Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the application of the global humanitarian principles of (a) humanity, (b) impartiality, (c) independence and (d) neutrality in relation to Israel's policies in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 19 May, the UK signed a joint donor statement with 26 other humanitarian donors, which directly called on Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. This statement referenced humanitarian principles, underscoring that humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone. Further, our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May was clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that prioritises political or military objectives or puts civilians at risk. The UK government has repeatedly called on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has reiterated this in his recent calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish the Research Report: Long-Range Shootings or Shootings of Minors included in evidence in the case of Al-Haq v Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We do not comment on live litigation.
The Foreign Secretary has determined that Israel is not committed to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in operations in Gaza. A summary of the assessment resulting in the September suspension decision can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account/summary-of-the-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of airstrikes carried out by Israel in Gaza between October 2023 and September 2024, (b) the number of those his Department has examined for potential breaches of international law and (c) the number of those examined that were assessed as potentially involving violations of international law.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments, which assess Israel's compliance and commitment to IHL in the conflict in Gaza, use data on verified incidents, including but not limited to airstrikes, provided by a third-party specialising in geolocation. We do not track every single incident or airstrike as part of this process.
While the assessments have raised concerns about possible breaches of IHL in the areas of humanitarian access, the treatment of detainees, and forced displacement, we have not been able to reach a determination in relation to the conduct of hostilities due to the lack of sufficient, verifiable evidence. To determine a possible breach in this area requires access to sensitive specific information related to individual incidents, such as the intended targets, anticipated military advantage and anticipated civilian harm, which is often not available to us.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it remains his policy that any determination as to whether Israel has committed genocide in Gaza is a matter for a competent national or international court.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a determination under the Genocide Convention.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's long-standing policy is that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. As a party to the Convention, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of potential additional costs to her Department of the provisions outlined in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Department makes regular assessments of spending pressures; these take account of various factors including new policy.
The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper is an open consultation led by the Department for Work and pensions which seeks views on the approaches government should consider around reform of the health and disability benefits system and employment support. The consultation closes on 30 June 2025.
As such, it is not current policy, and a full assessment will be made in the usual way at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of her proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with (a) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and (b) other fluctuating illnesses.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In January 2025, there were around 25,000 working age claimants in England and Wales that have their main disability recorded as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, excluding those treated under Special Rules for End of Life. Around 12,000 received less than 4 points across all daily living descriptors. The primary health conditions recorded on the PIP computer system are not classified according to whether they are fluctuating or not, therefore information can only be given for specified conditions.
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment looks at how a long-term health condition or disability impacts on daily life across 12 activities, taking into account fluctuations over a 12-month period. The activities are grouped into two components, daily living and mobility, and within each activity a descriptor must be chosen to score an individual depending on whether an individual can complete the activity, the manner in which they do it, and whether they can complete each activity safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period.
The assessment is designed to reflect the impact of variations in an individual's needs for all health conditions, not only those which more typically fluctuate. Health conditions may be physical, sensory, mental, intellectual or cognitive, or any combination of these, and the assessment is designed to take a comprehensive approach to disability, reflecting the needs arising from the full range of impairments.
Health professionals are expected to be mindful of the fact that many conditions fluctuate, producing symptoms that vary in intensity from mild to severe, and are instructed not to base their opinion solely on the situation as observed at the assessment. Health Professionals also have access to Condition Insight Reports (CIRs)/EBM Protocols which are developed specifically to enable them to gain further insight into clinical and functional information, relating to specific conditions.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who (a) receive and (b) will receive (i) the daily living allowance and (ii) the enhanced Personal Independence Payment after the measures in her Pathways to Work Green Paper are enacted.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with disability organisations on the impact of (a) eligibility changes to Personal Independence Payment and (b) freezing the Universal Credit health element.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We urgently need reform to stop people from falling into inactivity, to restore public trust and fairness in the system, and to protect disabled people. That is why we are bringing forward some reforms in a Bill, including the changes to PIP eligibility and Universal Credit rates. It is right that we do this via Primary Legislation so that Parliament can fully debate and vote on these changes.
As we develop detailed proposals for change, we will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms. We are consulting on how best we can support those who might lose entitlement to PIP, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. We have also launched a wider review of the PIP assessment, which I shall lead, which will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this.
As we make changes to Universal Credit, we will ensure that we protect the incomes of the most severely disabled people, so they can live with dignity and security, while supporting those who can work to do so. Existing Universal Credit claims will also be protected by holding the health top up (LCWRA) steady in cash terms, while they will also benefit from the new higher standard allowance.
This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations. Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have engaged with a number of disability organisations and other stakeholders, and we will continue to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives. We are now also hosting virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country to further facilitate input and voices of disabled people and stakeholders on the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation directly.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of disabled people who receive the standard rate of Personal Independence Payments and are expected to no longer receive PIP following the changes to eligibility.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
By the time the proposed changes take effect in November 2026, it is expected that there will be 3.6 million working age people claiming PIP or Disability Living Allowance. The assessment of the Office for Budget Responsibility is that 370,000 claimants at implementation in November 2026 will lose their entitlement by 2029-30, or just over 10% of the PIP caseload in 2026-27.