Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, what the cost of all football kits purchased from each football club to support youth engagement projects was from the start of financial year 2020/21 to the end of October 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The cost of all football kits purchased was £17,306.57 in FY 20/21 and £15,232.59 in FY 21/22. The transactions were with a range of individual clubs and commercial suppliers as set out below; most of these transactions were for kit from more than one EPL team. These kits are expected to be worn for four football seasons: an estimated 200 matches per kit.
Supplier | Sum of Billed Amount |
Brighton and Hove Albion FC | £ 491.95 |
Directsoccer.co.uk | £ 5,277.97 |
Kitbag | £ 3,845.95 |
Gotto Sports | £ 20.00 |
Leicester City Football Club | £ 736.10 |
Lord Jerseys | £ 609.00 |
Premier Services International | £ 7,891.49 |
Norwich City Football Club | £ 1,899.00 |
Sports Direct 373 | £ 35.98 |
SportsDirect.com | £ 9,754.72 |
Jersey Workshop | £ 405.00 |
West Ham United Football Club | £ 1,572.00 |
Grand Total | £ 32,539.16 |
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 October to Question 53318 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, whether the departmental spend attributed to the youth engagement projects was registered as Official Development Assistance in accordance with OECD rules from the start of financial year 2020/21 to the end of October 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with OECD rules, the Seychelles does not qualify for Official Development Assistance.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of climate change on global poverty levels among children and young people.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
People in developing, lower-income, fragile and conflict affected states are disproportionately affected by climate change, especially those in marginalised groups such as women, people with disabilities and young people. The UK is committed to delivering an inclusive approach to climate and nature action. During our Presidency of COP26, countries agreed to a new Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment, promoting youth engagement and education. Through our International Climate Finance programming, we have directly helped 95,000,000 people to adapt to climate change since 2011, including children and young people. The UK will continue to support countries as they put climate risk at the centre of decision making.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September to Question 47402, for what reason it would cost more than £800 to provide an answer as to the purpose of the payments made by his Department to the official Norwich City Football Club online store of (a) £1,318 on 21 October 2021, and (b) £523.50 on 21 March 2022.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
This payment was one of 46 questions submitted by the MP, which referenced more than 250 transactions in total. The resource required to collate this information would be above the disproportionate cost threshold. This spend relates to purchases of one of twelve different English Premier League kits purchased to support youth engagement projects overseas. The purchases were made following set guidelines to ensure they were appropriate and achieved value for money.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken through (a) international diplomacy, (b) Official Development Assistance, or (c) other means, to support democracy in Myanmar.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their call for democracy. We led a strong international response to the coup, including through the G7 and UN Security Council (UNSC). On 27 July, we secured a UNSC statement condemning the military's execution of pro-democracy activists. We are working continuously to amplify the voices of the National Unity Consultative Council, the National Unity Government (NUG) and other pro-democracy voices, including at the UNSC. To underline this, the then Minister for Asia, Amanda Milling met Dr Zaw Wai Soe, the NUG's Minister for Health and Education, in May and reiterated the UK's support for a return to democracy. The UK remains a significant donor in Myanmar and our development programme is supporting diverse civil society and pro-democracy voices, including women's rights organisations, LGBT+ groups and youth. We are also working to protect civic space, human rights and media freedom.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on freedom of (a) assembly, (b) association and (c) expression for (i) civil society activists, (ii) journalists and (iii) other people in the context of COP27.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK and we regularly raise concerns with the Egyptian authorities, both in private and public. The former Prime Minister did so during his call with President Sisi on 25 August. Also, both Lord Ahmad and the then Foreign Secretary raised human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to London in July. The UK COP Presidency continues to work closely with the Egyptian authorities regarding COP27, urging them to ensure an inclusive summit, where civil society, youth, and independent media can participate freely.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she will take to support the authorities in Chad to ensure the country’s national dialogue is inclusive of opposition groups.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK seeks to promote Chad's transition back to civilian and constitutional rule in line with the African Union Peace and Security Council communiqué of 14 May 2021. The UK has taken several steps to support the Chadian authorities to ensure the National Dialogue is inclusive. The UK is a member of the African Union's International Support Group for the Transition and has contributed to the United Nations Development Programme fund for the transition to support the inclusion of women and youth in the National Dialogue, which opened on 20 August 2022. I [Minister Ford] also wrote to the Chadian Minister for Foreign Affairs congratulating him on the Doha Agreement which was signed by the Transitional Military Council and rebel groups. In this letter, I set out the UK position on the transition, and encouraged the Minister to ensure the National Dialogue is as representative and inclusive as possible, particularly of unarmed opposition and civil society groups. We are closely monitoring the transition in Chad and use our diplomatic presence to relay key messages, in co-ordination with the international community, on inclusion within the National Dialogue and the organisation of free and fair elections according to the terms agreed by the African Union.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help support the transition to democracy in Chad.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK seeks to promote Chad's transition back to civilian and constitutional rule in line with the African Union Peace and Security Council communiqué of 14 May 2021. The UK is a member of the African Union's International Support Group for the Transition, alongside other partners. The UK has contributed to the United Nations Development Programme fund for the transition, in order to support the inclusion of women and youth in the National Dialogue, which opened on 20 August 2022. It is essential that the National Dialogue is as representative and inclusive as possible and that it leads to the development of a new constitution and free and fair elections according to the terms agreed by the African Union. I, [Minister Ford] have written to the Chadian Minister for Foreign Affairs congratulating him on the recent Doha Agreement on the participation of politico-military movements in the National Dialogue and setting out the UK position on the transition.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many job vacancies there are in each Government (a) department and (b) agency.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
As at 8am on 19 July, there are 3,349 adverts for 10,409 total postings advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. The below table shows vacancies and posts by department.
