First elected: 13th May 2021
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Increase the HMRC Mileage Rate from 45p/mile to 60p/mile
Gov Responded - 11 Oct 2022 Debated on - 3 Jul 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe HMRC mileage rate for reimbursing the use of private cars (e.g. for employees but also volunteers) has been fixed at 45p/mile (up to 10,000 miles) since 2011. The lack of any increase since then is a serious disincentive to volunteer drivers particularly as fuel has gone up again recently.
Dedicate funding for research into Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP)
Gov Responded - 12 Oct 2021 Debated on - 6 Dec 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsInvest in FOP research to support this ultra-rare disease community. Research into FOP could inform the understanding/treatment of many more common conditions such as osteoporosis, hip replacements, DIPG (a rare childhood brain cancer) and many common military injuries.
To allow non-prescribed storage of Salbutamol Inhalers in Commercial Kitchens
Gov Responded - 25 Aug 2021 Debated on - 29 Nov 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsIn 2014 the Human Medicines Act was amended so that schools could keep emergency stocks of salbutamol inhalers without prescription. Asthma is increasing in the UK and we believe that adult sufferers of Asthma working in high-risk commercial kitchens should have similar life-saving support.
Outlaw discrimination against those who do not get a Covid-19 vaccination
Gov Responded - 29 Apr 2021 Debated on - 20 Sep 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe individual must remain sovereign over their own body, discrimination against those who cannot or will not be vaccinated against COVID is incompatible with a free democracy. The Government must take firm action to prevent 'vaccination passports' and discriminatory 'no jab, no job' policies.
Do not require health and social care workers to take covid-19 vaccination
Gov Responded - 29 Jun 2021 Debated on - 20 Sep 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsWe, the people, demand that health and social care workers are given the right to exercise free will in relation to any medical procedure and so to be able to refuse to take the covid 19 vaccination without fear of facing discrimination at work or in wider society.
Increase funding for urgent research into devastating motor neurone disease
Gov Responded - 7 Apr 2021 Debated on - 12 Jul 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsWe ask Government to significantly increase targeted research funding for motor neurone disease (MND).
A new investment of £50m over 5 years could kickstart a pioneering MND Research Institute.
This would lead to better, faster and more definitive research outcomes and hope for those with MND.
These initiatives were driven by Anum Qaisar, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
A Bill to make provision about workers’ rights; and for connected purposes.
Miscarriage Leave Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Angela Crawley (SNP)
Food production and environmental protection are two sides of the same coin. We recognise the impact of climate change on food security if we don’t act now. We have been engaging with our international counterparts on progressing the successes of COP26, including financial commitments and actions to reduce environmental harm, and support livelihoods and food security. Looking towards COP27, we have already engaged with host nation Egypt and others to consider how we progress this.
In preparation for accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Government ran one of its largest consultation exercises, consulting with individuals, businesses, business associations, NGOs and public sector bodies, receiving almost 150,000 responses.
CPTPP safeguards the UK’s high standards of personal data protection as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, and locks in a requirement for personal data to be protected in all countries that are party to the agreement.
A free trade agreement (FTA) with India could help address trade barriers, drive growth and support jobs across the UK. The Government is seeking provisions that support our ambitions on the environment and climate change, while preserving the UK’s right to regulate.
Alongside FTA negotiations, the UK and India work together to support clean growth. The UK-India roadmap includes an ambitious agenda for collaboration on climate change as well as work in multilateral fora such as the World Trade Organization.
At signature, the Government will publish the Impact Assessment including estimates of emissions impacts expected to result from the agreement.
The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights, and when we have concerns they are raised directly with partner governments, including at ministerial level. This is undertaken separately to negotiations of free trade agreements, although they are part of building open and trusting relationships with important partners.
Negotiations are ongoing with India. To date, there have been five formal rounds of talks. We have provisionally closed the majority of chapters in our free trade agreement talks with India and look forward to a next formal round of negotiations soon.
The Government is clear that it won’t sacrifice quality for speed. We will continue to review progress, and only sign when we have a deal that is fair, reciprocal, and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy.
