Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on the role of soft power; and how the Government plans to ensure that cultural relations organisations such as the British Council remain adequately resourced.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on the likelihood of young people who have participated in British Council programmes to express an intention to do business and trade with the UK; and whether this has implications for future funding for cultural and educational exchange.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her strategies on trade, inward investment and international partnerships of the finding in the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 report on trust in the UK.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies UK’s trust ratings in France, Germany and Italy as reported in the British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 study; and what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help improve the UK's reputation within Europe.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the latest edition of the British Council's Global Perceptions report, and we will take into account its insights across a range of different areas when shaping the substance and communication of the UK's foreign policies over the year ahead.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of local authority compliance with the national legislation establishing the threshold of (a) 10 sessions of unauthorised absence and (b) a rolling 10-school-week period for issuing fixed penalty notices.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The National Framework for Penalty Notices, which was designed to embed our support-first approach and improve consistency and fairness across the country, was introduced in August 2024.

Every local authority must draw up, and is expected to publish, a local code of conduct, which must be adhered to by all parties issuing a penalty notice. Amongst other things, each code is expected to include details of the national threshold and local arrangements for determining if the support provided has been sufficient. Further details are listed in paragraph 197 of our statutory attendance guidance, which is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf#page=60.

Local authorities are also expected to supply details related to the use of penalty notices in their area as part of the parental responsibility measures census, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parental-responsibility-measures-statistics-guide.

Data is collected annually for the previous academic year. The department expects the first set of data related to after the introduction of the National Framework to be published in January 2026.

Life and legacy of Saskia Jones

Winter NHS corridor care

Right to trial by jury

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Found: representations: • Tonia Antoniazzi: Impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging • Manuela Perteghella

Found: North Hykeham) Darren Paffey (Labour; Southampton Itchen) Rebecca Paul (Conservative; Reigate) Manuela Perteghella

Found: Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Sureena Brackenridge; Dr Caroline Johnson; Manuela Perteghella

Found: Johnson (Conservative; Sleaford and North Hykeham) Darren Paffey (Labour; Southampton Itchen) Manuela Perteghella

Found: Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson; Alison Griffiths; Chris Hinchliff; Manuela Perteghella