Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the protection of journalists in conflict zones.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns all violence directed against journalists and media workers. Civilian reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law. We are therefore appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In a recent joint statement with 28 other countries, we called on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can conduct their work freely and safely. The statement also called for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.
The UK has contributed £3 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Global Media Defence Fund, benefitting over 9,000 journalists, including time-sensitive emergency support to journalists and media experiencing sudden major crises in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. Earlier this year the UK provided funds to UNESCO's Special Fund for Gaza, supporting locally based journalists with vital equipment.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support compliance with International Humanitarian Law by the Israeli Government on the protection of journalists reporting on the conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns all violence directed against journalists and media workers. Civilian reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law. We are therefore appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In a recent joint statement with 28 other countries, we called on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can conduct their work freely and safely. The statement also called for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.
The UK has contributed £3 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Global Media Defence Fund, benefitting over 9,000 journalists, including time-sensitive emergency support to journalists and media experiencing sudden major crises in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. Earlier this year the UK provided funds to UNESCO's Special Fund for Gaza, supporting locally based journalists with vital equipment.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have received indefinite leave to remain in 2025.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes statistics relating to indefinite leave to remain in the Immigration system statistics publication. The latest data is available up to the end of June 2025.
Data on grants of settlement can be found in table Se_D02 of the Settlement data tables. A settlement grant provides individuals with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Data on EUSS grants are available in table EUSS_D02 of the EUSS data tables. Settled status is an indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, granted under the EUSS, which is available to EU, other EEA, and Swiss citizens who were residing in the UK that was launched in August 2018.
Additionally, data on family visa grants, included those granted immediate settlement are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you have a family member settled in the UK - either as a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain.
Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement she has had with the Further Education sector in Scotland on the proposals in the Immigration White Paper to increase the standard qualifying period for permanent residence from five to ten years.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The reforms in the Immigration White Paper, including the proposed increase in the standard qualifying period for settlement, were agreed across Government at a Home and Economic Affairs Committee the previous Home Secretary attended prior to publication on 12 May 2025.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Health and Social Care and (b) Work and Pensions on the (i) proposed increase in standard qualifying period for permanent residence and (ii) impact of that increase on workforce planning for their Departments.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The reforms in the Immigration White Paper, including the proposed increase in the standard qualifying period for settlement, were agreed across Government at a Home and Economic Affairs Committee the previous Home Secretary attended prior to publication on 12 May 2025.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) local authorities and (b) police forces to manage tensions around asylum seeker housing.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office works closely with police, security teams, local authorities and other partners to ensure all accommodation sites are managed safely and securely. These key stakeholders regularly attend Multi-Agency Forums to provide updates and address any concerns raised within local communities.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to consult on further safeguarding measures following the introduction of the Disclosure and Barring Service new manual ID guidance in April 2025.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and therefore responsible for its own identity assurance policy.
The recent update cited is part of a broader move towards modernised and more accessible DBS processes and are not linked to any other safeguarding regime issues that may be considered by the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of resources allocated to Coroners' Courts for Fatal Accident Inquests.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Where an investigation into a death requires a public hearing, this takes the form of an inquest in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland.
Responsibility for the death investigation process in Scotland, including any requirement for a Fatal Accident Inquiry in an individual case, lies with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for bereaved families during Fatal Accident Inquests.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Where an investigation into a death requires a public hearing, this takes the form of an inquest in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland.
Responsibility for the death investigation process in Scotland, including any requirement for a Fatal Accident Inquiry in an individual case, lies with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken to commence Fatal Accident Inquests.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Where an investigation into a death requires a public hearing, this takes the form of an inquest in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland.
Responsibility for the death investigation process in Scotland, including any requirement for a Fatal Accident Inquiry in an individual case, lies with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.