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 ensure the sustainable impact of the Global Care Reform Campaign, including (a) a long-term strategy up to 2030 and (b) adequate resourcing.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As part of the Children's Care Reform campaign, a new programme was launched earlier this year to provide resources for technical assistance to signatories of the Global Charter and engagement with stakeholders, including young people with lived experience of the care system. The charter includes a commitment by all signatories to seek to monitor and phase out funding streams that incentivise institutionalisation, contribute to unnecessary family separation and undermine efforts to prioritise family care.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to redirect funding for orphanage economies to fund family strengthening.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As part of the Children's Care Reform campaign, a new programme was launched earlier this year to provide resources for technical assistance to signatories of the Global Charter and engagement with stakeholders, including young people with lived experience of the care system. The charter includes a commitment by all signatories to seek to monitor and phase out funding streams that incentivise institutionalisation, contribute to unnecessary family separation and undermine efforts to prioritise family care.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what international commitments he plans to make in relation to the Global Care Reform Campaign.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Global Charter on Children's Care Reform, led by the UK, sets out a series of commitments including supporting families to prevent unnecessary separation, ensuring safe and nurturing family-based alternative care and progressively ending the institutionalisation of all children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children in families subject to no recourse to public funds provisions that have received the families receiving additional support (FRAS) entitlement for eligible 2-year-olds in each of the last five years.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Families in receipt of additional forms of support to children in ‘no recourse to public fund’ households have been eligible for the 15-hours entitlement since September 2022.

The early years census data collects data on the number of children taking up the entitlement for families in receipt of additional forms of support, however, the department is unable to break this down by immigration status.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to support farmers in Yorkshire to transition to free farrowing systems.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, Laurence Turner, on 3 April 2025, PQ UIN 41698.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum income threshold for free school meals eligibility for children in families with no recourse to public funds in line with the eligibility criteria introduced on 4 June 2025.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

Children from households with no recourse to public funds can receive FSM, subject to meeting income criteria set by the department in our published guidance.

The department does not hold exact figures for FSM-eligible children from households with no recourse to public funds. In total, 2.2 million school pupils are eligible to receive FSM on the basis of low income. This figure includes children who are eligible under the criteria for households with no recourse to public funds.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in families subject to no recourse to public funds provisions have received the concession on access to free school meals introduced in 2022; and what the breakdown is of those figures by (a) region and (b) year since 2022.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

Children from households with no recourse to public funds can receive FSM, subject to meeting income criteria set by the department in our published guidance.

The department does not hold exact figures for FSM-eligible children from households with no recourse to public funds. In total, 2.2 million school pupils are eligible to receive FSM on the basis of low income. This figure includes children who are eligible under the criteria for households with no recourse to public funds.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with (a) civil society and (b) women's organisations in Sudan on advancing a pathway to peace.

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

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials, including our Special Representative to Sudan, regularly meet Sudanese civil society and diaspora groups. We also had extensive engagement with civil society and NGOs prior to the London Sudan Conference on 15 April. This included engagements led by Baroness Chapman who, on 9 April, spoke at a 'Women's Inclusion Roundtable' in London that was attended by Sudanese civil society and academics. The recommendations of the roundtable were used to help shape discussions at the London Sudan Conference.

In addition, the UK supports the neutral, anti-war element of the Somoud civilian coalition (formerly known as Taqaddum) with technical facilitation and logistics to help broaden its base and promote a more inclusive and unified civilian vision for Sudan. The UK will continue to champion the importance of Sudanese civilians, especially women and youth, as well as civil society, in any efforts to resolve the conflict and shape the future of Sudan.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on providing USAID to Sudan.

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

We have engaged closely and productively with our US colleagues about the crisis in Sudan and the UK greatly values the role played by the US as the largest financial humanitarian donor. The former Foreign Secretary has raised Sudan personally with the US Secretary of State; discussions have focused on bettering humanitarian access and how to push for an end to the fighting. We also continue to engage with the US at official-level on humanitarian issues and to coordinate support for the UN-led push for a humanitarian ceasefire in El Fasher.