Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conversations she has had with the British Council, since entering post.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with the British Council. Most recently, I met the British Council Chair and CEO on 13 November.
The British Council-delivered UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme is funded by the Department for Education, rather than the FCDO. New funding was announced on 13 November to support 30 additional schools and an estimated 5,000 additional pupils to benefit from the programme.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 adequacy of the support that the British Council offers to Ukrainian refugees, through its partnership programmes with schools.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with the British Council. Most recently, I met the British Council Chair and CEO on 13 November.
The British Council-delivered UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme is funded by the Department for Education, rather than the FCDO. New funding was announced on 13 November to support 30 additional schools and an estimated 5,000 additional pupils to benefit from the programme.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Pakistani community.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Through a broad range of activity largely delivered by our Arm’s-Length bodies, my Department supports engagement with the Pakistani community, and indeed the wider South Asian community, as we believe community cohesion is better served by providing universal access to culture, rather than targeting audiences based on their identity.
In 2022, the British Council delivered a six month cultural showcase to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan. Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives illuminated the cultural wealth and contemporary creativity of both countries and facilitated professional collaboration for culture, creative and education sectors; and focused on a shared future through building lasting partnerships. The programme also focused on changing perceptions, particularly amongst the younger generation in both countries, with a particular focus on young women and girls.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to update the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 in response to the provisional recommendations of the CMA veterinary services for household pets investigation.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has noted the CMA’s Provisional Decision Report and the recommendations it makes with regards to the veterinary sector, including reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA). Additionally, Defra acknowledges the calls from industry, other stakeholders, and the public to update the VSA and the many potential benefits of doing so.
Defra officials have been actively engaging across all areas of potential reform with key stakeholders, including the CMA, British Veterinary Association (BVA), the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), and the Vet Schools Council (VSC), to review opportunities for reform of the sector.
When the CMA’s final report is published in Spring 2026, Defra will consider any remedies with regards to VSA reform.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 11 November (HL Deb col 141), what plans they have for the form of modernisation at the British Council.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 24 June 2025 to Question HL8297.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Polish community.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I value the close cultural partnership we share with Poland and recognise the rich cultural offering the Polish diaspora brings to the UK, which sustains Polish language and traditions and facilitates cultural enrichment through cultural events, festivals, and exhibitions, supported by arms length bodies such as Arts Council England.
Since July 2024, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £346,427 across three projects that explore the history of, or directly engage, the UK's Polish population.
This year we have also supported the UK/Poland Season 2025, a programme of over 100 events taking place in both countries across 40 cities, linking institutions and people to collaborate in the visual arts, film and music. Events in Poland are organised and funded by the British Council, while in the UK they are led by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute, and the British Council.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on of not offering prescriptions longer than the standard 28-day cycle to patients with long-term, stable conditions on both GP practices and patients of GPs; and whether he plans to amend the NHS standard prescription cycle guidance for GPs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prescribing durations are typically 28, 56, or 84 day intervals. There are no current national contract requirements, standards, criteria or guidance as to optimal prescription length from NHS England. Currently, prescription duration is guided by local prescribing policies, guidance from professional regulators, the General Medical Council, and professional bodies, including the British Medical Association. These indicate that determining the optimal prescription duration in any individual case requires consideration of many factors including clinical appropriateness, patient safety, patient compliance, types of medicines, and required monitoring frequency.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting people to use electric vehicles.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials from the Department for Transport regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on initiatives to support the use of zero emission vehicles (ZEV). Minister Lightwood met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British Irish Council meeting, and the Secretary of State met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure earlier this month [November] as part of the Interministerial Group for Transport. Both meetings included discussions on the ZEV transition.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 August 2025 to Question 68971 on General Practitioners: Disclosure of Information, with which stakeholders the impact of information sharing duties on GPs was last discussed; and at what forums this was discussed.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Keeping children safe is a priority for the Government. The new information sharing duty will clarify when a child’s information should be shared, which should ease the overall burden on practitioners. It will be supported by statutory guidance, and we will work closely with multi-agency partners to ensure effective implementation.
To ensure the impact on general practitioners is effectively captured in the information sharing duty, the Department have consulted the following stakeholders:
- Action for Children;
- Barnardo’s;
- British Association of Social Workers;
- Domestic Abuse Commissioner;
- General Medical Council;
- Royal College of General Practitioners;
- Information Commissioner’s Office;
- Nursing and Midwifery Council;
- Operation Encompass;
- Social Work England;
- Teaching Regulation Agency, Teacher Misconduct; and
- over 400 individual practitioners, including those working in health.
All consultations took place in the form of meetings.
We are committed to ongoing engagement with health stakeholders as we plan for the effective implementation of the information sharing duty.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce examinations in British Sign Language for deaf children as part of the implementation of the curriculum review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Under Ofqual’s regulatory conditions, all students taking GCSE, AS and A level qualifications must be assessed in English, except where another language is permitted, such as in modern foreign language qualifications. Students may be assessed in British Sign Language (BSL) where an awarding organisation offers this as a reasonable adjustment. Guidance is provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications, and adjustments can include the use of BSL interpreters for spoken instructions, readers, scribes and assistive technology.
Access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency. This allows for adjustments such as sign language interpreters for instructions and compensatory marks for pupils with profound hearing impairments.
The government is also developing a landmark GCSE in BSL, which will be accessible for both first-time learners and existing BSL users.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet the hon. Member and her constituents to discuss this issue.