Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the demolition of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine in East Jerusalem.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Lord Bishop to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her overseas counterparts on 28 January, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
We the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom strongly condemn the demolitions by the Israeli authorities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) headquarters in East Jerusalem, on 20 January 2026.
This unprecedented act against a United Nations agency by a UN Member State marks the latest unacceptable move to undermine their ability to operate. We urge the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure the protection and inviolability of United Nations premises in accordance with the provisions of the UN General Convention (1946) and the Charter. We call upon the Government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions.
We reiterate our full support for UNRWA's indispensable mission to provide essential services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. We welcome UNRWA's commitment to reform and implementation of the recommendations of the Colonna Report to ensure they meet the highest standards on neutrality and integrity. UNRWA is a service provider delivering healthcare and education to millions of Palestinians across the region, particularly in Gaza, and must be able to operate without restrictions. We reiterate our deep concern regarding the application by the Government of Israel of legislation, adopted by the Knesset in October 2024 and strengthened in December 2025, forbidding any contact between Israeli state entities and officials and UNRWA, prohibiting and de facto preventing any UNRWA presence within Israel and in Jerusalem including the supply of electricity, water and gas to properties registered under UNRWA.
Israel agreed to President Trump's 20-Point Plan, which committed to the entry and distribution of aid into Gaza, led by the UN and Red Crescent and without interference. We call on the Government of Israel to fully abide by its obligations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in accordance with international law. Despite the increase in aid entering Gaza, conditions remain dire and supply is inadequate for the needs of the population. Therefore, we call on the Government of Israel to take the following urgent and essential steps:
- Allow the expanded, safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services throughout the whole of Gaza and the West Bank in accordance with international humanitarian law.
- Ensure that international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza, including by lifting restrictive registration requirements.
- The reopening of all crossing points, including the announced plans to re-open the Rafah crossing in both directions.
- And lift persistent restrictions on humanitarian goods' imports, including items considered to have a "dual use" that are essential to humanitarian and early recovery operations.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has held discussions regarding the number of Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates that will be manufactured as part of the £10 billion deal with Norway.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Indeed, the Secretary of State has been in Norway in the past few days. The Secretary of State engages routinely with his Norwegian counterpart as part of the evolving UK-Norway strategic defence partnership.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to allocate one of the eight Type 26 frigates currently intended for the Royal Navy to Norway.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Working together with our Norwegian Partners we are assessing options for offering Type 26 build slots currently allocated to the Royal Navy to the Royal Norwegian Navy.
The Royal Navy will receive all eight Type 26 ships during the late 2020s and 2030s as planned. Norway's biggest ever defence procurement deal will see a combined fleet of 13 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates - eight British and at least five Norwegian - operate jointly in Northern Europe, significantly strengthening NATO's northern flank.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase UK service personnel numbers stationed in Greenland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK agrees on the need to step up security in the High North and Arctic to deter and defend against the threats posed by adversaries such as Russia. This is why the UK already engages in NATO activity in the region. The UK continues to operate UK Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and Maritime Patrol Aircraft in support of NATO deterrence activity on a regular basis and continues to deepen its partnerships with key Allies in the region such as Norway. Discussions amongst Allies about NATO’s future role in the Arctic region are ongoing.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role the UK will play in the multinational NATO command in Greenland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK agrees on the need to step up security in the High North and Arctic to deter and defend against the threats posed by adversaries such as Russia. This is why the UK already engages in NATO activity in the region. The UK continues to operate UK Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and Maritime Patrol Aircraft in support of NATO deterrence activity on a regular basis and continues to deepen its partnerships with key Allies in the region such as Norway. Discussions amongst Allies about NATO’s future role in the Arctic region are ongoing.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) review and (b) update the UK’s Defence Contribution in the High North strategy, published in March 2022, to ensure it (i) reflects the Government’s policies and (ii) adequately addresses (A) current and (B) emerging security challenges in the arctic region.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out the Government's approach to deterring threats and strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area, including the Arctic and High North. The region features strongly in the SDR's strategic thinking, particularly in relation to the Royal Navy's Atlantic Bastion concept (which includes securing the North Atlantic and adjacent waters), the importance of NATO's Northern Flank, our co-operation through the Joint Expeditionary Force and bilaterally with nations such as Norway, and the anticipated geostrategic shifts due to climate change, including increased accessibility and competition in the High North.
