Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to address multiple sclerosis in the updated Women’s Health Strategy; and whether there will be discussions on how this can inform development of the Northern Ireland Women’s Health Action Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that women can be impacted by a range of different health conditions at the same time, including those that only affect women, those that affect women differently or more severely to men, or those that affect everyone equally. This is why the renewed Women’s Health Strategy will set out how we are improving experiences and outcomes for all women as we deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.
We have set up a United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together, to share learnings across the system and discuss challenges, best practice examples and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including MS.
Health policy and delivery are devolved to the administration of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. As a UK Government department, the Department of Health and Social Care engages constructively and works collaboratively with the devolved administrations on areas of shared interest, including information sharing, coordination, and issues that have UK wide or cross-border implications.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to make sports partnerships part of the UK's diplomatic efforts in Small Island States in the Caribbean.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) recognises that sport can be an enabler of sustainable development, including through the promotion of tolerance and respect and through the positive contribution it makes to empowerment of women and girls, health, education and social inclusion. The UK has been one of the key supporters of the ABAS agenda in discussions with the SIDS group and at the United Nations.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to support efforts to create a Special Rapporteur for Women and Girls Living Under Occupation at the United Nations.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In our discussions with the United Nations and other international bodies, the UK continues to push for greater priority to be given to the risks facing women and girls in conflict, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's speech on 24 November, available at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/twenty-five-years-of-women-peace-and-security.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received verified evidence from the United Nations or other credible sources confirming the widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan; and what action they are taking to support the investigation and documentation of such crimes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is appalled at the severe impact of the conflict in Sudan on women and girls, including widespread sexual violence.
Through our leadership roles at the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, we have championed evidence collection and accountability. On 6 October, the UK led efforts to renew the mandate of the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), the only independent mechanism preserving evidence of atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence. We also fund a specialist Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) investigator within the FFM and are deploying a UK secondee to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Darfur investigation.
On 1 November, the Foreign Secretary announced an additional £5 million to support critical humanitarian services in Sudan, £2 million of which will be specifically allocated to bolster responses which focus on supporting the survivors of rape and sexual violence. This is in addition to the £120 million in UK funding already allocated for Sudan this year, including support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
We directly support women and girls through our programming, including the Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme which provides sexual and reproductive services to women, girls, persons living with disability and men, with UK aid delivered in camps for IDPs and elsewhere. Through our Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) programme, the UK is providing an additional £4.95 million until March 2026 to support 100,000 women and girls with a range of services to prevent and respond to FGM, child marriage and gender-based violence. This brings the total UK support delivered through this programme to £19.95 million.
Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support and guidance they are providing to non-governmental organisations and official Palestinian bodies, excluding Hamas, to help ensure the security and safety of women and children from internal violence within Gaza.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has allocated £74 million so far this financial year to support the humanitarian response in Gaza. This includes £3 million for the United Nations Population Fund, which supports their response and early recovery under four pillars: sexual and reproductive health; sexual violence; adolescents and youths; and interagency coordination. We are also working closely with partners to support implementation of the next phase of the US-led peace plan, including establishing transitional security arrangements. Within this work, we will continue to prioritise the needs of civilians, particularly women and children.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure access to humanitarian aid for women and children in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable groups including women and children. In August, the UK announced £3 million funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to contribute to UNFPA's response and early recovery results under four key pillars: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Gender-Based Violence; Adolescents and Youth; Interagency Coordination. This funding addressed the urgent needs of women and girls facing violence within Gaza. The UK has also funded United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with £9.7 million to support provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection to children. We continue to call on Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to be able to deliver humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 risks of (a) cholera and (b) other waterborne diseases among internally displaced populations in Yemen; and what steps she is taking with international partners to help mitigate those risks.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support internally displaced people in Yemen living in (a) overcrowded and (b) flood-prone settlements with limited access to (i) water, (ii) sanitation and (iii) health services.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with (a) international partners and (b) UN agencies to help tackle the (i) humanitarian and (ii) protection needs of internally displaced people in Yemen.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, as pen holder for Women, Peace & Security (WPS) at the United Nations, how they will mark the 25th Anniversary of the WPS Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1325).
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
25 years on from landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325, the UK is proud of its global leadership on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. It is important that we mark this milestone, with women remaining disproportionately impacted by high levels of global conflict. We are grateful to members of this House for their unwavering commitment to this agenda over the last quarter of a century. We are proud that the UK's strong track record on WPS is due to our meaningful cooperation across Government, Parliament, and UK civil society as we strive together to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325. The UK is working closely with our domestic and international partners, including utilising our global network of posts, to ensure we appropriately mark the anniversary around the world. The UK is steadfast in its commitment to the WPS agenda and will continue to demonstrate this during the 25th anniversary and beyond.