The Government has high regard for worker protections and has made clear that we will not compromise on these in our trade agreements. All our negotiations seek to ensure commitment to international labour protections, including at the International Labour Organization (ILO).
On 20 July, negotiations between the UK and Israel for an upgraded, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were launched. As part of this, our strategic approach to the negotiations was published on GOV.UK. This document sets out the UK’s key objectives in these negotiations.
The Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office discuss the interlinkages between the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, and the wider UK-Israel foreign policy relationship on a regular basis. This joined-up approach has informed the published strategic approach to the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, including the Government's approach to these issues.
The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights.
The Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office discuss the interlinkages between the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, and the wider UK-Israel foreign policy relationship on a regular basis. This joined-up approach has informed the published strategic approach to the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, including the Government's approach to these issues.
The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights.
Under the current UK-Israel agreement, goods imported from illegal settlements are not entitled to the benefits from trade preferences. Palestinian goods imported from the Occupied Palestinian Territories benefit from the trade preferences in the bilateral agreement negotiated between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel, including illegal settlements.
Under the current UK-Israel agreement, goods imported from illegal settlements are not entitled to the benefits from trade preferences. Palestinian goods imported from the Occupied Palestinian Territories benefit from the trade preferences in the bilateral agreement negotiated between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel, including illegal settlements.
No. Defence matters are outside the scope of all UK Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and aims to operate one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. An FTA with Israel will not impact on export controls in relation to arms exports.
Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment is central to the Government’s ‘Modernising Trade’ agenda and features explicitly in UK negotiation objectives.
We are using our FTAs to open new opportunities for women. We have already secured dedicated chapters with Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as well as important additional commitments across these agreements.
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The Government understands the impact that delays in processing paper applications can have on the daily lives of individuals and the DVLA is working hard to reduce waiting times. The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham to reduce backlogs and provide future resilience. These measures are having a positive impact.
On 21 April 2022, the total number of paper applications awaiting processing at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was 832,314. This is a significant reduction from the peak of 1.6 million in September 2021. It is important to note that the DVLA normally has around 400,000 paper applications awaiting processing at any one time as the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail each day. This information is not held by Parliamentary constituency.
The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce, and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was over £101 million in 2021/22.
The Government is committed to funding high-quality brain cancer research. In May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the NIHR. This includes research into paediatric brain tumours.
The £40 million funding will remain available; if we can spend more on the best quality science, we will do. The level of funding for brain tumour research depends on funding applications received. It is worth noting that all applications to NIHR that have been assessed as “fundable” in open competition have been funded and this will continue.
As negotiations on the pandemic instrument are live and in their early stages, we cannot comment on the details of the United Kingdom’s negotiating position. Driving access to safe, affordable essential medical countermeasures is a key priority for the UK in these negotiations, as is ensuring that measures incentivise innovation to strengthen research and development. Officials are working with international partners and non-state actors to ensure the instrument improves access to vaccines, drugs and tests, while also supporting the life sciences sector.
We have also been clear that the UK will not sign up to a pandemic instrument or any instrument that would compromise the UK’s ability to make domestic decisions on national measures concerning public health policy.
The MHRA is an independent regulator responsible for granting marketing authorisation to a product following a thorough review of an application submitted by its producer. There is no requirement for producers of these products registered by the MHRA to declare the information referenced, as this information is both commercially sensitive and not required for the MHRA to make an assessment of an application for marketing authorisation.
Licenced cannabis-based medicines are routinely prescribed and funded on the NHS. However, the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines (written in 2019), demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
We are working with regulatory, research and NHS partners to establish clinical trials to prove products safe and effective. We need the cannabis industry to come forward and work with us on this.
On 6 September 2021, NHS England published ‘Equity and equality: Guidance for local maternity systems’, which focuses on actions to reduce disparities in health outcomes for women and babies. Local Maternity Systems have been asked to plan interventions to improve equity for mothers and babies, which will benefit inclusion groups such as migrants and refugees. The guidance asks Local Maternity Systems to ensure equity in access, experience and health outcomes and address the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity for babies from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and those living in the most deprived areas. NHS England has provided £6.8 million to support Local Maternity Systems to implement these plans.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ guidance ‘Language Interpreting and Translation: Migrant Health Guide’ gives advice on health needs of migrant patients for healthcare practitioners. The guidance states it is the responsibility of NHS service providers to ensure interpreting and translation services are made available to patients free at the point of delivery. Healthcare employers should advise staff on the arrangements for local interpretation services.
