Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK higher education institutions have approached the her Department for guidance following requests from the Chinese Embassy to alter language referring to Taiwan, in each year since 2020.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.

If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with universities on foreign diplomatic pressure to (a) alter and (b) remove references to Taiwan in (i) academic and (ii) institutional communications.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.

If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has (a) commissioned a review of and (b) made changes to the structure of her Department since taking office.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will maintain our engagement with all key allies and partners over the coming months in pursuit of our shared priorities and interests; and we will continue to ensure that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is fully geared up to support these activities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to prioritise any bilateral relationships in her first three months in office.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will maintain our engagement with all key allies and partners over the coming months in pursuit of our shared priorities and interests; and we will continue to ensure that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is fully geared up to support these activities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has set new objectives for her Department.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will maintain our engagement with all key allies and partners over the coming months in pursuit of our shared priorities and interests; and we will continue to ensure that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is fully geared up to support these activities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Alternative to Detention schemes piloted under the Home Office’s Community Engagement Pilot series.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Following analysis of the pilots’ published evaluations, the Department did not see sufficient evidence to progress these. We will keep under review the feasibility of alternatives to detention, taking account of effectiveness and cost efficiency, as part of our plans to transform the asylum and returns system.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government's strategic objectives are for the state visit of President Trump.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

State visits are a core part of delivering the Government's Plan for Change, strengthening the UK's global partnerships and people-to-people ties. As part of the US President's State Visit, the UK and US have agreed the Tech Prosperity Deal, focused on developing the fastest growing technologies like AI, quantum and nuclear. This comes as America's top technology and AI firms commit a combined £31 billion to boost the UK's AI infrastructure and cutting-edge tech. This partnership will turbocharge the build-out of new nuclear power stations to secure jobs and growth in the UK and US, this golden age of nuclear is central to the government's mission to build more clear homegrown power to ensure energy security. As the Prime Minister has said, the Tech Prosperity Deal will "shape the futures of millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic, and delivering growth, security and opportunity up and down the country".

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