Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Argentina's acquisition of F-16 fighter aircraft.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Argentina's purchase of F-16 fighter jets does not change the UK Government's policies in relation to either Argentina or the Falkland Islands.
The UK is committed to upholding the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination. As long as the Falkland Islanders wish to remain part of the UK family, there can be no discussions on sovereignty.
The UK undertakes regular assessments of possible threats so that our forces in the South Atlantic, which are entirely defensive, are maintained at the appropriate level to ensure the defence of the Falkland Islands.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there will be any new funding for local authorities to deliver 15 hours of free childcare.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is delivering the largest expansion of childcare in England’s history. By the 2027/28 financial year, this government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year, double what it currently does on childcare, on free hours and early education to help working families with their childcare costs.
The department has provided local authorities with £12 million of delivery support funding in the 2023/24 financial year to help them plan and prepare for the entitlement’s expansion, as well as £100 million of capital funding to help expand or refurbish facilities.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase access to NHS assessments for Autism Spectrum Conditions for children.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St Ives on 22 March 2024, to Question 18917.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the estimate made by the government of Mozambique on 20 March 2024 of the number of people facing food insecurity as a result of floods and drought in that country over the last five months.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is responding to the ongoing humanitarian crises in Mozambique both through direct programming and diplomatic channels. This includes prepositioning of vital supplies and, through our partnership with the World Food Programme, supporting the Government of Mozambique initiatives to give farmers cash and seeds to reduce the impacts of drought. The UK is concerned about the effects of El Nino in Mozambique, along with recent flooding, and is closely monitoring the impacts. Our High Commissioner recently met with the head of the national disaster management authority (INGD) to discuss their response and linkages with UK intervention.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the inquiry into (a) mismanagement in the Libyan National Oil Corporation and (b) fuel smuggling.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of reports about, and would welcome an inquiry being established to address, allegations regarding the National Oil Corporation (NOC), relating to fuel smuggling and the criminal gangs who benefit from it. The NOC plays a vital role in the stability and prosperity of Libya. Efforts must be made to achieve greater control over Libyan oil resources and gain information on how it is being consumed at such an alarming rate. The UK stands ready to support the Libyan Government in achieving this.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to the Kenyan Government on the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is not a party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. However, the UK condemns enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings, which are human rights violations that deny victims basic human rights under the law and Kenya's Constitution. We have raised these concerns with the Chair of the Kenyan Human Rights Parliamentary caucus.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the alleged assassination of alleged terrorists in Pakistan by the Indian government.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law. India and Pakistan are long-standing, important friends of the UK and we encourage both to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability. The UK strongly believes in the importance of peaceful co-existence. It would be inappropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting lists.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are committed to expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health care through the NHS Long Term Plan so more people, including children and young people, can be supported more quickly. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the NHS Long Term Plan. Nationally, overall spend on children and young people’s mental health services has increased from £841 million in 2019/20 to just over £1 billion in 2022/23. In the year to December 2023, over 750,000 children and young people aged under 18 years old were supported through NHS funded mental health services, a 31% increase since March 2021.
We are rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges in England, and as of May 2023, these teams cover 3.4 million pupils in England, or the equivalent to 35% of pupils. We expect this to increase to 44% by spring 2024, and we are extending coverage to 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025. We are also providing £8 million to fund 24 early support hubs across the country. This will improve access for children and young people to vital mental health support in the community, offering early interventions to improve wellbeing before their condition escalates further.
In addition, the NHS is working towards implementing five new waiting time standards for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident and emergency and in the community, to ensure timely access to the most appropriate, high-quality support. Four of these include children and young people.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the EU's proposals to impose tariffs of up to 50% on Russian grain imports.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We are closely following the EU's proposals to impose tariffs on Russian grain and oilseed imports, which are subject to adoption by the European Council.
The UK imposed 35 per cent additional tariffs on Russian cereals and oilseeds in March 2022, following which imports fell by over 99 per cent and are now negligible.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed joint military base in Ushuaia on the security of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We keep our defence posture in the South Atlantic under regular review, to take account of the full range of developments. I am satisfied that the current military presence in the South Atlantic is at the appropriate level to ensure the defence of the Islands.