Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for Family Hubs after the 2025-26 financial year; and whether her Department plans to provide a multi-year pledge to fund the Family Hubs and Start for Life program beyond this period.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.
Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion staff in (a) prisons and (b) probation services have undertaken suicide prevention training.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 10 April 2025 to Question 44186.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing long-term funding for the development of smart energy systems within the West Midlands as part of the Spending Review.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the important role of local government, such as West Midlands Combined Authority, in driving net zero action. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues. Details of the spending review will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40292 on Demonstrations, whether the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will be carried out independently; and whether her Department plans to publish the outcomes of the review.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In line with standard practice, the memorandum the government will complete as part of the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will cover:
Further details on post-legislative scrutiny can be found here: 2025 Guide to Making Legislation - master version - Google Docs
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether she has provided legal advice on British nationals serving in the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. The Convention applies to your question.
It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether her Department has (a) received and (b) approved requests from relevant authorities for consent to launch criminal investigations into alleged war crimes committed by British citizens who have served in the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza since 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General and I are not responsible for providing consent to launch criminal investigations into suspected war crimes offences in England and Wales.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on Israel's denying hon. Members entry into the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary has said, it is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary met with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar in London. The Foreign Secretary has made clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to take steps to disclose UK foreign direct investment holdings in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information. It is held by the Office for National Statistics.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what information her Department (a) collects and (b) holds on British citizens that have served in the Israel Defence Forces since 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
In relation to part (a) of your question, the Attorney General’s Office does not collect this information.
In relation to part (b) of your question, the Law Officers’ Convention applies. The Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:
“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on supporting growth in the visitor economy of the West Midlands.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The West Midlands has been a key participant in the Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot, led by VisitEngland. The DDP pilot is testing a new model of collaborative working between national and local tourism bodies to strengthen destination management, improve the visitor offer, and drive sustainable growth in the sector. The West Midlands pilot has brought together local and regional partners to align strategies, build capacity, and promote the region more effectively to domestic and international visitors.
DCMS continues to work closely with VisitEngland and local stakeholders to build on this progress and ensure the West Midlands visitor economy continues to thrive.