Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2026 to PQ 108008, what the outcome was of her Department’s engagement concerning religious minority political representation in Syria; and what initiatives she is supporting to promote inclusive governance and improved conditions for those communities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In all of our engagement with the Syrian Government, we have been clear of the importance of ensuring a fair representation of Syria's diverse communities in positions of authority and consulting widely on planned next steps for Syria's transition. We believe that this is fundamental to re-building trust and supporting Syria's longer-term stability. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance of inclusive governance and the need for greater representation of all groups, including women, with the Syrian Foreign Minister al- Shaibani during his visit to London in November. I also recently met with members of the UK Kurdish community to discuss their views on the 30 January agreement and their hopes for the future.
Since the recent escalation began, we have regularly engaged both the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces and continue to press both sides to implement the 30 January agreement peacefully and in full, whilst also safeguarding humanitarian space and ensuring Kurdish participation in decision-making.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential consequences for her policies of the Office for National Statistics' assessment of RPI as a measure of inflation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030, at the earliest, movements in RPI will be aligned with CPIH as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of student loan debt on parents returning to education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Borrowers will be liable to repay after leaving study once their earnings exceed the earnings threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. Unlike commercial loans, student loans carry significant protections for borrowers and student loan repayments are linked to income, rather than the amount borrowed or interest applied.
If a borrower’s income drops below the repayment threshold, or they are not earning, their repayments will stop. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of reports of the use of cryptocurrency exchanges by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps via UK-based platforms.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I said when this issue was raised in the Urgent Question debate on 19 January, we have a robust sanctions enforcement regime in place, and - while it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases - we will continue to investigate and take action against any individuals and entities, including cryptocurrency exchanges, involved in any unlawful attempts to circumvent our sanctions regime.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Syrian counterpart on the representation of Kurdish people in the Syrian Government.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister al Shaibani on 20 January to urge the Syrian Government to uphold the ceasefire in North-East Syria, halt further violence, and protect Kurdish rights. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including the Kurdish community, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent information she has on the condition of Craig and Lindsay Foreman.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 20 January to Question 106167. Last week, Minister Falconer met members of the Foreman family, and we continue to raise the case directly with the Iranian authorities.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support de-escalation between the Syrian transitional Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Aleppo between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces. We are concerned by reports of further violence. It is vital that all parties now focus on de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and a return to dialogue. We continue to engage with both sides, as well as regional and international partners, in support of the ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations to deliver a lasting political settlement.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department holds data on the number of neurologists with specialist training in Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialty of neurology. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists.
These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.
NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.
NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect leaseholders from significant service charge increases.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 89138 answered on 21 November 2025.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international counterparts on the effectiveness of the implementation of the peace plan in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is the long-standing policy of the UK Government not to set out the circumstances in which we would or would not summon a particular Ambassador, but we maintain a number of channels for raising concerns with the Israeli Government when necessary. On the wider issues raised, I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.