Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Fair Work Agency is taking to ensure its first enforcement strategy addresses the specific barriers faced by marginalised workers, including young women, in accessing their employment rights.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency's (FWA) Advisory Board includes representatives from businesses, trade unions and independent experts, providing a range of perspectives to support its work.

The FWA Assembly will bring together stakeholders from across the social partnership, including organisations representing marginalised workers, to share views, information and insight that can help inform the FWA's future priorities and strategic thinking. It will meet for the first time in autumn 2026. Further details will be communicated shortly.

The Assembly will inform the development of the FWA’s first three-year Strategy, which will be published in spring 2027.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his department is taking to ensure the Fair Work Agency hears the voices of marginalised workers, including young women, in its decision making and advisory processes.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency's (FWA) Advisory Board includes representatives from businesses, trade unions and independent experts, providing a range of perspectives to support its work.

The FWA Assembly will bring together stakeholders from across the social partnership, including organisations representing marginalised workers, to share views, information and insight that can help inform the FWA's future priorities and strategic thinking. It will meet for the first time in autumn 2026. Further details will be communicated shortly.

The Assembly will inform the development of the FWA’s first three-year Strategy, which will be published in spring 2027.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Fair Work Agency's fair work assembly includes representation from organisations working with marginalised workers such as young women.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency's (FWA) Advisory Board includes representatives from businesses, trade unions and independent experts, providing a range of perspectives to support its work.

The FWA Assembly will bring together stakeholders from across the social partnership, including organisations representing marginalised workers, to share views, information and insight that can help inform the FWA's future priorities and strategic thinking. It will meet for the first time in autumn 2026. Further details will be communicated shortly.

The Assembly will inform the development of the FWA’s first three-year Strategy, which will be published in spring 2027.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for the membership and terms of reference for the Fair Work Agency's fair work assembly.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency's (FWA) Advisory Board includes representatives from businesses, trade unions and independent experts, providing a range of perspectives to support its work.

The FWA Assembly will bring together stakeholders from across the social partnership, including organisations representing marginalised workers, to share views, information and insight that can help inform the FWA's future priorities and strategic thinking. It will meet for the first time in autumn 2026. Further details will be communicated shortly.

The Assembly will inform the development of the FWA’s first three-year Strategy, which will be published in spring 2027.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how Facial Age Estimation results will be presented to caseworkers or other decision-makers, and what weight those results will carry in any age assessment, including in relation to: accommodation, safeguarding, detention, removal and asylum-related decisions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process will be available for a person seeking asylum to obtain, scrutinise, challenge or appeal a Facial Age Estimation result and any decision based on that result.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training and guidance will be provided to officials using or interpreting Facial Age Estimation results, including relating to the treatment of uncertainty and trauma-related facial ageing.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what datasets, images or other personal data have been used to train, validate or test the Facial Age Estimation technology intended for use in asylum age assessments.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has examined the relative margin of error in Facial Age Estimation technology as compared with other methods of age assessment, when it comes to the assessment of age of people seeking asylum.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of potential bias and differential error rates in Facial Age Estimation technology procured by the Home Office by ethnicity, skin tone, sex and country of origin.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how decision-makers will account for uncertainty when the estimated age as per Facial Age Estimation technology falls near the threshold between childhood and adulthood.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Facial Age Estimation technology procured by the Home Office has been tested on people seeking asylum.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of Facial Age Estimation technology procured by the Home Office when applied to children and young people seeking asylum.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what alternatives were used to test against Facial Age Estimation technology in assessing the age of asylum-seeking children aged 15, 16 and 17.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Assessing age is a complex task, and there is no single or a combination of techniques that are able to determine chronological age with precision.

Previously, the Department explored other potential scientific and technological methods, such as the use of X-ray and MRI technology. However, at this time FAE offers the potential to give much quicker results than other methods, with no requirement for any intrusive or invasive medical procedure. Our published factsheet, Facial age estimation - GOV.UK, explains how the technology works, and how the Department is exploring its use.

No final decisions have been made as to how FAE will work operationally, including how results will be displayed and weighted. The Home Office is planning a series of trials and testing throughout 2026 which will continue to inform policy, design and operational development. Subject to the results of the testing and trials taking place throughout 2026, FAE is planned to be rolled out from 2027. Full guidance will be provided and published to ensure a consistent approach to FAE and appropriate weighting of the results.

The Home Office has recently announced that the procurement process for an FAE algorithm has concluded, and a new contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, with Cognitec as sub-contractor. The awarded algorithm was trained on the supplier’s proprietary dataset consisting of millions of facial images collected over several decades, covering a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. The core model was not trained on Home Office operational data.

Separately, the Home Office has used industry algorithms to test FAE performance against approximately 2.5 million operational images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, and showed, indicating promising performance and accuracy. Internal testing and trialling is ongoing using the newly procured algorithm. Demographic differentials and the public sector equality duty have been a crucial part of this testing and ongoing policy development.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has received legal advice on the engagement of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide relating to El Obeid, Sudan.

