Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to engage with (a) Waltham Forest local authority, (b) the Greater London Authority, (c) Transport for London, (d) existing cross-Channel train operators, (e) potential future cross-Channel train operators, (e) London St. Pancras Highspeed and (f) other stakeholders on long-term plans for the expansion of rail maintenance capacity around the Temple Mills depot in Leyton.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working at pace to further support the growth of international rail services and address the barriers to entry, including addressing capacity challenges. The Department is actively engaging with a range of stakeholders, including the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, Eurostar, London St. Pancras Highspeed and potential new operators to support the long-term growth of international rail passenger services.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timescale is for (a) consultation and (b) decision-making on long-term plans for the expansion of rail maintenance capacity around the Temple Mills depot in Leyton.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is fully supportive of a thriving and competitive international passenger rail market and welcomes the prospect of new entrants. The Department recognises that depot capacity for international trains is a key barrier facing new entrants and officials are currently exploring options to address this. Any decision will be subject to the usual business case process and the Government will provide more details as this work progresses.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching a prostate cancer awareness campaign for people at high risk of prostate cancer through his forthcoming National Cancer Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for people at high risk of prostate cancer.
NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and to address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.
The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/
The forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England is in development and will include further details on how we will improve diagnostics, access to treatments, and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer. As such, the Department has no current plans for a separate assessment of the merits of a prostate awareness campaign.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing sanctions on (a) Itamar Ben Gvir and (b) Bezalel Smotrich.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On the 10 June 2025, together with international partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, we announced measures against Israeli government ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. We sanctioned these individuals in their personal capacity as a result of their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Both will be subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification. We have long been clear that Israel must cease expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state. It is right that we, along with international partners, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring they are held accountable for encouraging and inciting human rights abuses. Our joint statement made clear our commitment to continuing a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties and values. We remain committed to a two-state solution which ensures a safe and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the costs of implementing the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations for railway stations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I am not aware of any such estimates being made of implementing the proposed EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations for railway stations.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on facilitating the medical treatment of (a) injured and (b) seriously ill Palestinian children.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains in regular contact at all levels with the Government of Israel to press for an increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza. On 19 May, we issued a joint donor statement on the humanitarian situation calling for a full resumption of aid and for Israel to allow the UN and other aid organisations to operate independently. We urge Israel to let Gazans receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment. The UK supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestinian children have entered the UK for medical treatment since October 2023; and what steps her Department plans to take to increase the number of Palestinian children able to receive medical treatment in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The information requested on visas is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
The UK has supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children have arrived in the UK to begin treatment. The Government also announced a £7.5m package of support to bolster vital medical care in Gaza and the region, which includes additional funding for UK-Med, WHO Egypt and the OCHA OPTs Humanitarian Fund.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Rt. hon and hon. Members on the Climate and Nature Bill since 24 January 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. Accordingly, we have engaged extensively with Roz Savage MP on the proposed Climate and Nature Bill and agreed how we can take forward the spirit and substance of the Bill. The minister responsible for the Bill area, Minister Creagh, met with Roz Savage on 27 January to discuss the government’s approach to taking forward the spirit of the Bill.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with public transport providers on the cost of implementing the proposed EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I am not aware of any recent discussions on this issue with public transport providers. The EHRC are currently consulting on the draft statutory Code of Practice and are seeking views from affected stakeholders. This consultation closes on Monday 30th June after which we will consider the final draft.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterparts in Indonesia on corporal punishment in relation to consensual intimacy between adult men.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes all forms of discrimination and is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people around the world. The UK also opposes the use of judicially imposed corporal punishment. In Indonesia, we actively engage with Civil Society Organisations, legislators, and the Government of Indonesia, through our Embassy in Jakarta, to oppose discrimination against minority groups, including the LGBT community. We encourage Indonesia to ensure that its laws, both at national and local level, are non-discriminatory and celebrate the diversity and tolerance of its people.