Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a list of the specific terrorism-related offences that currently trigger an automatic disqualification from serving as a charity trustee or in senior management positions within a charity under the Charities Act 2011; and whether they have plans to align the disqualification criteria for seeking elected public office with these existing standards.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The list of specified offences that trigger automatic disqualification from serving as a charity trustee is available under section 178A of the Charities Act 2011:
Case A: specified offences(1) The following offences are specified for the purposes of Case A—
1. An offence to which Part 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 applies (see sections 41 to 43 of that Act).
2. An offence under section 13 or 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (wearing of uniform etc, and failure to disclose information).
3. A money laundering offence within the meaning of section 415 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
4. An offence under any of the following provisions of the Bribery Act 2010—
section 1 (bribing another person),
section 2 (offences relating to being bribed),
section 6 (bribery of foreign public officials),
section 7 (failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery).
5. An offence under section 77 of this Act.
6. An offence of—
misconduct in public office,
perjury,
perverting the course of justice.
(2) An offence which has been superseded (directly or indirectly) by an offence specified in subsection (1) is also specified for the purposes of Case A.
(3) In relation to an offence specified in subsection (1) or (2), the following offences are also specified for the purposes of Case A—
an offence of attempt, conspiracy or incitement to commit the offence;
an offence of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of the offence;
an offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting) in relation to the offence.
(4)
(4) The Secretary of State may amend this section by regulations to add or remove an offence
In relation to terrorism-related offences, this includes an unspent conviction for an offence to which Part 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 applies; or an offence under section 13 or 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Government has no plans to change the disqualification criteria for standing as a candidate in UK general elections or membership of the House of Commons beyond the criteria currently set out in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the Representation of the People’s Act 1981.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of foreign language GCSEs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting modern foreign languages across schools, and across the languages pipeline. In our response to the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we made a commitment to work with the sector to understand successful approaches to supporting the languages pipeline. This starts at primary by reforming the curriculum, increasing take up at GCSE, and boosting demand at A level and degree level, to meet future social and economic needs, including learning from successful local models.
Subject to the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are also requiring academy schools to teach the revised national curriculum, including languages programmes of study. We are also supporting the quality of languages teaching through continued investment in the National Consortium for Languages Education, which provides teachers with national high-quality professional development.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
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 September to Question UIN 74747 on Western Sahara: Visits Abroad, whether the blocking of visits by (a) parliamentarians, (b) researchers, (c) journalists and (d) lawyers to occupied Western Sahara was discussed in the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco in December 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in Morocco and Western Sahara.
In the joint UK-Morocco strategic dialogue communiqué of 1 June 2025, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on human rights issues. The third iteration of the UK-Morocco Human Rights Dialogue took place on 24 November 2025 in London, where senior officials discussed areas including freedom of expression, rights of minorities, and judicial reforms.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK objected to the recent election of Abbas Tajik of Iran as a Vice-Chair to the Bureau for the sixty-fifth session of the UN's Commission for Social Development.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran put forward the only candidate so there was no vote.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will remove persons with connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy under successive governments not to comment on whether specific types of enforcement action are being considered against particular individuals or groups, as to do so would risk reducing the impact of any such action.
On the wider issue of our response to the Iranian regime, I refer the Hon Member to the Urgent Question debates on 19 January and 3 February, and to the announcement on sanctions made on 2 February: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-perpetrators-of-human-rights-violations-in-iran.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will freeze the assets of individuals with connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy under successive governments not to comment on whether specific types of enforcement action are being considered against particular individuals or groups, as to do so would risk reducing the impact of any such action.
On the wider issue of our response to the Iranian regime, I refer the Hon Member to the Urgent Question debates on 19 January and 3 February, and to the announcement on sanctions made on 2 February: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-perpetrators-of-human-rights-violations-in-iran.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether security risks relating to Chinese involvement in the UK’s energy infrastructure was discussed when creating the memorandum of understanding with China signed on 17 March 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The protection and security of the energy sector is an absolute priority of this Government.
Security considerations, including risks relating to foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure, are a standing consideration in the development of the UK’s approach to international engagement with any country, including when entering into non‑binding memoranda of understanding.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 assist British nationals who have overstayed their visas abroad, particularly in countries where the process for obtaining exit permits is complex.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Each country is responsible for their own immigration rules and we cannot interfere in their policies or procedures. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice provides up to date information on the most common entry and exit requirements, with further guidance published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-british-nationals-abroad. When appropriate, the FCDO will signpost British nationals to local authorities to help resolve any immigration issues.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure humanitarian relief is provided to support the mental health of children and young people in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many diplomatic postings on the African continent are waiting for a permanent Head of Mission to be appointed.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are two diplomatic missions on the African continent currently waiting for a permanent Head of Mission to be appointed, in Monrovia and Nairobi.