Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of data surveillance on recipients of Universal Credit.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

No assessment has been made as the DWP does not currently or have any plans to use data surveillance to regulate, police or monitor the actions of individuals or groups in receipt of benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential role of data surveillance in welfare policy.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

No assessment has been made as the DWP does not currently or have any plans to use data surveillance to regulate, police or monitor the actions of individuals or groups in receipt of benefits.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to protect HMRC-held personal data from unauthorised access.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC have strict security standards, and have appropriate technical, physical and managerial procedures in place to safeguard and secure personal information.

HMRC limit access to personal information to those persons, or agents who have a business or legal need to do so. For customer-facing services, this includes identity checking procedures and access controls, such as voice biometrics and multi-factor authentication.

Fraudsters use the HMRC brand to target individuals with fake correspondence, phishing emails, text messages and telephone calls. We publish phishing and scams guidance on GOV.UK, showing how to recognise scams, report issues and stay safe online.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterparts on the sustainability of high-quality Practical Electronics teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterparts on support for physics teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterparts on supporting Mathematics teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterparts on ensuring the sustainability of high-quality biology teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterpart on ensuring the sustainability of high-quality chemistry teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Scottish counterparts on supporting engineering science teaching.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had any discussions with her Scottish counterpart specifically regarding supporting teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, Ministers have had valuable discussions at four nations meetings and officials maintain contact around issues of mutual interest, including STEM education.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on his Department's plans to introduce whole site bans on bottom-towed fishing gear in Marine Protected Areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Marine Management Organisation and the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess fishing activity in the English MPAs they are responsible for and decide what management measures are required for the MPAs to meet their conservation objectives. Sometimes these management measures will involve a ban across the whole site, where the features to be protected cover the whole site. Potential fishing restrictions in MPAs can be discussed with stakeholders during site designation processes and then again when management measures might need to be introduced, including through calls for evidence and formal public consultations such as the one recently announced.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with France.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to strengthening its close partnership with France, a commitment that was reaffirmed during President Macron's State Visit on 8-10 July and the UK-France Summit with groundbreaking agreements on migration, defence, growth and culture. We are further enhancing foreign policy cooperation to increase pressure on Russia and support Ukraine, support stability in the Middle East, increase coordination in the Western Balkans, Moldova, and the Indo-Pacific, and combine efforts on development and global issues.

I attended the UK-France Summit with the Prime Minister and President of France on 10 July. Please see the joint declaration (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-france-leaders-declaration) for further details.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on coordinated approaches to monitoring puffin populations.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra provides funding through JNCC to the UK-wide Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP), and the JNCC-led Seabirds Count census which provide UK-wide monitoring for seabirds, including puffins. The results are publicly available and will inform future conservation actions.

The most recent Seabirds Count census (2023) counted 474,679 pairs of puffins. Where comparable data were available, they indicated declines of 23% since 2000, reinforcing the importance of collaboration on seabird conservation.

The devolved Governments are implementing their respective seabird conservation strategies, so we continue to work together to coordinate action and data sharing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is providing funding for research into puffin conservation.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra provides funding through JNCC to the UK-wide Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP), and the JNCC-led Seabirds Count census which provide UK-wide monitoring for seabirds, including puffins. The results are publicly available and will inform future conservation actions.

The most recent Seabirds Count census (2023) counted 474,679 pairs of puffins. Where comparable data were available, they indicated declines of 23% since 2000, reinforcing the importance of collaboration on seabird conservation.

The devolved Governments are implementing their respective seabird conservation strategies, so we continue to work together to coordinate action and data sharing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum public safety requirements for beekeepers operating near (a) residential and (b) publicly accessible land.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra provides guidance to beekeepers advising that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. Beekeeping groups also encourage beekeepers to work with their bees in such a way that risks to the general public are kept to a minimum.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has issued guidance to beekeepers on the use of (a) temporary signage and (b) other public warnings during hive inspections in areas accessible to the public.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Beekeepers generally keep their bees on their property and away from areas that are accessible to the public. Defra advises beekeepers that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. Bees can be encouraged to fly above potential hazard areas by having high walls or hedges around an apiary to minimise interaction between bees and neighbours or farm animals. When Inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit carry out hive inspections, they follow specific procedures and have a Risk Assessment that provides guidance, considerations, and control measures with regards to public health.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with representatives of the beekeeping sector on improving public safety measures during hive management.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ensuring public safety is of great importance to Defra and beekeeping groups. Defra and representatives of the beekeeping sector work closely to raise awareness of the safety measures that should be in place during hive management.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the of puffins in the UK; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of puffins on ecology within the UK.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra provides funding through JNCC to the UK-wide Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP), and the JNCC-led Seabirds Count census which provide UK-wide monitoring for seabirds, including puffins. The results are publicly available and will inform future conservation actions.

