Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role her Department will have in reforming the (a) UN, (b) International Monetary Fund and (c) World Bank.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports the UN80 reform initiative and is working closely with the Secretary-General and member states to deliver meaningful reform. We are advocating for a bold vision of a UN that focuses once again on core tasks and maximum impact. The UK, as a major shareholder of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, will also continue to influence and shape these institutions in line with our modernised aid approach.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve broadband (a) speed and (b) quality in underserved areas; and how his Department plans to (i) monitor and (ii) report on progress.

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

According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 89% of premises in the UK have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.

As part of Project Gigabit, the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, more than £2.4 billion of contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) reports on delivery progress through its annual report and quarterly official statistics. BDUK has also committed to publishing monthly reports on how many premises are contracted and built under each of its gigabit contracts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions on levels of redundancies in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25. This includes the additional funding being provided to support schools and high needs settings, with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66929 on BBC World Service, whether any (a) specific programmes and (b) projects within the BBC World Service are under consideration for funding decisions in the autumn review.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 September to Question 70437.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing levels of funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on the number of nurses in training.

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

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by almost 40% over the last decade.

The government therefore wants to ensure that public funding is prioritised towards those at the start of their working lives, rather than those already in work with higher levels of prior learning and qualifications.

That is why from January 2026 the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level – except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

This decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including analysis by Skills England of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including other government departments such as the Department of Health and Social Care. Skills England evidence also suggested that there was unlikely to be a significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills in the long term, post-defunding.

The department also continues to work across government to tackle the skills needs of different sectors, including addressing the skills gaps in the health and social care industry which were identified in Skills England’s first report on driving growth and widening opportunities.

There is a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice. A person can join the NHS as an entry level Healthcare Assistant apprentice with a view to eventually qualifying as a Registered Nurse.

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care will be funding ongoing provision of Level 7 apprenticeships in five professions, including Specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN) and District nurse (Community Specialist Practice Qualification).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 66180 on Housing: Finance, whether he plans to publish a regional breakdown of Affordable Homes Programme allocations (a) outside London via Homes England and (b) by tenure type.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homes England publish allocations data for the Affordable Homes Programme on gov.uk here.

Further updates on allocations, including those with Strategic Partners, will be released in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason her Department reduced ODA spending on global health from £974.9 million in 2024–25 to £527.3 million in 2025–26; and whether that includes reductions to (a) pandemic preparedness and (b) maternal health programmes.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our 2025/26 Official Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on global health reflects multilateral payments which were brought forward to 2024/25 - including Gavi and the World Health Organisation (WHO) - to support effective ODA budget management across financial years.

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 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on maintaining the UK’s role in tackling antimicrobial resistance internationally.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 66919 on Development Aid: Drug Resistance, whether he plans to establish a fund to replace the Fleming Fund.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

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 impact of the Fleming Fund’s closure on (a) the UK’s ability to respond to antimicrobial resistance globally and (b) future pandemic preparedness.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

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 levels of antimicrobial resistance in regions previously supported by the Fleming Fund on global security.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to (a) replace and (b) replicate the work of the Fleming Fund in tackling antimicrobial resistance in (i) low- and (ii) middle-income countries.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she had with (a) international partners, (b) recipient countries and (c) public health experts prior to the decision to end funding for the Fleming Fund.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how she plans to meet international commitments on (a) antimicrobial resistance and (b) global health security following the closure of the Fleming Fund.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

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 ending the Fleming Fund on the UK’s reputation in (a) global health and (b) international development.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support partner countries impacted by the closure of the Fleming Fund.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Fleming Fund on global health.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 1 September to Question 69322.

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 impact of reducing spending on Education, Gender and Equality on girls’ education.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 September to Question 72441.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2025 to Question 67366 on Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, when he plans to discuss the timing of the UK pledge with (a) the Global Fund and (b) South Africa.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are proud to host the 17th Replenishment of the African Development Bank in London this December. The UK is actively engaged in replenishment negotiations, and our pledge will reflect the outcome of these. In November, with South Africa, we will co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As co-hosts, we are appealing to donors to make as strong as possible pledges to support the resilience of the Global Fund's partnership model. The UK's pledge to the 8th replenishment will be determined following the conclusion of the process to set multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding allocations.

The UK continues to support other vital partners. We have committed £1.25 billion to Gavi to help vaccinate up to 8 million children from 2026-30, and £1.98 billion to the International Development Association - the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries - over three years. We are working through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and further announcements will be made in due course.

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 recent UK aid reductions on the delivery of (a) global health and (b) climate resilience programmes.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 September to Question 72441.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding commitments she has made in support of (a) the African Development Bank and (b) other multilateral partners mentioned in Baroness Chapman’s G20 speech on 25 July 2025.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are proud to host the 17th Replenishment of the African Development Bank in London this December. The UK is actively engaged in replenishment negotiations, and our pledge will reflect the outcome of these. In November, with South Africa, we will co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As co-hosts, we are appealing to donors to make as strong as possible pledges to support the resilience of the Global Fund's partnership model. The UK's pledge to the 8th replenishment will be determined following the conclusion of the process to set multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding allocations.

The UK continues to support other vital partners. We have committed £1.25 billion to Gavi to help vaccinate up to 8 million children from 2026-30, and £1.98 billion to the International Development Association - the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries - over three years. We are working through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and further announcements will be made in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to increase the UK contribution to the Global Fund ahead of its replenishment round.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are proud to host the 17th Replenishment of the African Development Bank in London this December. The UK is actively engaged in replenishment negotiations, and our pledge will reflect the outcome of these. In November, with South Africa, we will co-host the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As co-hosts, we are appealing to donors to make as strong as possible pledges to support the resilience of the Global Fund's partnership model. The UK's pledge to the 8th replenishment will be determined following the conclusion of the process to set multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding allocations.

The UK continues to support other vital partners. We have committed £1.25 billion to Gavi to help vaccinate up to 8 million children from 2026-30, and £1.98 billion to the International Development Association - the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries - over three years. We are working through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and further announcements will be made in due course.