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 extent of operation of third-party audit of gold refineries in the different global centres of the gold trade including the UAE, Turkey and Switzerland.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had at international level concerning work to close the regulatory and enforcement loopholes that allow the trade in conflict gold.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

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 compliance of UK-based companies with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas as that code applies to Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

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 global compliance with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas as that code applies to Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The trade of illicit gold funds undermines the rule of law and perpetuates human rights abuses. Gold extraction and smuggling operations represent a significant loss to Sudan and undermine effective resource governance. The UK Government engages with the gold industry, in particular the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the World Gold Council, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support responsible sourcing and rigorous due diligence standards to enhance resilience to illicit gold and identify malign actors in the supply chain. As the UK is an OECD member, businesses in the UK apply the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk areas, including the LBMA. The UK is a global leader in tackling illicit gold flows, recently hosting a joint FCDO-HMRC Gold Conference and launching a public-private partnership with industry to clamp down on illicit flows.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she or her Department have made to the i) Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), ii) Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and iii) Quad countries concerning access for the a) Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and b) Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

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 escalating conflict in Kordofan, including in Bara and El Obeid, on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on the need for civilian protection in Kordofan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

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 the siege of El Obeid on civilians.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to assess (a) the whereabouts of former residents of El-Fasher and (b) what proportion of those residents (i) remain in the city, (ii) have safely exited the city, (ii) have been executed in the city and (iv) have been (A) executed and (B) detained while attempting to leave the city.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on international efforts to end the fighting, and the progress we are making to reach all the people and regions currently in desperate need of humanitarian support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the availability in the UK of (a) ketamine and (b) nitazenes through online purchase.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs online, including that of ketamine and nitazenes.

We are taking a co-ordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, including material associated with the sale of illegal drugs. This strategy combines law enforcement activity, stronger engagement with technology companies, improved education to raise awareness of risks and harms, and the introduction of measures that require internet companies to take responsibility for content on their platforms.

This includes strengthening the regulatory framework to address online harms. The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023. In-scope providers are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Act, is closely monitoring compliance with the regime.

The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the ongoing issues with Kennington Bridge on local, regional and national (a) connectivity and (b) economic development, and on the delivery of other major infrastructure including the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I am aware of the continuing funding issues with Kennington Bridge and the importance of this key structure both to local, regional and national connectivity. The bridge is a local scheme and therefore any assessment to connectivity, economic development or for the delivery of other major infrastructure is for Oxfordshire County Council to undertake.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the a) fatality and b) injury rate of fires attended by fire services during the night hours compared with fires during daytimes.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS). This includes information on fires and fire-related fatalities and casualties by hour of the day from 2010 to 2025. Data covering the year ending March 2025 is published on gov.uk here, see FIRE 0801 ‘Percentage of fires and fire-related fatalities by hour of the day’. These tables present the percentage of fatalities from all incidents occurring at the different hours of the day, along with breakdowns by financial year.

Data is available on the total number of fatalities and non-fatal casualties in the FIRE 0501 data table. Incident level data is also available on both casualties and fatalities in fires by individual person recorded, which provides further details on injury type and severity for everyone involved in the incident by hour of the day, however this data is not aggregated. The datasets covering fatalities and casualties are published on gov.uk here.

Additionally, an in-depth review was conducted of fire-related fatalities and severe casualties in England from 2010/11 to 2018/19, which is available on gov.uk here. Section 4.3.3 of this paper specifically discusses the time of day fatal and severe casualty fires occur.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether fire services are classified as safety-critical work for the purposes of the HSE's classification of 12-hour shifts as undesirable for such work.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.

The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies.

Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made any assessment of the impact on family life of twelve hour shifts within the fire service.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.

The maximum working hours for Fire and Rescue Service personnel are prescribed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR), which implement the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive, and include specific exemptions applicable to civil protection roles. These statutory requirements apply to fire and rescue personnel, subject to limited derogations during declared emergencies.

Each Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for establishing work patterns that reflect its assessment of operational risk and local circumstances balanced against their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of fires attended by fire services affecting i) heritage sites ii) tower blocks and iii) HMOs during a) the night hours and b) daytimes.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Incident Recording System (IRS), which includes data on different dwelling and building types, as well as on fires by hour of the day. These statistics are published on gov.uk here.

Data is available on fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) by dwelling type, which includes Purpose Built High Rise (10+ stories), Flats/Maisonettes, and Multiple Occupancy Dwellings (see FIRE0205). However, the department does not presently collect data on heritage site status. Data is also available on all fires by hour of the day, from 2017 onwards, which is published here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to regulate the sale and purchase of private escooters.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under existing legislation, businesses are responsible for ensuring the products they place on the UK market, including e-scooters, are safe. When selling e-scooters, retailers must be clear that they can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Market Surveillance Unit carries out surveillance of e-scooter retailers to ensure they are being sold lawfully and that retailers are making legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, which secured Royal Assent this July, has created powers that will allow government to set specific product regulations and labelling requirements, and hold online marketplaces to account to prevent the illegal sale of e-scooters.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 84311 on Sudan: Armed Conflict, how the UK is leveraging its membership of the UN working group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), alongside its position at the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council, to help ensure perpetrators of grave violations against children are being held to account in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to help ensure the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces urgently engage with the United Nations to (a) sign and (b) implement action plans to prevent further violations under the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict framework.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a child-focused victim-assistance component of any demining funding for Sudan to support (a) prosthetics, (b) rehabilitation and (c) education for blast-injured survivors.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active and committed member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to grave violations against children in conflict. The UK is providing further funding of £450,000 to United Nations International Child's Fund's (UNICEF) Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism this year, ensuring grave violations against children are recorded and perpetrators are held to account. Since April 2024, the UK has supported the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with £1.4 million in funding to provide Emergency Ordnance Risk Education Services (EORE) in Sudan, including to Sudanese children. Wherever possible, the UK provides Victim Assistance referrals for medical care and rehabilitation as part of its demining support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answered of 22 October 2025 to question 81944 on Perinatal Mortality, which four trusts have not fully implemented version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care bundle.

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

The four trusts that are not fully compliant with version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle are the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Implementation is overseen through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive to encourage trusts to implement safety actions to improve maternity safety. Trusts are required to demonstrate that they are on track to comply with all elements of the care bundle.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to assess and prevent the transnational repression of Sudanese nationals and their families.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.

The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR) and found that the UK has tools and system-wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. In particular, the National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter activity amounting to TNR.

The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk. On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state-directed.

Guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department collects on incidents of transnational repression.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We continually assess potential threats in the UK using a multi-source model, drawing on intelligence assessments, engagement with international partners, and insights from civil society and affected individuals. In 2024, policing introduced a new recording system to capture reports that may include foreign interference, including TNR.

The Home Office is also developing official statistics for the National Security Act, which will include relevant offences that could amount to TNR.

The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, and will continue to strengthen its understanding of TNR and ensure that systems to detect, deter, and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure access of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to conduct an investigation in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have expressed our concern over reports of the use of Chemical Weapons in Sudan, most recently at the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention held in The Hague from 24-28 November.  We note that the Sudanese authorities in Port Sudan have established a national investigative committee to investigate reported use of chemical weapons. We have urged them to investigate fully and promptly.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to incorporate transnational repression into the UK’s human rights reporting frameworks.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and we monitor the infringement of human rights across the world, including instances of transnational repression (TNR). Working in coordination with partners, we employ a range of measures to counter the threats presented by TNR, including operational, policy, and legal tools, and we take very seriously the need to protect the rights, freedoms, and safety of individuals in the UK from TNR.