Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report 'Deaths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people in the care of, or supported by, local authorities' by Da’aro Youth Project.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We welcome the report of the Da’aro Youth Project. The Home Secretary engages regularly with ministerial colleagues across government on a range of issues relating to asylum, including safeguarding and the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
Last month, the Department for Education (DfE) launched a review into care leaver deaths, and deaths of young people who were unaccompanied asylum seeking children are being considered as part of this. Insights from the review will be shared later this year and will inform how DfE improve the support provided to care experienced young people across all aspects of their lives – including those who were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education at both ministerial and official level to support effective safeguarding arrangements and share information on risks affecting asylum seekers.
Where an individual is in the care of a local authority as a looked after child under its statutory duties in the Children Act 1989, that authority is responsible for considering and addressing all relevant matters linked to those duties, including risk assessment and safeguarding.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making education on antisemitism mandatory in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There is no place for antisemitism in our society.
The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality-assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.
The department has committed £7 million to fund projects and programmes to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism in education. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has also asked Sir David Bell to undertake an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges, which will be published this autumn.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) route are subject to delays, including the processing times and backlogs of UK Visas and Immigration; and, with reference to her Department's document entitled Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May 2025, whether proposed changes to settlement rules will apply to existing ECAA applicants.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The volume of applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the ECAA route has increased significantly over the last twelve months; with applications received currently 65% above forecasted intake.
Applications are routinely accompanied by exceptionally large volumes of supporting evidence which must be reviewed and considered to ensure lawful and robust outcomes are reached.
To address the delays currently being experienced additional resource has been assigned to this area and the Home Office expect to see increasing output and quicker turnarounds throughout the second half of 2026 as that takes effect.
A public consultation on proposed changes to settlement rules ran for 12 weeks, from 20 November 2025 until 12 February 2026, to gather views on proposed changes. The Home Office are now reviewing and analysing all responses received, which will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic impact assessments and equality impact assessments.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made the potential impact of the proposed steel trade measure on the adequacy of the range and supply of products that are not currently domestically manufactured; and what steps he is taking to support domestic firms currently reliant on imported steel products or components.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The measure has been designed to strike the right balance between securing the future of domestic steelmaking while maintaining secure supply chains for downstream users. The measure only covers steel requirements that can be met in the UK. In some instances, this is not feasible for technical reasons. Where this is the case, quotas have been designed to allow for sufficient imports to ensure these goods continue to be available to UK downstream users without unnecessary additional costs.
The Government has engaged extensively with manufacturers and wider industry to inform the design of the new steel trade measure, including through ongoing discussions and a Call for Evidence in 2025. We will keep the measure under review, including a review after twelve months to ensure it remains effective and fit for purpose.
To ease short term impacts, we will introduce a transitional arrangement under which the new measure would not apply to goods agreed under contract before 14 March 2026 and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026.
The Steel Strategy aims to create a more competitive landscape for steel production in the UK, to enable companies to use more domestic content and reduce their dependency on imports.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of increases in deaths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, in the context of the findings of the report 'Deaths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people in the care of,or supported by, local authorities' by Da'aro Youth Project.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is determined to address the shockingly high number of early deaths among care experienced young people, including unaccompanied asylum- seeking children and care leavers, who can be some of the most vulnerable people in our society due to their experiences.
The department welcomes the report of the Da’aro Youth Project and will carefully consider its findings as we implement measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, supporting children in care and care leavers and deliver wider reforms to children’s social care.
Last month, we launched a review into care leaver deaths, and deaths of young people who were unaccompanied asylum seeking children are being considered as part of this. Insights from the review will be shared later this year and will inform how we improve the support provided to care experienced young people across all aspects of their lives, including those who were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of regulations governing charity-branded clothing collection bins operated by commercial companies.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Charity clothing collection banks operated by commercial companies can provide a regular source of income for charities whilst supporting the reuse and recycling of unwanted items.
Companies operating collection banks must have written agreements with the charities they support and it should be clear to the public how their items will be used. Charity collection banks must have landowner permission, display the charity's details, and comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice. Local authorities can remove fraudulent or unauthorised collection banks on public land and highways.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will formally include air ambulance charities within national fuel resilience and prioritisation planning.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient fuel supply chain and remains well supplied across all fuel types. The Government regularly reviews which organisations provide essential services within the context of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel. This includes consideration of air ambulance charities, recognising the vital role they play in emergency response and patient care.
A summary of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel is published on gov.uk and sets out measures to respond to fuel supply and distribution disruption. In the unlikely event of a sustained disruption, these arrangements enable fuel to be prioritised for essential services and critical supply chains.
The Government does not assess that the current situation warrants, or is approaching, the threshold for the use of emergency powers.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to make a decision on whether the Federated Data Platform and Associated Services contract with Palantir Technologies will be extended; and what contingency plans his Department has in place to ensure ongoing provision of the programme if that contract is ended.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
We continually assess performance against the contract, and performance of the programme as a whole, and publish data on uptake and benefits each quarter. The National Health Service Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme is significantly exceeding its benefits forecast and has exceeded every target since it’s ‘go live’ in March 2024. It is also assessed regularly by the Government's National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, on behalf of HM Treasury. The NHS FDP is one of only 14% of Government major programmes to receive a ‘Green’ rating in July 2025, indicating that the FDP is on track.
In line with Government commercial function standards and contract management best practice, we shall be reviewing the FDP and Associated Services (FDP-AS) contract with a decision anticipated to be made this year on extension.
As part of ongoing and regular contract reviews of the FDP-AS, due consideration is given as to how benefits and outcomes are protected, and whether there is an extension or not. In the event of the contract ending, there are clear Exit Management provisions which would take effect. As with any change programme, there are many aspects that require planning and resource, including delivery of associated procurement activity, mobilising the replacement solutions, managing business change, in particularly supporting users, and managing the exit from existing contracts, the latter inclusive of service continuity during change activity.
The contract has a number of measures built in to facilitate exit and transition, including clear intellectual property rights in NHS build products or components.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's document entitled FCDO archive inventory, updated on 12 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to review and make available records relating to policy in Palestine, including UID 1454 and 1790.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Last year, the UK made the historic decision to recognise the state of Palestine, noting that our commitment to supporting long-term peace stems not only from the current crisis but also from our historic responsibility to the region's security. Available materials about the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine can be readily accessed from the National Archives.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
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 policies on the Israel-Palestine conflict of the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Last year, the UK made the historic decision to recognise the state of Palestine, noting that our commitment to supporting long-term peace stems not only from the current crisis but also from our historic responsibility to the region's security. Available materials about the UK's role during the Mandate for Palestine can be readily accessed from the National Archives.