The Government continues to monitor developments in the Arctic region closely, including Russia's military posture and capabilities in the region. This is achieved through a combination of intelligence assessments, engagement with allies, and participation in multinational fora such as the JEF and NATO.
NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which international child maintenance systems his Department has reviewed in the last five years as comparators for reform of the Child Maintenance Service; and what key lessons were identified.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service keeps international practice under review and draws on lessons from other systems where appropriate. In recent years, we have looked at approaches in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
While international approaches differ and direct comparisons are challenging, our review indicates that the UK Child Maintenance system is effective at tackling child poverty. In the UK, child maintenance payments do not reduce benefit entitlements, which boosts household income and strengthens efforts to reduce child poverty. By separating child maintenance from benefits, the UK approach strengthens its impact on reducing poverty and may improve incentives to pay, ensuring the support is meaningful for both parents.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy on employment and skills in Scotland; and what steps are being taken to ensure defence procurement supports jobs and economic growth across all parts of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Industrial Strategy is already having a significant impact on employment and skills in Scotland. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) spent more than £2.1 billion with industry in Scotland in the last financial year alone, backing almost 12,000 skilled jobs and highlighting Scotland as a backbone for defence of the UK - from the home to our nuclear deterrent, to boasting a long-term pipeline of major international military shipbuilding.
This is illustrated by the deal to supply Norway with Type 26 frigates, the biggest ever warship export deal by value, that will support 4,000 jobs across the UK supply chain, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards. The Scotland Defence Growth Deal and the defence industry skills package that was also announced in the Defence Industrial Strategy will support even more employment and skills opportunities in Scotland.
The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out our commitment to revamp our procurement framework, delivering a comprehensive review of defence contracting to incentivise productivity and improve delivery. This includes our new segmented approach to procurement that is enabling the MOD to tailor its acquisition processes to the type of capability, supplier and risk involved, as well as measures aimed at making it easier for SMEs to do business with the MOD. All of these initiatives will have benefits for jobs and economic growth across the UK, including in Scotland.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under the Lunna House Agreement, by when will the Royal Navy adopt advanced Norwegian naval strike missiles and what existing capability will they replace.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a Norwegian anti-ship and land attack missile, which has been acquired for the Royal Navy’s escort force. It replaces the Harpoon anti-ship missile, which went out of service in December 2023. The NSM is 20 years newer, has greater range, and is far more capable than the system it replaces.
The Royal Navy completed its first successful launch of an NSM missile from HMS SOMERSET in Norway in September 2025 at Exercise AEGIR. Test firings are now complete and the NSM is expected to enter service later this year.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 93697, whether he has made an estimate of the differences in the number of conditions screened for in newborns between the UK and other countries such as Norway, Australia, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands; and how those differences relate to the internationally recognised criteria used by the UK National Screening Committee.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Screening programmes in the United Kingdom have a more rigorous approach towards evaluating the benefits and harms of screening compared to many other countries such as the United States of America and Italy.
The independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which is made up of leading medical and screening experts, advises Ministers in all four nations of the UK on the evidence on screening. Where the Committee is confident that screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.
Some countries often cited as screening more conditions than the UK are not always running national programmes. Some countries or regions screen for a condition when it is only at the pilot or research stage. Some ‘screening programmes’ just test for a condition rather than being end-to-end quality-assured programmes that include diagnosis, treatment and care. And screening in some countries is delivered regionally, or even just by individual hospitals, rather than nationally. They are therefore not directly comparable to the national screening programmes offered in the UK.