Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Syrian counterpart on ensuring that survivors of Syria’s detention systems have access to (a) justice, (b) reparations and (c) rehabilitation.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has long condemned the gross human rights violations committed by the Assad regime, including those in Syria's detention systems. We support the Syrian Government in establishing Syrian-led processes, such as the National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons. We have urged the Syrian Government to engage collaboratively with civil society and the UN to ensure these are inclusive, comprehensive and transparent. During the Foreign Secretary's meeting with President al Sharaa in Damascus on 5 July, he raised the importance of accountability and transitional justice for a sustainable political transition, and offered UK support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve mental health services and (b) reduce the rate of suicide in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS North East London Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of people in Romford.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions and talking therapies and getting waiting lists down.

We are delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across children and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024. And our Mental Health Bill, which has completed its committee stage in this House, will modernise the Mental Health Act and make it fit for the 21st century.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support at the right time. We are transforming mental health services into neighbourhood mental health centres that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, improving assertive outreach and giving patients better access to round-the-clock support directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 60823 on Iran: Israel, whether he has met Reza Pahlavi; and whether he plans to.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary engages with a wide range of interlocutors on Iran, and most recently spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on 26 June. The Foreign Secretary has not met Reza Pahlavi since taking up his role and does not plan to meet him. We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide the future of Iran.

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 transparent investigations into the (a) recent attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus, (b) reported killings of Christians and Alawites in Latakia Governorate in March 2025 and (c) reported violence against the Druze community in southern Damascus in May 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Syrian Interim Government on the commitment to (a) publish a report on the reported killings of (i) Christians and (ii) Alawites in Latakia Governorate and (b) bring those responsible to justice.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received assurances from the Syrian Interim Government that people responsible for recent attacks on religious minority communities are (a) not affiliated with and (b) supported by that administration.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the terrorist attack at Mar Elias Church and remains committed to combatting terrorism. The Syrian Government's response was swift and robust, issuing an official statement of condemnation and call for unity, and announcing a three-day period of national mourning. The violence earlier this year, in the predominantly Alawite coastal region of Latakia, and against Druze in Southern Syria, was appalling. We continue to press the Syrian Government to improve their response to sectarian violence, protect civilians from violence and hold those responsible to account.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Syrian interim government on taking steps to ensure that they will not be influenced by radical Islamist groups following the lifting of certain sanctions on Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 5 July, the Foreign Secretary met President Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister al-Shaibani to reiterate the importance of an inclusive and representative political transition. The UK has consistently advocated for this and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. We welcome provisions in the Constitutional Declaration on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, as well as on guaranteeing the cultural diversity of Syrian society and the linguistic rights of Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government to prioritise inclusivity and representation in the appointment and election of People's Assembly members.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Syrian counterpart on the status of investigations into the reported killings of Christians and Alawites in Syria’s coastal region in March 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcomed President Al-Sharaa's establishment of a Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the sectarian violence in the coastal regions in March 2025, and we look forward to its conclusions. We also welcome the swift and decisive action taken in response to the terrorist attack against Mar Elias church, including the tasking of specialist teams to investigate the incident.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met with his United Arab Emirates counterpart to discuss that country's actions to deescalate tensions between Israel and Iran.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with his Emirati counterpart. They spoke most recently on 23 June to discuss regional tensions and the importance of de-escalation and diplomacy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the safety of religious minority communities in Syria following the reported attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the terrorist attack at Mar Elias Church and remains committed to combatting terrorism. We are concerned by reports of attacks on different religious groups by different actors. We have consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. The Foreign Secretary raised this most recently during his visit to Damascus on 5 July. We continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the reported naturalisation of former members of (a) Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and (b) other extremist groups into the Syrian armed forces on the UK's national security.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the Government of Syria's announcement on 30 May introducing a new Code of Conduct for Syria's armed forces and expect all those serving to abide by it. The UK Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa travelled to Damascus on 9 July to discuss defence, security and areas for future cooperation with the Chief of Defence. A stable Syria is in the UK's interests and we are pressing the Syrian Government to make progress in combatting terrorism and extremism.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Syrian counterpart on ensuring that people responsible for (a) torture and (b) other human rights violations against survivors of Syria’s detention systems are (i) properly investigated and (ii) held accountable.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has long condemned the gross human rights violations committed by the Assad regime, including those in Syria's detention systems. We support the Syrian Government in establishing Syrian-led processes, such as the National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons. We have urged the Syrian Government to engage collaboratively with civil societies and the UN to ensure these are inclusive, comprehensive and transparent. During the Foreign Secretary's meeting with President al Sharaa in Damascus on 5 July, he raised the importance of accountability and transitional justice for a sustainable political transition, and offered UK support.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve the safety of students with serious allergies in English educational institutions.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.

Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.

The department intends to consult on updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions later this year. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the health outcomes of veterans.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As well as being able to access all national health services across the United Kingdom, NHS England has also introduced several bespoke services to improve healthcare support available to veterans. These are: Op RESTORE which supports veterans with service-related physical health problems; Op COURAGE which supports veterans with a mental health pathway; and Op NOVA which supports veterans in the justice system.

In addition, the veteran-aware trust and the veteran-friendly accreditation schemes raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals of the specific needs of veterans. These schemes provide support to ensure appropriate signposting and referrals to relevant veteran and wider services within the National Health Service.

In May 2025, a national training and education plan was announced to help veterans benefit from improved and targeted healthcare. NHS staff across England will receive dedicated training to help them identify and support patients with military backgrounds. This will be rolled out across the NHS from 1 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of properties owned by (a) local authorities and (b) His Majesty’s Government that contain asbestos in England.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department does not hold this information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to provide (a) funding and (b) other support to help non-accredited aesthetic training academies to gain OFQUAL recognised status.

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

The department has no role in funding or supporting aesthetic training academies to gain Ofqual recognised status. Instead, this is a matter for training academies and awarding organisations. Ofqual, which is the independent regulator of qualifications in England, publishes guidance on how awarding organisations can apply for recognition for their qualifications, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-have-your-qualifications-regulated.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure that educational institutions in England have adequate policies to ensure the safety of staff and students during heatwaves.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The responsible body, whether a local authority, academy trust, or voluntary-aided body, must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of pupils and staff, including maintaining safe internal environments during hot weather.

The department’s Education Hub offers guidance on managing heatwaves. Additional advice on emergency planning, including extreme heat, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings.

The UK Health Security Agency provides resources for educators on protecting children in hot weather:

• Guidance for teachers and early years settings.
• General hot weather advice.

The department also allocates annual capital funding to improve school conditions and sustainability.

Free speech and the use of armed police

Diversity, equality and inclusion in public sector internships and graduate schemes

80th Anniversary of the Wellington Memorial Silver Band

250th anniversary of the first building society

Celebrating Northern Ireland Bands and Drum Majors at the World Championships 2025

Companion bus passes for the disabled