Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what conversations his Department has had with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regarding cancer patients visiting the UK on a visa who are undergoing treatment in Iran; and whether it has a plan to deal with the impact of the war on people with cancer in this predicament.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not issued any specific guidance for Iranians with health conditions who are visiting the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care has not engaged in discussions with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office concerning Iranians visiting the UK who require cancer treatment.
In England, the National Health Service is a residency‑based system and only those who are ordinarily resident in the UK, or otherwise exempt under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, are entitled to NHS care without charge, however, decisions about whether treatment is provided are always made by clinicians on the basis of clinical need, and urgent or immediately necessary care must not be delayed or denied because of charging considerations.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has provided to Iranians visiting the UK, who have with health conditions, that are unable to return to Iran.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not issued any specific guidance for Iranians with health conditions who are visiting the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care has not engaged in discussions with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office concerning Iranians visiting the UK who require cancer treatment.
In England, the National Health Service is a residency‑based system and only those who are ordinarily resident in the UK, or otherwise exempt under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, are entitled to NHS care without charge, however, decisions about whether treatment is provided are always made by clinicians on the basis of clinical need, and urgent or immediately necessary care must not be delayed or denied because of charging considerations.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many civils servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold Civil Service‑wide data on findings of breaches of the Civil Service Code. Oversight of the Civil Service Code, including centrally held information on its application across government departments, sits with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with international counterparts on reports that British nationals paid money to kill civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 26 November 2025 in response to Question HL11857.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether criminal investigations have been undertaken on reports that British nationals paid money to kill civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 26 November 2025 in response to Question HL11857.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK government has taken to fulfil its commitment under the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas to promote implementation of the Declaration with the United States.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is a strong supporter of the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA Declaration) and the UK was an early endorsing state. Officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence participated in the Second International EWIPA Conference in San José, Costa Rica between 19-20 November 2025. We outlined the number of concerning contexts in which EWIPA are being used with little regard for civilians, our leadership on Civilian Harm Mitigation, and our approach to implementing our commitments. We continue to promote the universalisation and implementation of the Declaration and expect all actors to abide by International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 sovereignty over the Chagos Islands being ceded to Mauritius on (a) observance of and (b) the operation of AFCONE’s inspection regime for enforcing the Pelindaba Treaty; and whether her Department has raised these matters with counterparts in the United States.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 February to Question 109503 on the same issue.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 November 2025 in response to Question 89585.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress she has made on legal options to pursue the Russian Shadow Fleet.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK and our action is having an impact. We have already sanctioned 595 shadow fleet vessels, and an estimated $4.5 billion less in Russian oil and oil products has been carried by these vessels as a result.
On 26 March, the Prime Minister announced that UK Armed Forces and law enforcement officers would now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters. Any action against these vessels would adhere to strict legal procedures and comply with both domestic and international law.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many foreign nationals claiming student loan or a maintenance loan dropped out of their courses in the last academic year for which data is available.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of student loan borrowers who are not UK Nationals and withdrew from their latest recorded course in 2024/25 was 15,000 (to the nearest 500).
The department and the Student Loans Company have strengthened the quality and consistency of data in this area and now hold reliable information on borrowers’ UK national status and nationality.