Chris Law Portrait

Chris Law

Scottish National Party - Dundee West

First elected: 7th May 2015


Committees on Arms Export Controls
6th Jul 2020 - 16th Jan 2024
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (International Development)
20th Jun 2017 - 12th Dec 2022
Committees on Arms Export Controls (formerly Quadripartite Committee)
10th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact
13th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
International Development Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Committees on Arms Export Controls
10th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Climate Justice)
20th Jun 2017 - 1st Jul 2018
Scottish Affairs Committee
6th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Chris Law has voted in 542 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Chris Law Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(15 debate interactions)
James Cleverly (Conservative)
Home Secretary
(13 debate interactions)
Alister Jack (Conservative)
Secretary of State for Scotland
(11 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(30 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(13 debate contributions)
Scotland Office
(7 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Chris Law has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Chris Law's debates

Dundee West Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Chris Law has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Chris Law

11th March 2024
Chris Law signed this EDM on Wednesday 13th March 2024

Glasgow Saints FC 24-hour charity football match

Tabled by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
That this House extends its heartfelt congratulations to Glasgow Saints FC on their outstanding 24-hour charity football match, having already raised nearly £5,000 for three causes close to their hearts; applauds their remarkable work and achievement in raising significant funds that will be split between the football club, Beatson Cancer …
8 signatures
(Most recent: 18 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 7
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
12th March 2024
Chris Law signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 13th March 2024

Rosslyn Chapel and the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Awards

Tabled by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
That this House congratulates Rosslyn Chapel of Roslin, Midlothian, for their recent success at the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Awards; recognises their award for Best Tourism Business 2024; acknowledges how this is a wonderful accomplishment and a testament to the dedication and hard work put into the …
4 signatures
(Most recent: 18 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Chris Law's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Chris Law, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Chris Law has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Chris Law has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Chris Law has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
6 Other Department Questions
1st Feb 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has received legal advice on amending the Equality Act 2010 to include care experience as a protected characteristic.

The Government does not believe that the creation of new protected characteristics is often the most effective means of achieving positive change and fairer treatment. We will however continue to keep the Equality Act 2010 under review and if there were ever to be a formal review of the legislation, this recommendation could be revisited as part of that.

In this context, we are unable to comment on whether or not legal advice has been received on the specific question of care experience.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Sep 2022
To ask the President of COP26, if he will make it his policy to support loss and damage finance at COP27, in the context of the damage caused by recent flooding in Pakistan.

At COP26, Parties recognised loss and damage is already impacting lives and livelihoods and agreed to scale-up support. The Glasgow Dialogue was established to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage.

In June 2022, at the Bonn Intersessional meeting, the Glasgow Dialogue on loss and damage was launched to discuss the funding arrangements for addressing loss and damage. There will be further dialogues taking place every year to 2024, though these are not formal negotiations.This will continue to be a critical forum to discuss practical ways finance can be scaled up and effectively delivered. I regularly discuss Loss and Damage with international counterparts, including non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

The UK is committed to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact working with Parties and Civil Society organisations to advance progress through the Glasgow Dialogue and operationalising the Santiago Network.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
15th Jun 2022
To ask the President of COP26, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international counterparts on the development of a loss and damage fund.

As the Hon. Gentleman is aware, COP26 was the first COP where a section of the “Cover Decisions” were devoted to Loss and Damage. We agreed a new “Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage”. This Dialogue was formally launched in Bonn last week.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
26th Apr 2022
To ask the President of COP26, with reference to the Statistics on International Development: Provisional UK Aid Spend 2021, if he will provide a breakdown of Official Development Assistance spending on COP26 in 2021.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
22nd Sep 2021
To ask the President of COP26, if he will make it Government policy to commit to specific targets for climate finance that (a) supports gender equality and (b) reaches women and their organisations most affected by the climate crisis.

