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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's report entitled Deprivation in Rural Areas, published in October 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report's finding that 14 of the 20 most-deprived rural Lower Layer Super Output Areas are in former mining areas.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5.8 billion over ten years to 284 neighbourhoods (Middle Super Output Areas) experiencing the highest levels of deprivation across the country. Many coalfield communities – including very deprived Lower Super Output Areas - are part of this programme: Bentilee and Ubberley, Peterlee East, Grassmoor & Holmewood, Platt Bridge & Spring View, amongst many others.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support libraries.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within their available resources.

DCMS supports library services by providing guidance on any proposed changes to their statutory library service and shares best practice from other library services who have undertaken similar changes. DCMS also works across government departments to promote public libraries’ contributions to a range of important agendas and encourage a “libraries first” approach to delivery of government projects and policies.

Core funding for libraries is through the Local Government Finance Settlement. In 2026-27 the government will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

In January 2026 the DCMS Secretary of State announced continued investment in the Libraries Improvement Fund, meaning £27.5 million over the period 2025-30. This will enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology to meet changing user needs. Nottinghamshire County Council has previously received £399,086 from this fund to support projects in a number of their libraries.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Local authorities such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Hillingdon, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire are actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) homeless and (b) disabled young people to seek employment.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Homelessness can act as a significant barrier to gaining and sustaining employment. DWP helps people experiencing homelessness to move towards work through tailored and place-based work coach support – a commitment outlined in the new cross-government National Plan to End Homelessness. This includes specialist employment support for people with complex needs through the new Connect to Work programme, and a new Jobs and Careers Service that will enable work coaches to focus more on individuals with the greatest barriers to work.

The plan also commits to addressing the ‘work disincentive’ that can affect young people in supported accommodation, ensuring work pays and enabling residents to enter or progress in employment without facing financial barriers.

The Department further supports homeless young people to move towards employment through Youth Hubs, which provide community‑based, wrap‑around employment support for 16–24‑year‑olds. As part of the core Youth Hub service blueprint, Hubs work with local partners to provide access to housing and homelessness advice alongside employment, skills and health support, recognising that housing insecurity is a significant barrier to work.

The Government is also taking action to help young disabled people move towards work. Disabled young people are a diverse group, so it is key that the individual gets access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, for them.

The Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will guarantee specialist support for disabled young people.

At the Budget, we have announced an £820 million funding package for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn. Over the next three years nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds will be offered a dedicated session with a Work Coach, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support. We will also expand our network of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain. This investment will create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21 through the Jobs Guarantee.

Alongside the Youth Guarantee, the Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out our plans for the Pathways to Work offer. Backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade, building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. We anticipate that the Pathways to Work offer once fully rolled out will include a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.

Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will build on the range of support already available to disabled people, regardless of their benefit status or Work Group. For example, Connect to Work a supported employment programme that joins up work skills and health support, and Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies, which combine the expertise of therapists and employment advisers to give those with mental health conditions the support they need to find work tailored to them. Additionally, disabled people might be able to access WorkWell, which is our new way to deliver integrated work and health support through local partnerships.

Finally, we are considering how we might go even further. The Right Honourable Alan Milburn is leading on an investigation of the rise in youth inactivity with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability and expected to report in Summer 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of allowing license applications, such as planning applications, to be published in online newspapers.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government committed to a review of statutory notices as part of the response to recommendations made by the Licensing policy taskforce in July 2025, including in relation to alcohol licence notices. The review is being taken forward as part of the Local Media Strategy to support local journalism.

We recognise that local press and statutory notices, including those relating to planning applications, continue to play a central role in keeping communities informed about decisions that affect local services and amenities. The industry’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, taking advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We welcome the Portal's expansion to include archive and consultation functions, helping public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively. DCMS is monitoring the progress of the Portal and the effect that it has on the audience reach of statutory notices and overall public engagement.

This type of industry innovation and collaboration is integral to securing the sector’s future and will be taken into account in the statutory notices review. The review will more broadly consider the potential merits of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices, including planning applications, in print local newspapers, as well as any potential role for online newspapers. More detail will be announced in due course, including timescales of the review and the wider Local Media Strategy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the publication of the numbers of all animals involved in any form of animal research, including those bred but not used.

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

The Home Office is currently reviewing the potential merits of recording and reporting the number of animals that were bred for, but not used, in scientific procedures.

The Home Office publishes Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department made of the potential impact of withdrawing the universal credit health top-up for people under 22 on those unable to work.

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

The Pathways to Work consultation closed on 30 June 2025 and a summary of the consultation responses was published on 30 October. We will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15949 on Achalasia: Health Services, when the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification was last updated.

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

Pathways for managing patients with achalasia are set out in the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification. The current specification was published in 2013/14, and there are no plans to update this specification at this time. The specification sets out that patients with achalasia should be managed within Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterology Centres under the care of an expert multidisciplinary team.