The most recent Seabirds Count census (2023) counted 474,679 pairs of puffins. Where comparable data were available, they indicated declines of 23% since 2000, reinforcing the importance of collaboration on seabird conservation.

The devolved Governments are implementing their respective seabird conservation strategies, so we continue to work together to coordinate action and data sharing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps with the devolved Administrations to improve the sharing of data on puffin (a) ecology and (b) population health.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra provides funding through JNCC to the UK-wide Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP), and the JNCC-led Seabirds Count census which provide UK-wide monitoring for seabirds, including puffins. The results are publicly available and will inform future conservation actions.

The most recent Seabirds Count census (2023) counted 474,679 pairs of puffins. Where comparable data were available, they indicated declines of 23% since 2000, reinforcing the importance of collaboration on seabird conservation.

The devolved Governments are implementing their respective seabird conservation strategies, so we continue to work together to coordinate action and data sharing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of safety protocols for beekeeping activity near (a) residential areas and (b) public rights of way.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra advises beekeepers that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. It is possible for experienced beekeepers to safely manage bees in a garden area, although usual practice is to site them well away from neighbours and fence colonies in with a hedge or panelled fencing - this encourages bees to fly higher, above the heads of anyone nearby.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total annual cost of aircraft leasing arrangements is; and how many such contracts involve offshore-registered companies.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to work with devolved Administrations to improve the sharing of data on curlew (a) ecology and (b) population health.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data on UK-wide curlew ecology and population health is primarily gathered and shared through the British Bird Survey (BBS) and the Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) review.

The BBS is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread breeding birds to include the curlew. This publication presents trends for breeding bird populations in the UK and for each UK country, showing change in population between 1994 and 2024. UK and country-level trends are also reported for more recent shorter time periods (1-year, 5-year, and 10-year).

The BoCC review is compiled by a coalition of the UK’s leading bird conservation and monitoring organisations and reviews the status of all regularly occurring birds in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The bird species that breed or overwinter, to include the curlew, have been assessed against a set of objective criteria and placed on the Green, Amber or Red lists to indicate an increasing level of conservation concern. Curlew is red-listed in the latest BoCC.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is providing funding for UK-wide research into curlew conservation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s breeding birds to include curlew. The BBS is a partnership jointly funded by the British Trust for Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

In England, Natural England’s (NE) bird research is primarily funded via its Species Recovery Programme (SRP), with more SRP funding allocated to curlew than to any other single bird species. Through SRP, NE have funded two key projects, both of which are working to increase understanding and implement conservation measures to benefit curlews.

