Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote freedom of religion globally.

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

Last year, we launched the UK's Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Strategy, focusing our efforts where we can work with partners to drive positive change.

Since then, our Special Envoy has engaged governments, faith leaders and civil society across FoRB focus countries, including visits to Nigeria and Ukraine, and working with other partners such as the Holy See to strengthen international cooperation.

We continue to raise concerns directly with countries where violations occur and work through the UN and international partners to defend this fundamental human right.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the evidential basis is for the greater efficiency of unitary authorities compared to two-tier areas.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Strong, capable local authorities are the foundation for devolution. If we are to devolve more powers from Westminster to local leaders, local government needs must be simpler, stronger and more sustainable.

In addition to all the wider benefits of reorganisation, experience from previous local government reorganisations shows that, while there are upfront implementation costs, unitary councils can be more efficient, reduce duplication and deliver savings over time. For example, North Yorkshire Council has reported around £90 million of savings since its establishment in April 2023.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support local journalism.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government is committed to supporting local journalism and our Local Media Action Plan will help ensure a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities across the UK. Our actions will help local newsrooms across the country innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high-quality, trustworthy news.

Through the Local Media Action Plan, we are:

• Investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund to help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated.

• More than doubling our community radio funding to £1m a year, helping to support nearly 400 stations at the heart of our regions and encouraging the sector’s development in underserved areas.

• Launching a new campaign to encourage more young people into journalism careers, initially in the North West.

• Promoting take-up of the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ platform, to encourage the reading of more trustworthy local and national news in schools.

• Creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England as a test-case in improving reporting on local decision-making and public services.

• Making the best use of local media in government advertising campaigns, where this helps us reach our target audience and is a good fit for each campaign, and working with our media buying agency to pilot the use of hyperlocal news titles in campaigns.

• Conducting a review of all types of statutory notice, to ensure better transparency of local decision-making.

Bidding for the first year of the Local News Fund launched on 7 July, and closed on 7 August. Any extension of the Fund beyond 2027/28 will be subject to affordability and the impact of the Fund in its first two years. We will conduct a robust evaluation to help inform our decisions.

60th anniversary of Tilgate Park

50th Anniversary of the Grunwick Strike

60th anniversary of Star Trek broadcast

Deaths of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough

National strategy for fertility

60 years of scientific diving at Heriot-Watt University

Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan

Estate management charges

Retirement of Godfrey Asare and Margaret Labulo from the Members' Tea Room

Nelson Mandela Day

Emmeline Pankhurst Day

Industrial dispute of staff in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Celebration of English traditions

Commencement of section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

Found: ) Sam Carling (Labour; North West Cambridgeshire) Lauren Edwards (Labour; Rochester and Strood) Peter Lamb