Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following events that these networks organised in May 2025:
Network | Date of Meeting |
Parent and Carers Network | 7th May 2025 |
LGBT+ Network | 8th May 2025 |
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Annex IV of the UK-Mauritius agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, published on 22 May 2025, what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to the public purse of legal cases heard through the arbitration mechanism; and whether he has had discussions with (a) UK and (b) other lawyers on joining the tribunal.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of the arbitration mechanism, including the identities of arbitrators, will be agreed with Mauritius through the Joint Commission.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a complaint against Mauritius under the Treaty of Pelindaba on the storage of nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia; and whether the UK would cooperate with inspections of the base under that treaty.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the reply given to his PQs 18902 and 54633.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58921 on Innovate UK: Northern Ireland, how Innovate UK’s regional support advisors in Northern Ireland promote the availability of Innovation Funding Services in Northern Ireland to small firms that previously had no contact with Innovate UK.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Innovate UK actively promotes its products and services to Northern Ireland businesses to improve their access to innovation funding and resources and foster growth within the region’s innovation ecosystem. It does this through a variety of channels. These include Innovate Local events, joint webinars with Invest NI, and participation in Enterprise NI’s finance series. Innovate UK competitions are also promoted on nibusinessinfo.co.uk by Invest NI. The programmes they promote are an important source of support for businesses in Northern Ireland. For example, Innovate UK Business Growth has supported 339 businesses over three years, while the ‘New Innovators’ funding program, which is only available to businesses without prior Innovate UK engagement, has provided £1 million to 23 small and micro businesses since 2020.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on preparedness for a future pandemic.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.
Ensuring the United Kingdom is prepared for a future pandemic is a top priority for the Government, embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and aiming to have flexible, adaptable and scalable capabilities that can respond to any infectious disease or threat.
The Government will continue to ensure pandemic preparedness throughout the transition and beyond, while also using the opportunities presented by the two organisations coming together.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools are informed when a pupil's parent is sent to prison.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why the department is committed to identifying children affected by parental imprisonment and ensuring they get the community support they need to thrive.
Our approach to recognising children affected by parental imprisonment must be sensitive, child and family-focused, and in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
We will continue to engage schools, children with lived experience of parental imprisonment, local authorities and charities, alongside other external stakeholders with a broad range of expertise, to help shape our policy to better identify and support children affected by parental imprisonment.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Annex 1, Clause 5, of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia [CS Mauritius No.1/2025], what the areas of assistance agreed to provide Mauritius to (a) monitor, (b) detect and (c) adjudicate security risks and conduct Security Reviews were.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As set out in the new UK-Mauritius Strategic Partnership Framework, Mauritius and the United Kingdom will cooperate on matters relating to maritime security. This includes the UK working with Mauritius to improve maritime surveillance, the tracking of suspicious vessels and data sharing. Further engagement on the details of this cooperation with Mauritius is ongoing.
Decisions on the areas of assistance required for Mauritius to adjudicate security risks and conduct Security Reviews will be made as part of the current implementation process.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
Across government, we will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions at the United Nations with his international counterparts on the potential impact of international sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine on the Russian economy.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with international counterparts bilaterally and at key multilateral fora, such as at the United Nations, to discuss a range of sanctions issues including the potential impact of sanctions related to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Such discussions cover the effect of our collective sanctions, which have deprived Russia of at least $450 billion since February 2022. They cover the global impact of Russia's war on Ukraine and challenge false and damaging narratives on impact. We use sanctions to deter and disrupt malign behaviour and demonstrate our defence of international norms. Our sanctions are designed to reduce the flow of arms and funding. They are used to support peace processes and to respond to threats to international security.
We will continue to coordinate and cooperate with our international counterparts on sanctions issues at the United Nations and in a range of other fora, particularly the G7.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 54676 on Diego Garcia: Military Bases and with reference to Article 4 of the UK/Mauritius agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, published on 22 May 2025, whether the UK will ensure (a) its storage of nuclear weapons at the base and (b) all other operations on Diego Garcia comply with Mauritius’ (i) current and (ii) future international law obligations under the (A) Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, (B) Treaty of Pelindaba and (C) Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan 2025-2027.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the reply given to his PQs 18902 and 54633.