First elected: 22nd June 2000
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by David Lammy, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
David Lammy has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Victims of Crime and Anti-social Behaviour, Etc (Rights, Entitlements and Related Matters) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Peter Kyle (Lab)
Terms of Withdrawal from the EU (Referendum) (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
European Union (Revocation of Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Parental Leave and Pay Arrangements (Publication) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jo Swinson (LD)
Immigration (Time Limit on Detention) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
Terms of Withdrawal from EU (Referendum) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018
Sponsor - Steve Reed (LAB)
Online Forums Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lucy Powell (LAB)
Fire Safety Information Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Maria Miller (Con)
Family Justice Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - None ()
I can confirm that a response to the letter dated 2 October 2020 has been sent to the hon. Member for Tottenham.
The Migration Advisory Committee’s report, ‘A full review of the Shortage Occupation List (May 2019)’, estimated that around 4% of secondary school teachers and around 2% of primary and nursery school teachers were born in the EEA (excluding the UK).
The Department publishes data on the nationality of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees. In 2019-20, there were 28,859 postgraduate new entrants to ITT whose nationality was known (98% of all postgraduate new entrants). Of these, 5% (1,484) were EEA nationals (excluding the UK). This is the same proportion as in academic years 2018-19, 2017-18, and 2016-17.
The UK Government has negotiated a deal which allows us to leave the EU without disruption on 31 January 2020. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, EU rules and regulations will continue to apply in the UK during the transition period until 31 December 2020. Throughout the duration of the transition period UK students studying in the EU will be able to continue their studies as they do now.
Our future relationship with the EU will be negotiated during this transition period. Protecting the rights of both UK Nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK is an absolute priority for this government, and it is of mutual interest to both the UK and the EU to agree a future partnership that helps to create a new generation of globally mobile, culturally agile people who can succeed in an increasingly global marketplace.
This is supported by the new Political Agreement, published in October 2019, which makes clear that the UK remains committed to exploring ongoing cooperation with the EU on education, science and innovation.
In coordination with her allies, Britain is introducing the most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced. The expected impacts of trade sanctions imposed to date are available on GOV.UK. We do not speculate on future sanctions.
We have an ambitious programme to maximise the opportunities of leaving the EU on the 31 January, including Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), championing the WTO and rules-based system, and securing market access wins. The government has a manifesto commitment to have free trade agreements with countries covering 80% of UK trade within 3 years of leaving the EU. This includes negotiating FTAs with the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan in parallel to negotiations with the EU. We are planning to launch rest of world trade negotiations as soon as possible after we leave the EU.
I refer the Rt Hon Member for Tottenham to the answer I gave to the Hon Member for Dundee East on 23 January 2020, UIN: 5362.
My door is always open for the Hon Gentleman and my office will hopefully have contacted his to arrange such a meeting before this answer is published.
The National Insurance Number (NINo) interviewing service was suspended from 17th of March 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Since fully re-opening on 28th April 2021, we have been experiencing high demand for the NINo Service.
Additional staff have been recruited and trained in the NINo process to reduce backlogs.
Whilst we are advising applicants it may take up to 16 weeks to process their application, the majority are being dealt with in around 4-6 weeks, however some may take longer if additional checks are required.
The email in question was dated 5 November 2021 and a response was sent on 9 November 2021.
Information on the total spend by National Health Service trusts regarding coroner’s inquests is not collated or held centrally. However, NHS Resolution, which handles clinical negligence claims for NHS bodies in England, has provided the following annual figures for inquest payments it has made on behalf of trusts as part of managing their clinical negligence claims.
Inquest payments | |
Financial year | Total |
2013/14 | £907,055 |
2014/15 | £138,879 |
2015/16 | £3,022,924 |
2016/17 | £1,340,977 |
2017/18 | £1,684,258 |
2018/19 | £2,968,153 |
2019/20 | £2,223,580 |
Grand Total | £12,285,826 |
Payments were made by NHS Resolution in accordance the rules of the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts to support trusts at inquests and for associated costs to investigate entitlement to compensation. NHS Resolution has no involvement in any arrangements that an individual trust might make outside of the scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold information on the number of patients able to access medicinal cannabis on the National Health Service, and therefore this information is not held centrally.
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Inverclyde (Ronnie Cowan MP) on 23 January 2020 to Question 3830, which provides data on the number of cannabis-based medicines prescribed on an NHS prescription, dispensed in the community and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority for reimbursement between January and October 2019 (October 2019 was the most recent dispensing data held at the time of production held the time of answering the question).
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of non-United Kingdom European Union nationals employed in the National Health Service in England and London as at September 2019, latest available data and each year since 2015, headcount.
