Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, following the April 2026 signing of the UK-Türkiye Strategic Partnership Framework and Defence and Security Agreement in July 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the level of bilateral cooperation.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
Turkey is a close NATO Ally and strategic partner which sits on the front line of some of the most difficult and serious challenges we face. Since signing the UK - Turkey Strategic Partnership Framework in April 2026 we have continued to work closely with Turkey to strengthen our strategic partnership to make both countries safer and more prosperous.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of Türkiye's capacity and ambition as COP31 host, and what support is the UK offering to help Türkiye deliver a successful summit.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We welcome Türkiye’s focus on accelerating implementation of the Paris Agreement. Türkiye’s approach to the Action Agenda aligns with UK priorities including clean energy and electrification, green industrialisation and methane. The UK is working with the Presidency and the President of the Negotiations to secure an outcome at COP31 that responds credibly to the science and the course correction needed to keep 1.5°C in reach.
We are working closely with Türkiye and the UNFCCC on preparations for the summit in Antalya. The UK has shared expertise and lessons from our experience as COP26 President, to help ensure COP31 is an ambitious, inclusive and well-delivered summit.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the policy rationale is for granting home fee status to students arriving under the Ukraine visa schemes, and whether she has considered extending equivalent fee status to students from Gaza.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To qualify for automatic home fee status in England, a person must generally be settled and have three years ordinary residence in the UK and islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) prior to the first day of the first academic year of the course. There are some exceptions to this for persons granted international protection or under dedicated resettlement routes, such as Ukraine.
The UK government is committed to supporting students from Gaza with fully funded scholarships to take up places at UK universities where they have been unable to travel due to the conflict. Support is targeted at students holding fully funded and verifiable scholarships, including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded Chevening Scholarships, ensuring that tuition fees and living costs are met by eligible financial sponsors in line with the immigration rules. Students also undergo the necessary visa processes, including biometric and security checks, prior to travel.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of international fee status on the ability of students from Gaza to take up places at UK universities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To qualify for automatic home fee status in England, a person must generally be settled and have three years ordinary residence in the UK and islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) prior to the first day of the first academic year of the course. There are some exceptions to this for persons granted international protection or under dedicated resettlement routes, such as Ukraine.
The UK government is committed to supporting students from Gaza with fully funded scholarships to take up places at UK universities where they have been unable to travel due to the conflict. Support is targeted at students holding fully funded and verifiable scholarships, including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded Chevening Scholarships, ensuring that tuition fees and living costs are met by eligible financial sponsors in line with the immigration rules. Students also undergo the necessary visa processes, including biometric and security checks, prior to travel.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help students from Gaza who hold UK university offers to leave Gaza and reach the UK, and whether those steps are consistent with the support offered to students affected by conflict elsewhere.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government has confirmed via a policy statement published on 15 July its renewed support for high-achieving students from Gaza to take up fully funded scholarships at UK universities for the 2026/27 academic year. This builds on support already provided by the Government in the last academic year, through which we enabled more than 100 students from Gaza to pursue their studies in the UK
Separately, in the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes for refugees. This included a refugee study route, which will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors later in October. The first arrivals on this route are expected from autumn 2027 onwards. Further details of the new routes, including eligibility requirements, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Gazan students (a) applied for and (b) were granted UK Student visas in each of the last three years; and how many of those applicants were unable to travel or take up their place.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes statistics on Student visa grants in its Immigration system statistics: study. However, these statistics do not provide a specific breakdown for people from, or resident in, Gaza.
The Home Office does not publish data on how many such applicants were unable to travel to the UK or take up their university place. This information is not held centrally and could be collected and verified only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any officials, aides and other Government appointees have been appointed (a) against the recommendations of security teams and (b) despite failing vetting.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides a range of independent vetting services designed to identify potential personnel security risks. Accountability for individual appointments and the management of associated vetting risks remains with the relevant department. To ensure the continued effectiveness and integrity of the vetting process, on the 20th of April the Prime Minister requested a short review led by Sir Adrian Fulford provide recommendations on the lessons for the National Security Vetting (NSV) system from the Peter Mandelson case, and the policy, process and exemptions in place for NSV.
It is long-standing practice that we do not comment on confidential details in individual vetting cases.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the United Kingdom’s historic policy in Palestine on current policy.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 April in response to Question 124946.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Government officials, diplomats, advisers or political appointees been appointed in instances where they have failed the security vetting process.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before ProrogationAsked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in Beirut's southern suburbs; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the use of economic measures and sanctions on this matter.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made to the House by the Prime Minister on 13 April, in which he discussed the situation in Lebanon, and the Foreign Secretary's press statement on 17 April. The UK is supporting the ceasefire and continued direct talks between the governments of Lebanon and Israel as the best path to deliver lasting peace and security for both countries. We will provide further updates to the House in due course as the situation develops.