Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help uphold international maritime law against Freedom Flotilla ships docking with aid in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We remain in close contact with our Israeli counterparts over the status of vessels seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and as the Prime Minister said on 21 September, the UK continues to demand that the Israeli Government permits the full and unhindered resumption of aid into Gaza immediately. By far the most effective way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale that is needed is via overland routes, and we reiterate that Israel must immediately allow the UN and other agencies to deliver lifesaving aid to those in Gaza who so desperately need it.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the of the (a) long-term sustainability of the third sector and (b) its impact on health and social care services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This government recognises the vital role that charitable organisations and community groups play in improving people’s health and wellbeing. These organisations, as well as the wider Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, are integral to the Government’s vision for national renewal and delivery of the five national missions.

DCMS supports VCSEs with their financial sustainability through a number of grant programmes, and supporting the growth of other sources of funding. The Government’s Social Enterprise Boost Fund is an up to £5.1 million package of funding to kickstart and accelerate social enterprise activity in four disadvantaged areas of England. We also provide support to charities through a range of tax reliefs and exemptions, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, Community Amateur Sports Clubs and their donors in 2023-24.

We also have the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Programme, which is a mechanism through which the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency work together with VCSE organisations to drive transformation of health and care systems; promote equality; address health inequalities; and help people, families, and communities to achieve and maintain wellbeing. This will help the government to deliver on the Health Mission, and in particular the shift to prevention, through a cross-sector approach.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that vocational and adult education programmes are aligned with employment opportunities that are less vulnerable to (a) offshoring and (b) becoming replaced by AI.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills to break down barriers to opportunity and support the development of a skilled workforce in England.

This is backed by additional investment, as announced in the Spending Review, of £1.2 billion per year in skills by 2028-29. This will support the wide range of technical routes available across England in a broad range of sectors.

We are also widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, which will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.

We are targeting key growth sectors, including those identified in the Industrial Strategy, with specific skills plans to boost training in areas such as construction, manufacturing, defence and Digital and Technology.

All of this will be underpinned by the work of Skills England, which has been established as the national body responsible for identifying skills needs, simplifying the skills system, and aligning training to meet demand.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To as the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to businesses on the potential impact of AI systems on employment.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We want to ensure that people have access to good, meaningful work. AI is already transforming workplaces, demanding new skills, and augmenting existing ones. Government is working to harness its benefits to boost growth, productivity, living standards, and worker wellbeing, while mitigating the risks.

The Department for Education published an analysis in 2023 outlining The impact of AI on UK jobs and training. We are currently considering our approach to updating this analysis.

Further to this, the Get Britain Working White Paper outlines how government will address labour market challenges and spread opportunity and economic prosperity that AI presents to the British public. This includes launching Skills England to create a shared national plan to boost the nation’s skills, creating more good jobs through our modern Industrial Strategy, and strengthening employment rights through DBT’s Plan to Make Work Pay.

DSIT has also published guidance for businesses adopting AI, focusing on good practice AI assurance when procuring and deploying AI systems. AI assurance could significantly manage risks and build trust, supporting business to assess and mitigate the potential impacts of AI adoption.

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