- | September 2015 | September 2016 | September 2017 | September 2018 | September 2019 |
England | 52,808 | 59,796 | 61,974 | 63,484 | 65,992 |
London | 17,732 | 19,567 | 20,395 | 20,782 | 21,464 |
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of non-United Kingdom European Union nationals employed in the National Health Service in England and London as at September 2019, latest available data and each year since 2015, headcount.
- | September 2015 | September 2016 | September 2017 | September 2018 | September 2019 |
England | 52,808 | 59,796 | 61,974 | 63,484 | 65,992 |
London | 17,732 | 19,567 | 20,395 | 20,782 | 21,464 |
The FCDO are unable to confirm these details in line with paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code which states: "The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority."
The Foreign Secretary had a phone call with Foreign Minister and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi on 5 December 2023. During the conversation, the Foreign Secretary and Wang Yi discussed the UK-China relationship, the situation in Israel and Gaza and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.
The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. China's continued military flights near Taiwan are part of an ongoing pattern of escalatory activity and are not conducive to peace and stability. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, including increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.
On his 12 January visit to Kyiv, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine as he announced increased UK military funding of £2.5 billion for next financial year and signed an historic UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation. We are in constant contact with international partners ensuring Ukraine receives the diplomatic support it needs. The Foreign Secretary set out the high level of UK ambition with counterparts at several recent meetings, including during NATO and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe gatherings in November, as well as during December travel to Washington, Paris, Rome, Amman and Cairo. He did so again this week at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
The UK is committed to working with China on climate change, as part of the "engage" pillar of our policy towards China. China is the largest emitter of carbon and the largest investor in sustainable energy. The choices that China makes will be critical to our collective ability to tackle climate change.
The UK and China have over a decade of engagement on climate and clean energy, including our bilateral Clean Energy Partnership and UK-China Energy Dialogue. Climate has been a regular subject on the agenda for high-level bilateral engagement, including when we hosted COP26 and when the former Foreign Secretary visited Beijing in August 2023.
Russia's latest bombardment has come at vast cost - and significantly depleted their stockpiles - with limited strategic military effect. We deplore the recent attacks which have resulted in over 90 civilian casualties, including children. We are sending hundreds more air defence missiles to restock highly effective British-developed air defence systems, to protect civilians and infrastructure from Putin's barbaric bombing campaign. On 12 January, the Prime Minister announced £2.5 billion in military support for 2024/25. This includes £200 million to procure and produce thousands of military drones, giving Ukraine cutting edge, battle-tested capabilities to defend their citizens. We also announced a further £18 million in aid for Ukraine, including for humanitarian aid on the frontline and to fortify Ukraine's energy infrastructure against further Russian attacks.
The UK strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) export and Russia's procurement of DPRK ballistic missiles, and Russia's decision to use DPRK-supplied missiles in recent attacks against Ukraine. The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia's war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime. It also violates multiple UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), which Russia itself voted for, and highlights Putin's desperation and isolation on the global stage. On 12 January, the UK issued a joint statement with other Foreign Ministers calling for all UN Member States to condemn Russia and the DPRK's UNSCR violations. The DPRK is subject to a robust sanctions regime and the UK will continue to work with our partners to influence and to hold the DPRK to account for supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
The UK strongly condemns Iran's provision of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia, which have been used to kill Ukrainian civilians and attack critical infrastructure. We continue to expose this desperate alliance and hold Iran to account for its support of Russia's illegal war, including by providing evidence at the UN. Since October 2022, we have sanctioned 24 Iranian individuals and entities involved in the manufacture and transfer of UAVs, adding to our existing extensive sanctions on the Iranian drone programme. In December 2023, the new Iran sanctions regime came into force, including new trade restrictions on components used by Iran to manufacture UAVs.
The total UK military, humanitarian and economic support committed to Ukraine since the invasion now amounts to almost £12 billion. In 2023/24 the FCDO plans to provide £223.3 million of Official Development Assistance for Ukraine, with a focus on providing support for life-saving humanitarian assistance, energy resilience and early recovery and reconstruction. This includes an uplift of £18m in aid announced by the Prime Minister when he was in Kyiv on the 12th January. For 2024/25 the FCDO currently has an indicative allocation of £155 million of Official Development Assistance, as set out in its 2022-23 Annual report and accounts. We will update the House once the Ukraine allocation has been finalised.
The UK Government does not recognise the legitimacy of the Maduro regime. The recent steps taken by Venezuela with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana are unjustified and should cease. The UK supports Guyana's territorial integrity. We are clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The statement by Venezuela in St Vincent confirming that it will refrain from the use of force and any further escalation is welcome and it must be followed by concrete actions. We will continue to work with our partners in the region and internationally to ensure respect for Guyana's sovereignty. I [Minister Rutley] visited Guyana on 18 December to show UK support for the Guyanese people on this vital issue.
