Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 40483 on Mahmoud Khalil, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the detention of pro-Palestinian protestors by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As previously stated in response to Question 40483, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not comment on personal matters relating to former members of staff. Discussions surrounding the detention of non-British nationals are not for the FCDO to comment on, because it is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to support the Kurdistan Workers Party – Turkey peace process.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Turkey, as a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally and strategic partner. Ministers have spoken with their Turkish counterparts in recent days to discuss the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announcement and other issues. The decision by the PKK to disarm and disband marks an important step towards peace and security for the people of Turkey and the wider region. Abdullah Ocalan's imprisonment follows a domestic Turkish legal ruling. The UK remains committed to supporting efforts that reduce conflict and promote stability.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the detention of Abdullah Ocalan.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Turkey, as a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally and strategic partner. Ministers have spoken with their Turkish counterparts in recent days to discuss the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announcement and other issues. The decision by the PKK to disarm and disband marks an important step towards peace and security for the people of Turkey and the wider region. Abdullah Ocalan's imprisonment follows a domestic Turkish legal ruling. The UK remains committed to supporting efforts that reduce conflict and promote stability.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on the disbanding of the Kurdistan Workers Party.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Turkey, as a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally and strategic partner. Ministers have spoken with their Turkish counterparts in recent days to discuss the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announcement and other issues. The decision by the PKK to disarm and disband marks an important step towards peace and security for the people of Turkey and the wider region. Abdullah Ocalan's imprisonment follows a domestic Turkish legal ruling. The UK remains committed to supporting efforts that reduce conflict and promote stability.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling local authorities to use CCTV enforcement to address unlawful pavement parking; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to permit such enforcement.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No assessment has been made of the use of CCTV cameras to address pavement parking. The use of CCTV for civil enforcement of parking restrictions is currently limited to contraventions occurring in ‘keep clear’ zig-zag areas outside schools, red routes, bus lanes and mandatory cycle lanes, and at bus stops and bus stands.
More broadly on the issue of pavement parking, the Department has been considering responses to the consultation on pavement parking conducted in 2020 and potential policy options. We will announce our formal response to the consultation and next steps shortly.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support UK citizens with relatives impacted by the human rights situation in Balochistan.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We advise people to consider the most appropriate visa route for their own circumstances.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with animal protection groups on phasing out animal experiments.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Government will also be hosting a roundtable shortly with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed during his most recent meeting with his Israeli counterpart.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April during his visit to London to discuss the need for an end to the aid blockade in Gaza and for all parties to push towards an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages who remain in Gaza. He also raised his concern for aid worker safety and pushed Foreign Minister Sa'ar for the Military Advocate General to provide a response on the World Central Kitchen strike in April 2024. The UK Government continues to engage with Israeli counterparts on a variety of issues, including the conflict in Gaza. This engagement is vital for the UK as we continue to press towards a long-lasting ceasefire which is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of AI-generated intimate images.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.
Our VAWG strategy will be published this year and will include joint steps to tackle image-based abuse across England and Wales and protect victims. We are delivering on our manifesto commitment to ensure that perpetrators who create a deepfake intimate image of someone without their consent face prosecution, and criminalising asking someone to create an intimate image deepfake for you, regardless of where that person is based or whether the image is created. In addition, under our new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill, anyone who takes or records intimate images without consent or installs equipment with intent to do so will face up to two years’ custody.
In the year 2024/25, the Home Office increased the amount of funding provided to the Revenge Porn Helpline from £150,000 to £210,000, to provide free, high-quality support and advice to adult victims of intimate image abuse. This funding has been increased for the year 2025/26. The Ministry of Justice also provides funding for vital victim and witness support services that includes funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including victims of intimate image abuse, to cope and recover.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reductions to Official Development Assistance on tuberculosis (a) screening, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.
We plan to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts this summer.
The UK has played a significant role with international counterparts to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in recent decades.
Since 2002, Tuberculosis deaths have been reduced by 36 per cent in countries where the Global Fund invests. The UK is a leading donor to the Global Fund and will this year co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund together with South Africa.