Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to support developments in (a) women’s health and (b) reproductive health services in developing nations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK uses multiple levers - policy, health and development diplomacy, as well as its Official Development Assistance budget to support developments in women's health and reproductive health services. In April 2025 at the UN Commission on Population and Development, the UK cosponsored the launch of the Global Midwifery Accelerator, encouraging partnerships and investment to end preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. In September 2024, the Government also signed the SheDecides Champion Statement on Safe Abortion Day alongside nine countries to commit to supporting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, including safe abortion.
In December 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme. This will strengthen grassroots and national civil society organisations and movements to expand access to women's health and reproductive health services, and counter the rollback on sexual and reproductive health and rights. It focuses on neglected issues, such as safe abortion, and marginalised groups whose rights and access to services are denied or curtailed.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's process is for sharing intelligence with licensing authorities when a foreign national taxi driver is arrested.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out in the Department for Transport’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards, all applicants for a taxi or PHV driver’s licence, irrespective of nationality, should undergo an enhanced DBS check including a check of the children’s and adults’ barred lists every six months. The enhanced check includes any police information which the chief officer believes to be relevant and ought to be disclosed.
In addition, the police may proactively share information using common law police disclosure (CLPD) powers. If there is pressing social need, CLPD allows forces to proactively provide personal data or sensitive personal data to a third party such as licensing authorities using common law powers. It is for chief officers to determine the implementation of CLPD provisions locally, in accordance with guidance published by the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of licensed (a) taxi and (b) private hire drivers who are foreign nationals, broken down by their country of origin.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not collect that data. Licensing authorities may hold this information as part of the application processes to prevent illegal working as taxi or private hire vehicle drivers.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals who hold (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle licences who have been deported due to criminal convictions in the last decade.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of deportations due to criminal convictions.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Taliban on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan: and what outcome he has achieved.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials regularly speak to the Taliban on the UK Government's priorities, including women's rights in Afghanistan, most recently in June. Ministers do not engage with the Taliban. The Foreign Secretary condemned the erosion of women and girls' rights in the appalling "vice and virtue" law introduced in August 2024. The UK Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive and prosperous country for all Afghans.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 June 2025 on Afghanistan, HCWS703, what (a) recommendations and (b) actions were agreed as part of the dialogue on food insecurity.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As part of its response to the dire food security and nutrition situation in Afghanistan, the UK is convening a range of stakeholders to explore how we can collectively maximise the impact of our work on this issue. These discussions are ongoing and will conclude in October where we hope to secure joint commitments from donors and partners to work together to improve the situation, particularly for women and children.
As part of this initiative, my colleague the Minister of State for International Development has invited you and fellow interested MPs and Peers to join the United Nations Children's Fund, and partners for the UK Launch of First Foods Afghanistan in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 17 July - I do hope you will be able to join this important presentation and discussion.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the total funding contribution provided to Mauritius through (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral institutions (i) since July 2024, (ii) for 2025-26 and (iii) for each of the next five financial years.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK Official Development Assistance can be found in the "Statistics on International Development (SID)." The UK Official Development Assistance spend in Mauritius from July 2024 is not yet available on SID and the latest data is up to 2023.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving the the UK Mission to Afghanistan from Doha to a UK-based Afghanistan department.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.
This new approach will allow the UK to engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the expected advisory arrangements to the Special Envoy for Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.
This new model will allow the UK to actively engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to monitor the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Assurance and Learning Programme was established by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2022 to strengthen oversight of the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan by providing independent third-party monitoring and portfolio monitoring, evaluation and learning. In addition, officials visit Kabul regularly and meet partners there. FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in Afghanistan have been subject to regular Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) oversight. FCDO facilitated a visit to Kabul by the ICAI Commissioner Sir Hugh Bayley in May 2024, where he met UN agencies and local and international NGOs supported by the UK to support the completion of an Information Note.