Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the revised funding limits under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children in kinship care.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Leeds North East, to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications his Department had (a) received and (b) paid for the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme on 29 May 2025; and what steps he is taking to decrease the time taken to make those payments.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme launched in December 2024, and as of 2 June 2025, the Scheme had received 1,054 applications, and 39 applicants had received their payment.

The first payments were made within 16 weeks of the Scheme opening and payments are continuing to be made. The Independent Panel and Appeals Board Members were both recruited on 13 May 2025, and the Independent Panel had their first sitting on 21 May 2025.

We are mindful of the need for timeliness, although it is a complex process, and the Scheme needs to be delivered effectively and correctly. The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. Priority has been given to applicants with life limiting health conditions and those aged 80 and over. Reflecting our focus on the most vulnerable veterans without delay.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to review the loss of transitional protection under Universal Credit for claimants who form a couple, including where one partner acts as a carer.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Transitional Protection is designed to give customers notified to move to Universal Credit time to adjust. It is not intended to permanently replicate legacy benefits and ends when there is no longer a meaningful comparison between a household’s final legacy benefit and Universal Credit awards, such as due to a relevant change in circumstances.

The relevant change of circumstances that end the Transitional Element include a sustained decrease in earnings, formation of a new benefit unit, such as a couple separating or a single customer becoming a member of a couple, or where a Universal Credit claim terminates.

There are no plans to review this loss of transitional protection even if one partner is a carer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that medical students in receipt of the NHS Bursary can also access full student maintenance loans in their final years of study.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.

The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. We will continue to engage with the DHSC to consider the financial support that medical students receive.

Students attending the fifth and sixth years of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has announced an increase to all NHS bursary maintenance grants and allowances for the 2025/26 academic year by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the Retail Price Index (RPIX) inflation index.

Medical students qualifying for NHS bursary support also qualify for non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has announced that maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year, including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students undertaking NHS bursary years, will also increase by 3.1%.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure continuity of transport support for disabled students aged 16 to 18.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Local authorities are responsible for transport to education and training for 16-19 year olds. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training. The needs of young people with SEND should be specifically considered and the arrangements put in place for each group must be documented in local authority transport policy statements.

In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16-19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken in response to reports of human rights abuses in Bangladesh.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. We commend the Interim Government of Bangladesh for inviting the UN Human Rights Office to investigate last summer's events. We support efforts to safeguard human rights and encourage collaboration with the UN and international partners to build a stable democratic future in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I raised the situation in Bangladesh with Chief Adviser Yunus during my visit. In February, Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh and discussed justice, accountability, and fundamental freedoms. The UK is investing up to £27 million through the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme to support civic and political space, reduce corruption, and prevent violence.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help tackle the impact of the recruitment of children by armed groups on (a) the humanitarian situation and (b) human rights in Colombia.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is concerned by reports of a sharp rise in child recruitment by armed groups in Colombia. The UK is a key member of the UN's Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) which plays a key role in promoting the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including through preventing recruitment. We align the activity of this multilateral group to the recommendations in the UN Secretary General's annual report on CAAC. We also regularly raise the issue of CAAC in our interventions at the UN Security Council (UNSC). We welcome the progress the Colombian government has made in the consultative phase of its Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security which if implemented effectively could help prevent youth and child recruitment. In November 2024, the Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean attended the Violence Against Children Conference in Colombia. At the conference, she discussed with Colombian counterparts how to strengthen the capacity of child protection systems to address significant threats to their wellbeing including in armed conflict.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help support at-risk human rights defenders in (a) Mexico and (b) the El Bajío community in Sonora.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK recognises the essential role that civil society and human rights defenders play in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Our Embassy in Mexico monitors the human rights situation in Mexico closely and maintains close communication with human rights defenders and civil society organisations. We also continue to engage regularly on human rights and related issues with the Mexican authorities at ministerial and official level. Representatives from the UK Government and the Mexican Government held their second Multilateral and Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 May 2025 where both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to human rights. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials met with representatives of the El Bajio community on 14 May in London to understand their concerns.

Found: Robertson Will Stone Michelle Welsh Juliet Campbell Rachel Gilmour Siân Berry Karl Turner Fabian Hamilton

Found: Moran Will Stone Michelle Welsh Juliet Campbell Rachel Gilmour Siân Berry Karl Turner Fabian Hamilton

Cyprus APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: Apologies Apologies were received from: Caroline Nokes MP, Fabian Hamilton MP, Paulette Hamilton MP

Cyprus APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: 4 March 2025 Members Present: Bambos Charalambous MP, Sir Roger Gale MP, Dan Tomlinson MP, Fabian Hamilton

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: and girls – Elaine Stewart MP, Yuan Yang MP Adjournment – International Human Rights Day - Fabian Hamilton

Obesity APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Kings Heath • Baroness Hollins • Baroness Benjamin • Tracey Crouch MP • Henry Smith MP • Fabian Hamilton

Obesity APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Kings Heath • Baroness Hollins • Baroness Benjamin • Tracey Crouch MP • Henry Smith MP • Fabian Hamilton

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Fabian Hamilton MP 6. The Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman 7. Pauline Latham MP 8.

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Fabian Hamilton MP 6. The Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman 7. Pauline Latham MP 8.

Transport Safety APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: approval at next AGM Attendees Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Barry Sheerman MP, Ruth Cadbury MP, Fabian Hamilton

Young Carers and Young Adult Carers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Stephens MP Christina Rees MP Christine Jardine MP Colum Eastwood MP Dame Rosie Winterton MP Fabian Hamilton

British Council and Soft Power APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: 16th May 2023, 11:00-12:00 Attendees: John Baron MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Catherine West MP, Fabian Hamilton

British Council and Soft Power APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: 16th May 2023, 11:00-12:00 Attendees: John Baron MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Catherine West MP, Fabian Hamilton

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: and globally, Members asked about UK support to tackle dengue and other arboviral diseases: Fabian Hamilton

Diabetes APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Howarth MP - Lee Anderson MP - Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Apologies: - Lord Rennard - Fabian Hamilton

Diabetes APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Hall 11:15-12:15 In attendance: Derek Thomas MP Apologies: George Howarth MP Fabian Hamilton

Diabetes APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: - George Howarth MP - Jim Shannon MP - Chi Onwurah MP - Julia Lopez MP Apologies: - Fabian Hamilton

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Fabian Hamilton MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

Diabetes APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Sir George Howarth MP Lord Rennard Lord Lipsey Researcher for Philip Dunne Apologies: Fabian Hamilton

Japan APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Session 2012/2013 CHAIR: Roger Godsiff MP; VICE-CHAIRS: David Wright MP; Paul Farrelly MP; Fabian Hamilton