Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policy of the reconstruction in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On the reconstruction challenges facing Syria, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 4 June in response to Question 5915. The UK provided £104 million to Syria for financial year 2025/26, funding life-saving humanitarian assistance, as well as support for Syria's longer-term recovery.
On the specific issue of food security, the World Food Programme reports that conditions are gradually improving. However, more than 80 per cent of Syrian families are still unable to reliably access enough nutritious food. This assessment helps shape UK support through our agriculture and humanitarian assistance programmes, which aim to improve food security, support livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of current levels of food security in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On the reconstruction challenges facing Syria, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 4 June in response to Question 5915. The UK provided £104 million to Syria for financial year 2025/26, funding life-saving humanitarian assistance, as well as support for Syria's longer-term recovery.
On the specific issue of food security, the World Food Programme reports that conditions are gradually improving. However, more than 80 per cent of Syrian families are still unable to reliably access enough nutritious food. This assessment helps shape UK support through our agriculture and humanitarian assistance programmes, which aim to improve food security, support livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of UK aid cuts on the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further to the answer provided on 8 June in response to Question 5558, the UK has now allocated up to £26.9 million to support the Africa-led Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and to accelerate scientific and medical research in relation to this outbreak.
This reflects the Government's modernised development approach, both in the affected region and throughout the world: using UK finance, expertise and diplomacy to support local leadership and strengthen health systems.
Through partnerships with the World Health Organisation, Unicef, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and national governments, we are also supporting regional preparedness initiatives, including in South Sudan, Zambia and Burundi, to help build more resilient health systems and strengthen health security across the region.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of UK aid cuts on health systems in central and southern Africa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further to the answer provided on 8 June in response to Question 5558, the UK has now allocated up to £26.9 million to support the Africa-led Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda and to accelerate scientific and medical research in relation to this outbreak.
This reflects the Government's modernised development approach, both in the affected region and throughout the world: using UK finance, expertise and diplomacy to support local leadership and strengthen health systems.
Through partnerships with the World Health Organisation, Unicef, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and national governments, we are also supporting regional preparedness initiatives, including in South Sudan, Zambia and Burundi, to help build more resilient health systems and strengthen health security across the region.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in the probate application fee to £526 on bereaved families, in the context of current costs of living, including on those whose estates lack sufficient liquid assets to meet that fee before a grant of probate is issued.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson
The Government recognises that applying for probate can be a difficult process for bereaved families. Before introducing the increase in the probate application fee to £526, the Ministry of Justice undertook a full Impact Assessment, including an assessment of the equalities impacts of the change in line with its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty. This was published alongside the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 on 19 June 2026. This fee increase is intended to recover the cost of delivering the probate service, taking account of rising costs from inflation and investment in a modern and efficient service and ensuring that the service has the resources necessary to continue to deliver effectively. Estates valued below £5,000 will continue to be exempt from paying a fee.
For those who may be unable to afford a fee, the Help with Fees remission scheme remains available to eligible applicants. In addition, where an applicant does not qualify for Help with Fees, they may ask court or tribunal staff to exercise the Lord Chancellor’s exceptional power to remit fees. This ensures that no one is denied access to justice because they cannot reasonably afford a court or tribunal fee.