First elected: 7th May 2015
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
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).
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
Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Bambos Charalambous (Lab)
Powers of Attorney Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Fabian Hamilton (Lab)
Recognition of Armenian Genocide Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Import of Products of Forced Labour from Xinjiang (Prohibition) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Brendan O'Hara (SNP)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Arms (Exports and Remote Warfare) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Alyn Smith (SNP)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Armed Forces Representative Body Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP)
The Government is committed to improving the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade. The Prime Minister and President von der Leyen agreed to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit, such as the economy, energy, security and resilience. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and I are taking this forward ahead of the first UK-EU summit in London on 19 May. The first UK-Ireland Summit saw the announcement of £185.5 million in new Irish investments, and creating 2540 jobs across the country.
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister’s Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister’s Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
We appreciate the valuable work the Worker Support Centre (WSC) does in supporting workers.
The Department acknowledges the challenges for seasonal workers published in the WSC’s Annual report.
I have asked officials to ensure that the WSC are given the opportunity to input their expertise as we move forward with the implementation of the Fair Work Agency.
We appreciate the valuable work the Worker Support Centre (WSC) does in supporting workers.
The Department acknowledges the challenges for seasonal workers published in the WSC’s Annual report.
I have asked officials to ensure that the WSC are given the opportunity to input their expertise as we move forward with the implementation of the Fair Work Agency.
On 29 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced the Government’s intention to deliver negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey. The Government continues its review of the objectives for these negotiations with Israel.
We welcome the 15 January 2025 announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The current system of employment rights is fragmented and confusing for workers and businesses alike. We are creating the Fair Work Agency to deliver a much-needed upgrade to enforcement of workers’ rights. It will bring together existing enforcement functions to create a strong, recognisable single brand so individuals and businesses know where to go for help. It will also have strong powers to inspect workplaces and take action against employers who are deliberately breaking the law.
The Government has been clear that it will consult extensively with a wide range of stakeholders when developing new employment rights legislation. That will include those representing people with multiple sclerosis.
The Government has set out its immediate priorities for reforming employment law in the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Plan includes a number of measures which may help people with multiple sclerosis and other health conditions at work - including making sure people can benefit from flexible working and ensuring flexibility is a genuine default.
Delivering an ambitious outcome on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is critical to ensure we can deliver towards the ambition of the Paris Agreement. The UK is committed to working together with all Parties to agree a new climate finance goal that supports the most vulnerable, encourages finance to increase from all sources and accelerates the necessary reforms of the global financial architecture. In line with this, the UK is actively engaging internationally at both Ministerial and Official levels with developed and developing countries to achieve an outcome which meets these critical objectives.
DSIT does not directly supervise the storage of data in specific UK data centres by specific companies.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales has produced guidance for charities on managing risks when working internationally, which can be found on its website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charities-how-to-manage-risks-when-working-internationally.
Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Charities in Scotland are registered with, and regulated by, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is the registrar and regulator of charities in Northern Ireland.
The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, is arranging a meeting on seasonal worker welfare issues hosted by the Minister for Farming, Daniel Zeichner, and the Minister for Migration, Seema Malhotra MP, later this month. Invitations have been sent to the Seasonal Worker Interest Group, and other interested parties, for this event, which will provide an opportunity to discuss these matters further.
Defra, Home Office, and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers and their Officials regularly engage regarding a range of issues, including accommodation standards for seasonal workers.
The Government will work collaboratively on this issue, across the relevant departments, to improve the rights and protections for seasonal workers. We are exploring approaches at the national and local authority level and through engagement with the sector itself.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, this includes workplace health and safety risks created in agriculture.
HSE can confirm that the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 were amended in 2022 to bring all workers into scope. The above regulations will be subject to a post implementation review (PIR) in 2027. These regulations already require that suitable personal protective equipment is provided, at no cost, to the worker and that workers are trained in its use. Therefore, HSE is of the view that the regulations are currently fit for purpose and have no plans to review them before the planned PIR. Farms have a legal duty to ensure that they provide appropriate PPE to all workers, including seasonal workers, and that those workers also use the PPE provided.
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, dutyholders such as farmers have a legal duty to report certain work-related injuries to HSE. Where required, HSE can and does investigate individual reports of work-related incidents across all industries, including farming. In addition, HSE also monitors the accident data that it receives under the above regulations, and tailors its subsequent engagement with the industry in the best, most efficient way to drive improvement in onsite health and safety standards. HSE has no plans to commission a specific review of injuries on farms employing seasonal workers.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, this includes workplace health and safety risks created in agriculture.
