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Written Question
Israel: Hamas
Wednesday 26th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27261 on Israel: Hamas, if he will make an assessment of the value of Overseas Development Aid spent in the last five years that has been destroyed during the course of the conflict in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with trusted partners to ensure timely reporting and monitoring of aid losses. Following the ceasefire, partners are continuing to assess the situation on the ground after 15 months of conflict. Our understanding of the impact on UK aid provided will be drawn from these assessments. To note, UK funding is used to support a wide range of activities and services, as well as provision of goods. We welcome reports that more aid has been entering Gaza during the ceasefire period and continue to urge all parties to ensure that aid can safely and effectively reach those who need it in all parts of Gaza.


Written Question
Gaza: Energy and Water Supply
Monday 17th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27260 on Gaza: Energy and Water Supply, if he will request that the funding supplied to the World Bank for the construction and restoration of critical energy and waste infrastructure in Gaza will be tendered to Gaza-owned construction companies.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

According to the World Bank's Procurement Regulations, eligible firms and individuals from all countries are allowed to offer goods, works, non-consulting services, and consulting services for Bank-financed projects globally. This means that suppliers or contractors based in Gaza have the same rights as those from other regions to participate in bids targeting Gaza.


Written Question
Sexual Offences: Crown Court
Monday 17th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24854 on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of displaying information of the one-year pilot scheme in courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Since 28 May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot for victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

The judiciary were informed of the pilot before launch. Requests for court transcripts are considered by judges and the release of transcripts is ultimately a judicial decision in each individual case. We will continue to engage the judiciary as we assess the pilot’s impacts and determine next steps.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that eligible victims know about the pilot and how to apply. We have provided the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the pilot to distribute to any eligible victims.

On 10 February 2025, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service had received c.350 applications under the pilot.


Written Question
Sexual Offences: Crown Court
Monday 17th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24854 on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, how many people have applied to the one-year pilot scheme.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Since 28 May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot for victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

The judiciary were informed of the pilot before launch. Requests for court transcripts are considered by judges and the release of transcripts is ultimately a judicial decision in each individual case. We will continue to engage the judiciary as we assess the pilot’s impacts and determine next steps.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that eligible victims know about the pilot and how to apply. We have provided the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the pilot to distribute to any eligible victims.

On 10 February 2025, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service had received c.350 applications under the pilot.


Written Question
Sexual Offences: Crown Court
Monday 17th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24854 on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, whether judges have been informed of the one-year pilot scheme.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Since 28 May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot for victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

The judiciary were informed of the pilot before launch. Requests for court transcripts are considered by judges and the release of transcripts is ultimately a judicial decision in each individual case. We will continue to engage the judiciary as we assess the pilot’s impacts and determine next steps.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that eligible victims know about the pilot and how to apply. We have provided the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the pilot to distribute to any eligible victims.

On 10 February 2025, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service had received c.350 applications under the pilot.


Written Question
Shellfish: Animal Welfare
Thursday 13th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make a decision on the inclusion of decapod crustaceans in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on their inclusion in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

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

The Government is committed to an evidence-based approach to improve welfare standards for decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs. Defra is commissioning research and expert opinion to inform any future policy decisions and welcomes the continued dialogue with stakeholders. No policy decisions have been made.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.


Written Question
Families: Disadvantaged
Tuesday 11th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which services she has distributed £500m to Family Help funding to.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

'Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, published in November 2024, sets out this government’s approach to reforming the system of support for children and families, including the national rollout of Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision-making reforms through the Families First Partnership programme.

From April 2025, the government will make over £500 million available to local authorities to roll out the Families First Partnership programme. The funding, announced as part of the local government funding settlement (LGFS), will be allocated across all 153 local authorities in England in two grants:

  • £253.5 million, previously for the Supporting Families programme, consolidated with other grants into a single Children and Families Grant.
  • £270 million of additional investment in the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant.

The final LGFS for both of the grants, including grant determination letters and local authority by local authority allocations, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2025-to-2026#grant-determinations-2025-to-2026.


Written Question
Forced Labour: Uyghurs
Tuesday 11th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security of 6 November 2024, Official Report, col 71WH, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in tackling the use of forced labour in supply chains.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures alongside other policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains.The Government views import bans as one of a range of tools that could be used to tackle forced labour in global supply chains. The UK continues to raise issues on human rights, including China's repression of the peoples of Xinjiang.


Written Question
Pension Credit: Overpayments
Tuesday 11th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value was of Pension Credit overpayments that were written off as resulting from official error in each of the last three years.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Value of Official Error Pension Credit Scheduled Write Offs

Value

February 2022 - January 2023

£28.802m

February 2023 - January 2024

£24.858m

February 2024 - January 2025

£27.856m

Above table identifies the value of Official Error Pension Credit Overpayments written off at source by referring benefit offices within the last 3 years.

These overpayments do not reach Debt Manager for recovery as PC overpayments are not recoverable and are written off when the overpayment is identified at source.

Data is GB only.


Written Question
Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry
Monday 10th February 2025

Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse final report, published in October 2022, which Department has lead responsibility for implementing the recommendations of that report.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office has the lead responsibly across Government for tackling child sexual abuse. However, the final 20 recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse are wide-ranging and cut across multiple Government departments lead responsibilities. That is why a cross-Government ministerial group is continuing to consider and work through the remaining recommendations.

The Home Secretary has committed, in her statement to Parliament on the 16 January 2025, that the Government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the 20 recommendations of the final report before Easter.