Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the potential impacts of the US requiring duties to be collected on all imports on UK businesses.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department has conducted quantitative analysis and engaged directly with businesses across impacted sectors to understand the impact of the US removal of their De Minimis threshold. We have published information for UK businesses and remain in contact with our US counterparts to ensure their guidance to our exporters is as clear as possible. Royal Mail’s new service has allowed SMEs to continue trading with the US.
The Secretary of State and departmental officials are in regular contact with US counterparts to discuss the impacts of tariffs on UK businesses and arrangements we can reach to alleviate them.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on exporters of the United States' suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value goods.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department has conducted quantitative analysis and engaged directly with businesses across impacted sectors to understand the impact of the US removal of their De Minimis threshold. We have published information for UK businesses and remain in contact with our US counterparts to ensure their guidance to our exporters is as clear as possible. Royal Mail’s new service has allowed SMEs to continue trading with the US.
The Secretary of State and departmental officials are in regular contact with US counterparts to discuss the impacts of tariffs on UK businesses and arrangements we can reach to alleviate them.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made specific provision for UK citizens who completed their medical training outside the UK within the policy of prioritising UK Medical Graduates for (a) foundation and (b) specialist training.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.
British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the UK. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the NHS on the same basis as UK medical graduates.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help promote public education on the misuse of emergency service protocols, including advice shared on social media on how to manipulate emergency triage systems.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service regularly shares information online through the NHS.UK website and on social media about how to access emergency services properly, including accident emergency, 999, 111, general practices (GPs), and pharmacies. The NHS also shares this information through out of home advertising via leaflets and posters in hospitals, GPs, and pharmacies.
The Government is also overhauling the NHS App to make it easier than ever before for patients to take control of their personal healthcare, including the use of NHS 111 online to answer questions and get instant advice or medical help near you.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his timetable is for reaching a decision on the planning application made by Oxford United Football Club to build a new stadium at the Triangle, south of Kidlington.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A decision not to call in the planning application for a new Oxford United stadium was issued on 15 October. The application therefore remains with Cherwell District Council for determination.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government's strategic objectives are for the state visit of President Trump.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
State visits are a core part of delivering the Government's Plan for Change, strengthening the UK's global partnerships and people-to-people ties. As part of the US President's State Visit, the UK and US have agreed the Tech Prosperity Deal, focused on developing the fastest growing technologies like AI, quantum and nuclear. This comes as America's top technology and AI firms commit a combined £31 billion to boost the UK's AI infrastructure and cutting-edge tech. This partnership will turbocharge the build-out of new nuclear power stations to secure jobs and growth in the UK and US, this golden age of nuclear is central to the government's mission to build more clear homegrown power to ensure energy security. As the Prime Minister has said, the Tech Prosperity Deal will "shape the futures of millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic, and delivering growth, security and opportunity up and down the country".
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK higher education institutions have approached the her Department for guidance following requests from the Chinese Embassy to alter language referring to Taiwan, in each year since 2020.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.
If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with universities on foreign diplomatic pressure to (a) alter and (b) remove references to Taiwan in (i) academic and (ii) institutional communications.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.
If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Alternative to Detention schemes piloted under the Home Office’s Community Engagement Pilot series.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following analysis of the pilots’ published evaluations, the Department did not see sufficient evidence to progress these. We will keep under review the feasibility of alternatives to detention, taking account of effectiveness and cost efficiency, as part of our plans to transform the asylum and returns system.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has (a) commissioned a review of and (b) made changes to the structure of her Department since taking office.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will maintain our engagement with all key allies and partners over the coming months in pursuit of our shared priorities and interests; and we will continue to ensure that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is fully geared up to support these activities.