Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending redundancy protection to 18 months for employees experiencing pregnancy loss at any stage of pregnancy.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
If an employee experiences pregnancy loss within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, the redundancy protected period ends two weeks from the end of the pregnancy. After a stillbirth from 24 weeks, the protected period ends 18 months from the date of birth.
The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss, and powers to provide protections around redundancy and dismissal. A primary driver of the existing enhanced redundancy protections is to protect those who take lengthy absences from work on statutory family leave and thus may be at a disadvantage in a redundancy situation.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of her Department's policies on (a) all people seeking asylum and (b) people seeking asylum whose age is disputed who arrived in the UK by irregular means.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The impact of our policies on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the asylum policy development process, and that includes our policy on age assessment.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders. All policy development is carried out with regard to section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and in line with our international obligations.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that families of adults with learning disabilities are given a greater role in decisions on their (a) care and (b) support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, carers will be actively involved in the care planning of those they care for, mirroring the practices of family group conferencing.
Additionally, we are increasing the information captured about unpaid carers throughout the health and care system to help us better understand responsibilities and provide more targeted support. Development of a new ‘MyCarer’ section of the NHS App will also allow people to communicate more easily with relevant clinical team members on behalf of those for whom they care.
To provide further support, in April, the Government increased the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the largest ever increase since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Tomer Bar was granted special mission immunity to visit the UK in July 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK. As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 4 March 2013, Official Report, volume 559, column 55WS, a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office gave consent for special mission status for the visit to the UK on 17-18 July for Tomer Bar, Head of the Israeli Air Force, and a member of their delegation.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many foreign officials have been granted special mission immunity to visit the UK since March 2024; and what the (a) names and (b) country of origin are of those officials.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The purpose of special missions is a 'temporary mission, representing a state, which is sent by one state to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending state'. All visitors granted a special mission status would have had bilateral engagements with UK ministers and officials during their visit, pertinent to the individual bilateral relationship.
Since 1 March 2024, special mission status has been granted to four delegations:
Benny Gantz, Chairman of The National Unity Party & War Cabinet Minister of the State of Israel and two delegates, March 2024;
Lieutenant General Herzl Halevi, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and four delegates, November 2024;
Major General Oded Bassiuk, Head of the Operations Directorate J3 of the Israel Defense Forces and five delegates, January 2025;
Major General Tomer Bar, Head of the Israeli Air Force, July 2025.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 50563 on Israel: Military Aid, what gifts of controlled military equipment were provided to Israel between 7 October 2023 and 17 July 2024.
Answered by Maria Eagle
While I am unable to comment on specific capabilities, equipment gifted to Israel by the UK Government since 7 October 2023 has been non-lethal.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made in reviewing the pause on decision-making for (a) asylum and (b) indefinite leave to remain applications from Syrian nationals; and what her planned timetable is for resuming the processing of such claims.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum. Settlement Protection applications from Syrian nationals who are trying to obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK are also subject to the pause.
The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.
We will not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has made any gifts of controlled military equipment to Israel since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Maria Eagle
In the aftermath of 7 October 2023 the UK Government has provided non-lethal military equipment including medical equipment; nothing has been gifted in this Parliamentary session.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer Question 50563, tabled by the hon. Member for Coventry South on 7 May 2025.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I will respond to the hon. Member shortly.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Assessment Process Cell has submitted assessments on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law since July 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has carried out regular International Humanitarian Law assessments since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October 2023. To date we have undertaken 14 assessments. Further information on the assessment process can be found on Gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account/summary-of-the-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account