This information is published in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts, the 2022-23 report can be found on gov.uk. I refer the Honourable Member to page 144(140) of the report: [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1170838/Foreign-Commonwealth-and-Development-Office-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023.pdf]
British International Investment (BII) has an effective complaints mechanism [https://www.bii.co.uk/en/complaints-whistleblowing/] that allows external parties to report alleged breaches of the Policy on Responsible Investing (PRI). If deemed eligible, complaints will be investigated, and where appropriate, BII will enable access to remedy.
The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism is under the direction of the Head of Compliance. Decisions required under the Reporting and Complaints Mechanism Rules are made independently of the departments involved in pre-investment due diligence and post-investment monitoring of environmental, social and business integrity issues. The Head of Compliance has a reporting line to the Board's Audit & Compliance Committee.
FCDO undertakes periodic reviews of BII's assurance processes and recommends actions to improve their robustness, and monitors implementation of these. Any significant issues reported to FCDO regarding BII are notified to FCDO's Internal Audit and Investigations Department.
Since the coup in February 2021, the UK has provided approximately £120 million to support the people of Myanmar. This has included life-saving assistance responding to the conflict and displacement, support for emergency health care and education and supporting civil society. We also recently announced an additional £2 million to support the Cyclone Mocha response.
Breakdown of ODA figures:
From 01 Feb 2021 to 31 Mar 2022: we provided £8 million
In financial year 2021/22: we provided £49.5 million
In financial year 2022/23: we provided £57.3 million
In financial year 2023/24: our allocated budget is £30.1 million (we have spent £5.13 million so far).
We have led international efforts to put pressure on the military regime and reduce its access to revenue, arms and equipment. On 27 March, the UK announced its fifteenth round of sanctions, designating those who profit from the supply of aviation fuel and military equipment to the Myanmar Armed Forces. We will continue to impose a cost on the military regime's actions, working closely with our partners in the US, Canada and the EU to ensure a strong, coordinated and targeted response.
Intermediated investments allow Development Finance Institution's to effectively: provide smaller levels of financing, raise standards in the wider market, support the development of local institutions, and mobilise other capital.
British International Investment's (BII) Policy on Responsible Investing [https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22114326/Policy-on-Responsible-Investing.pdf] sets out BII's business integrity and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) expectations. This includes drawing on the standards set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Legally binding Business Integrity and ESG action plans are developed to improve standards of all investees over a defined period; and investees are risk assessed on a quarterly basis across various dimensions of risk including ESG and business integrity.
High environmental, social and business integrity risks are reported to FCDO and there is an established process for escalation of significant incidents.
The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to international humanitarian law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. Most recently, on 7 May, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, to express the government's opposition to the demolition of Jubbet Adh Dhib school. Lord Ahmad has also visited a school under threat of demolition in Masafer Yatta during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January.
We have long supported resolutions consistent with our policy, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. The UK's position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution and indeed contribute to the negative trends that imperil the two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately and we continue to monitor the changes to the settlement approval process instituted by the Government of Israel on June 18, which facilitate swifter approval of construction in settlements.
While the seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, the UK remains a longstanding supporter to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) and values its importance as a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region. In the financial year 2022/2023, the UK provided UNRWA with £18.7 million and in 2023/4 our funding is approximately £10 million. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. We are aware of UNRWA's financial challenges and frequently raise this with MENA regional partners at ministerial level, most recently with the government of the United Arab Emirates. To that end, the UK Government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its sustainability.
Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We recognise that under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, has a duty of ensuring and maintaining public health to the fullest extent of the means available to it. The wounded and ill in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.
Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We recognise that under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, has a duty of ensuring and maintaining public health to the fullest extent of the means available to it. The wounded and ill in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.
Approximately 120 - 150 permanent members of staff at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, based in the UK and at the British Embassy in Yangon, work on policies relating to, or support our embassy in Myanmar.
