Lara Bird

Under the Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2028.

The UK is around 90% self-sufficient in eggs for human consumption and has been for the past ten years.

The proportion of egg imports which originate in Ukraine has increased, but overall, UK imports of eggs and associated products decreased by 6% in the 12 months to June 2026, compared to the previous 12 months.

Defra is closely monitoring trade flows and market conditions and will continue to engage with the UK poultry and egg sectors throughout the period of liberalisation.

Sanitary and phytosanitary trade restrictions must be evidenced-based and proportionate in line with World Trade Organization rules.

Defra is assessing Brazilian production systems in place to ensure that beef from animals treated with certain antimicrobial products is not exported to Great Britain, as a priority.

No comparative assessment has been made of child poverty trends in England and Wales compared to Scotland since the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment.

Information on child poverty levels and percentage in England, Scotland and Wales from 1994/95 to 2024/25 can be found in tables 1.4a and 1.4b in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) summary results file. Country level estimates are presented as three-year averages as single year regional estimates are considered too volatile.

HBAI data from 2021/22 uses administrative data in place of survey responses for the major DWP and HMRC benefits. This means that data prior to 2021/22 (unlinked) is not directly comparable to data from 2021/22 onwards (administrative linked). Comparisons across unlinked and administrative linked data can be made using the methodology outlined in section 3.2 of the Background Information and Methodology report.

The UK Government welcomes action taken by devolved governments to tackle child poverty and continues to work constructively with the Scottish Government on areas of shared interest.

We have considered evidence from across the UK, including approaches taken by the devolved governments, throughout development of the Child Poverty Strategy. The Strategy sets out the UK Government's own approach to reducing child poverty through boosting incomes, reducing the cost of essentials and strengthening local support for families. The Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling child poverty and supporting low-income families and will continue to learn from evidence on what works.

Our focus is on addressing both the immediate pressures facing families and the structural drivers of poverty, with the measures announced through the Child Poverty Strategy expected to lift around 550,000 children out of relative poverty after housing costs in 2029-30.

Since April 2017, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) have been fully devolved in Scotland, and the Scottish Government is responsible for the allocation and payment of funding to Scottish local authorities. Further information on the funding of DHPs in Scotland can be found for 2025/26 using this link: Official statistics: Applications, determinations, awards and award total value - Discretionary Housing Payments in Scotland: 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 - gov.scot

Any assessment of the costs or fiscal impact of these devolved arrangements is a matter for the Scottish Government.

The enforcement and effectiveness of sanctions is a priority for the Government, and we conducted a major cross government review on this in 2025. Government departments and specialised agencies are mandated to lead on the enforcement and implementation of sanctions.

The Government has concluded that Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful.

We have already suspended or rejected over 80 licences. Those suspensions remain in place. Additionally, we will now refuse all applications for exports that materially contribute to the occupation.

We have reviewed all extant licences for exports to Israel on the same basis. All licences are maintained under careful and continual review, and we can and will suspend or revoke any that we assess materially contribute to the occupation.

We now have in effect an additional lock on relevant licences.

The UK has consistently condemned violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank and remains clear that those responsible should be held accountable. It is important that British nationals are aware of the UK's position on settlements and the rules that will be brought in under new measures announced by the Foreign Secretary on 8 September.

The Government has been clear that Israel has an obligation to implement the Provisional Measures indicated by the Court. The Foreign Secretary was clear in our support for the ICJ and its processes in his 8 September statement.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 8 September in relation to Israel and Palestine.

The government’s proposals for settlement reform were set out in the Command Paper ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ (CP1448) and were the subject of a public consultation between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We received over 200,000 responses from the public and organisations and are now considering all responses received.  This will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  This will also include both economic and equality impact assessments.

In 2014, there was agreement in the UK parliament and the Scottish parliament, across all political parties, and across civic society, that there should be a referendum. There is no such consensus now. In that referendum, the people of Scotland made clear their continued commitment to Scotland remaining part of the UK.

As set out in the manifesto which saw this government win a majority of UK parliamentary seats in Scotland, this Government does not support independence or another referendum.

Our focus now must be on delivery, not division. This UK Government is focused entirely on delivering in the national interest.

This Government was elected on a clear commitment not to support independence or another referendum. People need and want their governments focused on the big issues our country faces - economic growth, the cost of living, public services and security. That is what this Government is doing.

This Government was elected on a clear commitment not to support independence or another referendum. People need and want their governments focused on the big issues our country faces - economic growth, the cost of living, public services and security. That is what this Government is doing.