Department | Agency (if applicable) | Adverts Live | Total Posts Live |
Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence | 597 | 1,199 |
HM Prison & Probation Service | HM Prison & Probation Service | 519 | 3,480 |
HM Revenue and Customs | HM Revenue and Customs | 243 | 504 |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal) | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Internal) | 230 | 262 |
UK Health Security Agency | UK Health Security Agency | 112 | 175 |
Home Office | Home Office | 107 | 990 |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy | Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy | 86 | 164 |
Ministry of Justice | Ministry of Justice | 82 | 206 |
Department for Work and Pensions | Department for Work and Pensions | 76 | 396 |
Cabinet Office | Cabinet Office | 50 | 60 |
Department for International Trade | Department for International Trade | 50 | 61 |
Department of Health and Social Care | Department of Health and Social Care | 48 | 54 |
Office for National Statistics | Office for National Statistics | 47 | 149 |
Department for Education | Department for Education | 45 | 71 |
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | 43 | 203 |
Crown Prosecution Service | Crown Prosecution Service | 39 | 82 |
Health and Safety Executive | Health and Safety Executive | 38 | 63 |
HM Courts and Tribunals Service | HM Courts and Tribunals Service | 38 | 297 |
OFGEM | OFGEM | 37 | 57 |
Natural England | Natural England | 36 | 82 |
Scottish Government | Scottish Government | 34 | 43 |
Department for Transport | Department for Transport | 30 | 32 |
Forestry Commission | Forestry Commission | 26 | 28 |
HM Treasury | HM Treasury | 26 | 31 |
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency | Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency | 24 | 36 |
House of Commons | House of Commons | 23 | 32 |
Social Security Scotland | Social Security Scotland | 22 | 70 |
Government Digital Service | Government Digital Service | 20 | 30 |
Insolvency Service | Insolvency Service | 20 | 34 |
Homes England | Homes England | 19 | 28 |
Government Legal Department | Government Legal Department | 17 | 146 |
DEFRA | Food Standards Agency | 16 | 20 |
Government Commercial Function | Government Commercial Function | 16 | 29 |
Care Quality Commission | Care Quality Commission | 16 | 65 |
Forestry Commission - Forest Research | Forestry Commission - Forest Research | 16 | 16 |
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | 15 | 25 |
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | 15 | 16 |
College of Policing | College of Policing | 15 | 44 |
UK Hydrographic Office | UK Hydrographic Office | 15 | 49 |
Valuation Office Agency | Valuation Office Agency | 14 | 130 |
Pensions Regulator | Pensions Regulator | 13 | 16 |
Met Office | Met Office | 13 | 23 |
Welsh Government | Welsh Government | 13 | 56 |
National Crime Agency | National Crime Agency | 13 | 144 |
The Money and Pensions Service | The Money and Pensions Service | 13 | 18 |
Government Property Agency | Government Property Agency | 12 | 29 |
DEFRA | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 12 | 13 |
Legal Aid Agency | Legal Aid Agency | 11 | 29 |
Historic Environment Scotland | Historic Environment Scotland | 10 | 10 |
HM Land Registry | HM Land Registry | 10 | 18 |
Information Commissioner's Office | Information Commissioner's Office | 10 | 19 |
FCDO Services | FCDO Services | 10 | 10 |
Crown Commercial Service | Crown Commercial Service | 9 | 14 |
Office for Students | Office for Students | 9 | 20 |
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | 9 | 12 |
Disclosure & Barring Service | Disclosure & Barring Service | 8 | 16 |
UK Export Finance | UK Export Finance | 8 | 11 |
Department for Transport | Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency | 8 | 20 |
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | 8 | 9 |
House of Lords | House of Lords | 8 | 9 |
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | 7 | 7 |
Companies House | Companies House | 7 | 7 |
Marine Management Organisation | Marine Management Organisation | 7 | 9 |
Government Office for Science | Government Office for Science | 7 | 28 |
GCHQ | GCHQ | 7 | 22 |
UK Space Agency | UK Space Agency | 7 | 7 |
Joint Nature Conservation Committee | Joint Nature Conservation Committee | 6 | 6 |
Student Loans Company | Student Loans Company | 6 | 14 |
Department for Transport | Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | 6 | 92 |
Department for Transport | Maritime and Coastguard Agency | 6 | 10 |
Serious Fraud Office | Serious Fraud Office | 5 | 9 |
Office of the Public Guardian | Office of the Public Guardian | 5 | 12 |
Trade Remedies Authority | Trade Remedies Authority | 5 | 5 |
Planning Inspectorate | Planning Inspectorate | 5 | 7 |