The UK Presidency recognises the disproportionate impact climate change has on women and girls. To achieve our long term climate goals, climate finance must deliver on gender equality, but there is work to be done. As highlighted in our priorities for public finance for COP26, published earlier this year, we are committed to improving the gender-responsiveness of climate finance and ensuring that women have full and meaningful participation in climate policy and action.

The UK has signed up to a range of initiatives to help to encourage gender equality, including to help women have better access to finance and enable them to participate in the transition to a green economy. For instance, our Partnership for Forests (P4F) programme has enabled greater female participation in designing payment-for-ecosystem-services systems in the Amazon that benefited the whole community, giving more involvement in the decision-making and leading to sustainable economic growth. As COP26 Presidency, we are calling on others to take similar steps.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
19th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the security of civil servants' pensions data following the cyber attack against Capita in March 2023.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) contract has been structured to ensure that robust Information Security including Cyber Security controls are in place. This has been a fundamental principle from the inception of the procurement. As such the procurement has built measures into the CSPS contract and supporting requirements to ensure that Information Security including Cyber Security is of paramount importance throughout all stages of transition and the contract term. This includes:

  • CSPS requirements including a robust set of security principles that are up to date with the latest His Majesty's Government (HMG) requirements, specifically no off-shoring of CSPS data, annual IT health checks, a monthly Security Working Group to review and investigate any issues relating to security and ongoing requirement to provide Cabinet Office Digital team, assurance against the Cyber Assessment Framework (GovAssure) standard.

  • Embedding within the CSPS contract is the requirement to ensure that Capita, and the administration solution, will be subject to a rigorous accreditation process prior to any CSPS data being migrated to their infrastructure.

  • Enhancements being made to the standard Model Service Contract Security Schedule (2.4) to ensure that the Cabinet Office has the contractual leverage to enforce proactive and reactive controls for cyber and data security.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
19th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria were used to assess the suitability of Capita to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme for his Department.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) procurement was run in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. In accordance with this, strict criteria were applied to the evaluation of all bids submitted. In summary:

  • All final tender bids submitted were assessed against three criteria, each with an allocated weighting. These areas were Quality (65%), Price (25%) and Social Value (10%).

  • The Quality aspects of the bid evaluated included: Security, Business Systems, Core Administration, Member & Employer Engagement, Data, Fraud & Finance, Risk & Governance and Transition.

  • The Social Value aspects of the bid evaluated included: Tackling Economic Inequality, Fighting Climate Change, Equal Opportunity and Wellbeing.

  • To ensure that the evaluation of all bids was fair, proportionate and met the criteria for best value for money, strict moderation protocols were implemented to ensure that consensus was agreed on the outcomes.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
23rd Feb 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2021-23 commitment to explore in greater detail developing a commitment to Aid Transparency, what plans the Government has to publish a timeline for that process.

As a part of UK membership to the Open Government Partnership, government and civil society work together to develop a National Action Plan every two years. Due to COVID-19 related resource constraints, not all commitment areas identified through the co-creation process could be developed in full, including Aid Transparency. However, as set out in the plan, we will look to explore this theme further as engagement continues into 2022.

If all parties agree to explore this topic following discussion at an upcoming multi-stakeholder forum, a discrete working group will be convened to develop a commitment. A timeline will then be published.

23rd Feb 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2021-23 commitment to explore in greater detail developing a commitment to Aid Transparency, what steps the Government is taking to consult with stakeholders during that process.

As a part of UK membership to the Open Government Partnership, government and civil society work together to develop a National Action Plan every two years. Due to COVID-19 related resource constraints, not all commitment areas identified through the co-creation process could be developed in full, including Aid Transparency. However, as set out in the plan, we will look to explore this theme further as engagement continues into 2022.

If all parties agree to explore this topic following discussion at an upcoming multi-stakeholder forum, a discrete working group will be convened to develop a commitment. A timeline will then be published.

29th Oct 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to monitor cross-government progress to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as outlined in the 2021 Outcome Delivery Plans.