In addition, the Curlew Recovery Partnership aims to provide co-ordination and support to those engaged in curlew conservation in England. The Partnership was set up with financial support from Defra.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Denmark.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Denmark across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies, and cooperation has deepened further following Denmark's accession to the United Nations Security Council (2025-26). Most recently, the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Frederiksen in Oslo in May at the JEF Leaders' Summit; the Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Rasmussen at the NATO Informal in May; and I hosted Danish State Secretary Machon in March. We continue to engage our Danish counterparts regularly at all levels.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the the potential impact of digital identity systems on (a) policing and (b) other forms of law enforcement.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is working to enable the use of secure and trusted digital verification services across the UK economy for those who want to use them.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Norway.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and historic ties with Norway across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies, and our cooperation has deepened further following the Prime Minister signing the Norway-UK Strategic Partnership in Bergen on 16 December 2024. There have been several Ministerial visits between Norway and the UK, including two visits by the Foreign Secretary to Norway in September 2024 and May 2025, I visited in October 2024, and an inward visit by Foreign Minister Barth Eide took place in December 2024. A Green Industrial Partnership was also signed by Energy Ministers in May 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Portugal.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Portugal across a broad range of bilateral files. The Foreign Secretary last met with his Portuguese counterpart Foreign Minister Rangel when he visited Lisbon in March earlier this year. I last met with my Portuguese counterpart Secretary of State Domingos when I visited Lisbon in January. Both visits discussed how we can continue to effectively implement the UK-Portugal Joint Declaration.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Estonia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Estonia across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, and the UK leads the enhanced Forward Presence at Tapa, supporting regional security. The Prime Minister met Prime Minister Michal in Oslo in May at the Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders Summit, and the Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Tsahkna in Warsaw in May. I hosted Secretary General Vseviov in March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Poland.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Poland across a broad range of bilateral files. During the Prime Minister's visit to Poland in January he and Polish Prime Minister Tusk announced the start of negotiations for an ambitious UK-Poland Defence and Security Treaty. The Foreign Secretary met with his Polish counterpart on 7 May in Warsaw where they discussed the threat to European security from Russia and our commitment to work together. I attended the Belvedere Forum in Warsaw on 16 June to discuss strengthening cooperation on security, growth, and migration. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) held in Italy on 10-11 July we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Poland on collaboration in support of Ukraine's recovery.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Spain.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Spain have a strong and wide-ranging relationship, particularly on people-to-people, trade, climate and energy, and security. The Foreign Secretary met his counterpart in Brussels on 11 June for Gibraltar negotiations and in the margins of the NATO summit in The Hague on 25 June. He visited Madrid on 31 March to attend Weimar+. The Minister for Development attended the Financing for Development Conference in Seville from 30 June to 1 July. I met with my Spanish counterpart Secretary of State Sampedro in Madrid on 7 May and on 11 June in Brussels. I also visited Spain on 21 February for a meeting on the Gibraltar negotiations and on 17 January for bilateral meetings.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has had discussions with the private sector on the use of digital identity for accessing financial services.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is working to enable the use of secure and trusted digital verification services across the UK economy for those who want to use them. OfDIA has engaged with organisations who are interested in adopting digital identity technology, including those within the financial services sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on cross-government plans for digital identity systems.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is working to enable the use of secure and trusted digital verification services (DVS) across the UK economy for those who want to use them.

OfDIA regularly engages with cross-government colleagues regarding DVS, including seeking feedback on the Government’s standards for digital identity and work to remove regulatory barriers to adoption in different use cases where these exist. OfDIA also facilitates technical working groups for cross-government collaboration.

GOV.UK One Login is the government’s sign-in and identity verification solution, for accessing central government services. All major government departments have committed to onboarding their services to GOV.UK One Login, and are actively developing delivery plans. They are supported by an Onboarding and Engagement team to enable technical service teams to onboard their services smoothly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) population status and (b) ecological role of curlews.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for assessing the population changes of the UK’s breeding birds. This publication presents trends for breeding bird populations in the UK and for each UK country, showing population changes. The latest Breeding Bird Survey (BTO-JNCC-RSPB BBS Report 2024) shows a 51% decline in the UK’s curlew breeding population between 1995 and 2023.

The latest review of Birds of Conservation Concern (bocc-5-a5-4pp-single-pages.pdf) assessed those bird species that breed or overwinter in the UK. This review, compiled by a coalition of the UK’s leading bird conservation and monitoring organisations, placed the curlew on the red list due to severe population declines.

Curlew fulfil several ecological roles, to include biodiversity indicator, invertebrate control, and ecosystem engineer. Beyond their ecological importance, curlew are also an important part of the cultural landscape of the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on coordinated approaches to monitoring curlew populations.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Devolved Administrations on a coordinated approach to monitor curlew populations.

The UK curlew population is monitored under the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), an annual monitoring scheme jointly funded by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, BTO and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Population trends for curlew are generated at UK, country and regional levels and shared publicly in an annual report.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain on (a) injury and (b) fatality rates among racing greyhounds.

