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 diplomatic steps she is taking to coordinate action to end a) settler violence and b) settlement expansion in the West Bank with other states that have recognised Palestine as a state.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on this issue in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December condemning the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether clarified guidance on the legality of UK trade with illegal settlements in Palestine is being considered within the review of the Government’s approach to Responsible Business Conduct.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government is clear that Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, states there are clear risks to UK operators related to economic and financial activities in the settlements. We discourage such activity and advise that those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice. Separately, the review of Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) is focused on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK. It is an actor agnostic, neutral and objective appraisal of the UK’s current RBC policy approach and alternative options to enhance the UK’s approach as appropriate.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Independent Legal Advocacy support programme pilot will only provide advice to those over 18; and whether a separate legal advocacy support programme will be created for Service Personnel under 18.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Independent Legal Advocacy Support pilot will operate for 12 months from Spring 2026. It will provide advice to any complainant aged 18 or over, whether a Service person or a civilian, where the alleged perpetrator is a Service person subject to Service law or a civilian subject to Service discipline, and where the case could fall within the jurisdiction of the Service Justice System.
The age threshold reflects the scope of the Service Justice System and the types of cases it is likely to handle. As the pilot is evaluated, we will assess whether there is evidence of a need to widen the scope of the specialist legal advocacy support. If such a need is identified, it will be considered as part of the ongoing evaluation.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to (a) publish for pre-legislative scrutiny and (b) introduce the Defence Readiness Bill in (i) 2026, (ii) 2027, (iii) 2028 and (iv) 2029.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is currently working to develop Defence Readiness measures to ensure the Government has the powers it needs to keep the UK safe in crisis or conflict, as recommended in the Strategic Defence review. The introduction of legislation, and the scrutiny of it, will be conducted when Parliamentary time allows.
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, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of men in England who undergo PSA testing outside of a formal screening programme; and whether this was accounted for in the UK National Screening Committee’s modelling of prostate cancer screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Government is taking men’s health seriously and we want to find the best way of reliably screening for prostate cancer. We are guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee who are consulting on a draft recommendation relating to prostate cancer screening. However, as there is currently no prostate cancer screening programme for men, 100% of men in England who undergo prostate-specific antigen testing do so outside of a formal screening programme.
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, whether any additional evidence published since the UK National Screening Committee’s draft recommendation in November will be considered before a final decision is made on prostate cancer screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
We have full confidence in the UK National Screening Committee's evidence-based approach, which includes a 12 week public consultation to inform the findings even further. If new peer reviewed published evidence is submitted to the consultation it will be considered before a final decision is made on prostate cancer screening.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will consider implementing a rule of one approach to building safety remediation, whereby each affected building is remediated once to a standard set by the Department and certified by an independent fire engineer appointed by the Department rather than the developer.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Remediation Acceleration Plan Update, published in July 2025 announced the Government’s intent to embed in law the standards and robust assurance practices used in the Government’s cladding remediation programmes. This will include making it a legal requirement for relevant Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs) to follow the British Standards Institute (BSI) methodology for assessing external wall defects (PAS 9980), with approved audits to ensure consistency and quality.
This aims to establish a clear, legally enforceable standard – using a consistent framework set by the BSI and already used in government remediation programmes – to define the remediation works required at each building, providing clarity and confidence. This will be achieved as part of the Remediation Bill, to be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.
The developer remediation contract sets the standard that developers must meet when remediating buildings covered by the contract. Remediation of external defects must be undertaken in line with PAS 9980 and remediation of internal defects must be undertaken in line with relevant industry standards and applicable law. Remedial works must reduce life-critical fire safety defects in the building to a tolerable level, in line with these standards. The developer remediation contract provides the necessary powers for the Government to audit developers’ assessments to assure quality and consistency of assessments.
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 steps she has taken to engage with a) members of the Sudan Quad and b) other states on coordinated action to i) prevent atrocities, ii) facilitate aid access and iii) support progress towards peace in Sudan since the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America on 18 November 2025.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.
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 steps she has taken to coordinate with a) the co-signatories of the Joint Statement Condemning Atrocities and Violations of International Humanitarian law in Sudan, published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 10 November 2025, and b) other states on atrocity prevention in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of weather conditions projected over the next three months in Sudan on a) atrocity risks and b) humanitarian access in that country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Foreign Secretary during departmental questions on 2 December, and to the statement she made to the House on 18 November. We will make further updates to the House in due course, and we keep all factors under review in our assessment of the situation in Sudan.