Patients with achalasia may also receive care from a specialist surgical team, within Specialised Surgery in Children services, to help manage their condition. The NHS England Specialised Surgery in Children service specification sets out standards for these services, and an updated specification is due for publication in 2026.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) the United States, (b) Australia, (c) Canada and (d) the European Union on coordinated action to secure Jimmy Lai’s release.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to secure Jimmy Lai’s access to independent medical professionals and appropriate treatment while in custody.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

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 ensure that Jimmy Lai is not transferred from detention in Hong Kong to mainland China.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she next plans to publish a six-monthly report on Hong Kong.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consideration she has given to imposing sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 on officials involved in the prosecution, sentencing or detention of Jimmy Lai.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking during its presidency of the UN Security Council to raise concerns about the prosecution of Jimmy Lai and rights in Hong Kong.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February, and I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention. On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate oversight of individuals arriving in the UK on private jet.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The security of the UK border remains our top priority, and this government is committed to strengthening border security. Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights and spot checks at aerodromes to reinforce security.

Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. We have significantly reduced the number of aerodromes authorised to handle international or Common Travel Area flights by 85%, and anyone who fails to submit the required information prior to flying faces civil penalties.

Border Force has implemented a range of initiatives to address vulnerabilities. These include:

• Substantially reducing the number of aerodromes permitted to handle flights to and from the UK.

• Introducing a civil penalties regime for non-compliance with airfield designation requirements.

• Person details checked on all notified GA flights

• The General Aviation (Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties Regulations), which came into force on 6 April 2024, require that specified information about General Aviation flights and persons onboard must be submitted online and in advance of departure to Home Office Systems. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in civil penalty.

• Working closely with the National Crime Agency and the police to counter threats such as smuggling, immigration crime and terrorism at UK airfields has resulted in seizures of Class A Drugs at small airfields and identification of undocumented arrivals, leading to multiple criminal convictions and working with partners to identify non-compliant GA flights.

• Regular Home Office engagement with the GA community representatives and cross-government partners.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to engage disabled people in the process of the Timms Review of the Personal Independence Payment system.

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

The Timms Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.

I am chairing the Review alongside my fellow co-chairs Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We have appointed a steering group of a dozen people, responsible for overseeing co-production of the Review.

To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, almost all of the steering group has lived experience of a disability or long-term health condition.

The group benefits from diverse perspectives from a range of backgrounds, but it is not intended to be representative of the UK’s disabled community—no single group could represent all perspectives or experiences of disability. Instead, the steering group will shape a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices. The steering group are currently shaping the programme of participation as a priority, and we will provide an update on this soon.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities following the conviction of the father of US-based activist Anna Kwok; what assessment she has made of the potential implications of this case for the risk of reprisals against the family members of Hong Kong activists living overseas; and what steps the Government is taking with international partners to deter further such actions.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK closely monitored the trial of Kwok Yin-sang, and British diplomats attended his verdict on 11 February. This Government will not tolerate any attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm their critics overseas. We have raised our concerns regarding the Hong Kong Police's use of arrest warrants and bounties directly with the Hong Kong authorities, and officials engage frequently with like-minded international partners about these issues.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of paragraph HK 23.5 of the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa route on applicants who hold permission as BN(O) Adult Dependent Relatives due to (a) having been born after 1 July 1997 and (b) having applied before 30 November 2022; and if she will take steps to amend the Immigration Rules to allow those individuals to switch into the mainstream BN(O) route and therefore be able to apply to (i) extend their visa if necessary and (ii) apply for indefinite leave to remain in their own right.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We currently have no plans to allow those granted as an Adult Dependent Relative on the BN(O) route to switch within the route, but we keep all Immigration Rules and policies under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide further information on long-term arrangements for (a) settlement, (b) a longer-term temporary route and (c) switching into other immigration routes for Ukrainians in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Ukraine Schemes reflect a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. Since the full‑scale invasion began, the UK has provided sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members.

The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary humanitarian routes and do not provide a direct pathway to settlement. This reflects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for their citizens to be able to return home when it is safe to do so, in order to contribute to Ukraine’s future recovery. Time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will be extended for a further 24 months. This provides longer-term temporary certainty for Ukrainians in the UK, meaning they may benefit from up to 3.5 years’ permission under UPE, in addition to any time already granted under the Ukraine Schemes. This extension reaffirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting those displaced by the conflict.

To support a smoother application process, applicants will also be able to apply for further permission within the final 90 days of their current leave, rather than the previous 28‑day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.

Ukrainians in the UK under any of the Ukraine Schemes may apply to switch into other immigration routes for which they meet the eligibility and suitability requirements, including work, study, family and private life routes.

The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages in due course to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The Immigration Rules and caseworker guidance will be updated in line with the changes as they come into effect.

