Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of trends in UK aid spending on (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene programmes.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is published annually in the Statistics on International Development. The latest report shows UK bilateral ODA for WASH totalled £37 million in 2023, £45 million in 2022, £78 million in 2021, and £110 million in 2020. Figures for 2024 will be published on the 18th of September 2025.
In parallel with this reduction, we have changed our approach to WASH, moving away from the direct delivery of WASH services at scale, to working in partnership with governments to strengthen the systems needed to provide and sustain WASH services. This can also help secure additional resources, including domestic funding, climate finance and private investment, extending our overall impact.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the safety of Uyghur (a) exiles and (b) dissidents residing in the UK.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe. The National Security Act 2023 provides the necessary tools to deter, detect and disrupt modern-day state threats.
The Government, working alongside operational partners, continuously assess the risks and threats faced by people living within the UK. Where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate.
Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact the police via 101, a local police station or dial 999 in an emergency.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the night-time economy in Eastleigh constituency.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the vital role that night-time venues, including those in Eastleigh constituency play in supporting local economies.
In April, the Government established the Licensing Taskforce, bringing together representatives from the hospitality industry to help shape reform. The Government’s response, published on 31 July, set out proposals for a new National Licensing Policy Framework designed to simplify outdated licensing rules and protect long-standing venues from noise complaints, which are particularly relevant to the night-time economy.
Additionally, we are reforming the business rates system to support high street investment, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance in the prohibition of UK involvement in (a) torture and (b) the death penalty.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJA assessments so that it remains robust, effective and fit for purpose. As part of that review, we have engaged a range of stakeholders - including civil society organisations and Parliamentarians - through structured discussions. We are considering all the feedback received, including country examples that will help to inform the review process.
With countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations; the UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government’s engagement with international partners on the use of the death penalty; and what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns with countries that continue to apply capital punishment.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We believe that the death penalty's use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.
The UK works with our international partners and with NGOs to: increase the number of abolitionist countries, or countries with a moratorium on the use of the death penalty; reduce the numbers of executions and restrict the use of the death penalty in retentionist countries; increase judicial capacity and legal reform through training and partnerships with UK legal expertise, and encourage greater transparency about the use of the death penalty in line with international standards.
The UK remains a strong supporter of the UN General Assembly Resolution for the moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled Moved During Exams, published by the charity Become; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure greater stability and improve educational outcomes for children in care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statutory care planning guidance is clear that everything should be done to minimise school changes and ensure transitions are well-planned and supported. Where a change is unavoidable, the child’s Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to reduce disruption, particularly during exams and other key periods in their education.
The government is introducing measures to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes addressing the barriers that prevent homes for looked-after children being established where they are needed.
Through the department’s Plan for Change, we’re investing £2 billion to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.
These measures will mean more placements are available, allowing children to be placed closer to home and school when in their best interests.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans' services in Eastleigh constituency.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. In Eastleigh and across the country, the Government is ensuring a wide range of support is available for veterans. At the 2021 census, 3,518 people in Eastleigh reported that they had previously served in the UK Armed Forces, representing 4.6% of the population aged 16 and over.
The Ministry of Defence runs the Veterans Welfare Service, which provides advice and support to veterans and their families. For support with employment, the Career Transition Partnership is the initial point of provision for those leaving military Service and Op ASCEND is the employment pathway for veterans.
In England Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE provide physical and mental health specialist services. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway connecting veterans with support.
In May this year, we also announced VALOUR, a new commitment, backed by £50 million, to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country. A new regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres and regional field officers, will help to ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to engage with young people to promote recruitment in the Armed Forces.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 is clear that Defence must now meet the longstanding challenge of recruiting and retaining new generations with different requirements. We are committed to the vision that long-term success depends on reconnecting society with the Armed Forces and the purpose of Defence, and for recruitment the focus should be on speed, drastically shortening the period between applicants expressing interest and joining.
To achieve this, Defence will offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. The Army and Navy are developing short term employment opportunities - “gap year” schemes - for young men and women across a variety of exciting roles that will upskill, provide apprenticeships, and a flavour of life in the Armed Forces. Full plans will be announced in due course now that we have published the SDR.
Furthermore, the Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths curriculum areas but also in careers engagement, which collectively enhances our engagement with young people. The Armed Forces only visit schools when invited to do so, usually in support of career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other exercises.
The Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than careers fairs which generally involve a range of employers. Presentations may be given highlighting Armed Forces careers, but no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit during the course of a visit.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds information on the level of homelessness in Eastleigh constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government publishes homelessness statistics by local authority in England on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management in non-domestic buildings.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
HSE is a non-departmental public body. Whilst it has responsibility for its own policy, it reports direct to DWP ministers.
The Work and Pensions Committee held an inquiry into HSE’s approach to asbestos management and published a report in 2022. I am now working with HSE on how it will tackle Great Britain’s asbestos legacy using a variety of regulatory interventions. Asbestos in non-domestic buildings is a key ministerial priority, and HSE provides regular updates and assurance to ministers about its approach to asbestos management.