Cross Departmental Opportunities | Cross Departmental Opportunities | 5 | 9 |
UK Statistics Authority | UK Statistics Authority | 4 | 4 |
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | 4 | 5 |
DEFRA | Rural Payments Agency | 4 | 5 |
Northern Ireland Office | Northern Ireland Office | 4 | 6 |
Forestry and Land Scotland | Forestry and Land Scotland | 4 | 4 |
Intellectual Property Office | Intellectual Property Office | 4 | 4 |
Consumer Scotland | Consumer Scotland | 4 | 5 |
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education | Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education | 4 | 4 |
Office of Rail and Road | Office of Rail and Road | 4 | 5 |
Government Statistical Service | Government Statistical Service | 4 | 40 |
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | 4 | 10 |
Charity Commission | Charity Commission | 4 | 7 |
Independent Office for Police Conduct | Independent Office for Police Conduct | 4 | 5 |
Independent Monitoring Authority | Independent Monitoring Authority | 3 | 3 |
UK Research and Innovation | UK Research and Innovation | 3 | 3 |
Government Internal Audit Agency | Government Internal Audit Agency | 3 | 4 |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | 3 | 7 |
Medical Research Council | Medical Research Council | 3 | 3 |
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority | Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority | 3 | 3 |
The National Lottery Community Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund | 3 | 3 |
DEFRA | Animal and Plant Health Agency | 3 | 3 |
Defence Electronics & Components Agency | Defence Electronics & Components Agency | 3 | 3 |
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service | Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service | 3 | 3 |
Gambling Commission | Gambling Commission | 3 | 3 |
Registers of Scotland | Registers of Scotland | 3 | 4 |
Competition & Markets Authority | Competition & Markets Authority | 2 | 3 |
Innovate UK | Innovate UK | 2 | 3 |
National Savings and Investments | National Savings and Investments | 2 | 2 |
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | 2 | 2 |
Housing Ombudsman Service | Housing Ombudsman Service | 2 | 2 |
MI5 | MI5 | 2 | 2 |
DEFRA | Veterinary Medicines Directorate | 2 | 2 |
Office for Nuclear Regulation | Office for Nuclear Regulation | 2 | 2 |
Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) | Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) | 2 | 3 |
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom | The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom | 2 | 2 |
Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council | Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council | 2 | 10 |
Security Industry Authority | Security Industry Authority | 2 | 3 |
Office for Environmental Protection | Office for Environmental Protection | 1 | 2 |
Equality and Human Rights Commission | Equality and Human Rights Commission | 1 | 1 |
Home Office | Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services | 1 | 1 |
The National Archives | The National Archives | 1 | 1 |
Valuation Tribunal Service | Valuation Tribunal Service | 1 | 1 |
DEFRA | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | 1 | 2 |
MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service | MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service | 1 | 1 |
Government Actuary's Department | Government Actuary's Department | 1 | 5 |
Environmental Standards Scotland | Environmental Standards Scotland | 1 | 1 |
Scottish Forestry | Scottish Forestry | 1 | 1 |
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority | 1 | 1 |
UK Debt Management Office | UK Debt Management Office | 1 | 1 |
Parole Board | Parole Board | 1 | 1 |
Criminal Cases Review Commission | Criminal Cases Review Commission | 1 | 1 |
Youth Justice Board | Youth Justice Board | 1 | 6 |
Building Digital UK (BDUK) | Building Digital UK (BDUK) | 1 | 1 |
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | 1 | 1 |
| Grand Total | 3,349 | 10,409 |
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will increase tourism-associated funding for youth hostels.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I am pleased that the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) received support from the Culture Recovery Fund and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ Green Recovery Fund to continue the organisation's work within communities.
The Tourism Recovery Plan (TRP), published in June 2021, sets out how we will assist and accelerate the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19. The TRP sets out ambitious and stretching targets to recover inbound visitor numbers and spend, and recover domestic overnight trip volume and spend to 2019 levels, at least a year faster than independent forecasts predict.