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

Each year since 2018 the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has published the sport’s annual injury, fatality and retirement statistics from GBGB affiliated tracks and trainers. This data is published online at https://www.gbgb.org.uk/welfare-care/injury-and-retirement-data/

GBGB wrote to Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 25 June with the sport’s annual injury, fatality and retirement statistics for 2024. The Greyhound Forum, of which Defra officials and GBGB are members, discussed the 2024 figures during the June 2025 meeting of the Forum.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) Blue Cross and (b) other animal welfare organisations on (i) greyhound welfare and (ii) the regulation of greyhound racing.

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

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department is engaging with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more details on this in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) recent changes to tax rates applied to betting operators on levels of betting activity and (b) trends in the level of betting activity on revenues to the Exchequer.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Gambling Duties raised £3.6 billion in revenue in 2024-25, an increase of 7% (£227 million) compared to 2023-24.

No changes have been made to the gambling duty rates applied to betting operators in this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of tax reform in the (a) betting and (b) gaming sector on equine welfare standards.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Minister for Gambling and Heritage recently met the incoming Chair of the British Horseracing Authority to discuss a wide range of matters affecting horseracing including the HMT tax consultation. DCMS has also engaged at ministerial and official level with HMT on the topic and the potential impact of any changes on horseracing.

One of the statutory purposes of the Horserace Betting Levy, managed by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is the advancement of veterinary science. HBLB’s allocation for its disease surveillance, veterinary science and education programme rose to £2.76 million this year, up from £2.32 million in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the British Horseracing Authority on the potential impact of proposed changes to the taxation of betting operators on that sport.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Minister for Gambling and Heritage recently met the incoming Chair of the British Horseracing Authority to discuss a wide range of matters affecting horseracing including the HMT tax consultation. DCMS has also engaged at ministerial and official level with HMT on the topic and the potential impact of any changes on horseracing.

One of the statutory purposes of the Horserace Betting Levy, managed by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is the advancement of veterinary science. HBLB’s allocation for its disease surveillance, veterinary science and education programme rose to £2.76 million this year, up from £2.32 million in 2024/25.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations on greyhound welfare in the racing industry.

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

The Government regards greyhound racing as a well-regulated sport. The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run.

In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) enforces welfare standards (including those in the 2010 Regulations) at GBGB affiliated tracks, as well as at GBGB licensed trainers’ kennels. Independent, external oversight of GBGB’s regulatory work at tracks and trainers’ kennels is provided by the UK’s National Accreditation Body - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the potential impact of climate-related events on household costs in the next five years.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) was published in 2022 and sets out 61 climate risks and opportunities to the UK up to the year 2100. These risks cover a range of sectors that impact household costs, such as risks to our energy infrastructure, risks from flooding, and risks to agriculture and supply chains.

The Government’s fourth CCRA is due in 2027. It will be informed by the Climate Change Committee’s Independent Assessment (CCRA4-IA) Technical Report, which will consider climate risks to household finances. The Government will set out the actions it will take to address the most recent assessment of climate risks from CCRA4 in the fourth National Adaptation Programme in 2028.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Germany.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains a strong relationship with Germany. We work closely together bilaterally, as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and G7 allies, and through other formats such as the E3. On 17 July, we signed a landmark Bilateral Treaty with Germany, building on our strong defence and security ties and expanding cooperation across key shared priorities - including foreign policy, migration, economic growth, organised crime, and science and technology. We also signed the Trinity House Agreement in October 2024. Germany was the first country the Foreign Secretary visited in July 2024. The Prime Minister last visited Berlin in October 2024. Chancellor Merz and Foreign Minister Wadephul visited London on 17 July, and we engage frequently at Ministerial level. I have visited Berlin on a number of occassions and hosted Lander representatives here in London from Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia in recent months.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Italy.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK enjoys a strong, historic relationship with Italy across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together through NATO, the G7 and G20 on key foreign policy and defence priorities, including support to Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East. Most recently, Prime Minister Meloni visited the UK on 2 March for the 2025 London Summit for Ukraine, which included a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister. Their Majesties' State Visit to Italy (7-10 April) further deepened ties, focusing on sustainability, defence, and cultural links. The Foreign Secretary continues to engage regularly with Foreign Minister Tajani at summits such as the G7 (March), NATO (April), and co-chaired a migration event at the Munich Security Conference (February). I also visited Italy on 12 June for the Weimar+ meeting and met Deputy Foreign Minister Cirielli.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Sweden.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Sweden across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies and Sweden was among the first countries the Foreign Secretary visited in July 2024. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Stenergard on 1 May and the Prime Minister then hosted Prime Minister Kristersson at No 10 on 12 May. I also hosted State Secretary Hartelius and State Secretary Danielsson in March and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas Symonds, visited Stockholm the same month. We continue to engage our Swedish counterparts regularly at all levels.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Finland.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Finland across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Valtonen on 4 February and the Prime Minister hosted President Stubb at No 10 on 31 March. I also hosted State Secretary Rajala in March. I am due to visit Helsinki for the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act later this month, where I expect to continue bilateral discussions with my ministerial counterparts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department has taken to help promote freedom of religion or belief in south Asia.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and that no one should live in fear because of their religion or belief.

