Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of processes for transferring animals between the EU and UK for breeding conservation programmes.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges to the cross-border movement of animals between the UK and EU. This includes the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, aimed at reducing trade barriers to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of goods, including zoo animals of conservation significance. We’re expecting to start negotiations in the autumn, once the EU has confirmed their mandate. We want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade as soon as possible, and we will provide further updates in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that the Charity Commission requires that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government and the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the Commission) expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.

The Commission provides guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in their charity’s best interests.

The Commission’s role as independent registrar and regulator of charities is to ensure that trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Commission cannot become involved in a charity’s internal decision making. Any concerns about charities engaging in inappropriate activity should be referred to the Commission.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to end the conflict in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The conflict in Sudan, now into its third year, remains a priority for the UK and the Foreign Secretary. In the months following the April London Sudan Conference UK Ministers and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have been working to sustain momentum and ensure Sudan remains in the spotlight. Our efforts have included joining the EU-convened Consultative Group on Sudan in June, alongside key partners, to progress shared aims on ending the violence and improving humanitarian access. In the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where the UK is penholder on Sudan, we have consistently called for an end to the fighting, the protection of civilians, and unimpeded humanitarian access. On 13 August, with African partners and Guyana, the UK led a UNSC press statement calling for respect of international law and rejecting moves to form parallel governments, which will only prolong the conflict. We will continue to use all diplomatic levers working in concert with international partners to encourage the warring parties to return to the negotiating table and commit to a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire in Sudan.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support victims of sexual (a) violence and (b) torture in Sudan.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is a major humanitarian donor to Sudan with £120 million in life-saving aid budgeted this financial year in addition to £235 million allocated in 24/25. The UK's funding to Sudan delivers a range of critical support including protection, prevention, and care services to women and girls in response to rising gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). This year, the UK is also supporting the deployment of a specialist sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) investigator to the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Sudan, delivered through our implementing partner UN Women. This contribution ensures expert input on SGBV to strengthen accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan. At the UN, the UK has led efforts to spotlight CRSV and other atrocities, including ten Security Council press statements and the renewal of the FFM's mandate.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to identify potential UK links to the business interests of the (a) Rapid Support Forces and (b) Sudanese Armed Forces.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains robust corporate transparency measures, and we monitor this on an ongoing basis. Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, the UK has frozen the assets of nine commercial entities linked to the parties involved in the conflict: five entities linked with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and four entities linked with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). These sanctions were designed to press the parties to engage in a sustained and meaningful peace process, allow humanitarian access and to commit to a permanent cessation of hostilities. We do not speculate on future designations as doing so would undermine their effectiveness.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement, in the context of the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK Government has recently announced a number of measures in relation to the actions of the Netanyahu Government, seeking to reinforce its support for the two-state solution, to pursue a lasting ceasefire, to secure the return of the hostages and ensure greater access to humanitarian aid in Gaza. We remain committed to our existing trading relationship with Israel and the existing UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement (TPA). Our trading relationship underpins key areas of UK life and exports to Israel support thousands of jobs in the UK. Suspension of any trade agreement with another country risks unpredictable consequences and significant economic disruption for British businesses.

Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm prospects for a two-state solution. Settlements are not part of the State of Israel. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the TPA. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. We have been clear that if Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.

Found: Westminster Hall - Churches and Religious Buildings and their impact on communities, 13 May 202544 - Marsha de Cordova

Found: Church Commissioners are accountable to Parliament via the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Church Commissioners on extending the spending cap on the Listed Places of Worship scheme after 2026.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The future of the grant scheme funding after March 2026 will be considered as we work through the results of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.

The Department has had various meetings with representatives of the Church and other stakeholders on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In June 2025, the Heritage Minister met church leaders including Marsha de Cordova MP, who is the Second Church Estates Commissioner.

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Bambos

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Bambos

Found: Not called_NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Daniel

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Daniel

Found: REPORT STAGE Monday 8 September 2025 28 _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Daniel

Found: REPORT STAGE Friday 5 September 2025 28 _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry Daniel

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry REPORT

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier Siân Berry .

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier .

Found: _NC23 Marsha De Cordova Bell Ribeiro-Addy Emma Lewell Kim Johnson Dame Meg Hillier .