The Government recognises the importance of providing long‑term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK beyond the lifetime of UPE. Work is underway across Government on future arrangements, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued later this year.

The Government continues to keep the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under close and active review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish further information on long-term steps to help support people using the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Ukraine Schemes reflect a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. Since the full‑scale invasion began, the UK has provided sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members.

The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary humanitarian routes and do not provide a direct pathway to settlement. This reflects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for their citizens to be able to return home when it is safe to do so, in order to contribute to Ukraine’s future recovery. Time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will be extended for a further 24 months. This provides longer-term temporary certainty for Ukrainians in the UK, meaning they may benefit from up to 3.5 years’ permission under UPE, in addition to any time already granted under the Ukraine Schemes. This extension reaffirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting those displaced by the conflict.

To support a smoother application process, applicants will also be able to apply for further permission within the final 90 days of their current leave, rather than the previous 28‑day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.

Ukrainians in the UK under any of the Ukraine Schemes may apply to switch into other immigration routes for which they meet the eligibility and suitability requirements, including work, study, family and private life routes.

The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages in due course to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The Immigration Rules and caseworker guidance will be updated in line with the changes as they come into effect.

The Government recognises the importance of providing long‑term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK beyond the lifetime of UPE. Work is underway across Government on future arrangements, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued later this year.

The Government continues to keep the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under close and active review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of excluding Ukraine schemes from counting towards settlement on Ukrainian nationals in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Ukraine Schemes reflect a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. Since the full‑scale invasion began, the UK has provided sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members.

The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary humanitarian routes and do not provide a direct pathway to settlement. This reflects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for their citizens to be able to return home when it is safe to do so, in order to contribute to Ukraine’s future recovery. Time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will be extended for a further 24 months. This provides longer-term temporary certainty for Ukrainians in the UK, meaning they may benefit from up to 3.5 years’ permission under UPE, in addition to any time already granted under the Ukraine Schemes. This extension reaffirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting those displaced by the conflict.

To support a smoother application process, applicants will also be able to apply for further permission within the final 90 days of their current leave, rather than the previous 28‑day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.

Ukrainians in the UK under any of the Ukraine Schemes may apply to switch into other immigration routes for which they meet the eligibility and suitability requirements, including work, study, family and private life routes.

The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages in due course to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. The Immigration Rules and caseworker guidance will be updated in line with the changes as they come into effect.

The Government recognises the importance of providing long‑term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK beyond the lifetime of UPE. Work is underway across Government on future arrangements, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued later this year.

The Government continues to keep the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under close and active review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been made to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme for children born in the UK to Ukrainian national parents; and what the approval rate has been.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Data on the number of Ukraine Permission Extension visa applications for children born in the UK does not form part of our data sets and is not published.

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to communicate with Ukraine Permission Extension holders on applying before their permission expires; and how many people have been contacted by (a) email, (b) SMS and (c) post.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The onus is on the applicant to ensure they know the conditions attached to their leave and that they know when to reapply for an extension of that leave. All that information is available on our website and their eVisa.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme are awaiting a decision.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The data for Ukraine Permission Extension visa applications awaiting a decision can be found on the ‘Visa, Status and Immigration Data table on the following page of Gov.UK Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed cuts to funding for particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics research on levels of such research being carried out.

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

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed to £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. Of this, UKRI will deliver £38.6 billion towards research and innovation with £14.5 billion allocated towards curiosity-driven research, in recognition of its fundamental importance for our future. This is an increase in funding.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) budget has not been cut and it increases across the spending review period. STFC within UKRI is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). No final spending decisions relating to STFC’s PPAN portfolio have been made. The impacts of different modelled scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.

More generally, DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its allocation decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Hong Kong and Chinese counterparts on consular access to Jimmy Lai; and how many requests for consular access have been (a) made and (b) granted since his detention began.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On his questions relating to Jimmy Lai, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided in the Urgent Question debate on 9 February. The government will continue to raise Jimmy Lai's case with the Chinese government at every opportunity - as the Prime Minister did in talks with President Xi during his recent visit to China, and as the Foreign Secretary did with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 6 November. I will keep him and other members updated on all further steps that the UK will take alongside our international partners to call for Mr Lai's release, and for the protection of his health and wellbeing while he remains in detention.

On the question of sanctions, the Hon Member will be aware that we never comment on potential designations as to do so would undermine their impact. And on the six-monthly report on Hong Kong, he will be aware that the last such report was published on 23 October 2025, less than four months ago.

Found: Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish

Found: Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian Mathew; David Mundell; James Naish

Submit Evidence (by 15 Apr 2026)

The International Development Committee will explore the FCDO’s approach to higher education and research partnerships as part of its development strategy; how this may shift in response to a reduced aid budget and in the light of the new International Education Strategy; and the medium to long-term benefits of higher education and research partnerships to the UK’s international development goals.