On 8 July, the Government launched its new strategy on FoRB. Its overarching goal is to reduce the number of countries in which the right to FoRB is significantly curtailed, and to promote internationally the right to FoRB as fundamental to human flourishing.

Across the world, including South Asia, the UK is taking targeted action and raising the right to FoRB with counterpart governments. For example, in Pakistan, our Aawaz II programme has reached over 35 million people with information about rights and government services. Through the John Bunyan Fund, we have improved Pakistani Parliamentarians' understanding of the laws used to persecute minorities and explored avenues for reform. In March and June this year, the Minister for the Middle East raised concerns about FoRB with Pakistani ministers.

In Afghanistan, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including against minority groups.

Working with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, we are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora - including our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance - and through our important bilateral work.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with the Netherlands.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and the Netherlands have a strong bilateral relationship as North Sea neighbours, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, and a shared approach to global challenges. The Prime Minister hosted Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Downing Street on 6 February, and the Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Veldkamp during his visit on 6 May. The UK and the Netherlands continue to work together to promote economic growth and to tackle organised crime, including the people smuggling gangs that drive illegal migration. As NATO allies, we continue to work to promote stability in the Middle East, ramp up the pressure on Russia, and provide support to Ukraine.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with North Macedonia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains a strong relationship with North Macedonia. We work closely together bilaterally as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and look forward to hosting the government of North Macedonia this autumn at the Berlin Process summit. On 16 May we announced a new bilateral strategic partnership supporting closer co-operation on areas including economic growth, defence and security and tackling irregular migration. On 22 May, the UK and North Macedonia signed a landmark Government-to-Government Partnership, unlocking up to £5 billion in UK Export Finance support for infrastructure projects. The Prime Minister met Prime Minister Mickoski in May. The Foreign Secretary met with Foreign Minister Mucunski in July.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Monaco.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK enjoys positive relations with Monaco. Officials regularly engage with the Monegasque Government, including recently at the Blue Economic Finance Forum on 8 June, attended by Ruth Davis, the UK Special Representative for Nature. Our Ambassador to France is also responsible for relations with Monaco with an Honorary Consul based in the Principality. The Prime Minister and Prince Albert both attended the last meeting of the European Political Community in Tirana.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Romania.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Romania is a vital bilateral and NATO partner for the United Kingdom, including on tackling the threat posed by Russia, supporting Ukraine, and addressing serious organised crime. In 2023, we signed a Strategic Partnership and held the inaugural Strategic Dialogue committing us to further cooperation across geopolitics, energy security, trade and people-to-people links. We plan to hold the next dialogue later this year. In November 2024, the Prime Minister hosted his counterpart in London where we signed a new defence treaty and double taxation agreement. The Prime Minister also met the newly elected President Dan at the NATO Summit in June. The Foreign Secretary and I have also engaged our counterparts several times in the last year, discussing the breadth of our bilateral relationship.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with San Marino.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a good relationship with San Marino founded on shared values and interests which we promote bilaterally and through our common membership of multilateral fora. Earlier this year our Ambassador to Italy and San Marino led a senior Embassy delegation to San Marino to launch a new UK-San Marino structured bilateral dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This dialogue focusses on important areas of co-operation such as foreign and security policy and growth, and builds on our existing Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation to further strengthen diplomatic relations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Liechtenstein.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Liechtenstein have a strong bilateral relationship focussed on trade and working together at multilateral institutions. Our non-resident Ambassador visited last month meeting the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. We remain committed to maintaining our strong diplomatic and economic ties.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Hungary.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Hungary is an important partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally of the United Kingdom, and where there is mutual benefit we work together on shared interests, including on trade, security and defence. As in any bilateral relationship there are differences and where we have concerns, we raise them candidly, including on restrictions on essential freedoms, including respect for and freedoms for the LGBT+ community, and on our differing approaches to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Government maintains regular dialogue with its Hungarian counterparts. The Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Szijjártó in London for bilateral talks in January, and I am also in regular contact with EU Minister János Bóka and Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar, whom I met in London on 19 June.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Montenegro.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains a strong relationship with Montenegro. We work closely together bilaterally as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and look forward to hosting the Government of Montenegro this autumn at the Berlin Process summit. On 28 May we signed a Joint Declaration on a Strategic Partnership between Montenegro and the UK. This Declaration enhances future cooperation between the two countries across a wide range of areas, including security, serious and organised crime, economic development, the rule of law, migration, education, and culture. In May the UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Karen Pierce, visited Montenegro. The Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and I also visited Montenegro this year to further our bilateral relationship.