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 uphold human rights in Sudan.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In November, the Minister for Africa chaired a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting stressing the urgent need to protect civilians in Sudan and supporting the Secretary General's recommendations on the protection of civilians. The UK co-led a protection of civilians UNSC resolution on Sudan which received unanimous support apart from Russia, who chose to veto it. We continue to explore ways to move forward with an updated Council product that will not be blocked again by Russia. At the UN Human Rights Council in October 2024, the UK led lobbying efforts to secure a mandate extension for the UN Fact-Finding Mission that investigates human rights abuses in Sudan. The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's (ICC) active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023. This support has included the secondment of expert investigators to support the ICC's work in several countries.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce the prevalence of food deserts in deprived areas, (b) improve access to affordable, healthy food and (c) address the affordability gap between healthy and unhealthy options.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne

Within six months of taking office, the Government has begun action to improve the food environment and ensure that healthier food is available, affordable, and accessible for all, irrespective of where you live.

This includes publishing the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government, giving local authorities the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools and where young people congregate. We have also met our commitment to lay the secondary legislation to restrict junk food advertising to children.

Furthermore, the Government has committed to the roll out of free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, and we already have schemes to support those on low incomes such as Healthy Start, reaching over 354,000 vulnerable people.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring, exploring all available levers to drive forward actions across Government to reduce child poverty.

The Department of Health and Social Care will also work in close collaboration on the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs led cross-Government food strategy, which will outline actions to support the food system to provide more easily accessible, healthy food to tackle obesity, helping to give children the best start in life and helping adults to live longer, healthier lives.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to protect the countryside and wildlife, in the context of her Department's proposed planning reforms.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services. Development is restricted on sites which are designated for environmental or amenity value as well as National Landscapes.

The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 sets out that we expect developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species. The government will consult on future changes to national planning policy, including a set of national policies for decision making in Spring 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the case of Gaie Delap.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Offenders released on home detention curfew (HDC) are still serving the custodial element of their sentence and it is a statutory requirement that the curfew is electronically monitored for at least 9 hours a day. In cases where it is not possible to electronically monitor offenders in the community, like Gaie Delap, they will be recalled until it is possible for them to be monitored in the community.

Where there are limitations in the technology and devices available, Ministry of Justice staff continue to work with suppliers to develop innovations and solutions in both technology and processes to expand the use of Electronic Monitoring, and this includes developing a wider range of strap sizes.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of further limits on donations to political parties from billionaires.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL3289 on 20 December 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people took their own life in prison while serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection sentence in 2024.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

There were four self-inflicted deaths of those serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection in 2024. This information can be found in Table 1.7 of the 'Safety in custody: quarterly update to September 2024’.

Self-inflicted deaths are any deaths of a person who has apparently taken his or her own life irrespective of intent. This not only includes suicides but also accidental deaths as a result of the person’s own actions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to support the installation of rooftop solar panels.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Accelerating deployment of rooftop solar panels is key to the Government’s Clean Energy mission.

New building standards will be introduced to ensure that all newly built houses and commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future. These standards are expected to encourage the installation of solar panels. A call for evidence about solar canopies in car parks will be published shortly. The Solar Roadmap will also contain further recommendations for industry and government to support the increased installation of rooftop solar panels.

Details of other relevant policies, including the Warm Homes Plan and the work of Great British Energy, will be announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to require the inclusion of information on animal welfare standards on food labels.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Tamworth Sarah Edwards on 03 February, PQ 27505.

Refusal of Citizenship to refugees who have made irregular crossings

Proposals to forcibly displace and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza

Metropolitan Police’s Gangs Violence Matrix

Furniture poverty in social housing

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Mobile phone theft

Leeds railway station ticket office vacancies

Israeli violence in the West Bank

Garforth Town AFC and grassroots community football

Imprisonment of Alaa Abd El-Fattah (No. 2)

Import and sale of real fur

UK support for the global effort to feed children at school

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

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Found: Witherden Jeremy Corbyn Brian Leishman Dr Simon Opher Jon Trickett Ian Lavery Imran Hussain Ian Byrne

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Monday 3 February 2025 10 _NC2 Dr Simon Opher Ian Byrne Iqbal Mohamed Kim Johnson

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Found: _NC2 Dr Simon Opher Ian Byrne Iqbal Mohamed Kim Johnson Neil Duncan-Jordan Kate Osborne Abtisam

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Found: Witherden Jeremy Corbyn Brian Leishman Dr Simon Opher Jon Trickett Ian Lavery Imran Hussain Ian Byrne

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Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Thursday 23 January 2025 18 _NC2 Dr Simon Opher Ian Byrne Iqbal Mohamed Kim Johnson

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