The Cabinet Office supports the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which has overall policy oversight for the Sustainable Development Goals, on domestic coordination and implementation by embedding Sustainable Development Goals into the Planning and Performance Framework. Outcome Delivery Plans were published for all government departments on 15 July 2021. These plans highlight how each department will support the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals for the financial year 21-22. Departments continue to report on performance against these plans as part of the financial year 21-22 Annual Reports and Accounts process.

16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has sought legal advice on the implications for her policies on arms export licences to Israel of the International Court of Justice’s decision on the request for provisional measures in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including with regard to international humanitarian law.

All licences are kept under careful and continual review and the Government is able to amend, suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade receives legal advice as appropriate, on all matters related to import and export licensing, as part of advice from officials.

Any legal advice received is subject to legal professional privilege and as such we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
19th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI on democracy.

The Government takes threats posed by digitally manipulated content extremely seriously.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is leading the Government's response, working with DSIT and others to protect the integrity of our democratic processes.

We are working with international partners to tackle this shared challenge and to ensure that social media platforms have the right processes in place to respond. The Online Safety Act puts requirements on platforms to remove illegal mis/dis information - including where it is AI generated.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
9th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals on requiring UK companies to prevent abuse and environmental destruction in their overseas supply chains and operations.

The Government expects all businesses in the UK to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The Modern Slavery Act requires businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to set out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Financial penalties will be introduced through primary legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to increase compliance.

We have also introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
9th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government will take to hold to account companies that fail to prevent human rights and environmental abuse in their supply chains.

The Government expects all businesses in the UK to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The Modern Slavery Act requires businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to set out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Financial penalties will be introduced through primary legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to increase compliance.

We have also introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to provide the Energy Bill Support Scheme discount to heat network customers in domestic households who use the same billing agent for both heat and electricity.

If a heat network customer has a domestic electricity meter, they should already be in receipt of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

If a customer does not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide a £400 support for energy bills. Eligibility, timescales and method of delivery will be announced shortly.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when heat network customers in domestic households will begin to receive the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount.

If a heat network customer has a domestic electricity meter, they should already be in receipt of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

If a customer does not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide a £400 support for energy bills. Eligibility and timescales will be announced shortly.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what methods his Department has assessed for the delivery of the Energy Bills Support Scheme to domestic households on communal heating systems.

If a household on a communal heating system has a domestic electricity meter, they should already be in receipt of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

If a customer does not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, they may be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. Further details have been recently announced on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of whether all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes run by his Department fulfil the primary requirement that ODA supports the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective.

BEIS ODA Funds must act in compliance with the International Development Act (IDA) 2002. The primary purpose of the IDA requires that spend will help reduce poverty overseas. In parallel to ensuring my Department’s ODA spend is compatible with the IDA, the spend must be in line with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules on ODA. BEIS officials work in close contact with counterparts in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to ensure that all of our ODA spending meets this primary purpose requirement, and is accurately accounted for through the annual Statistics on International Development (SID) reporting process (published every April on gov.uk). All programmes employ relevant and robust mechanisms through programme design and implementation to ensure their primary development purpose is met.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
13th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what criteria his Department is using to make decisions on UK Official Development Assistance funded programmes for 2021.

All Government Departments with responsibility for spending Official Development Assistance took part in a cross-government process, led by my Rt. Hon. Friend the First Secretary of State, to review in detail how ODA is allocated between key priorities - recognising the difficult economic circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 2nd December last year, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the International Development Committee setting out the Strategic Framework for UK ODA, which details the UK’s foreign aid spending priorities. In line with these priorities, he confirmed each Department’s total ODA settlement on 26th January.

We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners to manage the Financial Year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to their award holders to set out the process for reviewing ODA funding next year, and to explore options for individual programmes. (Full details have been published on the UKRI website). Ongoing GCRF and Newton Fund programme activity will be prioritised according to the Strategic Framework for UK ODA priorities.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
9th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that people most adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic receive the warm home discount to which they are entitled.

