Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that global development and health partnerships remain central to foreign policy objectives.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Work on international development, including global health, remains a priority for this Department. The Minister of State for International Development made this clear at the International Development Committee hearing on 12 May 2025, we will sharpen our focus on humanitarian, health and climate and nature. Making progress on our health and development agenda not only supports our broader foreign policy objectives but also contributes to the Government's health and economic growth missions.
At the UK-EU summit on 19 May, we affirmed our shared commitment to increasing our cooperation on health security, including to prevent and better mitigate against future pandemics and health crises. Later this year, the UK will co-host the replenishment of the Global Fund with South Africa.
At the Gavi Global Summit in Brussels on 25 June 2025 the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will invest an additional £1.25 billion in support of Gavi's 2026 - 2030 programme. This commitment, alongside contributions from international partners, will help deliver Gavi to partner with countries such as yours to immunise up to 500 million more children, save up to 9 million more lives, and generate over $100 billion in economic benefits. The Minister of State for International Development also announced the UK will be investing a further £25 million in Gavi's Matching Fund to grow their work. Meeting investments from the private sector.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to support global health workforce development as part of the UK’s international health security agenda.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Strong, resilient health systems are essential for the delivery of the United Kingdom’s wider global health objectives of strengthening global health security, including tackling the threat of anti-microbial resistance and the spread of disease, and ending the preventable deaths of new-borns and children. The UK thus recognises the need to support developing countries with their health workforce.
Since 2022, the Department has committed £20 million in Official Development Assistance funding to the Global Health Workforce Programme. The programme aims to support the development of the health workforce in six African countries and regions, aiding them to build stronger, resilient health systems for health security and to make progress towards universal health coverage. It is aligned to the World Health Organization’s Working for Health Action Plan 2022-2030.
The Department’s Global Health Workforce Programme will conclude at the end of this financial year on the completion of its current grant. However, the UK will continue to support Global Health and Global Health Security including through key health multilaterals such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the World Health Organization. We also support the development of a global workforce for health security preparedness through technical assistance offered by the International Health Regulations Strengthening Programme, and in outbreak response through the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how revised school food standards will align with (a) wider Government strategies on health and (b) the 10-Year Plan for Health.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and it is important that schools follow the latest nutritional guidance. We are working with experts on revising the School Food Standards, to ensure they support on strategies around health. The current School Food Standards already state one or more portions of vegetables as an accompaniment and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered introducing further regulations on establishing (a) dog and (b) cat rescue organisations.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Companion animal rescue and rehoming organisations in England must comply with statutory welfare requirements set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Members of the public can also check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures that all members adhere to.
More broadly, the Department is developing an overarching approach to animal welfare and has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of this work. It will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.