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Belgium.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a strong and enduring relationship with its close neighbour and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, Belgium. The strength of this relationship was reaffirmed by the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot on 2 July to London where he met the Foreign Secretary, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Minister for Africa. We are deepening our foreign policy collaboration to intensify pressure on Russia, reinforce our support for Ukraine, promote peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Africa, tackle irregular migration, increase law enforcement cooperation and promote economic growth.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Slovenia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Slovenia remains a key partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally for the United Kingdom, and we cooperate on many key priorities including Russia-Ukraine and the Western Balkans. We signed a Joint Statement of Intent signed in 2022 and we maintain a yearly Strategic Dialogue with Slovenia, last held on 27 March 2025, which provides an opportunity to discuss a range of bilateral and international priorities. The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Fajon on 21 November 2024 where they discussed the full range of the bilateral relationship. Foreign Minister Fajon also met with the Minister for Africa to discuss UN Security Council cooperation, and with the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss the EU reset. This built on my visit to Slovenia for the Bled Strategic Forum in September 2024. I have regularly engaged with and met my counterpart Marko Stucin.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Slovakia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Slovakia is a valued partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally of the United Kingdom, and we work closely on shared priorities, highlighted by our declaration of intent on law enforcement cooperation. As with any bilateral relationship, differences exist, in particular in our respective approaches to Russia and Ukraine. Where we have concerns we address them openly, and the UK Government maintains regular contact with its Slovak counterparts. The Prime Minister recently met President Pellegrini at the NATO Summit in The Hague in June. The Foreign Secretary last engaged with Foreign Minister Blanar in December, and I have held several discussions this year with State Secretary Marek Eštok.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Andorra.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Andorra have a close bilateral relationship, and celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations in 2024 with an event where Andorran Prime Minister Espot spoke alongside our Ambassador to Andorra. We agreed a Youth Mobility agreement in 2024, and in February 2025 signed a Double Taxation Agreement which should come into force in 2026. We continue to explore further areas of cooperation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Czechia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Czechia is a steadfast bilateral and NATO Ally of the United Kingdom. We enjoy strong cooperation across key areas including Russia/Ukraine, Security, Defence and Growth. In 2022, we signed a Statement of Intent committing us to closer bilateral cooperation. The Delivery Plan under the Statement was updated in November 2024 ahead of the Foreign Secretary hosting FM Lipavsky. The Prime Minister hosted his Czech counterpart in London this July to sign a memorandum of understanding on civil nuclear cooperation, to celebrate Czechia's selection of Rolls Royce SMR as a primary growth opportunity and to host prominent Czech investors at a business roundtable. I also attended the GLOBSEC defence and security forum in Prague in September 2024, Minister Thomas-Symonds attended this forum in June. During these visits we met various Czech interlocutors, including FM Lipavsky, DFM Marian and President Pavel.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Albania.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a close bilateral partnership with Albania as a likeminded North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally. The Prime Minister visited Albania on 15 May and agreed an updated strategic partnership to strengthen cooperation on defence and security, justice, culture and economic growth. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Permanent Under-Secretary visited Albania on 16 and 17 July to further bilateral relations, advance UK growth objectives and support continuing joint operational collaboration to tackle the shared challenge of organised immigration crime. The Foreign Secretary and I have met on a number of times with Foreign Minister Hasani in the last year to discuss shared priorities. The UK looks forward to hosting Albania at the Berlin Process Summit this autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Iceland.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Iceland across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary visited Iceland on 29 May and had a bilateral with Foreign Minister Gunnarsdóttir at Keflavik Air Base. I also visited Iceland for the Arctic Circle Assembly in October 2024 and delivered a speech on the UK's commitment to the Arctic in the face of global challenges. The annual UK-Iceland Diplomatic Consultations were held at official level in London in April 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Switzerland.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Switzerland enjoy a close and dynamic relationship underpinned by our democratic traditions, our shared values and our strong commitment to innovation and to science and technology. The Foreign Secretary met with the Swiss Foreign Minister in Kuala Lumpur on 11 July and will meet again soon to discuss our priorities on Russia/Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East, European Security, growth and partnering on illicit finance and fighting corruption.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Moldova.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Moldova is a valued partner of the United Kingdom. Since the start of this parliament, we have strengthened our relationship through the conclusion of agreements on defence and security, the mutual recognition of driving licences, and returns. In May, we held the fourth UK-Moldova Strategic Dialogue and an inaugural Illicit Finance Dialogue, reaffirming our commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation across key sectors. The UK is providing support to Moldova to tackle foreign interference in the run up to their parliamentary elections. This includes providing election observers, countering disinformation, and addressing the flows of money used for vote-buying and illegal funding of political parties.

