next five to ten years.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors across the country, including in Erewash.
A range of apprenticeships are available, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard.
Higher Technical Qualifications across a range of occupational routes are also available, including qualifications such as HNC Electrical Systems Engineering, and HND Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Additionally, T Levels in Building Services Engineering for Construction provide students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.
The government has announced an additional £625 million to support construction skills training. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament.
Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of national and regional skills needs in all sectors, now and in the future, which will include identifying skills gaps and ensuring a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications which are aligned with skills gaps and the needs of employers.
The Construction Industry Training Board states that plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are some of the occupations that will have the highest average growth (1.5%) to 2028. Electricians and electrical fitters also currently have one of the highest skill-shortage vacancy densities, with 46.5% of vacancies being linked to skills shortages.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of electrotechnical apprenticeships in equipping the workforce with skills in renewable technologies.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Upskilling the country’s workforce is vital to meet the government’s clean energy 2030 target, with apprenticeships playing an important role in supporting employers in clean energy industries to develop the skills they need.
Employers and learners can benefit from a range of apprenticeship standards to develop electrotechnical skills, such as the level 6 electrical and electronic engineer standard and the level 6 electro-mechanical engineer standard.
The first Skills England report, ‘Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’, published in September 2024, included an overview of the skills needs in the green workforce. Skills England will build on this initial skills needs assessment to ensure the renewables sector has access to high quality training which meets their needs.