This winter (2020/21), around 1 million Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipients will receive the rebate automatically on their energy bills, as a result of data matching between the Department for Work and Pensions and participating energy suppliers. A further 200,000 low income pensioners, who meet some of the eligibility criteria, will receive a letter from Government encouraging them to claim via a dedicated helpline if they meet the remaining criteria. Of these, over 45,000 have claimed a rebate through calling the helpline so far.

To make sure that all eligible pensioners claim the support to which they are rightly entitled, in 2020 Government ran a nationwide 12-week campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit, and launched a new online claim service, which improves access.

In addition to the Core Group, over 1.1 million vulnerable and low income households will also receive a Warm Home Discount rebate through the Broader Group, which is administered by energy suppliers.

To help vulnerable energy customers during the pandemic, Government negotiated a Voluntary Agreement with energy suppliers, to support customers impacted by COVID-19 who may be struggling with their energy bills and help to keep them on supply. Additionally, the Energy Price Cap has continued to protect around 15 million households on default and prepayment meter tariffs. Government also operates other schemes, such as the Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payment, which help vulnerable households with their winter energy costs.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
1st Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission's 2015 Joint Consultation Paper, Unfair Terms in Contracts?, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations made in that Paper on protecting small businesses from unfair contract clauses.

Following the joint consultation paper, the Department held two calls for evidence relating to the protection of small business when buying goods and services. As a result, it has decided not to intervene in the contractual relations agreed between businesses outside of certain sectors such as groceries and pubs. The second call for evidence led to the establishment of the Small Business Commissioner by the Department.

19th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the Government is supporting the implementation of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan which calls for women’s equal participation in climate change negotiations through its Presidency of COP26.

The UK is fully committed to implementing and facilitating the implementation of the enhanced UNFCCC Gender Action Plan agreed at COP25, both domestically and internationally. We welcome the steps taken so far by Parties, non-Party stakeholders and the UNFCCC Secretariat to centre gender equality in climate action. We continue to call on all countries to implement the Gender Action Plan and to develop gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies and actions.

We recognise the impact of climate change on women and girls, in particular those from the global south or indigenous communities. The UK is committed to providing sufficient space for key constituencies, including women and girls from these communities, to participate and express their views. For example, through the UK-funded Climate Ambition Support Alliance, we are supporting the ECBI (European Capacity Building Initiative) ‘Women Negotiator Mentoring Initiative.’ This initiative will help to level the playing field in international climate negotiations, not only in terms of developed and developing countries, but also between men and women.

More broadly, the UK is committed to championing diversity and inclusivity throughout our COP26 Presidency. Our network of leaders, diplomatic representatives and expert voices reflect this in all of their work. We are also working with a diverse group of "Friends of COP" - leading world figures who are sharing their expertise for a successful summit.

19th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the effect of climate change on gender equality and women and girls in the global south is being tackled through its presidency of COP26.

Through our Presidency of COP26, we will support all to be active agents of change in addressing climate and environment issues. We will champion women, indigenous people and other key groups roles as decision-makers, educators and climate leaders in order to deliver effective, long-term solutions to climate change. For example, through the UK-funded Climate Ambition Support Alliance, we are supporting the ECBI (European Capacity Building Initiative) ‘Women Negotiator Mentoring Initiative.’ This initiative will help to level the playing field in international climate negotiations, not only in terms of developed and developing countries, but also between men and women.

The UK is also fully committed to implementing and facilitating the implementation of the Gender Action Plan agreed at COP25, both domestically and internationally. We recognise that the Gender Action Plan is a valuable tool in addressing the differentiated impacts of climate change and continue to call on all countries to develop gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies and actions.

19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention of key workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government defines key workers as those whose work are critical to the Coronavirus response. This includes those who work in the health and social care sectors, as well as in education and childcare, transport, food and delivery, utilities, communications, public safety, and the Government.

To assist retention, schools will provide essential support to the most vulnerable children and the children of those identified as key workers.

