Claire Hanna

When it comes to arms exports, this Government will uphold our international legal obligations, ensuring that international law is fully factored into decisions, in line with the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.

The Government will now review the advice available and come to a considered decision. The Government will update Parliament as appropriate once this decision has been made.

As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

This Government respects the work of the Ombudsman. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.

The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government/we will be in a position to outline its approach.

The Government is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and improving disabled people’s lives in all aspects of life.

The previous Government’s latest response to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was submitted in 2022, and published on GOV.UK with accessible formats in December 2022. This report and previous ones can be found here.

As requested by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Government will submit a report by March 2029 with information on how we are implementing the Committee’s recommendations outlined in their latest report published in April 2024. The Government, through the Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office, has already begun considering the recommendations from this report.

As of July 2024, there are 93,113 automated external defibrillators registered in the United Kingdom on the National Defibrillator Network, also known as The Circuit, including 73,682 in England. Moving forward, the Department has asked Professor Lord Darzi to investigate the state of the National Health Service. The Department will then set out its 10-year plan for the NHS.

Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Israel and the OPTs on 14 July, he reiterated our commitment to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that is most conducive to the peace process, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

This Government is determined to do all we can to help bring the conflict in Gaza to an end and make progress towards long-term peace and security in the Middle East. We are pushing for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law and protection of civilians, and unfettered humanitarian access to enable a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.

During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Israel and the OPTs on 14-15 July he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, and Prime Minister Mustafa amongst others. The Prime Minister also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday 7 July. The Foreign Secretary has also discussed the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the need for an immediate ceasefire, with regional and international partners.

We want a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution: a safe, secure Israel alongside a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.

There are no current plans for a regional development bank in Northern Ireland, however we look forward to working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on our mission to deliver growth across the United Kingdom.

The Chancellor last week announced new plans to align key institutions under the National Wealth Fund that will boost growth and unlock investment. The National Wealth Fund will operate across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and create a step change in our ability to mobilise private capital in the UK’s most important sectors and assets, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, and playing a central role in the government’s industrial strategy.

To ensure investments can start immediately, the National Wealth Fund will deploy funding through the UK Infrastructure Bank and draw on the capability of the British Business Bank, expanding its remit and providing an additional £7.3 billion to catalyse private investment at an even greater scale. Since inception, UKIB has successfully delivered many projects, for example, providing investment to support thousands of rural homes to access ultrafast broadband. The National Wealth Fund will continue to build on this excellent work.

The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one.

My officials are in regular communication with our key stakeholders in Northern Ireland on this issue, as well as with the officials from the Northern Ireland Executive and our UKSPF Partnership Group. We will continue to work closely with our key stakeholders and will use their feedback as we determine our approach going forward.

Decisions regarding funding beyond March 2025 are a matter for the next Spending Review.

The Electoral Commission will publish a report on the administration of the General Election held on 4 July later this year, and the Government will give careful consideration to any findings or recommendations made in the report in relation to the current arrangements for postal voting.

I can confirm that monies are being released to those successful Community Ownership Fund projects that have been announced. Officials will be in touch with projects to ensure that they receive the funding as quickly as possible.

The UK Government is committed to ensuring that EURO 2028 benefits the whole of the United Kingdom. That is why we are working as quickly as possible with all the partners involved in the Casement Park project to assess the options available.