Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of backlog in maintenance and urgent repairs across its overseas estate.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the condition of its overseas estate on the delivery of diplomatic and consular functions.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any overseas diplomatic properties are (a) under-occupied and (b) not used for front-line diplomatic and consular activity.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of whether the adequacy of levels of investment in overseas diplomatic property.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many urgent repairs were requested across Foreign Office assets abroad in each year since 2015.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the estimated value of property owned by her Department overseas was in each year since 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the total estimated cost of maintaining its assets overseas in each year since 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any overseas assets are currently vacant.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the value of property it owns overseas.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding arrangements for local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.