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care is enhancing the capacity and flexible deployment of staff across essential services, for example:

  • By allowing the temporary registration of recently retired NHS staff and social workers.
  • By allowing retired staff to return to the NHS without a negative impact on their pension.
  • By providing additional indemnity cover to key workers.

By protecting the employment rights of NHS volunteers.

1st Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the proposal by The Independent Game Developers’ Association to introduce a video games investment fund.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s games sector. As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the government has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund. The UK Games Fund will continue to provide valuable support to early-stage games development and talented graduates throughout the UK. In addition, the Video Games Tax Relief continues to make the UK one of the leading destinations in the world for making video games.

We are not seeking to take forward a proposal for a new Video Games Investment Fund. We welcome continued discussions with the games industry on how best to support a thriving UK games sector.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
2nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2023 to Question 148681 on Children in Care: Equality, how many organisations supported the independent review of children's care's recommendation that care experience should be a protected characteristic during her Department's two roundtable discussions with the care sector.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

In developing the Care Experience chapter of Stable Homes: Built on Love, the department held two roundtable discussions with organisations representing the care sector. The organisations were:

  • Action for Children
  • Association of Directors of Children’s Services
  • Barnardo’s
  • Become
  • Care Leavers Association
  • Career Matters
  • Catch 22
  • Coram Voice
  • Drive Forward
  • House Project
  • Just 4 Kids Law
  • National Association of Virtual School Heads
  • National Children’s Bureau
  • National Youth Advocacy Service
  • Office of the Children’s Commissioner
  • Ofsted
  • Rees Foundation
  • Spectra.

To enable the most robust and constructive exchange of views possible, these conversations were held in confidence.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
2nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2023 to Question 148681 on Children in Care: Equality, which organisations attended the roundtable discussions held by her Department.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

In developing the Care Experience chapter of Stable Homes: Built on Love, the department held two roundtable discussions with organisations representing the care sector. The organisations were:

  • Action for Children
  • Association of Directors of Children’s Services
  • Barnardo’s
  • Become
  • Care Leavers Association
  • Career Matters
  • Catch 22
  • Coram Voice
  • Drive Forward
  • House Project
  • Just 4 Kids Law
  • National Association of Virtual School Heads
  • National Children’s Bureau
  • National Youth Advocacy Service
  • Office of the Children’s Commissioner
  • Ofsted
  • Rees Foundation
  • Spectra.

To enable the most robust and constructive exchange of views possible, these conversations were held in confidence.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 196 of her Department’s consultation entitled Stable Homes, Built on Love: Implementation Strategy and Consultation published in February 2023, what recent discussions she has had with representatives from the care sector on the potential merits of listing care experience as a protected characteristic.

The department has sought the views and advice from a range of stakeholders, including the National Implementation Board, local authorities, sector organisations and sector charities in developingStable Homes: Built on Love’, the government’s implementation strategy and consultation for reforming children’s social care. The department has also sought the views of care-experienced young people in developing our response. We will continue to engage during and after the consultation.

On the Care Experience chapter, as well as regular informal engagement with key stakeholders, the department held two roundtable discussions with around 20 organisations representing the care sector. The department participated in over 10 discussion sessions facilitated by charities with care-experienced children and young people. Some of these conversations included discussion of the review’s recommendation to make care experience a protected characteristic. The department’s engagement has not shown a consensus for making care experience a protected characteristic, as some fear it would add to the stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced people.

To tackle stigma and discrimination, the department is prioritising extending strengthened corporate parenting responsibilities to all government departments and relevant public bodies. By amending the corporate parenting principles, we will ensure that policies and services that affect care-experienced young people take account of the challenges they face, remove barriers, and provide opportunities for them to thrive.

The department will hold a public consultation on the detail of these proposals in late 2023.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of care sector representatives with which her Department consulted before publishing the response to the independent review of children's social care said that care experience should become a protected characteristic.