It has long been the government's view that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is as an occupying power and therefore is governed by the provisions of the Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and we have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. We stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. It is vital that Israeli security operations all actions are proportionate, in line with international humanitarian law and calibrated to avoid civilian casualties. The Foreign Secretary along with the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon frequently engages with Israelis and Palestinians on issues relating to the occupation. The Foreign Secretary most recently spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen on 26 June.
The compounding pressures of conflict and cyclical climate disasters are driving unprecedented humanitarian needs, across the Horn of Africa. It is clear that humanitarian funding must complement and work alongside longer-term climate finances to help break the cycle of crisis and to build resilience. To support these efforts, in July the UK will host a conference at Wilton Park to agree concrete actions on how vulnerable countries can secure a proportionate share of climate finance which can be used to promote adaptation and resilient development.
The £143 million is part of a wider bilateral Official Development Assistance allocation for East and Central Africa of £389.8 million as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 30th March 2023.
Local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) play an important role in delivering UK funded humanitarian support in East Africa and beyond. We work and consult closely with local NGOs to aid their planning, delivery and ability to access funding.
In Ethiopia in 2022 the UK provided £7.6 million to the UN's Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) which supported a range of international and national NGOs. Similarly, the UK-funded 'Building Resilient Communities in Somalia' programme has supported a number of local NGOs alongside international civil society organisations. More broadly, the UK funds a number of Country based Pooled Funds (CBPF) and in 2022, nearly 22 percent of funding allocated by CBPFs went directly to national NGOs.
In the course of its illegal invasion, Russia has shown a total disregard for its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and is responsible for numerous violations and abuses of human rights. Russia continues to deny full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to territory under its temporary control, where millions of people are in acute need of humanitarian assistance. Reporting from the UN and OSCE concludes that Russia's treatment of civilians, including killings, torture and forced transfers, may amount to war crimes. The UK is committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, including by supporting the International Criminal Court and Ukrainian domestic investigations.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by crises. In East Africa there is significant evidence to show the gendered impacts of drought, conflict and other humanitarian pressures.
Across East Africa UK humanitarian programmes support women and girls with access to nutrition services, maternal healthcare, access to education and gender-based violence prevention and support services. This is aligned with our commitments in the International Development Strategy on both women and girls and humanitarian action.
Afghanistan is one of FCDO's largest bilateral aid programmes. Since April 2021, the UK has spent £532 million on aid for Afghanistan. We continually monitor the situation in Afghanistan and support the UN led humanitarian response which prioritises according to need. The UK's development partnership with Pakistan focuses on underlying structural issues including population dynamics, climate vulnerability, protecting the rights of women and minorities and macroeconomic stabilisation. Within this partnership the UK has pledged a total of £36 million for flood relief efforts in Pakistan since 2022, of which over £25 million has been disbursed to date.
The FCDO supports a variety of initiatives to build political, cultural and religious understanding between Pakistan and its neighbours. These initiatives support wider regional stability and prosperity, whilst also reducing the risks of uncontrolled escalation towards violence.
The UK's top humanitarian priority is to secure operational security guarantees and workable humanitarian access. There can be no international aid without safe and reliable access. As part of our engagement as the Quad (KSA, US, UK, UAE) we have pushed both for the extension of the ceasefire and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access.
The UK will support a well-coordinated and prioritised regional response. We will coordinate with the international humanitarian system (including INGOs, UN agencies, Civil Society Organisations) to support the UN to be able to scale-up delivery within Sudan so they can move quickly to respond if and when the access situation improves.
The UK's top humanitarian priority is to secure operational security guarantees and workable humanitarian access. There can be no international aid without safe and reliable access. As part of our engagement as the Quad (KSA, US, UK, UAE) we have pushed both for the extension of the ceasefire and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access.
The UK will support a well-coordinated and prioritised regional response. We will coordinate with the international humanitarian system (including INGOs, UN agencies, Civil Society Organisations) to support the UN to be able to scale-up delivery within Sudan so they can move quickly to respond if and when the access situation improves.
