Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend of 14 January 2025, Official Report, column 159, what recent assessment he has made of Israel's presence in the Golan Heights buffer zone.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to call on all parties to preserve Syria's territorial integrity and national unity. Continued Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) activity in the buffer zone is in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement and we have called on Israel to lay out timelines for their withdrawal. We expect Israel to adhere to their commitment that their presence in the buffer zone is both limited and temporary. We continue to support the work of United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) who remain vital for stability for Syria and the wider region, participating regularly in UN Security Council Meetings on UNDOF, most recently in consultations on 12 June 2025.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 53853, tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend on 21 May 2025.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I can confirm that a response has been submitted to my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend to Question 53853.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings he has had with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to discuss the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since 11 November 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, has not had any meetings to discuss the Bill with any stakeholders, given the Government’s neutral position. The Bill, as it stands, contains various duties to consult relevant stakeholders, to consider how the operation of the Bill may impact different groups.
Should Parliament decide to pass the Bill, the Government recognises that the experience of key stakeholders will be integral to the design and delivery of an assisted dying service.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to engage with (a) disabled and (b) terminally ill children on the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on (i) their lives and (ii) sense of value.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is neutral on the matter of assisted dying and the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State of Health and Social Care, has not had any meetings to discuss the Bill with any stakeholders, given the Government’s neutral position. The Bill, as it stands, contains various duties to consult relevant stakeholders, to consider how the operation of the Bill may impact different groups.
Should Parliament decide to pass the Bill, the Government recognises that the experience of key stakeholders will be integral to the design and delivery of an assisted dying service.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of funding in the higher education sector on the performance of British universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 19 June 2025.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To maintain the UK higher education (HE) sector's world-leading status, universities need a stable financial footing. This government is committed to securing our universities’ future, which is why we have acted quickly to address the sector’s financial challenges.
The Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensure the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment. Additionally, we made the difficult decision to uplift tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year. The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.
We also recognise that research funding is integral to universities’ financial sustainability. This government has committed to record funding of research and development (R&D). The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSIT) R&D budget has increased in real terms by 8.5% from 2024/25 to 2025/26, and DSIT's allocation to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is £8.8 billion, sustaining unprecedented levels of investment to support the UK’s R&D ambitions.
This government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UKRI in March.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the merits of Education, Health and Care Plans on (a) academic attainment and (b) mental health in mainstream schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
There is a growing number of children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans due to their social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Currently, 15.5% of those with an EHC plan who are attending school have SEMH recorded as their primary need.
While no recent assessment has been made specifically on the impact of EHC plans on mental health, we are responding to this increase by significantly expanding access to specialist mental health professionals and early support. This includes the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools, the recruitment of 8,500 additional mental health professionals, and the launch of Young Futures hubs to provide accessible, community-based mental health services.
Improving the SEND system is a key priority for this government. We are working with families, schools, local authorities and wider partners to deliver reforms that improve support for children and parents and provide consistency across the country.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department considered the legal opinion by Tom Cross KC and Ruth Kennedy entitled In the Matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, published on 28 April 2025, during the development of the document entitled Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: ECHR memorandum, published on 2 May 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It was not possible to consider the legal opinion entitled In the Matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill during the development of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: ECHR memorandum, as the legal opinion was published after the European Convention on Human Rights Memorandum (ECHR) memorandum was finalised for publication.
The ECHR memorandum sets out the Government’s position on the bill’s compatibility with the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Government will keep the bill’s compatibility with the Human Rights Act 1998 under review as it progresses through Parliament, and issue a further ECHR memorandum if appropriate.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase access to sport for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport and the barriers around this for those from lower socio-economic groups.
In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency received £102,947 from Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body responsible for physical activity and sport participation in England, to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities. Sport England also recently announced Gateshead and South Tyneside as two of their new 53 Place Partnerships, which will receive support to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions, including for children and young people.
More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable offer for local communities, including children and young people.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 Cabinet colleagues on steps to increase access to sport for children from low income households.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport and the barriers around this for those from lower socio-economic groups.
In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency received £102,947 from Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body responsible for physical activity and sport participation in England, to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities. Sport England also recently announced Gateshead and South Tyneside as two of their new 53 Place Partnerships, which will receive support to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions, including for children and young people.
More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable offer for local communities, including children and young people.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the (a) number and (b) duration of sewage discharges into waterways in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
The Government remains committed to reducing both the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, in line with the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP). The SODRP will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050.
The Water (Special Measures) Act is introducing independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. This will match the pre-existing duty for storm overflows. This will meet the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.
Furthermore, the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend reforms to reset the water sector. The Independent Water Commission: interim report was released on 03 June 2025. Final recommendations will be published this summer and presented to both the UK and Welsh Governments.
As part of Price Review 2024 (2025-30), Northumbrian Water is investing £1.1 billion to reduce storm overflow spills by 28% by investing in 159 spill reduction schemes. As part of this cycle, 23 investigations and asset improvements are planned across the Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend constituency.