Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the volume of trade between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government uses a range of programmes and levers to increase the volume of trade between UK and Sri Lanka. These include the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which cuts tariffs and simplifies trading rules for Sri Lankan exporters. The Government also works in Sri Lanka to promote UK trade, investment, trade policy objectives and export finance overseas. This is spearheaded by His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) to South Asia.

These are complemented by regular Government-to-Government engagement, including the annual UK-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue, one of the official mechanisms for discussion of trade-related issues and promoting areas of mutual interest.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Register of licensed sponsors: workers, published on 7 October 2024, how many seafarers were sponsored to work on ships (a) in UK waters, (b) on international routes from UK ports and (c) in the offshore wind industry.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

All those who came to the UK under the concession were stamped at the Border rather than through visa routes and therefore no data was collected.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to identify the number of non-UK national workers that were brought to work on the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms within UK territorial waters under the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration Rules Concession 2017 before it expired on 30 April 2023.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

All those who came to the UK under the concession were stamped at the Border rather than through visa routes and therefore no data was collected.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase investment in the children's mental health system to (a) reduce waiting times and (b) ensure that more (i) children and (ii) young people can access support.

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

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services. We are discussing our future investment in children and young people’s mental health services.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our manifesto commitment of accessing a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

Alongside this we are working toward rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.

The Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983, so that it is fit for the 21st century. The Bill will amend the Act, which applies to England and Wales, and give patients detained under the Act greater choice, autonomy, rights, and support.