As the Minister for Development, I set out FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for financial years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 30th March 2023. The FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023, due to be published later this year, will include full breakdowns of financial years 2022/2023 spend and 2023-2024 plans.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub is in the early stages of its work. We continue to engage and support constructive dialogue with all involved stakeholders and assess over time its effectiveness.
The UK Government is not providing direct, earmarked funding to the Hub. However, the UK is the largest provider of flexible funding to the WHO and is the second largest funder of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The UK supports the expansion of vaccine manufacturing and is working with international and regional partners to catalyse strategic investments for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle- income countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub is in the early stages of its work. We continue to engage and support constructive dialogue with all involved stakeholders and assess over time its effectiveness.
The UK Government is not providing direct, earmarked funding to the Hub. However, the UK is the largest provider of flexible funding to the WHO and is the second largest funder of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The UK supports the expansion of vaccine manufacturing and is working with international and regional partners to catalyse strategic investments for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle- income countries.
The UK plays a leadership role in international discussions on developing country debt. The Government will continue to work with its international partners to urgently address debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries.
FCDO considers debt as part of its approach to international development. The Government will be responding to the International Development Committee's recent inquiry into debt relief in low-income countries in the usual manner, including their recommendation for a strategy.
As the Minister for Development, I set out FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for financial years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 30th March 2023. The FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023, due to be published later this year, will include full breakdowns of financial years 2022/2023 spend and 2023-2024 plans.
The UK Government has repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict women and girls' access to education, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions and public statements, most recently on 13 January 2023. The Government continues to support the delivery of education, including through bilateral and multilateral contributions to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UN partners, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Education Cannot Wait, and the Global Partnership for Education. Ministers and officials are engaging regularly with Afghan women, including those working on education and we are considering remote learning interventions, including online platforms.
The UK Government has repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict women and girls' access to education, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions and public statements, most recently on 13 January 2023. The Government continues to support the delivery of education, including through bilateral and multilateral contributions to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UN partners, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Education Cannot Wait, and the Global Partnership for Education. Ministers and officials are engaging regularly with Afghan women, including those working on education and we are considering remote learning interventions, including online platforms.
Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), girls' education, and women's empowerment are all central commitments in the International Women and Girls Strategy.
Menstrual health and hygiene are a critical component of SRHR, and fundamental to women and girls' health, education and dignity. The FCDO already works to respond to this pressing need, through water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, as well as some focused on SRHR. For example, since 2019, the FCDO has supported the Government of Mozambique to deliver 28 inclusive, resilient school sanitation blocks that include integrated menstrual hygiene management facilities.
The FCDO provides consular support to the families of dual British nationals detained in Iran when they request our support. It remains in Iran's gift to release any British National who has been unfairly detained and we urge the Government of Iran to stop its practice of unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals. We will continue to work with like-minded partners to that end.
Since the beginning of the conflict on 4 November 2020, we have advised British Nationals to leave Tigray. There have been opportunities to leave during that time including four convoys organised by the UN during the initial stages of the conflict which we supported. In the period from January to June 2021, Ethiopian Airlines flights were operating between Mekele and Addis Ababa. We are aware of several British Nationals who chose not leave at that time. Those flights and routes out were curtailed when the conflict escalated in the summer of 2021. We have not been able to secure a safe route out of Tigray since that time. We are currently working with partners to explore possible routes out. We will also continue to be at the forefront of the international effort to de-escalate the conflict and alleviate suffering, and welcome the humanitarian ceasefire announced by both sides on 24 March.
The UK plays a leadership role in international discussions on developing country debt. The government will continue to work with its international partners in the Paris Club and the G20 to urgently address debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries. The government will be responding to the International Development Committee’s recent inquiry into debt-relief in low-income countries in due course.
The government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living. That is why the government has announced £37 billion of support for the cost of living this financial year, which includes £1,200 of support through the £400 EBSS for the most vulnerable households, £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.
In addition, the Government has also taken decisive action to support households and business with rising energy costs this winter through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Energy Price Guarantee limits the energy bill of an average household to £2,500 a year, saving them at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides support for businesses through a discount which is calculated by comparing the estimated wholesale portion of the unit price to a baseline ‘government supported price’ that is lower than currently expected winter wholesale prices. For all non-domestic energy users in Great Britain this government supported price has been set at £211 per megawatt hour (MWh) for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas.
