Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 75586, whether safeguards, oversight mechanisms and conditions apply to UK assistance to Bangladesh to help ensure that such funding does not contribute to discrimination or persecution of Hindu minority communities.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All UK official development assistance (ODA) funded programmes operate under the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office's Programme Operating Framework, which requires robust controls, mandatory oversight, and compliance with cross‑government project delivery standards, alongside strengthened safeguarding due‑diligence measures and transparency obligations to ensure accountable, safe, and effective use of public funds.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve coordination between health, education, and social care services for families affected by sodium valproate.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone who has been harmed from sodium valproate has our deepest sympathies.
The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, First Do No Harm, identified significant shortcomings in National Health Service care pathways for people harmed by sodium valproate. NHS England has acknowledged variation in the availability and adequacy of care pathways, the impact of delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis on long-term outcomes, and the need for improved care coordination for those requiring lifelong support, including co-ordination with non-health care services.
In response, NHS England has commissioned a Fetal Exposure to Medicines Services Pilot, being delivered by the NHS in Newcastle and Manchester. The pilot provides multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and is informing the development of improved care pathways, better coordination of care, and reduced reliance on emergency care. Findings from the pilot will inform future decisions on the commissioning of services, subject to funding.
In addition, we work closely with the Department for Education and across the Government to ensure co-ordination between health, education, and social care services for children and their families. The Health and Opportunity Missions of the Government highlight the importance of joined up working and integrated delivery.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Ministers in the devolved nations regarding establishing a UK wide sodium valproate redress scheme.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Though the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report covered England-only, we recognise that any response by the Government to the recommendations of the Hughes Report in England will likely have implications for the devolved administrations and their constituents.
Government officials are therefore working closely with officials across the United Kingdom in considering the recommendations in the Hughes Report. I recently met with my counterparts across the four nations and will continue productive engagement as we progress work in this area.
The Department continues to take forward work to explore redress for those affected by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate, which includes recommendations made by the Patient Safety Commissioner in the Hughes Report.
We recognise the importance of these issues for all those affected. This remains a cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations, and given the complexity of the issues involved, it is important we get this right.
I also met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and have made clear the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Egyptian counterpart on the detention of Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK champions freedom of religion or belief for all and, where appropriate, will raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Venezuela on the (a) vandalism of the Cuasia Church and (b) death threats issued towards Fr. Juan Manuel León.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Protecting the Freedom of Religion or Belief is an important objective for the UK all over the world. As part of our efforts to press for a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela, we will reinforce the importance of ensuring that the rights of all Venezuelans are upheld, including members of the church.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Chancellor's written statement of 5 January 2026, UIN HCWS1219, whether the government's response to the Office for Budget Responsibility's Spring forecast will be an oral or written statement to Parliament.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As set out in a written statement to Parliament last week, the Chancellor has asked the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast for publication on 3 March 2026. The Chancellor will deliver an oral statement to the House in response.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with the Government of Nicaragua on restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those restrictions on freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 November in response to Question 85308.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
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 recent attacks on Afro-Brazilian religious temples in Brazil; and what discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterparts on protecting freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to protecting freedom of religion or belief, as guaranteed under international human rights law. During the G20 Energy and Environment Working Group in October, the Minister for Equalities met Brazilian Minister for Women Marcia Lopes to discuss challenges faced by marginalised communities. In the build-up to COP30 in November, the UK organised a visit for a group of MPs to a 'Quilombo', home to a community targeted with violence and discrimination. This and other Afro-descendant communities are supported by the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) programme, which strengthens tenure security, territorial governance and personal protection for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the Amazon Basin. The UK and Brazil remain committed to ensuring the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities are protected.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
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 Indian counterpart on reports of recent forced burning of Bibles in the Rohtak State of Haryana.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer provided on 27 October in response to Question 83419.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answers of 4 and 12 November 2025 to questions 84180 and 87719 on Alpacas: Bluetongue Disease, if her Department will consider reassessing restrictions for animals in which no cases of Bluetongue Disease have been identified.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As Great Britain is currently not recognised by the EU as bluetongue disease-free, the export of all susceptible live animals from the whole of GB territory, including alpacas, to EU and EFTA countries, is suspended. The same restrictions also apply for imports into GB from EU and EFTA countries. The EU and GB rules for trade from BTV affected territories reflect the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (WOAH) Terrestrial Code that sets international standards for Animal Health.