The table below shows the total number of farm inspections carried out by HSE over the last 5 years in Scotland, England and Wales. HSE’s farm inspection programme over those years focused on health and safety standards on site for all workers. No farm inspection programmes over the last 5 years were focused exclusively on one group of farm workers such as seasonal workers. If during a farm site visit, matters directly affecting a specific group or number of workers on a particular site were identified by the inspector, they would be dealt with accordingly.
Please see the figures for farm inspections conducted in each of the last five years in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales:
:
| Number of Farm Inspections* | |||
YEAR** | Scotland | England | Wales | Total |
2019/20 | 143 | 534 | 18 | 695 |
2020/21 | 34 | 174 | 4 | 212 |
2021/22 | 70 | 263 | 59 | 392 |
2022/23 | 105 | 627 | 51 | 783 |
2023/24 | 22 | 424 | 34 | 480 |
2024/25 | 7 | 62 | 7 | 76 |
*defined by the Nature of business: Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes |
** years commencing 1st April |
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, this includes workplace health and safety risks created in agriculture.
Over the last 5 years, HSE has taken the following steps to address on-farm health and safety hazards and improve the health and safety performance of the industry for the benefit of all farm workers in Scotland, England and Wales, including seasonal workers, by:
HSE remains committed to working with the farming industry to help improve health and safety performance for the benefit of all its workers.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The group of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers affected by the most severe health conditions or disabilities are considered to have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA). The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria for assessing whether someone has LCWRA is not determined by a point score. To be found to have LCWRA, someone must be assessed as meeting one or more of the LCWRA criteria, which are set out in legislation.
Scoring 15 points against the WCA Limited Capability for Work (LCW) criteria, be that any single WCA activity or in total across the activities, would result in somebody being found to have LCW/being placed in the ESA Work-Related Activity Group.
The group of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers affected by the most severe health conditions or disabilities are considered to have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA). The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria for assessing whether someone has LCWRA is not determined by a point score. To be found to have LCWRA, someone must be assessed as meeting one or more of the LCWRA criteria, which are set out in legislation.
Scoring 15 points against the WCA Limited Capability for Work (LCW) criteria, be that any single WCA activity or in total across the activities, would result in somebody being found to have LCW/being placed in the ESA Work-Related Activity Group.
The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
On 28 November we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK, which is the nearest available data to the 30 November.
This information is updated quarterly and the next update, which will include end of November data is due around the end of February 2025. This release will cover data up to week commencing 10 February 2024.
Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.
The consultation on Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper ran for 12 weeks and closed on Monday 22 July.
The Department received over 16,000 responses to the consultation. This demonstrates the depth of feeling about the previous Government’s proposals. I thank the British public, as well as the numerous charities and organisations who responded on behalf of their members, for the time and effort taken to share their thoughts and views.
Whilst engaging with responses, I can confirm that responses to the set of proposals on the reform of Personal Independence Payments was mixed and for some proposals consistently negative.
We will be setting out our own plans for social security in due course and will fulfil our continued commitment to work with disabled people so that their views and voices are at the heart of all that we do.
The Government has ambitious plans relating to employment, including disability employment, and we will be setting this out through a forthcoming White Paper, the Employment Rights Bill and the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. We know that there is more to do to address the labour market challenges of today and tomorrow.
Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.
A fully inclusive labour market that enables disabled people and people with health conditions to have access to the same opportunities as everyone else to the benefits of work is crucial to meeting our ambition for an 80% employment rate. As part of the Get Britain Working Plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.
Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
Under the Equality Act 2010, protection is available where a worker or job applicant’s condition fits the definition of a disability set out in section 6 of the Act. Where a person meets the Act’s definition of a disabled person, the employment provisions in the Act make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled employees and applicants. As with all provisions under the Act, it is for the person who believes they have been discriminated against in the provision of services to personally seek advice or redress. Should they wish to do so, they can begin this process by contacting the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provides free bespoke advice to individuals with discrimination concerns.
This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. As set out in the Plan to Make to Work Pay we are committed to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. We will remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all employees and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.
The UK continues to provide vital support to Syrians in need in Syria and across the region. Since the fall of Assad, we have announced a further £62 million, bringing UK commitments to over £4.3 billion since the start of the conflict. Through the United Nations (UN) and other international Non-Governmental Organisations, we are providing food, healthcare, protection, and other life-saving assistance. We continue to fund UN programmes that support Syrians, including in areas which currently have an Israeli presence. We call on all parties to support humanitarian access and prioritise the protection of civilians, as well as humanitarian workers, in all regions of Syria.
