Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department has taken to ensure that the rights and lived experience of children born through surrogacy are reported to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not undertaken an assessment on the compliance of safeguarding procedures for surrogacy arrangements with the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children.

The Government has not taken any steps to ensure that the rights and lived experience of children born through surrogacy are reported to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the United Kingdom with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement. This advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseas

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has undertaken on the compliance of safeguarding procedures for surrogacy arrangements with the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not undertaken an assessment on the compliance of safeguarding procedures for surrogacy arrangements with the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children.

The Government has not taken any steps to ensure that the rights and lived experience of children born through surrogacy are reported to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have published advice for those considering surrogacy overseas, which clearly sets out the possible risks and the processes for returning to the United Kingdom with a child born through an international surrogacy arrangement. This advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surrogacy-overseas/surrogacy-overseas

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has formally asked the Intellectual Property Office to assess the feasibility of a Secondary Publishing Right.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises that publishing research outcomes is vital in sharing knowledge. The different rights and ownership of these will depend on contractual arrangements between researchers, research institutions, and publishers.

The Intellectual Property Office is an Executive Agency of DSIT with responsibility for IP policy. Through the IPO the government monitors the copyright framework to ensure it remains fit for purpose. There are currently no plans to introduce a secondary publishing right.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a Secondary Publishing right in relation to (a) the dissemination of publicly funded research and (b) value for money.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises that publishing research outcomes is vital in sharing knowledge. The different rights and ownership of these will depend on contractual arrangements between researchers, research institutions, and publishers.

The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of a secondary publishing right.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the estates of deceased individuals will be eligible to claim for the Unethical Research Awards proposed under the Infected Blood Compensation Regulations.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Yes they will be eligible. As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation, every eligible infected person treated for a bleeding disorder within a specific time period will receive an unethical research award. Additionally, people who were treated for a bleeding disorder in childhood will receive a higher Unethical Research award than those who were treated in adulthood. The amounts available through these awards do not change based on whether the infected person is living or has died.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of legislation on the transparency of charity funding and donations.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Government and the Charity Commission are alive to the risks of state threats to the charity sector. The Charity Commission works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited, and also has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes.

The Government works closely with a range of partners to tackle foreign interference in our society. Where there is clear evidence of unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly. In July 2025, the Government launched the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which is designed to enable transparency of foreign influence and strengthen the resilience of the UK political system, as well as providing greater assurance around the activities of certain foreign powers or entities in the UK. In addition, as set out by the Security Minister in Parliament on 4 March, under the counter-political interference and espionage plan, officials are developing a programme of work to engage with the UK’s think-tanks and non-profit sector to discuss the threats that they face from foreign interference.

Greater transparency is to be encouraged as a matter of good practice, but it is not a legal requirement for charities to publicly disclose the identity of individual donors or grant-makers. Donor anonymity is an important consideration in ensuring people have the confidence to donate to charitable causes they care about.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made with Cabinet colleagues of the vulnerability of the third sector to be used by foreign actors to influence UK politics.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Government and the Charity Commission are alive to the risks of state threats to the charity sector. The Charity Commission works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited, and also has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes.

The Government works closely with a range of partners to tackle foreign interference in our society. Where there is clear evidence of unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly. In July 2025, the Government launched the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which is designed to enable transparency of foreign influence and strengthen the resilience of the UK political system, as well as providing greater assurance around the activities of certain foreign powers or entities in the UK. In addition, as set out by the Security Minister in Parliament on 4 March, under the counter-political interference and espionage plan, officials are developing a programme of work to engage with the UK’s think-tanks and non-profit sector to discuss the threats that they face from foreign interference.

Greater transparency is to be encouraged as a matter of good practice, but it is not a legal requirement for charities to publicly disclose the identity of individual donors or grant-makers. Donor anonymity is an important consideration in ensuring people have the confidence to donate to charitable causes they care about.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of aid trucks entering Gaza in a) April and b) May 2026.

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 Foreign Secretary on 9 June, where - in setting out the action being taken by the UK in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - she said that barely half the level of the 4,200 trucks a week promised in the 20-point Peace Plan are currently entering Gaza.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many export licenses for arms and defensive equipment between the UK and Israel are currently active.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK Government published specific information relating to export licensing to Israel on 20 April 2026, covering extant export licences on 28 February 2026. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel).

At that date, there were 203 extant military licences to Israel. These include 89 for components for items to be re-exported from Israel to third countries, 37 licences for the export of items to commercial companies (such as for testing or demonstration purposes), and 9 covering military grade equipment for academic or civilian purposes (including protective equipment for non-combatants).

68 remained extant where the Government of Israel is the end-user or a potential end-user. These include parts for trainer aircraft, missile defence systems, or components for submarines – which were not assessed to have combat utility in current military operations in Gaza.

Leith Walk Primary School 150th birthday

Scotland’s Tartan Army

Government response to Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza

Retirement of Tracy Thirlwall

VAT for UK hospitality

Found: Current membership Sarah Champion (Labour; Rotherham) (Chair) Janet Daby (Labour; Lewisham East) Tracy Gilbert

Found: Current membership Sarah Champion (Labour; Rotherham) (Chair) Janet Daby (Labour; Lewisham East) Tracy Gilbert

Found: 46 of 52 (88.5%) Janet Daby (Labour, Lewisham East) (added 27 Oct 2025) 15 of 19 (78.9%) Tracy Gilbert

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: James Asser; Mary Kelly Foy; Tracy Gilbert; John Lamont; Katrina

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Tracy Gilbert; Monica Harding

Submit Evidence (by 4 Sep 2026)

This inquiry aims to investigate the current global health situation in light of funding cuts particularly in the US and the UK, the UK’s approach towards improving global health, the effectiveness and transparency of the UK’s global health Official Development Assistance (ODA), and what the global health architecture and the UK’s global health ODA could look like in the future to achieve a world with equitable and universal access to healthcare.