The department has sought the views and advice from a range of stakeholders, including the National Implementation Board, local authorities, sector organisations and sector charities in developingStable Homes: Built on Love’, the government’s implementation strategy and consultation for reforming children’s social care. The department has also sought the views of care-experienced young people in developing our response. We will continue to engage during and after the consultation.

On the Care Experience chapter, as well as regular informal engagement with key stakeholders, the department held two roundtable discussions with around 20 organisations representing the care sector. The department participated in over 10 discussion sessions facilitated by charities with care-experienced children and young people. Some of these conversations included discussion of the review’s recommendation to make care experience a protected characteristic. The department’s engagement has not shown a consensus for making care experience a protected characteristic, as some fear it would add to the stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced people.

To tackle stigma and discrimination, the department is prioritising extending strengthened corporate parenting responsibilities to all government departments and relevant public bodies. By amending the corporate parenting principles, we will ensure that policies and services that affect care-experienced young people take account of the challenges they face, remove barriers, and provide opportunities for them to thrive.

The department will hold a public consultation on the detail of these proposals in late 2023.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many representatives from the care sector her Department engaged with ahead of the publication of the UK Government's response to the independent review of children's care.

The department has sought the views and advice from a range of stakeholders, including the National Implementation Board, local authorities, sector organisations and sector charities in developingStable Homes: Built on Love’, the government’s implementation strategy and consultation for reforming children’s social care. The department has also sought the views of care-experienced young people in developing our response. We will continue to engage during and after the consultation.

On the Care Experience chapter, as well as regular informal engagement with key stakeholders, the department held two roundtable discussions with around 20 organisations representing the care sector. The department participated in over 10 discussion sessions facilitated by charities with care-experienced children and young people. Some of these conversations included discussion of the review’s recommendation to make care experience a protected characteristic. The department’s engagement has not shown a consensus for making care experience a protected characteristic, as some fear it would add to the stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced people.

To tackle stigma and discrimination, the department is prioritising extending strengthened corporate parenting responsibilities to all government departments and relevant public bodies. By amending the corporate parenting principles, we will ensure that policies and services that affect care-experienced young people take account of the challenges they face, remove barriers, and provide opportunities for them to thrive.

The department will hold a public consultation on the detail of these proposals in late 2023.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
10th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made on the effect of the proposed reductions in Official Development Assistance on the UK’s contribution to multilateral agencies operating in Yemen, including the (a) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (b) UN International Children’s Fund and (c) World Food Programme.

Yemen remains a key priority for the UK Government. The UK’s £160 million pledge made at the 2020 Yemen Humanitarian Pledging Conference on June 2nd was the third largest by any country and brings our total commitment to Yemen to nearly £1 billion since the conflict started in 2015. The UK remains committed to honouring this pledge and supporting various multilateral agencies operating in Yemen.

Our funding will help UN agencies provide support to at least 300,000 vulnerable people each month to help them buy food and household essentials, treat 40,000 children for malnutrition and provide 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
10th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made on the effect of the proposed reductions in Official Development Assistance on the UK’S contribution to multilateral funding bodies in (a) Syria and (b) the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UK is committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance, which is enshrined in law. This means the aid budget increases when the UK economy grows and decreases if the economy shrinks.

Given the expected fall in GNI this year, aid spending is under review across all departments. No decision has been taken and we are considering the full range of our work.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
25th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications for the merger of her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the Aid Transparency Index rating the transparency of aid spending by her Department as very good and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as fair.

The 2020 Aid Transparency Index was launched on 24 June and DFID remains ‘very good’ and the 2nd best bilateral donor, and the FCO has improved performance, moving into the ‘fair’ category for the first time and scoring above average for the non-specialised ministries (foreign/defence/trade) assessed. DFID and FCO both lost points because they were unable to provide sufficiently forward-looking budget forecasts due to the limitations of the current Spending Review settlement, which will be addressed in future assessments.

