Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 76596 and the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 119101 on Guantanamo Bay: Closures, on what date did her Department change its policy on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Hon Member will be aware that it has been the stated intention of the US administration since January 2025 to expand the facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to serve as a large-scale migration detention centre. As stated in the answer to Question 76596, that remains a matter for the US.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many business owners employing those arrested in illegal working raids since 1 July 2024 are being (a) investigated and (b) have been prosecuted under modern slavery offences.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office take the issues of illegal working and modern slavery seriously and continues to take robust enforcement action against those who breach immigration and modern slavery laws.
The Home Office does not hold data in a format that identifies how many business owners employing individuals arrested during illegal working enforcement operations since 1 July 2024 are being investigated or have been prosecuted under offences in the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Our enforcement approach prioritises administrative sanctions as the most effective means of tackling illegal working and ensuring compliance. Where evidence of criminality, including modern slavery, is identified during enforcement activity, cases are referred to the appropriate authorities for investigation and prosecution.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to promote heritage craft and stonemasonry apprenticeships as part of the wider skills and construction workforce strategy.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
A range of apprenticeships, including the level 2 stonemason apprenticeship standard, are available to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need.
To support more apprenticeship opportunities, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers for eligible people aged under 25. The department currently pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21 at non-levy paying employers and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.
Additionally, we pay £1,000 to employers of all sizes when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 to 24 who are care leavers or have an education, health and care plan.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her officials have had with counterparts in the Scottish Government on the (a) alignment between and (b) potential impact of ODA programmes funded by both Governments in Malawi.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.
Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.
We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria she plans to use to determine whether her Department should continue to provide ODA funding for programmes in Malawi.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.
Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.
We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish a response to the letter addressed to her published by the First Minister of Scotland on 14 December 2025.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.
Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.
We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her timetable is for making a decision on the future of ODA funding for programmes in Malawi.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.
Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.
We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's ODA programmes in Malawi on helping that country make progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary was grateful for the First Minister's letter and will respond to the issues raised in due course.
Our focus in Malawi remains on supporting resilience to climate and environment shocks, strengthening health systems and education outcomes, and supporting economic growth and improved governance.
We are committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms. Detailed decisions are currently being worked through on how our aid budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and we plan to publish indicative allocations in the coming months.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of heritage skills training to support employment and regeneration in rural and post-industrial areas.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2025 to PQ 89153 regarding investment in skills to support technical routes and work-based learning in England, including heritage skills training. At Budget, the Government announced a package of £725 million additional investment to deliver the next phase of the Growth and Skills Levy in England.
The Government recognises the importance of skills training to supporting employment, including in rural and post-industrial areas. As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions the Minister of State (International Development and Africa) has visited Malawi since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of UK ministers' bilateral meetings with overseas counterparts are routinely published on GOV.UK, details of ministerial travel overseas are set out in the Government's quarterly transparency releases, and details of funding allocations for individual countries and programmes can be found using the Development Tracker tool on GOV.UK.