Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to support the reconstruction of Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the second half of the answer provided on 26 January in response to Question HL13572 which, for ease of reference, is copied below:
The UK is providing £81 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. Last month, supplies of UK-funded tents entered Gaza, providing urgent shelter for 12,000 vulnerable civilians, and we will continue to push for the entry of further UK-funded aid, including tents and shelter kits, which have so far been unable to reach those in need. On 30 December 2025, the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement alongside a number of international partners calling on the Government of Israel to remove restrictions hindering the delivery of essential humanitarian aid.
The UK is supporting the US-led plan for Gaza's post-conflict stability, as well as exploring the mobilisation of private-sector finance to support Palestinian-led reconstruction of Gaza. We have also deployed UK civilian and military experts to support the Civil-Military Coordination Centre that aims to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Gaza. In addition, the UK has announced £4 million of funding for the United Nations Mine Action Service to help clear rubble, protect civilians and aid workers, and enable the safe delivery of aid. In total, the UK is providing £116 million for Palestine this financial year for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
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 reports of Palestinian civilian deaths since the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We urge all parties to respect the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect on 10 October 2025, and we continue to press for the implementation in full of the 20-point peace plan endorsed by the United Nations Security Council on 17 November 2025.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to prepare for another global pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ensuring the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, and we are embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in our approach to pandemic preparedness. We aim to have flexible, adaptable, and scalable capabilities that can respond to any infectious disease or other threat, rather than relying on plans for specific threats.
The Government is committed to learning the lessons from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry to protect and prepare us for the future. On 16 January 2025, the Government published its response to the inquiry’s module one report on resilience and preparedness. A copy of the response is attached. The Department has committed, as part of this response, to publishing a new pandemic preparedness strategy that will show how we are embedding our new approach to pandemic preparedness.
In the 2024 Autumn budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that £460 million of investment has been allocated to strengthen the UK’s pandemic preparedness and health protection, including replenishing personal protective equipment, vaccine, and medicines stockpiles.
In autumn 2025, the Department and the UK Health Security Agency conducted Exercise Pegasus, a national exercise on the UK’s preparedness for a pandemic. It tested our ability to respond to a pandemic, involving all regions and nations of the UK and thousands of participants. The exercise has provided valuable experience which is being used to inform our strategy and planning. The Government has committed to communicating the findings through the post-exercise report this winter.
An established clinical countermeasures programme is a core component of our pandemic preparedness and set of response capabilities. These countermeasures include personal protective equipment and hygiene consumables, as well as vaccines and therapeutics, such as influenza antivirals and antibiotics.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department provides on the potential impact of Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on British maritime logistics taking place in (a) the Falkland Islands, (b) Gibraltar and (c) other British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is a Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), having ratified it in 1997. The United Kingdom's position regarding Article 298 of UNCLOS is set out in the UK's formal declarations dated 7 April 2003 and 31 December 2020.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps he has taken to help support (a) safeguarding reform in Northern Ireland and (b) cross‑border learning with safeguarding regulators in England, Scotland and Wales under the Four Nations Memorandum of Understanding.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Safeguarding is a devolved matter and the development of safeguarding policy and legislation is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
This Government remains committed to working with partners across the UK to ensure the safety and protection of children and adults at risk. It is right that the four nations continue to collaborate to share best practices and maintain professional alignment across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing primary legislation to guarantee the right for every person in (a) care and (b) health settings to have at least one essential care supporter.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how important maintaining meaningful contact with loved ones and other essential care supporters is for the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and patients in hospitals or hospices.
In April 2025, the Department launched a review of the effectiveness of Care Quality Commission Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, to consider whether it has been effective in meeting its objectives.
The review considered the experiences of those receiving care, their families and loved ones, providers, and health experts, as well as information from the Care Quality Commission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and other United Kingdom nations.
The Department is committed to publishing the outcome of the review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his proposed timetable is for publishing the Government review of CQC regulation 9A.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how important maintaining meaningful contact with loved ones and other essential care supporters is for the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and patients in hospitals or hospices.
In April 2025, the Department launched a review of the effectiveness of Care Quality Commission Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, to consider whether it has been effective in meeting its objectives.
The review considered the experiences of those receiving care, their families and loved ones, providers, and health experts, as well as information from the Care Quality Commission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and other United Kingdom nations.
The Department is committed to publishing the outcome of the review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the United Kingdom will seek to place Myanmar as an urgent item on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, in the context of the human rights and humanitarian situation in that country.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement issued by the Foreign Secretary on the fifth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-statement-on-the-fifth-anniversary-of-the-military-coup-in-myanmar) and the answers provided in the House of Lords in February in response to the similar set of Questions HL13818-20, HL13821, and HL13859.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable funding by the national wealth fund across all nations of the United Kingdom.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund's Strategic Plan sets out its ambition to accelerate place-based investment across all four nations of the UK, and it has dedicated directors in each nation to support this.
The National Wealth Fund is already investing in Wales and will continue to work closely with devolved governments and local leaders to help accelerate project delivery and drive regional growth.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legislative basis is for the United States' use of force from bases in the United Kingdom being subject to joint decision-making.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes engagement with US partners on the nature and purpose of their activity. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations' military operations.