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

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 9 July, and to the answer of 9 July provided in response to Question HL1347. Legal issues on this and other subjects are routinely covered in the advice provided to Ministers by officials.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what are the criteria for the strict UK benefit test being applied to assess prospective recipient companies of the Sovereign AI Fund.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Sovereign AI is designed to help the most promising UK AI companies start, scale and remain anchored in the UK. The Fund only invests in companies where this will benefit the UK, with UK nexus assessed as part of the decision-making process. This includes reviewing domicile, headquarters, the location of key executives, technical staff and R&D activity, and expected UK procurement, infrastructure and ecosystem contribution. This assessment ensures that the Fund’s investment activity, as part of the wider Sovereign AI offer, results in the realisation of the UK economic and strategic benefits the Fund is designed to achieve.

For non-equity support, UK anchoring is reflected in published eligibility and assessment criteria, including UK registration and requirements to demonstrate substantive R&D in the UK where applicable.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will provide details of conditions attached to awards, including a) commitments regarding UK headquarters and office presence, b) commitments regarding UK-based hiring and job creation, c) commitments regarding UK tax residency and tax payments, d) commitments regarding the location of intellectual property and e) clawback provisions in the event of relocation and acquisition for each recipient of Sovereign AI funding.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Sovereign AI is designed to help the most promising UK AI companies start, scale and remain anchored in the UK. Before any equity investment is made, the Fund assesses a company’s current and future UK nexus, including domicile, headquarters and key executives, technical staff and R&D activity, and expected UK procurement, infrastructure and ecosystem contribution.

Equity investments are made as a minority co-investor, often in competitive rounds. Attaching anchoring conditions such as those mentioned would put Sovereign AI investments at a significant competitive disadvantage and weaken the Fund's ability to achieve its overall objective.

For non-equity support, UK anchoring is reflected in published eligibility and assessment criteria, including UK registration and requirements to demonstrate substantive R&D in the UK where applicable.

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 implications for her Department's policies of the Amnesty International Report entitled City Under Siege, Children Under Fire – Rapid Support Forces Crimes Against Humanity in North Darfur and its recommendations.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the speech and accompanying statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the UN Security Council on 19 February about the atrocities committed in El-Fasher, links to which can be found below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretarys-statement-on-the-un-fact-finding-mission-report-on-el-fasher

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/let-this-be-the-time-that-the-world-comes-together-to-end-the-cycle-of-bloodshed-in-sudan-uk-statement-at-the-un-security-council

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what is the 'UK benefit test' required for those applying for funds from the Sovereign AI fund.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

Sovereign AI is designed to help the most promising UK AI companies start, scale and remain anchored in the UK. The Fund only invests in companies with a strong UK nexus, which is assessed as part of the decision-making process. This includes reviewing domicile, headquarters, the location of key executives, technical staff and R&D activity, and expected UK procurement, infrastructure and ecosystem contribution. This assessment ensures that the Fund’s investment activity, as part of the wider Sovereign AI offer, results in the realisation of the UK economic and strategic benefits the Fund is designed to achieve.

For non-equity support, UK anchoring is reflected in published eligibility and assessment criteria, including UK registration and requirements to demonstrate substantive R&D in the UK where applicable.

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 counterparts in the UN concerning action against the evasion of sanctions against North Korean coal.

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

Sanctions play an important role in restricting North Korea's (DPRK) nuclear proliferation and destabilising activities and the United Nations (UN) is a vital forum for ensuring UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) accountability.

On 30 April, the UK supported a UN Security Council open briefing on non-proliferation, to discuss the DPRK's continued UNSCR violation, including through illicit coal and iron ore exports. Subsequently, on 29 May the UK together with G7+ partners issued a Joint Statement on DPRK Sanctions Accountability, highlighting ongoing maritime sanctions evasion and calling for the 1718 Committee to act swiftly to designate the vessels involved.

The UK also continues to highlight at the Security Council Russia's systematic erosion of the UN sanctions architecture. Russia's April 2024 veto of the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts has undermined our collective ability to monitor DPRK sanctions violations. The UK and ten international partners subsequently established the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team to fill the information gap.

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 international counterparts on the conflict in Sudan.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I have just returned from Ethiopia, where I met with my Ethiopian counterparts and the African Union to discuss regional efforts to end the conflict. Ending the horrific conflict in Sudan remains a priority for this Government.

The Foreign Secretary has discussed the conflict in Sudan with all Quad members [US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt] and will continue to work with all counterparts with influence over the warring parties to push for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, protection of civilians and an inclusive, civilian-led transition.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of responses are made from the DWP to HMCTS within the 28-day window following an appeal against a benefit decision.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the EU's announcement of a ban on the purchase and import of Sudanese gold on the purchase and import of such gold to the UK.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The illicit gold trade in Sudan is fuelling a war that has devasted the lives of millions. On 16 July, the UK designated eleven individuals and entities linked to the illicit gold and finance networks sustaining the war in Sudan, complementing the recent action taken by the EU. For more details on these designations, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the press release issued on 16 July, linked below.

UK sanctions illicit gold networks fuelling Sudan’s war amid crisis around El Obeid - GOV.UK

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 her EU counterparts concerning the latter's' adoption of a ban on purchases and importation of Sudanese gold.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The illicit gold trade in Sudan is fuelling a war that has devasted the lives of millions. On 16 July, the UK designated eleven individuals and entities linked to the illicit gold and finance networks sustaining the war in Sudan, complementing the recent action taken by the EU. For more details on these designations, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the press release issued on 16 July, linked below.

UK sanctions illicit gold networks fuelling Sudan’s war amid crisis around El Obeid - GOV.UK

Found: Rights Institutions (GANHRI) 14 April Galop 17 April 21 April 21 April Anneliese Dodds