In the past year, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary and I have all visited Moldova. The Prime Minister has met with President Sandu on four occasions, most recently when she visited the UK on 23 July. I met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Popsoi in Antalya in April to discuss a range of issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Ireland.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Ireland are uniquely linked through shared geography and history: we have undergone a reset of our relationship, restoring a partnership of trust. Our relationship continues to go from strength to strength.

This was cemented at the UK-Ireland Summit in March, where the Prime Minister and Taoiseach agreed an ambitious vision for UK-Ireland relations through to 2030, covering areas including growth, security, energy, conflict prevention, cyber, research, and culture, that will bring our two Governments even closer together in delivering for our citizens. The Foreign Secretary visited Dublin in October 2024, spoke to Tánaiste Simon Harris by telephone on 27 January and met him at the G20 summit on 21 February. On 3 July 2025, I met with my counterpart Minister Thomas Byrne in Dublin to discuss further opportunities to enhance UK-Ireland cooperation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Greece.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-Greece relationship is strong and deep across many shared interests. From our work together in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to tackling shared the challenge of migration, to joint efforts to resolve and deescalate the crisis in the Middle East and war in Ukraine.

The UK and Greece signed a Strategic Bilateral Framework in 2021 to strengthen cooperation in twelve areas including foreign policy, defence, trade, migration and maritime security. The Government has engaged with Greece regularly at leader and Foreign Ministerial level to progress this cooperation. I met with my counterpart, Minister Papadopoulou, most recently through a productive bilateral meeting in New York in the margins of Cyprus 5+1 talks, where we discussed cooperation as co-guarantor powers on Cyprus, and as NATO allies in supporting Ukraine. I also met Foreign Minister Gerapetritis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Lithuania.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Lithuania across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies. The Prime Minister met President Nausėda in Oslo in May at the JEF Leaders Summit, and the Foreign Secretary hosted Foreign Minister Budrys in London in March. I also hosted Foreign Minister Budrys in March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Croatia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Croatia is a valued partner of the United Kingdom, both bilaterally and as a NATO Ally. In 2022 we signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, covering defence cooperation, and in 2023 a Joint Declaration on Bilateral Cooperation, which committed us to working together on shared priorities, from support to Ukraine, scientific collaboration, clean energy, to tackling irregular migration through the Western Balkans route. We also hold annual joint military exercises, and over 800,000 British tourists visit every year, strengthening our people-to-people links. Our Foreign Secretaries last met in London in March, and our Prime Ministers met in May at the European Political Community summit in Tirana. I last held a strategic dialogue with my counterpart in November 2024. This meeting deepened our shared understanding and cooperation on our priority issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Austria.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Austria. A Joint Vision Statement was signed in 2023 to deepen cooperation across foreign and security policy, on economic issues and in encouraging people-to-people links. Consultations between the UK and Austria on the Vision Statement are held annually, with the last such meeting held in June 2025. Cooperation on migration and security has also been formalised over the last two years, including following up on the Joint Statement on tackling illegal migration in May 2024. The Prime Minister wrote to his opposite Chancellor Stocker on his appointment in March 2025, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger in March and I engaged Europe Minister Plakolm in May.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s relationship with Latvia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK maintains strong and enduring ties with Latvia across a broad range of bilateral files. We work closely together as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies, and are deepening cooperation at the United Nations as Latvia prepares to join the Security Council for the first time in 2026-27. The Prime Minister met Prime Minister Siliņa in Oslo in May at the JEF Leaders Summit, and the Minister for the Cabinet Office met Foreign Minister Braže in March. I hosted State Secretary Viļumsons in March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Luxembourg.