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 - Secretary of State for Defence
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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 - Secretary of State for Defence
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the risk of severe injury from using e-scooters; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on reducing accidents involving e-scooters.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Transport continues to assess the safety impacts of e‑scooters through the rental trials and will share these findings in due course. All vehicles carry inherent safety risks, and we have taken a safety‑first approach by running controlled trials before permitting widespread use.
The second national evaluation of the trials, due to conclude this summer, will provide an updated casualty rate and further evidence to inform decisions on future regulation. The Department of Health and Social Care contributes a public health perspective to this work, including consideration of injury prevention and health impacts.
In the meantime, private e‑scooters remain illegal for use on public roads, and enforcement is a matter for the Police.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when will her planned timetable and proposed transitional funding for changes to SEND be communicated to schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government set out its planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system in the Schools White Paper published on 23 February 2026 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving.
Further details on the distribution of that funding will be published in the 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, what steps she is taking to help ensure that police forces in England remain independent from political agendas.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Operational independence is a fundamental principle of British policing, and this Government is committed to ensuring the police can perform their role without fear or favour. At the same time, being able to scrutinise police decisions, and Chief Constables being able to account for the decisions they make, are essential especially when it comes to issues with clear implications for public safety and confidence
The Government’s recently published White Paper ‘From Local to National: A New Model for Policing’ announced plans to fundamentally reform the Policing Protocol Order 2023 and clarify the boundaries of operational independence to provide policing with direction and support to drive improvement where necessary.
Police officers take an oath of attestation on appointment which underscores the importance of policing with impartiality. They are required to act with impartiality, in accordance with their statutory standards of professional behaviour. The College of Policing sets standards and provides guidance for policing, including an updated Code of Ethics published in 2024 to support everyone in policing to act in a professional manner, reiterating the need for fairness and impartiality. Failure to act in accordance with relevant standards and guidance could result in formal disciplinary action being taken.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to help ensure that NHS trusts assigned Advanced Foundation Trust status retain direct accountability and patient views are heard for Trusts where the requirement for a Council of Governors has been removed.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of NHS England’s assessment process, eligible National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts which apply for the Advanced Foundation Trust Programme will need to demonstrate effective mechanisms to engage meaningfully with patients, staff, and communities, and that involvement influences decisions.
The removal of councils of governors from NHS foundation trusts forms part of the wider aim of the 10-Year Health Plan to ensure that hospitals put patient experiences and outcomes at the heart of their decision-making. While governors have provided helpful advice and oversight for some foundation trusts, we now need to move to a more dynamic model of drawing on patient, staff, and stakeholder insight.
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, what steps she is taking to help uphold international law in the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I provided on these issues at departmental oral questions on 20 January, and the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.
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, what steps is the Government taking to help ensure that the ceasefire in Gaza is maintained.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I provided on these issues at departmental oral questions on 20 January, and the statement I made to the House on the Middle East on 5 January. We will continue to update the House on these issues on a similarly regular basis over the weeks and months to come.