The UK is globally recognised for its expertise and transparency in aid spending. The new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will continue to benefit from that expert knowledge as it delivers aid programmes to some of the world’s poorest people.

We are committed to improving transparency of aid globally and maintaining our high standards for overseas spending.?We will continue to be accountable to parliament and to taxpayers for how we spend UK aid, and to mandate our partners to be transparent.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
16th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to protect funding for (a) health and (b) education in the event that reductions in the aid budget are required as a result of a reduction in Gross National Income.

All government departments are working through how their plans need to change in light of the risk of a recession this year. No decision has been taken, but we are considering the full range of our work. It is absolutely in Britain’s interest to use ODA to make the world a healthier, safer and more prosperous place, either through tackling coronavirus, providing humanitarian aid in crises or helping girls get a quality education.

16th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to help ensure that girls are not prevented from returning to education as schools reopen following the covid-19 pandemic.

Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all girls remains a UK priority. As the effects of the COVID-19 crisis play out, the impact on girls’ education is becoming increasingly clear. The UK’s response to the pandemic aims to tackle the preventative measures to girls returning to education by mitigating short term risks by focussing on safety, nutrition, wellbeing and learning whilst schools are closed; and supporting countries to protect and maintain education budgets in the longer term.

DFID is adapting its bilateral education programmes in 18 countries. The Global Partnership for Education, to which the UK is the largest donor, is flexing over £200 million to support education sector stability in response to the pandemic. The UK has also announced £20 million for UNICEF’s crisis appeal, which includes education, and a further £5 million to the Education Cannot Wait fund to support emergency education in fragile contexts.

16th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she is having with UN agencies to ensure that funding for the covid-19 response is allocated urgently to organisations operating at community level.

My officials continue to liaise with UN partners on all aspects of its COVID-19 response, including their work with NGOs and civil society organisations.

DFID welcomes the vital role that NGOs and civil society organisations will continue to play in service delivery through multilaterals. UN agencies have undertaken a review of their existing procedures related to partnership management and issued additional internal guidance to simplify and expedite collaboration where appropriate. We will be working with the UN and DFID’s country offices.

16th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that programmes funded by her Department can be adapted to respond to the covid-19 pandemic and progress on development does not stop as a result of it.

We are maximising the UK’s efforts to tackle COVID-19 by adapting and scaling up existing programmes where they can respond to the crisis. In country, we are working quickly to pivot our programming to support the COVID-19 response, reinforcing health, humanitarian, social protection or economic support programmes.

16th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that aid to Yemen is received by people who need it most.

The UK Government has a zero-tolerance policy to the diversion of UK aid funds and seeks to minimise the risks, to ensure our life-saving assistance (such as food, clean water and medical support) reaches those vulnerable Yemenis who need it most.

We do this by only channelling our support through organisations with a strong record of delivering and monitoring assistance, such as UN agencies and international NGOs. We also subject our partners to rigorous due diligence processes and regular reviews (including independent third-party verification of delivery).

We also continue to actively call on the Houthis and all parties to the conflict to immediately end all restrictions on aid agencies and comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 by allowing safe, rapid, and unhindered access for the humanitarian response and commercial supplies.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
28th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that humanitarian (a) access and (b) principles are protected in the global covid-19 response.

To date, the UK has committed £744 million of UK Aid to support global efforts to combat COVID-19. We are working with all our international partners to ensure aid is effectively distributed to vulnerable countries.

The UK is a key contributor to the UN’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP), which focuses on humanitarian access, through securing the continuity of the supply chains for essential commodities and services, and supporting the most vulnerable, including protecting and assisting refugees, Internally Displaced Peoples, migrants and host communities.

We are co-leading work with Italy through the G7 to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable countries. A large part of this work is to ensure unhindered humanitarian access for vulnerable populations, and to make sure the global response is prioritising the most in need.

We are also using diplomatic channels to ensure that international humanitarian law and global commitments regarding the rights and protection of refugees and access to asylum are upheld in this crisis.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
28th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to (a) enhance and (b) maintain humanitarian access in Yemen.