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK government has a strong bilateral relationship with our NATO ally Luxembourg, underpinned by a bilateral framework agreement which spans a wide range of common interests, including defence, financial services, energy security, human rights and tackling climate change. The Foreign Secretary hosted Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel on 10 February in London where discussions included deepening our cooperation to intensify pressure on Russia and reinforce support for Ukraine.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Serbia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is building a modern and forward-looking partnership with Serbia. In April, the Foreign Secretary visited Serbia and signed three Memorandums of Understanding, on migration and cyber cooperation, and on UK Export Finance. On 17 and 18 July the Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, visited Serbia to underline the importance of Serbia playing a constructive role in regional stability. I visited Belgrade in January 2025 and met with President Vučić and Foreign Minister Ðurić. I have spoken with the Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister on a range of topics. The UK looks forward to hosting Serbia at the Berlin Process Summit this autumn which will strengthen co-operation on our common security and economic growth objectives, including tackling irregular migration and serious organised crime.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Malta.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK and Malta share a historic relationship. The UK and Malta cooperate closely on foreign policy, military training, rule of law, regional security, irregular migration, climate change and consular services. The UK Government engages regularly with Malta at Ministerial level to progress this cooperation. In July 2024, the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Abela at the European Political Community (EPC) Summit. In October 2024, the Foreign Secretary met Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Dr Ian Borg at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and I spoke with him in discussions on a range of matters. Since then, my department has continued engaging with Malta at official level to progress cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other European countries on promoting freedom of religion or belief.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses on the international stage, through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB, including with our European partners.

The UK Special Envoy on FoRB has visited the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva twice this year, taking part in an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur for FoRB in June and speaking at a UK-hosted event on Tibetan Buddhism in July, which several European partners co-sponsored.

On 8 July, the Minister for Africa and the Special Envoy publicly set out the Government's approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement, at an event attended by over 100 stakeholders, including representatives of the European diplomatic community.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Bulgaria.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Bulgaria remains a key partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally for the United Kingdom, and we cooperate on many key priorities including Russia-Ukraine and tackling organised immigration crime. We signed a Strategic Partnership in October 2023, and held the first of our yearly Strategic Dialogues in Sofia in June 2025, providing an opportunity to discuss a range of bilateral and international priorities. The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Georgiev on 21 July in London, and on 17 January in Sofia, where they discussed the full range of the bilateral relationship. The Minister for the Cabinet Office met the Interior and Foreign Ministers in Sofia on 17 June when he visited regarding the roll-out of eGates to UK nationals. I met the Bulgarian Ambassador to London on 23 June.

2025 Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail and Scotland’s emerging traditional musicians

Carers and social care reform

Statutory consultees for sustainable development

2025 Island Games

Dose of Nature

Protection of survivors of domestic abuse under the Hague Convention

Antisemitism and Holocaust inversion

Fauja Singh

Steve Willis Training Centre

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Dave Doogan; Lillian Jones; Mr Angus MacDonald

Found: Susan Murray Rachel Gilmour Tom Gordon Martin Wrigley Calum Miller Charlotte Cane Mr Angus MacDonald

Found: Heylings Susan Murray Rachel Gilmour Tom Gordon Martin Wrigley Calum Miller Charlotte Cane Mr Angus MacDonald