We are deeply concerned about religious tensions between communities in Syria, and the impact this may have for Syria's stability. Reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed in coastal areas in ongoing violence are horrific. In my statement to the House on 10 March, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we have been clear that the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians and set out a clear path to an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions.
The UK is engaging regularly with the interim Syrian authorities to support them in taking steps that will deliver a more stable, free and prosperous future for the Syrian people. In my statement to the House on 10 March, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition which leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We will judge them by their actions.
We continue to call on Israel, and all actors, to uphold their obligations to peace, stability, and security under international law. We are increasingly concerned by Israel's actions in Syria and are raising these concerns directly with the Israeli authorities. Israel have said their presence in the buffer zone in the Golan Heights will be limited and temporary, and we have been clear that we expect them to adhere to this commitment. We recognise current threats to Israel, Israel's presence in the buffer zone must not become permanent.
As with all Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spend, new allocations provided to humanitarian partners working in Gaza will be announced in the usual way. The UK has announced £129 million for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) this financial year, providing vital services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. The Prime Minister made clear in the House on 25 February that this Government is proud of the UK's pioneering record on overseas development, and we will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Gaza.
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of Europe. This Government is serious about our own defence and bearing our part of the burden for collective defence as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As the Prime Minister said in his statement to Parliament on 25 February, we must increase our security and defence spending.
While this will be funded through the difficult but necessary reductions to development assistance, this Government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.
China has made a significant contribution to economic development and growth across the world, and the UK and China have over a decade of constructive engagement on international development, to support delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, we also recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, which is why this Government is co-operating where we can, competing where we need to, and challenging where we must.
The Prime Minister has committed to publishing a single new national security strategy, bringing together all reviews into one document and reflecting the decisions on resource set out on 25 February 2025. This will be published following the Spring Statement in March and ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in June. Detailed decisions on ODA spending will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
The impact on specific programmes will be informed by the ongoing Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Plans will be set out in due course.
The decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending by 2027 was agreed by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor.
The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and official development assistance. Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.
We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centres. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities. We continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Development, the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (FSRHA) and I regularly meet NGOs to discuss topics including prisoners and detainees. The UK has always been clear that an immediate ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to engage with international partners to ensure full implementation of the agreement, including the release of all hostages.
We do not hold this information.
We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of detainees. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and our Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates worldwide provide consular assistance to British nationals abroad. Types of British citizenship are set out on Gov.UK
The UK remains opposed to the Israeli Knesset legislation suspending UNRWA operations, which came in to force on 30 January. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education, healthcare and other essential services must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population. The Foreign Secretary also raised this on 13 January with Foreign Minister Sa'ar, during his visit to the region. The Minister for Development set out our concerns with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel on 4 December, while the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories raised this with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs on 23 January.
We are concerned by the reports of the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. In recent weeks, I have raised this case with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed. Whilst we don't comment on specific non UK national cases, the government does raise international humanitarian law compliance regularly with Israel.
The UK is investing in the ceasefire, which is why the Minister for Development announced £17 million in humanitarian funding on 28 January to ensure healthcare, food and shelter reaches tens of thousands of civilians, and to rebuild vital infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has now announced £129 million for the OPTs this financial year, including £41 million for the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), providing essential services to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestinian refugees across the region delivered through partner agencies. We remain opposed to the anti-UNRWA Knesset legislation and reiterate that the vital work of UNRWA must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UK continues to lead international action to press for a resolution to this urgent issue. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population.
When the Foreign Secretary travelled to Israel earlier this month, he met Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and discussed ceasefire and hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as other regional issues.
The UK is actively working towards ending the conflict in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary has spoken with regional partners to explore how the UK can assist international mediation efforts. Richard Crowder, UK Special Representative to Sudan, visited Port Sudan in December 2024 - the UK's first official visit to the county since outbreak of conflict in April 2023. He pressed for a resolution to the conflict, and for all parties to engage constructively in mediation talks, including by complying with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians. We also continue to lead efforts in the UN Security Council to support peace and to keep international spotlight on this crisis.
Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The next phase of the Spending Review will set departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2029/30.
In November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million of aid. With this announcement, the UK has doubled our aid to £226.5 million.
The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access. We did this recently at the UN Security Council on 19 December 2024 and 6 January 2025, where we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. I have also engaged directly with the new Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response. The UK Special Representative, Richard Crowder, met the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, during his first visit to Sudan and lobbied against current impediments such as visas. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary chaired a Sudan meeting with G7 and Arab Quint Foreign Ministers to discuss joint steps to improve humanitarian access and increase aid.