The UK is extremely concerned that Houthi restrictions and interference in the delivery of humanitarian assistance is now forcing humanitarian agencies, such as the World Food Programme, to scale back their assistance in northern Yemen. In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2451, we are calling on all parties to facilitate unhindered access for humanitarian actors and agencies and ensure that humanitarian workers are able to conduct their work safely and without harm.

Ministers and officials continue to engage closely with other donors and humanitarian agencies to ensure a coordinated international approach on how we adjust the way we all give aid, to ensure it gets to those in need.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
28th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on planned funding levels for a humanitarian response in Yemen.

As reported by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, in his UN Security Council briefing of Monday 16 April, UN agencies estimate that they need more than $900 million to enable them to continue their operations in Yemen until July.

On Thursday 23 April, DFID’s acting Permanent Secretary discussed ways of improving humanitarian funding levels in Yemen with Mark Lowcock.

The Secretary of State also discussed Yemen funding with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme on Friday 17 April and UK officials remain in close contact with other major donors such as Saudi Arabia, the US and Germany.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
28th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support countries with weak health systems to ensure they have the resilience to respond to the covid-19 pandemic and maintain pre-existing health priorities.

The UK has, so far, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible. This includes a package of £200 million to support UK charities and international organisations to help prevent infections and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in developing countries, including maintaining essential health services.

DFID recognises strong and resilient health systems are vital to national and global health security and helping to protect the world from health threats, including COVID-19, and to maintaining the delivery of essential health services.

Through our multilateral partnerships, and our regional and national programmes, we support developing countries to make their health systems stronger and more resilient, and prepared to detect, prevent and respond to health threats, such as COVID-19.

27th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support women and girls as part of its response to covid-19.

There must be an explicit and visible consideration of, and support to, women and girls across DFID’s response to COVID-19. DFID has committed an additional £10 million to the United Nation’s Population Fund COVID-19 response to strengthen health systems to deliver sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, support supply chains for lifesaving commodities and deliver community engagement activities. We also recently committed £20 million to the UN Children’s Fund to help keep children in developing countries safe and learning throughout the crisis. DFID has also launched a call for proposals under our Rapid Response Facility, which required all projects to mainstream gender, protection and safeguarding.

DFID is flexing existing programmes to ensure we can better respond to the specific impacts women and girls are facing as a result of COVID-19. For example, the Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme is our flagship women’s sexual and reproductive health programme and provides lifesaving services to women in 27 countries around the world. WISH is finding innovative ways to keep delivering desperately-needed services and supplies during this pandemic, while also supporting efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

27th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s policy is on the Gavi replenishment period and strategy review.

As Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s largest donor, the UK fully supports the Gavi 5.0 strategy for 2021-2015 to ‘leave no one behind with immunisation’. The UK has committed £1.65 billion, the equivalent of £330 million per year, to support Gavi’s goal to immunise a further 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives.

The UK is hosting the Global Vaccine Summit on 4 June, which will bring countries together to raise the funds required to save millions of lives. The Gavi replenishment period is vital to raise at least $7.4 billion to fund Gavi’s investment case for its next five years of work (2021-2025).

Gavi’s strategy for the next five years was approved by the Gavi Board in June 2019, with a focus on equity and increasing vaccination coverage to unreached and under-immunised children. Gavi is adapting its strategy to support countries’ responses to the impacts of COVID-19 on routine immunisation.

27th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what level of funding she plans to allocate to the replenishment of Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance.

The Secretary of State announced the UK’s support to Gavi in Parliament on Wednesday 29 April. Our pledge of £1.65 billion to Gavi over the next five years. will immunise up to 75 million children against vaccine preventable diseases, strengthen health systems, build resilience against coronavirus and other diseases and support global access to any future coronavirus vaccine.

27th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that user fees are not a barrier to the treatment of covid-19 in developing countries.

I refer my honourable friend to the answer to question 39671, on 1 May.