We are continuing to keep the situation under review and focus support on the most vulnerable whilst ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.
The Chancellor and other Treasury Ministers speak regularly with the Secretary of State for Scotland on a wide range of matters.
We have put in place an economic package of support totalling £352 billion to support both individuals and businesses throughout the pandemic, with the devolved administrations having received an additional £28.1 billion in funding through the Barnett formula to support their recovery through 2020-22.
The UK has provided Rwanda with an initial investment of £120m as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership. The UK will also be funding the processing costs for each person relocated, such as caseworkers, legal advice, translators, accommodation, food, healthcare, and for those granted protection, a comprehensive integration package to help them put down roots and start a new life.
Costs and payments will depend on the number of individuals relocated, the timing of when this happens, and the outcomes of individual cases. Actual spend will be reported as part of the annual Home Office Reports and Accounts in the usual way.
The Government has no plans to implement specific schemes for those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Existing visa routes for those wishing to come to the UK are available.
The UK continues to provide lifesaving and emergency support, coordinating closely with the Turkish government and United Nations in Syria to ensure our support meets the needs on the ground and that we can stay responsive to emerging needs.
The UK already welcomes refugees and people in need through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme Under these schemes, refugees are assessed and referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) according to their submissions criteria, which are based on at-risk people’s needs and vulnerabilities. In addition to this, the Government provides a safe and legal route to bring families together through its refugee family reunion policy. The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people fleeing war and persecution. Between 2015 and December 2022, just under half a million (481,804) people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This allows immediate family members as defined in the Immigration Rules of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
My Officials and I work closely with colleagues across Government to coordinate the Government’s response to labour market issues, including potential skills and labour shortages.
The UK Government’s focus is on ensuring immigration policies are considered alongside and as part of our strategy for the UK Labour market, not as an alternative to investing in training for our domestic workforce or to offering our key workers the rewarding packages they deserve.
Our Armed Forces are configured to deliver a full spectrum of capabilities from conventional armed forces to the nuclear deterrent.
The Department is ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment and capability they need to meet the threats of tomorrow, including through a £242 billion 10-year equipment plan.
Information on the department’s workforce size is published routinely each year as part of the Civil Service Annual Workforce Statistics. Information for each of the years in question can be found at the following link.
As of 31st October 2023, 58% of this Department’s Civil Servants who are employed on temporary contracts are women.
Information on the department’s workforce size is published routinely each year as part of the Civil Service Annual Workforce Statistics. Information for each of the years in question can be found at the following link.
As of 31st October 2023, 58% of this Department’s Civil Servants who are employed on temporary contracts are women.
Civil Service workforce data, including data on location of staff, is published on an annual basis – the latest publication is available here.
Under Operation Warm Welcome, we are taking a cross-government approach to ensuring Afghans arriving in the UK are able to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities.
They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.
As part of this, we are creating a portal where people, organisations and businesses can register offers of support. This could include volunteering, offers of employment or to provide professional skills pro bono, including helping those arriving deal with trauma, or offering donations of mobile phones, mobile credit or data, laptops, access to training, clothes and toys. This will complement the Afghanistan housing portal which has been set up to collect offers of additional housing support.
We will also be extending the Community Sponsorship Scheme (CSS) so that friends and neighbours, charities and faith groups can come together to support a family through the ACRS. We will make it easier and quicker for community groups to become sponsors so that more people can play a direct role in the warm welcome we will extend to these new members of our communities.
The CPTPP will act as a gateway to the Indo-Pacific, one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing regions on Earth. When we join, the bloc will account for around 15% of global GDP and could boost the UK economy by £1.8 billion in the long run, with wages set to rise by £800 million compared to 2019 levels as a consequence.
Once signed, the agreement will be laid before Parliament for 21 sitting days of formal scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG). There will be at least three months between publication of the agreement and the commencement of the scrutiny period under CRaG. Any legislation required to implement the agreement will be scrutinised and passed by Parliament in the usual way. The Government commitment to holding debates during the CRaG process is subject to the request being made in a timely manner and parliamentary time being available.