Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the time taken to award compensation payments to victims of the Horizon Scandal.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government has greatly accelerated redress. We have launched the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) and Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process. We have begun payments of a £75,000 fixed offer for those postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) who want to accept it. We deliver 89% of offers within 40 working days of receiving full claims. The total amount of redress paid under all schemes has more than quadrupled since July 2024. As of 29 August 2025, approximately £1,176 million has been paid in total redress to over 8,600 claimants across the three live Horizon schemes.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the contracts for the (a) Ajax, (b) Challenger 3 and (c) Boxer programmes included targets in relation to generating social value in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In line with prevailing procurement rules at the time, the contracts for the Ajax, Challenger 3 and Boxer programmes did not contain specific targets in relation to generating social value.
The Ministry of Defence actively monitors opportunities to enhance social value and UK prosperity through these programmes. Suppliers in the North East support jobs and social value across Defence.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2024 to Question 69090 on Challenger Tanks: Supply Chains, what proportion of the (a) UK Challenger 3 work will be in the tier 2 supply chain and (b) lead consortium work will be undertaken in the North East.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Manufacturing phase contracts for the tier 2 supply chain are being agreed by RBSL, the Prime Contractor. The programme will award approximately 60% of supply chain contracts to the UK with a significant contribution from the North East.
RBSL have sites in Telford and Newcastle; the proportion of work undertaken at each site is a matter for RBSL.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what components of the Challenger 3 will have been manufactured in the UK; and what other industrial processes associated with the programme will have taken place in the UK during its (a) demonstration and (b) manufacturing phase.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The design, development and manufacture of the Challenger 3 tank is being undertaken by RBSL from its sites in Telford, Shropshire and Washington, Tyne and Wear. Challenger 3 sub-system design and manufacturing, including the fabrication of the turret structure and manufacture of the sighting systems, is being carried out by the wider UK supply chain.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken with international partners to encourage international humanitarian access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has called for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to be granted unfettered and immediate access to the hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees to deliver on their independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The UK reaffirms our support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence, and mandate to carry out their important responsibilities. As the Prime Minister said on 21 July, the UK demands an immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter, that the UN be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a continuing basis to prevent starvation, and the immediate release of the hostages.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the supply chain for the Boxer programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Boxer programme is planned to deliver 60% by value of the original production contract from the UK.
The long-term support solution for the programme is still under development but will look to build on the hundreds of UK jobs that have already been protected during the manufacture of the platform. It is not yet known what proportion of that supply chain will be based in the UK and North East.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the Ajax programme supply chain is based in the North East.
Answered by Maria Eagle
4% of the Ajax programme’s key suppliers are based in the North and North East of England.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the supply chain for the Challenger 3 programme is based in the (a) UK and (b) North East.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Approximately 60% of the Challenger 3 supply chain will be provided by UK suppliers. North East suppliers represent a significant contribution to this figure.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterparts on the right of the Tibetan Buddhist authorities to select the successor to the Dalai Lama without interference.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in the UK and abroad, and work to uphold the right to FoRB through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, On July 2 the UK convened an event in Geneva to reaffirm the right to FoRB for all, including Tibetan Buddhists and the right to choose their own religious leaders.
The UK views the Dalai Lama as a respected spiritual leader and strong human rights advocate. It is our longstanding position that the appointment of the next Dalai Lama is a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community across the world, in line with FoRB.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of public complaint records from the Hong Kong Ombudsman Office’s online archive on UK businesses operating in that country.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am aware of the removal of the historical complaint records from the Hong Kong Ombudsman Office's website. While we recognise the importance of transparency and access to public information for businesses operating overseas, no formal assessment has been conducted on the specific impact of this change on UK businesses in Hong Kong. We continue to monitor developments in Hong Kong closely and maintain regular engagement with UK businesses to understand emerging concerns.
We are also working closely with colleagues across Whitehall, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ensure a coordinated approach to developments in Hong Kong that may affect UK commercial interests.