Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of foreign acquisition of UK technology companies in the last five years.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
International deals have remained constant at around 60% of total merger and acquisition activity since 2021, with a greater concentration in innovation-driven fields.
Whilst this brings significant inward investment and unlocks funds to be reinvested back into our innovation ecosystem, Government is also taking steps to increase capital available from UK sources so that companies have the option to scale, grow and list in the UK. Measures taken to support this include increasing capitalisation of the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund, launching a new Listings Taskforce, ongoing pensions reforms, and wider measures set out in the Entrepreneurship Prospectus.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to support the reconstruction of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the second half of the answer provided on 26 January in response to Question HL13572 which, for ease of reference, is copied below:
The UK is providing £81 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. Last month, supplies of UK-funded tents entered Gaza, providing urgent shelter for 12,000 vulnerable civilians, and we will continue to push for the entry of further UK-funded aid, including tents and shelter kits, which have so far been unable to reach those in need. On 30 December 2025, the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement alongside a number of international partners calling on the Government of Israel to remove restrictions hindering the delivery of essential humanitarian aid.
The UK is supporting the US-led plan for Gaza's post-conflict stability, as well as exploring the mobilisation of private-sector finance to support Palestinian-led reconstruction of Gaza. We have also deployed UK civilian and military experts to support the Civil-Military Coordination Centre that aims to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Gaza. In addition, the UK has announced £4 million of funding for the United Nations Mine Action Service to help clear rubble, protect civilians and aid workers, and enable the safe delivery of aid. In total, the UK is providing £116 million for Palestine this financial year for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she last spoke to her Israeli counterpart regarding the decision to restrict the operations of international non-governmental organisations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
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 border arrangements in Gaza for supporting eligible students to travel to study in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103313.
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, what discussions she has had with her counterpart to Bahrain on (a) the protection of the rights of and (b) access to medical treatment for (i) Ebrahim Sharif, (ii) Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace and (iii) Hassan Mushaima and his family.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided to questions 100851 on 6 January 2026, and HL12137 on 2 December 2025.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 (a) make representations to the Iranian authorities on lifting the internet blackout and (b) assist Iranian citizens to stay connected via alternative channels.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to urge Iran to immediately restore access to the internet and communications. Iran must respect its citizens' fundamental rights and freedom.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
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 that genocide is not committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 to Question 55524.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 protect and support Kurdish communities in North-East Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Department for International Development commissioned a study on the value for money of people to people programmes in Israel and Palestine in 2021.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Value for money is embedded across all of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's work. We employ robust systems and frameworks, and constantly review our programmes, to ensure we achieve high standards of value for money and use UK taxpayers' money responsibly. We work with partners across the world to maximise impact and improve value for money. This includes leveraging both public and private finance to support our development objectives to deliver economies of scale and world class expertise to make UK taxpayers' money go further.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the last Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability strategic assessment was carried out to evaluate the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Regular and ongoing cross-government analysis of the situation in the Middle East takes place, with support from external experts, to inform the UK's policy-making. This rolling analysis incorporates multiple assessment types and is updated as required.