Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to schools not to include authorised medical absences related to diagnosed medical conditions in their calculations measuring persistent absence.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Ensuring that children are in school is a top priority for the government.

The department promotes a ‘support first’ approach to school attendance and recognises that some pupils face greater barriers to attendance than their peers. These pupils can include pupils who suffer from long term medical conditions. Their right to an education is the same as any other pupil and therefore the attendance ambition for these pupils should be the same as they are for any other pupil.

The department’s guidance, titled ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, makes clear that schools should not penalise pupils for their attendance record if their absences are related to physical or mental health conditions. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/803956/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.

In addition, the department’s guidance, titled ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ emphasises that schools and local authorities should be working with the child and their family to remove any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place. This includes having sensitive conversations and developing good support for pupils with physical and mental health conditions and establishing strategies for removing in-school barriers to attendance. More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63049617e90e0729e63d3953/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance.pdf.

To help implement the ‘support first’ approach, schools should record their attendance data accurately. The department has a daily data scheme to understand the drivers for absence, including those related to illness. Participation in the daily data scheme will become mandatory for all state-funded schools from September 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding allocated to universities enables institutions to mitigate losses incurred from the decline in international student recruitment.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The department considers it important that it has a sustainable system to support students and support higher education (HE), that is responsive to the needs of labour markets and the wider economy and is fair to students and fair to taxpayers. In 2021/22, the total income of the HE sector in England was £40.8 billion, which was up from £28 billion in 2014/15. Of the £40.8 billion, approximately £16 billion was provided by government. This is on top of the department’s £1.3 billion capital investment for teaching and research over the current Spending Review period.

Through the Strategic Priorities Grant, the department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in additional funding over the three-year period from the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years to support high-quality teaching and facilities. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching in over a decade. In addition, the department has provided £450 million of capital funding across the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years to allow HE providers to invest in a greater range of projects that will deliver better facilities for students.

With our world-class universities, the government fully expects the UK to continue to be a major destination of choice for international students. The department will continue to work closely with the Home Office on the student visa system and on how it impacts international students.

Longer-term funding plans for the HE sector will be set out at the next multi-year Spending Review, in line with the approach to long-term public spending commitments across government.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2024 to Question HL3136 on Poultry: Animal Welfare, what his timeline is for consideration of the findings of the Animal Welfare Committee Opinion on the welfare implications of different methods and systems for the catching, carrying, collecting and loading of poultry; what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Welsh and (b) Scottish government; and when he plans to decide on next steps.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We continue to consider in detail the various findings and recommendations in the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on poultry catching and handling. In doing so we are working very closely with the Welsh and Scottish Governments and engaging in regular discussions with them on options to ensure, where possible, a consistent approach. Once our analysis of the options is complete, we will be able to set out a timeline for next steps.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of research on the impact of (a) microplastics and (b) nanoplastics on (i) atheromas and (ii) other cardiovascular events.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No such assessment has been made. While there are National Health Service trusts involved in research on the effects of microplastics on certain health issues, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there is not an NHS policy position in respect to cardiovascular disease treatments at this time.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the press release entitled UK to nearly double aid for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens, published on 28 March 2024, when he expects the full funding for the 2024-25 financial year to be distributed to (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) local responders in Sudan.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We will provide £89 million to support Sudan over the year ahead, most of which will go towards humanitarian assistance. Budgets have not yet been allocated. However, UK support will continue to be delivered through the UN and other trusted partners including some NGOs. The UK last year provided £23.5 million to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide flexible, muti-sector support and which predominantly provides funding to NGOs, including grassroot organisations and national NGOs; we will continue our support to the SHF this year too. We are also planning to provide support to the National NGO Forum, as well as to the development of a Localisation Strategy at the request of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking as Penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan; and if he will make it his policy to request (a) regular humanitarian briefings on Sudan at the Security Council and (b) a report to the Council with options for civilian protection mechanisms in Sudan in the absence of a political or peacekeeping mission.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK has used its position as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council and penholder on Sudan to call multiple meetings to take action in response to the conflict, to call for a ceasefire, and to discuss the dire humanitarian and human rights situation On 27 February, we called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to the SAF's decision to withdraw permission for the movement of aid into Sudan from the Adre border crossing in Chad. On 8 March, the UK-led UN Security Council Resolution 2724 called for an immediate cessation of hostilities; unhindered humanitarian access; and for the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy Ramtane Lamamra to complement and coordinate regional peace efforts. We continue to work with Council members to keep Sudan on the UNSC's agenda and to call for a cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and unhindered humanitarian access including at the next UK-requested Sudan Security Council meeting on 19 April.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help prevent widespread famine in Sudan.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK continues to push for improved humanitarian access into and within Sudan to assist people who are hungry. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. This was announced during Minister Mitchell's visit to the Chad border this month, where he met refugees fleeing the conflict, including many displaced by hunger as well as violence. UK aid will include funding to UNICEF which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas; and the World Food Programme to assist over 285,000 beneficiaries for 6 months by providing 13,405 tons of assorted food commodities such cereals, pulses, oils and salt. Ultimately the best way to ensure people don't go hungry is for the violence to end, and the UK continues to do all we can to press the parties into a permanent ceasefire.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for what reason the post of UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan has been vacant since October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The post of UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan has been reconfigured and no longer exists. The position of Special Representative for South Sudan has been occupied by Clare Staunton since October 2023. The role of the Special Representative for Sudan has been taken on by the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, reflecting the critical role of the wider region in the conflict, and has been filled Sarah Montgomery, who will be succeeded by Alison Blackburne in summer 2023. The UK Ambassador for Sudan, Giles Lever, is now based in Addis Ababa with his team.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to (a) the World Bank and (b) other multilateral and regional financial institutions on providing additional funding to the budget for the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

