Andrew Gwynne

The Department is working closely with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to allow progress all parts of the Destination Denton scheme that can be delivered and funding drawn down by March 2026. Funding after 2025/26 is subject to the outcome of the Spending Review, due to conclude in Spring.

National Highways undertakes weekly safety inspections on the M60 and M67, litter is identified and reported on in accordance with the Defra Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.

National Highways programme of cyclic maintenance involves litter collections on the M60 and the M67 annually. In addition to those routine litter picks, National Highways will arrange for reactive litter picking where any section of the Strategic Road Network has been identified as reaching Grade C or D according to the Code. In these cases, litter picking is carried out within 28 and 7 days respectively, depending on the grading recorded and any road space or traffic management constraints.

At least 400 people were killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight on 18 March according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the biggest wave of strikes since the January ceasefire was announced. We have made clear that the UK strongly opposes Israel's resumption of hostilities in Gaza. Our priority is urging all parties to return urgently to dialogue and to ensuring the ceasefire agreement is implemented in full - most notably hostage releases and humanitarian scale-up - and becomes permanent.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20 March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on 7 October 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer on 20 March and to his Israeli counterpart Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 March.

I recognise there are human rights issues in both India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. We raise issues, where we have them, directly with the governments of India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are important friends of the UK, and we have strong and deep bilateral relationships with both. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

I recognise there are human rights issues in both India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. We raise issues, where we have them, directly with the governments of India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are important friends of the UK, and we have strong and deep bilateral relationships with both. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

I recognise there are human rights issues in both India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. We raise issues, where we have them, directly with the governments of India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are important friends of the UK, and we have strong and deep bilateral relationships with both. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

On 21 March, the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement with the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany, making clear that Israel should fully respect international law and allow the flow of aid immediately. He called on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary called Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Minister for Strategic Affairs Dermer on 20 and 21 March to press Israel to restore humanitarian access, raise serious concerns about civilian deaths and the safety of the hostages, and the importance of restoring a ceasefire and negotiated path forward. He also spoke to the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, about the humanitarian situation in Gaza on 14 March.

The events in Syria at the start of March were deeply concerning, and reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed are horrific. We continue to work to establish from reliable sources of information what exactly happened and who was responsible. We welcome the interim authorities' announcement of the establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the clashes. Following the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10 March that the interim authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions.

We are in regular discussion with our UN and NGO partners, as well as with other international partners, to get a fuller understanding of the impact of recent violence in coastal areas on Alawites and other communities living there, and to assess needs and responses. We continue to support humanitarian organisations to provide aid across Syria. The White Helmets, supported by UK funding, are responding in coastal areas by providing lifesaving medical services, responding to fires in civilian facilities, providing clean drinking water, and recovering bodies.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with international partners and the interim Syrian authorities. Over the past week, the Foreign Secretary has discussed developments in Syria with French Foreign Minister Barrot (9 March) and Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan (10 March), and the UK Special Representative for Syria has spoken directly to affected Alawite communities.