Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of free-school meals on children in Ilford South constituency; and whether she has considered trialling Free School Meals to children in secondary schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

The department is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have announced that free school meals will be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 per child back in families’ pockets as set out in our Child Poverty Strategy.

Providing over half a million disadvantaged children with a free, nutritious meal each day supports higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes. This expansion ensures funding is targeted where it is most needed, supporting pupils from low-income families.

The department does not routinely assess the impact of free school meals at constituency level, but national evidence shows the positive effect they have on pupils’ attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.

Free school meals are also available to eligible pupils and all infant pupils, alongside programmes such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

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 her Bangladeshi counterparts on the protection of religious freedoms for (a) Hindus, (b) Christians, (c) Buddhists, (d) Sikhs and (e) other minority communities.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

The UK condemns all acts of violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities and continues to emphasise the importance of protecting the rights of all communities to the Bangladesh Government.

Following the February 2026 elections, I visited Bangladesh and met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, where the Government of Bangladesh reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion. We welcome the Government's early steps to protect and reassure all communities, and its stated intention to build a Bangladesh that serves every citizen.

Our commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is reflected in our £27 million Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme (2023-2028), which aims to protect civic space, foster inclusive dialogue, and address tensions that can lead to violence.

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 help protect (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities from discrimination and violence in Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my statement on GOV.UK marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, available at the link below, which set out the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country. I further emphasised the importance of that inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit to the UK on 31 March, and in my written statement to the House on 29 April (HWCS1552).

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Policy paper: “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”, published on 11 November 2025, what progress she has made on increasing investment in alternative methods.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government is increasing investment in alternative methods through delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The strategy was supported by £75 million of funding to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, with multi‑year funding secured through the Spending Review to provide stability for key programmes. UK Research and Innovation has already launched a £20 million funding call for a preclinical translational models hub, and Innovate UK has launched a £2 million Contracts for Innovation competition to support the development of alternative approaches. Further investment will be taken forward through delivery of the strategy and associated programmes.

Retirement of Godfrey Asare and Margaret Labulo from the Members' Tea Room

Shahid Choudhary

Impact of Israel’s ingress into Palestinian territory on maternal care

Draft Code of Practice on Services, public functions and associations

Pollok United UEFA Grassroots Award 2025-26