On 15 April Lord Benyon attended the Sudan Humanitarian Pledging Conference in Paris which was attended by key bilateral and multilateral partners seeking to bring peace to Sudan and support the Sudanese people. We continue to work with international partners to encourage a concerted international effort and sufficient funding to respond to the crisis in Sudan. In 2024-25 the ODA budget for Sudan will increase to £89 million.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to support the appointment of a UN special humanitarian advisor on Sudan.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK continues to support UN leadership - through the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - to respond to the humanitarian crises caused by the conflict in Sudan. The UK will continue to support the UN Country team which remains operational on the ground in Sudan. The UK has nearly doubled bilateral ODA to Sudan for this financial year (2024/25) to £89 million. We also support the role of the Secretary General's Personal Envoy on Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of the (a) removal of the ability of students on taught masters courses to bring dependants and (b) increase in (i) visa and (ii) Immigration Health Surcharge fees on levels of demand for the Graduate visa.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

An Impact Assessment has been prepared to accompany the dependant changes to the Student route, announced in May 2023, which came into force in January 2024. The Impact Assessment will be published in due course.

Impact assessments estimating the impacts of increasing visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge were published alongside the explanatory material for the changes. These can be found at The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 - Impact Assessment (legislation.gov.uk) and The Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023 - Impact Assessment (legislation.gov.uk).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2023 to Question 1544 on Renewable Energy: Community Development, when she expects discussions with the Community Energy Contact Group to conclude.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change. We have met our commitment to consult on the barriers to community energy projects as this Call for Evidence was published on 8 April 2024. It will remain open for 12 weeks until 30 June 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of (a) the SSN-AUKUS programme, (b) supporting the in-service (i) submarine and (ii) SSN fleet, (c) maintenance programmes on SSN submarines and (d) HM Naval Base Clyde in the 2022-23 financial year.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The SSN-AUKUS programme is currently in its design phase. A cost estimate will be substantiated once Class size requirements have been agreed and the programme enters its next phase, ready for manufacture.

I can confirm that in financial year (FY) 2022-23, the cost of in-service support and maintenance programmes for submarines was £594 million. Due to commercial sensitivities and consolidated management information, it is not possible to break out the cost of maintenance programmes from the cost of total in service support.

In FY 2022-23, the cost of His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde was £278 million, including all infrastructure costs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise for the 2022-23 financial year.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The definition of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) and scope of the associated nuclear ringfenced budget was agreed during financial year 2023-24. Prior to the estimated cost for 2023-24 being reported in supplementary estimates in February 2024, total DNE costs (within this definition) had never been reported, as activities are spread across different budgetary areas of the Department.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19034 on Asylum: Rwanda, when he plans to publish the Memorandum of Understanding on the voluntary relocation of people to Rwanda.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed with the Government of Rwanda for the voluntary relocation of individuals and will be published in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with representatives of World Central Kitchen on the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings of aid workers in Gaza on 1 April 2024.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

As the Prime Minister said in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu 2 April, the UK was appalled by the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli airstrike 1 April. The Prime Minister called for a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon also spoke with the CEO of World Central Kitchen, Erin Gore, on 2 April to offer our condolences.

Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have conveyed to their Israeli counterparts the importance of effective deconfliction.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention entitled Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the US, published on 1 April 2024, what assessment he has made of the level of risk posed by H5N1; and whether he has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the potential implications for the UK Biological Security Strategy of that statement.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus involved has not been detected in the UK.

We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, Food Standards Agency and Cabinet Office officials and with international partners on risk assessments to consider the routes of incursion, animal to animal spread and animal to human spill-over and to review our well-tested surveillance mechanisms and preparedness activities in light of this emerging situation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the press release dated 15 April 2024 issued by the company Framatome, entitled Framatome has signed contracts worth multi-billion euros for Sizewell C in the UK, what the monetary value is of the contracts referred to; and for what reason the contracts were signed in advance of a final investment decision for the construction of a new nuclear power station at Sizewell.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Agreeing contracts with major suppliers like Framatome means that the Sizewell C project can agree pricing and confirm manufacturing slots within the supply chain. This will help maintain the project’s schedule and manage overall costs, supporting Sizewell C’s value for money.

The value of these contracts is commercially sensitive, and the timing of payments under these contracts will be subject to Notices to Proceed that will be issued by Sizewell C Limited.

Energy transition treaty

World Press Freedom Day

Trans+ History Week

Government surveillance of bank accounts

Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport

Armenian Genocide

Building societies

Bahrain's sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse Show

46th anniversary of the murder of Altab Ali

Price cap on baby milk formula

Civil Service Pay

Multiple sclerosis (MS) Awareness Week

Paradise Golf and Beach Resort, Morocco

Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023

National Stalking Awareness Week

Drug and alcohol treatment services for women

Work Capability Assessment reforms

Diversion schemes for drug-related offending

Two-child benefits limit

Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Student debt

Disability benefits assessment process

Lesbian Visibility Week

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