Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan will include measures to integrate (a) welfare and (b) debt advice provision into primary care settings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, Neighbourhood Health Centres will co-locate National Health Service, local authority and voluntary sector services, to help create an offer that meets population need holistically. Examples of this include providing debt advice and employment support services.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) help tackle potential civil service recruitment barriers for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027 outlines our commitment to having a Civil Service that reflects the composition of our society, attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. This includes better socio-economic representation and investing in our young people.
We have recently launched a two year Careers Launch Apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham, Manchester and London, to support our young people. In addition, the Cabinet Office develops and supports Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) recruitment pathways across government. GFiE brings people who face barriers to employment into the Civil Service. There are over 20 GFiE pathways in place and over 3,600 people have joined the Civil Service through GFiE since 2018. These are just two of the ways in which we demonstrate our ambition regarding underrepresented backgrounds.
Diversity data is collected from candidates during the recruitment process and made available to departments to support their people strategies.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of the civil service in increasing the proportion of recruits from (a) lower socio-economic backgrounds, (b) with disabilities and (c) from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
We are committed to having a Civil Service that reflects the composition of our society, attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. This includes better socio-economic representation and investing in our young people. We have recently launched a two year Careers Launch Apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham, Manchester and London, to support our ambition.
We continue to monitor the diversity of our candidates and workforce to improve our recruitment in these areas and tackle barriers to employment.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in each of the next three years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), having contributed £1.4 billion since 1995. This has enabled GPEI to reduce wild poliovirus cases by over 99 per cent. The UK is also the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We recently announced a new investment of £1.25 billion for 2026 - 2030 that will support eligible countries with polio vaccines as part of an essential package of childhood immunisation. The UK is working with international partners to ensure sustainable resources for global health. We are reviewing our spending - including for GPEI - following the outcome of the Spending Review to ensure that every pound of development assistance is spent in the most impactful way.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to adopt a new target that would triple UK international climate finance to 2035 in line with the global goal agreed at COP28.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to providing International Climate Finance (ICF) now and in the future, and to playing our part alongside other developed countries and climate finance providers to deliver our international obligations. Climate and nature are top priorities for the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, alongside humanitarian and health. Meeting the £11.6 billion ICF commitment by March 2026 remains the Government's ambition. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing Departmental resource allocation processes. The Government will set out spending plans following the completion of these resource allocation processes.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to funding of Official Development Assistance from the 2027-28 financial year on (a) gender equality and (b) inclusion.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Detailed decisions on the Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. Equality impact assessments - which consider impacts on those with protected characteristics, including gender - are an essential part of this process. The FCDO will share the conclusions of the Equality Impact Assessment of the 2025/26 ODA allocations alongside the final allocations which will be published in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts this summer.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce the UK’s financial commitment to the 2025 Global Fund replenishment.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long been a strong supporter of the Global Fund and we are proud to be co-hosting the 8th replenishment this year in partnership with South Africa. Except for a few time-sensitive decisions, such as our pledge at the Gavi replenishment conference, we will be working through decisions on future multi-year Official Development Assistance allocations over the coming months, including our Global Fund pledge and announcement timing.
The Global Fund is the primary channel for UK support to fight HIV, TB, and Malaria. It currently invests approximately $5 billion a year to defeat the three diseases and strengthen health systems. In 2023, the Global Fund accounted for 28% of all international financing for HIV, 76% for TB and 62% for malaria.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to (a) match and (b) exceed its previous £1 billion pledge to the Global Fund at the forthcoming replenishment.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long been a strong supporter of the Global Fund and we are proud to be co-hosting the 8th replenishment this year in partnership with South Africa. Except for a few time-sensitive decisions, such as our pledge at the Gavi replenishment conference, we will be working through decisions on future multi-year Official Development Assistance allocations over the coming months, including our Global Fund pledge and announcement timing.
The Global Fund is the primary channel for UK support to fight HIV, TB, and Malaria. It currently invests approximately $5 billion a year to defeat the three diseases and strengthen health systems. In 2023, the Global Fund accounted for 28% of all international financing for HIV, 76% for TB and 62% for malaria.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to pledge of £1.45 billion to the twentieth-first replenishment of the International Development Association.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the International Development Association (IDA). As the Minister for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean has said, we will prioritise spending our ODA budget through multilaterals which deliver most impact, like IDA.
Following the decision to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of resource allocation processes.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to encourage other donor countries to make pledges to the Global Fund.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is co-hosting the Global Fund 8th replenishment with South Africa. The Department, together with officials from South Africa and the Global Fund, will engage with existing and potential new donors in the private and public sector through bilateral engagement and multilateral events to encourage support and pledges for the Global Fund.
The Global fund is the primary channel for UK support to fight HIV, TB, and Malaria. It currently invests approximately $5 billion a year to defeat the three diseases and strengthen health systems. In 2023, the Global Fund accounted for 28% of all international financing for HIV, 76% for TB and 62% for malaria.