Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the retirement villages sector and the role of specialist older people's housing on the ability of older people to live independently for longer.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the right supply of suitable housing, including specialist older people’s housing.

High quality, safe, and suitable homes can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for implementation of the free speech complaints scheme.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​On 28 April, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force on 1 August 2025:

• ​Duties on higher education (HE) providers and their constituent institutions to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law, put in place a code of practice on freedom of speech and academic freedom and promote freedom of speech.
• ​A ban on non-disclosure agreements for staff and students at HE providers in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.
• ​Duties on the Office for Students (OfS) to promote freedom of speech and the power to identify good practice and advise HE providers on it.

The department is seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal other elements of the Act in due course, including in relation to the complaints scheme.​

In the meantime, as well as the new provider duties in place, the OfS Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the sector to offer advice and share best practice, so providers can protect free speech and academic freedom more effectively.​

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Palestinian Authority on reports that the Palestinian school curriculum includes incitement and antisemitism.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the November 2025 IMPACT-se review of the 2025-26 Palestinian Authority school curriculum on incitement and antisemitism.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether there are any conditions applied to funding support for education in the Palestinian Authority.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether support for a proscribed terrorist organisation automatically qualifies for deprivation of citizenship on the understanding of being conducive to the public good.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:

• The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;

• The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material fact

The Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:

• National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;

• Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);

• War crimes; and

• Serious organised crime.

The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.

The figures from the previous five years, of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below:

In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.

This report also references s66 of the Immigration Act 2014, which allows the Secretary of State to deprive a person of their British citizenship on the ground it is conducive to the public good even if it would leave them stateless. To date, this power has not been used.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) compliance of the British Virgin Islands in tackling illicit finance, sanctions evasion and corruption and (b) measures that Territory has implemented in those areas.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.

Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.

Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique

I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals were deprived of British citizenship under section 66 of the Immigration Act 2014 a) in the last year for which data is held and b) since its introduction.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:

• The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;

• The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material fact

The Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:

• National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;

• Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);

• War crimes; and

• Serious organised crime.

The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.

The figures from the previous five years, of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below:

In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.

This report also references s66 of the Immigration Act 2014, which allows the Secretary of State to deprive a person of their British citizenship on the ground it is conducive to the public good even if it would leave them stateless. To date, this power has not been used.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been deprived of British citizenship for being charged with supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:

• The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;

• The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material fact

The Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:

• National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;

• Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);

• War crimes; and

• Serious organised crime.

The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.

The figures from the previous five years, of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below:

In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.

This report also references s66 of the Immigration Act 2014, which allows the Secretary of State to deprive a person of their British citizenship on the ground it is conducive to the public good even if it would leave them stateless. To date, this power has not been used.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what operational and financial support she has provided to Caribbean Overseas Territories to tackle illegal migration; on what dates that support was delivered; and what discussions she has had with those Territories on the adequacy of that support.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.

Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.

Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique

I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she has provided to Caribbean Overseas Territories to strengthen security and tackle organised crime in the region; and how she assesses the effectiveness of that support.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.

Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.

Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique

I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the dominant nationality principle was applied in the case of Alaa Abdel Fattah.

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

The principle to which the Hon Member refers was not relevant to the provision of consular support in this case and was not therefore applied.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on levels of investment in the UK defence industry of the requirement under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 that Paris-aligned Benchmarks and UK Climate Transition Benchmarks exclude companies involved in activities related to controversial weapons; and whether the Government has evaluated any wider (a) economic and (b) investment impacts of that requirement.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

As set out in response to PQ UIN 43043 on 9 April 2025, The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitors and supervises benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation . The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.

The Treasury launched a consultation on the future regulatory regime for benchmarks and benchmark administrators on 17 December 2025. This consultation seeks views on proposals to reform the UK’s existing benchmarks regime, including the Climate Transition Benchmark and Paris-Aligned Benchmark labels.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of Defence Sector exclusions within the Parliamentary Pension Scheme portfolio and whether this is compatible with Government defence sector financial objectives.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund is independent from government and investment decisions are a matter for the scheme’s trustees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department records the nationality and immigration status of people arrested for public order related offences at protests.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales by offence group as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

However, as part of this collection data is not collected centrally on the nationality or immigration status of people arrested, or whether the arrest occurred at a protest.

While not routinely collected as part of the statistical data collection, in instances where the police believe the individual arrested is a foreign national, they should contact Immigration Enforcement’s National Control and Command Unit (NCCU). The contact would lead to the recording of details which would include the individual’s nationality. The details provided by the individual allow NCCU to complete an immigration status check to establish the person’s status in the UK, this would also be recorded on HO systems once established. To clarify, such a recording would only take place following contact from the police.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the consultation on rights of trade unions to access workplaces, how many responses did the consultation receive, and what percentage of those responses were from a) SMEs, b) other sized businesses, c) trade unions, and d) any other organisations.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is carefully reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish its formal response in due course. This will include a breakdown of respondents.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Make Work Pay: Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces, published on 23 October 2025, what discussions he has had with business organisations about the raising of the threshold to exempt SMEs with a headcount less than 250 employees.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As part of the consultation process, we engaged with business organisations and unions on proposals put forward in the public consultation, including the proposed exemption from statutory access provisions for employers of a certain size. We are carefully reviewing all responses to this consultation and will publish a formal response in due course.

Found: Douglas McAllister (Labour; West Dunbartonshire) Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat; Mid Dunbartonshire) Jack Rankin

Found: Douglas McAllister (Labour; West Dunbartonshire) Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat; Mid Dunbartonshire) Jack Rankin

Found: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Dave Doogan; Mr Angus MacDonald; Douglas McAllister; Susan Murray; Jack Rankin

Found: Douglas McAllister Kirsteen Sullivan Elaine Stewart Conservative members Harriet Cross Jack Rankin