Total temporary agency staff spend for those financial years are in the table below. This information is published in FCDO's Annual Report & Accounts and can be found online.
YEAR | £m |
FY2013 | 7.68 |
FY2014 | 8.10 |
FY2015 | 5.56 |
FY2016 | 5.03 |
FY2017 | 6.34 |
FY2018 | 4.09 |
FY2019 | 6.66 |
FY2020 | 12.01 |
FY2021 | 25.68 |
FY2022 | 39.58 |
FY2023 | 12.43 |
FCDO consultancy spend in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-2023 was £2.7 million, £1.4 million and £3.9 million respectively. Total FCO plus DFID spend for years 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17 and 2015-16 was £3.0 million, £2.6 milion, £1.3 million, £3.3 million and £2.6 million respectively.
The FCDO's E-sourcing system only goes back to 2016 so we are unable to provide data between 2012-13 and 2014-2015.
The Government remains committed to ensuring Russia pays for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. Working with relevant Departments, we are continuing to pursue all lawful routes to make Russian assets available to support Ukraine's reconstruction. G7 Leaders have made clear that sovereign assets will remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it has caused Ukraine. We continue to work closely with our international partners to share experience and expertise.
The former Foreign Secretary raised Mr Lai's case with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as Vice President Han Zheng on 31 August during his visit to China. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, most recently on 2 November with the Deputy Justice Secretary. We also continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.
The Government has consistently condemned Vladimir Kara-Murza's politically motivated conviction and called for his release since his arrest. The Prime Minister reiterated this in July following Mr Kara-Murza's failed appeal. We have regularly raised his case both with the Russian authorities and at multilateral fora, including the UN Human Rights Council on 13 November, and continue to do so at every available opportunity. The FCDO sanctioned 11 individuals in response to his sentencing and appeal as well as two individuals involved in his earlier poisoning. Consular officials remain in close contact with Mr Kara-Murza's wife Evgenia, who has met ministers and senior officials on multiple occasions.
We are working closely with Egypt and Israel to ensure all British nationals who want to leave Gaza can exit via the Rafah crossing or other routes as quickly as possible. Over 200 British nationals and their dependents have crossed into Egypt and we are continuing to offer support to those that are yet to cross. The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority. We are doing everything we can to support all British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are working closely with Israeli counterparts and international partners.
The Government's thoughts are with those families who are facing unimaginable uncertainty and fear because of these despicable attacks and kidnappings. We are not commenting on specific numbers or individual cases. The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we continue to do everything we can to secure the release of all hostages, including working with Israeli counterparts and international partners at the highest levels.
The Government's thoughts are with those families who are facing unimaginable uncertainty and fear because of these despicable attacks and kidnappings. We are not commenting on specific numbers or individual cases. The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we continue to do everything we can to secure the release of all hostages, including working with Israeli counterparts and international partners at the highest levels.
The Government's thoughts are with those families who are facing unimaginable uncertainty and fear because of these despicable attacks and kidnappings. We are not commenting on specific numbers or individual cases. The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we continue to do everything we can to secure the release of all hostages, including working with Israeli counterparts and international partners at the highest levels.
The UK Government has raised our concerns about Mr Johal's case, including his allegations of torture, with the Government of India on over 110 occasions and will continue to do so. Mr Johal's case was raised most recently on 13 November by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, with the Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Following the first earthquake on 7 October, FCDO quickly allocated £1 million to the Red Cross to help meet emergency needs, and a further £1 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) in response to further shocks. This support will ensure affected communities receive emergency shelter, food and health assistance. Overall, $10 million has been allocated from the AHF and a further $5 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, which the UK supports. We continue to monitor the situation closely.
The Foreign Secretary last raised settler violence with his Israeli counterpart on 17 November. Reports of Palestinian civilians being murdered by settlers in Occupied Palestinian Territories are appalling. Whilst we welcome statements from Israeli Ministers including Prime Minister Netanyahu condemning settler violence, we must see tangible action to bring perpetrators to justice.
The UK also condemns attacks against Israel emanating from armed groups in the region. The former Foreign Secretary spoke with the Palestinian Authority, the Government of Jordan and other regional partners about how best to work together to ensure tensions do not escalate further.
The Foreign Secretary last raised settler violence with his Israeli counterpart on 17 November. Reports of Palestinian civilians being murdered by settlers in Occupied Palestinian Territories are appalling. Whilst we welcome statements from Israeli Ministers including Prime Minister Netanyahu condemning settler violence, we must see tangible action to bring perpetrators to justice.
The UK also condemns attacks against Israel emanating from armed groups in the region. The former Foreign Secretary spoke with the Palestinian Authority, the Government of Jordan and other regional partners about how best to work together to ensure tensions do not escalate further.
As the Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary have said, the safety of British nationals remains our top priority. We are working closely with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities round the clock to ensure our British nationals can leave Gaza as soon as possible. Humanitarian pauses are helping British nationals to leave Gaza and we are urging Israel to adhere to International Humanitarian Law. The UK has a team at the Rafah crossing to ensure we can provide the necessary consular and administrative support needed to British nationals when they cross. We are providing support for British nationals to get from Rafah to Cairo, where we have set up a reception centre and have arranged temporary accommodation. Additional Consular and Border Force staff are in country to support this work, as is an FCDO Rapid Deployment Team and a team of British Red Cross psychological support experts. More than 200 British nationals and their dependants have left Gaza so far; this is well over half of those who registered with the FCDO initially.
The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and welcome the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visits to the region, including to Western Sahara. We will continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Ministers and officials continue to raise Mr El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian Government and have been consistently clear in our calls for his release, whilst continuing to press the need for urgent consular access. The Prime Minister raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 20 October. The former Foreign Secretary has raised Mr El-Fattah's case on several occasions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry, most recently on 18 September. The Minister of State for Development and Africa, Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell, has also raised the case with the Egyptian authorities, most recently on 15 November during his visit to Cairo. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, continues to raise his case with the Egyptian Ambassador and with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry.
The creation of the FCDO brought together our development and diplomatic expertise to deliver greater impact for the UK internationally. The merger has required all FCDO staff across the department to work in different ways. Spend on temporary staff within the FCDO is largely driven by the nature of the projects being undertaken and the expertise required. At a high level, temporary staff costs over the last three financial years are associated to IT and digital activity, priority programmes and merger activity where temporary and specialist expertise has been needed to ensure delivery. These costs are set out in the FCDO Annual Reports for the previous three financial years:
2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | |
Temporary staff costs | 49,105,281 | £39,575,855 | £25,679,267 |
Spend on temporary staff within the FCDO are set out in the FCDO Annual Reports for the previous three financial years:
2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | |
Temporary staff costs | £49,105,281 | £39,575,855 | £25,679,267 |
The need for temporary staff within the FCDO is largely driven by the nature of the projects being undertaken and the expertise required. At a high level, costs for temporary staff are associated to IT and digital activity, which includes supporting the implementation of the HERA programme, priority programmes and merger activity where temporary and specialist expertise has been needed to ensure delivery. Information on the cost of temporary staff specifically for the HERA programme is not centrally held and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. Overall temporary staff costs are set out in the FCDO Annual Reports for the previous three financial years:[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1019938/FCDO_annual_report_and_accounts_2020_to_2021_accessible.pdf][https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1095304/FCDO_Annual_Report_2021_2022_Accessible_290722.pdf][https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1170838/Foreign-Commonwealth-and-Development-Office-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023.pdf]
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials have been in regular contact with their counterparts at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities throughout the development of the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill. FCDO advice to the DLUHC was that our assessment is that the bill is compliant with our responsibilities under UNSCR 2334.
The Foreign Secretary has received advice from officials, including legal advice, on the bill. It is a longstanding convention for governments of all parties not to comment on the contents of government legal advice. The Government's position on the bill was set out by my RHF the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities during the debate on the second reading of the bill on 3 July. The bill does four things: it honours a manifesto promise to which this Government recommitted in the last Queen's speech; it affirms the important principle that UK foreign policy is a matter for the UK Government; it ensures that local authorities concentrate on serving their residents, not directing resources inefficiently; and, critically, it provides protection for minority communities, especially the Jewish community, against campaigns that harm community cohesion and fuel antisemitism.
The UK Government fully supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are working with political leaders in BiH and our international partners, to ensure BiH is a secure, safe and prosperous country, built on strong foundations of democracy and the rule of law, in line with our strategy across the Western Balkans. In the financial year 2022/23, the UK Government spent just over £47 million on programme activity supporting this vision across the Western Balkans and in April the Foreign Secretary announced an additional £1 million for BiH Armed Forces' defence capacity building.
The Foreign Secretary made clear the UK's continued commitment to ensuring Russia pays for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. Alignment on approach is important, given the challenge. The G7 Leaders' made a commitment in May that sovereign assets remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. The G7 and international allies continue to work closely to deliver on this, share expertise and experience. The London Ukraine Recovery Conference in June brought together over 1,000 public and private sector decision makers. They represented 59 countries, 33 international organisations, over 400 businesses and 130 civil society organisations.
No G7 country has yet seized assets through a new, legally tested mechanism. Canada remains a close partner on our Ukraine response and we continue to engage closely with them on this and many other issues. The UK will remain a credible partner on this by assuring ourselves of the safety, robustness and legality of any asset seizure proposal.