Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Eritrean counterpart on reported discrimination of Evangelical Christians who are serving members of the Eritrean armed forces.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We consistently raise human rights with the Eritrean government, including religious freedoms. We advocate for the end of discriminatory detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council. We call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released. The UK's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea raised human rights during her most recent visit to Eritrea in April 2025 and the UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2025.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with businesses on levels of need for apprentices.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the Industrial Strategy.
The development of the growth and skills offer is informed by Skills England’s analysis and engagement. Skills England is working closely with employers, training providers and other stakeholders to identify priority skills gaps, helping to ensure that the levy-funded growth and skills offer meets the needs of businesses and helps to kick start economic growth.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the outcome of the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial will be shared with Health Departments in each of the devolved institutions.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The TRANSFORM screening trial, funded in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, is investigating new prostate cancer screening methods. This national randomised control trial will provide data to policymakers for a decision on recommending prostate cancer screening. Results will be shared with the UK National Screening Committee, representing all four nations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with dementia in (a) 2020 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The data requested is not collected centrally.
We can provide a count of patients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia. This is a count of patients with a dementia diagnosis on their general practice record at the specified point in time irrespective of when the diagnosis was made. The data has been published under the Primary Care Dementia Data publication series since April 2022, and under the Recorded Dementia Diagnoses publication series prior to that.
The following table shows the dementia diagnosis figures for all ages for December of each year for 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024:
Date | Recorded dementia diagnoses for all ages |
December 2024 | 498,221 |
December 2023 | 479,540 |
December 2020 | 438,361 |
December 2019 | 472,890 |
It is worth highlighting that these represent an estimate of the total number of people living with a diagnosis of dementia, and that changes over 2020 and over 2024 do not reflect only new diagnoses.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who were born in the Irish Republic have applied for a UK passport through the naturalisation process between 2019 and 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many electronic travel authorisations were issued to visitors traveling to Northern Ireland from the Irish Republic between January and June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 June to Question UIN 59294.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of Universal Credit payments were in each year between 2022 and 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Expenditure on Universal Credit was:
£40.6billion in the 21/22 financial year
£41.9billion in the 22/23 financial year
£52.1billion in the 23/24 financial year
Figures are taken from DWP's Spring Statement 2025 Benefit Expenditure and Caseload publication table 1a
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Bundesbank's report entitled What’s behind the sustained decline in German export market shares?, published on 14 July 2025.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner globally. We recognise the importance of resolving trade frictions between the UK and Germany where they occur. Our new UK-Germany Treaty, signed on 17 July, has economic growth and industrial collaboration at its heart. This will help drive trade between the UK and Germany through both a series of ‘Lighthouse projects’ and a broader implementation plan. For example, a new Business-Government Forum will connect the UK and German governments with leading businesses to identify opportunities and barriers to growth, with a focus on growth-driving sectors including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial services.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral statement of 15 July 2025 on Afghanistan, Official Report, column 149-152, when was he first informed of the data protection breach.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As outlined in the oral statement of 15 July 2025, the Secretary of State for Defence stated that:
As shadow Defence Secretary, I was initially briefed on the ARR by James Heappey, the former Armed Forces Minister, on 12 December 2023, and issued with the super-injunction at the start of that meeting.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she plans to make on the implementation of the 10 year infrastructure strategy by the end of 2026.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This government is committed to implementing the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy published in June. By the end of 2026, we will have delivered several of its key reforms, moving to improve project delivery, and provide industry stakeholders with increased confidence to invest in UK infrastructure and jobs.
The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy sets out further details of the Government’s plans, which is available at the following link: CP 1344 – UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy