To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received data from the Scottish Government on the average waiting time for a child autism assessment in (a) Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency, (b) Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland in the last 12 months.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received data from the Scottish Government on the average waiting time for a child autism assessment in (a) Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency, (b) Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland in the last 12 months.
On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine, with forces crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and Crimea in the south. After failing to take the capital, Kyiv, in 2022, fighting is now focused in south and eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s military actions forced many Ukrainians to leave the county and have resulted in significant damage to Ukrainian infrastructure and public services, creating a substantial level of humanitarian need and reconstruction costs.
The current conflict has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing in eastern Ukraine since 2014. In that year, Russia annexed Crimea. Two regions in the Donbas, controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces, also declared independence.
The briefing describes the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, the number of displaced people, and what aid the UK and others have pledged from 2022.
The Commons Library’s Conflict in Ukraine hub page provides more analysis on the conflict, including sanctions and meeting the costs of reconstruction.
The situation in eastern Ukraine since 2014 caused the country’s humanitarian needs to grow. To January 2021, over 3,000 civilians were killed (PDF) and the UN estimated around 2.9 million people were in need of humanitarian aid (such as support to access shelter or health services) (at February 2022).
Between February 2022 and November 2024, more than 12,340 civilians have been killed (note this is a likely underestimate, according to UN monitors) and the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance stands at 14.6 million (Ukraine has an estimated population of 34 million).
In February 2024, the Government of Ukraine, the European Union and UN estimated the cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery stood at US$486 billion. The World Bank also estimates Ukraine’s gross domestic product fell 29% in 2022 and poverty also increased from 6% to 25% of the population.
Around 6 million refugees from Ukraine are recorded across Europe, and an additional 3.7 million are displaced within the country. Russia currently hosts the highest number of Ukrainian refugees (1.2 million), followed by Germany (1.2 million) and Poland (981,000). Around 252,000 refugees are in the UK.
From 2010 to 2021, the UK provided a total of £204 million in bilateral aid (aid given for a specific programme or purpose) to Ukraine to improve Ukrainian governance and address humanitarian needs. In 2022, the UK provided £342 million in bilateral aid; this fell to £250 million in 2023. Data reported to the Development Assistance Committee, which includes the world’s major aid donors (except China) shows the UK was the seventh-largest donor of aid to Ukraine in 2022.
Specific UK aid pledges include:
In September 2024 Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed the plans of the Conservative Government to provide £242 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine in 2024/25. This will provide emergency assistance, support the Ukrainian energy sector, and fund investigations into potential war crimes.
From December 2021 to February 2024, the UK has announced £6.5 billion of fiscal support to Ukraine via World Bank loan bank guarantees and grants.
G7 members are the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, the United States, and Japan, as well as the European Union. At the G7 summit in May 2023, the group said it would increase its commitment of budget and economic support for Ukraine for 2023 and early 2024 to US$44 billion. At the June 2024 G7 meeting, G7 leaders said that they would launch ‘extraordinary revenue acceleration loans’ for Ukraine, to make available US$50 billion in additional funding by the end of 2024.
Together with donors, the World Bank has mobilised US$47 billion in finance for Ukraine from February 2022 to September 2024 (around £37 billion).
In March 2023, the IMF also announced a US$15.6 billion programme (£12.8 billion) for 2022 to 2027 as part of its wider package of support for Ukraine.
Update log
December 2024: Added new statistics on FCDO spending and international comparisons
On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine, with forces crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and Crimea in the south. After failing to take the capital, Kyiv, in 2022, fighting is now focused in south and eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s military actions forced many...
In 2020, the UK Government announced it would reduce its aid spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income (GNI), in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the UK’s economy and public finances. Spending is not expected to return to 0.7% during the 2024 to 2029 parliament.
Additional pressure on the UK’s reduced aid budget has come from the requirement to meet existing commitments to international organisations, international climate finance spending, and hosting an increased number of refugees and asylum seekers from 2022.
This briefing explains the international rules that apply on reporting aid spending on refugees in aid-donor countries, the patterns of past UK aid spending on refugees, the significance of this to spending from 2022, and how the Conservative and Labour Governments have responded.
Under international aid rules, many of the costs of hosting refugees can count towards the aid budget for the first 12 months refugees are in the UK. This includes basic subsistence costs, such as food and accommodation.
A growing amount of UK aid has been spent on UK-based refugees, with spending increasing from £410 million in 2016 to £4,273 million in 2023 (rising from 3.2% of the aid budget to 28%). The Home Office was responsible for £2,936 million of this aid spending in 2023. Most support for refugees went towards providing food and shelter.
Other aid, such as on scholarships and administration, is also spent in the UK. In 2023, this totalled £833 million.
The Conservative Government acknowledged that the costs of supporting those arriving from Ukraine, the resettlement of Afghans, and other asylum applications put a pressure on the overseas aid budget.
In March 2023, while acknowledging the aid budget can meet these needs, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), an official body charged with monitoring UK aid spending, argued the UK was not adopting a conservative approach to its reporting, in comparison to many other European countries (see below).
Both the ICAI and Commons International Development Committee recommended the government introduce a funding floor or ring-fence to ensure a proportion of the UK aid budget is spent overseas.
In response to the committee’s recommendation, in May 2023 the Treasury rejected it as “unaffordable” in current circumstances. The government instead announced an additional £2.5 billion in aid for 2022 to 2024 to help restrict the impact of in-donor refugee costs. This funding was classed as aid spending, and resulted in aid spending rising to 0.58% of GNI in 2023.
While welcoming the funding, the ICAI said it would not cover all the costs.
The Labour Government, in office from July 2024, has not announced additional spending to compensate for spending on refugees in the UK in 2024/25. In its Autumn 2024 budget, the Treasury said that the Home Office would take further steps to control the asylum budget. The Minister for International Development, Annelise Dodds, said that the Home Office is “committed to bringing order to the asylum system and has taken steps to unblock the backlog of claims, which will help reduce costs”.
International Development Committee Chair Sarah Champion said the government should have gone further to control asylum spending. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats criticised the lack of additional funding.
In May 2024, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a report on how members of the Development Assistance Committee (which includes most major donors, save for China) had used their aid budgets to support Ukrainian refugees (PDF). Spending across DAC countries has increased since 2020, but not as large as the UK.
The report said that the “vast majority” of donors were using funds additional to their originally planned international aid budgets. Some, including Australia and Hungary, did not count the costs towards their aid budgets at all, or only some limited spending (the case in Belgium and Netherlands, for example).
July 2024: Updated with ICAI and OECD reports
December 2024: updated with new FCDO statistics on spending and Labour Government policy
In 2020, the UK Government announced it would reduce its aid spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income (GNI), in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the UK’s economy and public finances. Spending is not expected to return to 0.7% during the 2024...
A ‘tourist tax’ (or ‘transient visitor levy’ or ‘occupancy tax’) comprises a levy on the occupation of hotel beds in a local authority area. It normally takes the form of a charge per occupied bed or room per night, levied on short-term accommodation providers. Charges may be set at a flat rate or a percentage of the price of the bed or room.
This research briefing explains how tourist taxes work, and looks at recent debates on their introduction at the UK level. It explains the Scottish Government’s introduction of powers for Scottish local authorities to introduce tourist taxes, and the Welsh Government’s bill to introduce similar powers in Wales. It also explains how some English cities have introduced forms of ‘tourist tax’ using Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
The briefing also describes alternative forms of tourist tax, including cruise passenger levies, day visitor taxes, and taxes on visitors arriving or departing a state or locality. It provides some detail of commentary, industry views and research on tourist taxes.
A ‘tourist tax’ (or ‘transient visitor levy’ or ‘occupancy tax’) comprises a levy on the occupation of hotel beds in a local authority area. It normally takes the form of a charge per occupied bed or room per night, levied on short-term accommodation providers. Charges may be set at a...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 1 August 2024 from the hon. Member for Yeovil on the closure of Yeovil District Hospital’s hyper acute stroke unit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 1 August 2024 from the hon. Member for Yeovil on the closure of Yeovil District Hospital’s hyper acute stroke unit.
I replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 11 December 2024. I apologise for the delay in responding.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will widen the eligibility of free school meals to all children whose parents are in receipt of Universal Credit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will widen the eligibility of free school meals to all children whose parents are in receipt of Universal Credit.
The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.
The government has inherited a trend of rising child poverty and widening attainment gaps for children eligible for free school meals and their peers. Child poverty has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. The government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, by tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. To support this, a new ministerial taskforce has been set up to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025. The taskforce will consider a range of policies in assessing what will have the greatest impact in driving down rates of child poverty. As with all policies, the government keeps the approach to free school meals under review.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that people with Down Syndrome can receive direct payments from local councils.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that people with Down Syndrome can receive direct payments from local councils.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities should allow those drawing on care to receive their personal budget as a direct payment, where they are satisfied this would be suitable to meet their eligible care needs, and where they have capacity under the conditions of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act to make this request, and manage the direct payment either themselves, with aide from an authorised person, or through an authorised person acting on their behalf.
Additionally, under the Down Syndrome Act 2022, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required to give guidance to the relevant authorities in health and social care on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. Officials are taking forward, as a priority, development of Down Syndrome Act guidance. We expect to publish the draft guidance for public consultation in the new year.
This Government acknowledges the historic policy prohibiting homosexuality in the Armed Forces was regrettable, wrong and completely unacceptable. Following the publication of Lord Etherton’s Review into the experience of LGBT veterans between 1967-2000, the intent behind all 49 recommendations were accepted by the previous Government and now backed by this...
This Government acknowledges the historic policy prohibiting homosexuality in the Armed Forces was regrettable, wrong and completely unacceptable. Following the publication of Lord Etherton’s Review into the experience of LGBT veterans between 1967-2000, the intent behind all 49 recommendations were accepted by the previous Government and now backed by this...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13775 on Hospices: Children, what his timescale is for announcing funding arrangements for the Children's Hospice Grant for 2025/26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13775 on Hospices: Children, what his timescale is for announcing funding arrangements for the Children's Hospice Grant for 2025/26.
We are aware that clarity on the 2025/26 funding arrangements is needed to help children’s hospices, as they confirm their budgets. I have met NHS England, Together for Short Lives, and one of the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children Who Need Palliative Care, Lord Balfe, and discussed these issues at length.
The Department is working to confirm funding arrangements as a matter of urgency.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce the cost of childcare for everyone.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce the cost of childcare for everyone.
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity, which starts by ensuring every child has the best start in life. It is our ambition for all families to have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, improving life chances for children and work choices for parents.
The government is committed to delivering a modern childcare system from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school, providing every child with a firm foundation which sets them up for life and ensures parents are able to work the jobs and hours they choose, breaking down the barriers to opportunity for every family.
From September 2024, eligible working parents of children aged nine months and above have been able to access 15 hours of government funded childcare per week (over 38 weeks a year), and from September 2025 working parents will be able to access 30 hours per week (over 38 weeks a year) for children from aged nine months to when they start school.
As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, we expect to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements in 2025/26, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we continue to deliver the expansion to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months.
The new government is improving access to high quality childcare and early education and will be allocating funding for the first phase of new or expanded school-based nurseries, with 300 ready for September 2025.
To support working families with primary-school-aged children, the National Wraparound Childcare programme is improving the availability of before and after school childcare to ensure that parents have the flexibility they need to care for their children, delivering 200,000 additional childcare places. The government is going further to deliver universal free breakfast clubs in every primary school starting with 750 early adopter schools from April 2025, to ensure children are set-up for the day and ready to learn, whilst supporting parents to have greater work choices.
In addition to the entitlements, parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare. Parents can check what childcare support they are entitled to via the Childcare Choices website, which can be accessed here: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times in Cornwall.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times in Cornwall.
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.
As a first step, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter, sent to all integrated care boards including those in Cornwall, is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce ambulance hand over times at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce ambulance hand over times at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
Ambulance services experiencing long delays when handing over patients to hospitals is a priority for the National Health Service to address, because it holds up ambulances that could be responding to further 999 calls.
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Cornwall Hospital are working on improving ambulance handover times by supporting patients flow through the health and care system.
To support longer term urgent and emergency care performance, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to change how her Department assesses proposals for funding local authority road improvement projects.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to change how her Department assesses proposals for funding local authority road improvement projects.
The Department’s transport business case guidance forms the basis of our assessment of transport investment projects. It follows HM Treasury’s Green Book five case model which is the government’s best practice model for spending and investment decisions. The guidance is kept under review and is used alongside the well-established Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG). TAG is kept under constant review in line with good practice, the latest evidence, and method enhancements.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the professional services sector.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the professional services sector.
On Monday 21 October, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This is available at:http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
The majority of employees will benefit from new protections in the Bill and our assessment finds that workers in the low-paying sectors including retail, infrastructure sectors such as transport and storage, and some consumer goods manufacturing (e.g. food-items) will benefit the most from the Bill. Our assessment suggests that the Professional Services sector is unlikely to be disproportionately impacted by the Bill.
The Bill will also deliver wider benefits for the business environment by improving wellbeing, incentivising higher productivity, and creating a more level playing field for good employers. This could have a positive knock-on impact on productivity and growth.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the infrastructure sector.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the infrastructure sector.
On Monday 21 October, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This is available at:http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
The majority of employees will benefit from new protections in the Bill and our assessment finds that workers in the low-paying sectors including retail, infrastructure sectors such as transport and storage, and some consumer goods manufacturing (e.g. food-items) will benefit the most from the Bill. Our assessment suggests that the Professional Services sector is unlikely to be disproportionately impacted by the Bill.
The Bill will also deliver wider benefits for the business environment by improving wellbeing, incentivising higher productivity, and creating a more level playing field for good employers. This could have a positive knock-on impact on productivity and growth.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve access to electric vehicle charging for disabled people.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve access to electric vehicle charging for disabled people.
To address the specific barriers disabled EV drivers face when using public chargepoints, the Government co-sponsored the publication of the Publically Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 standard, which provides specifications on designing and installing accessible public EV chargepoints and considers chargepoints in the context of their wider built environment. The Government continues to work with industry and other parties to ensure effective implementation of PAS1899 and to support the 24-month review of the PAS, which is being led by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and concludes early in 2025. The Government will continue to monitor progress to assess whether further intervention is needed on accessibility over time.
My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security (Douglas Alexander MP) has today made the following statment.
The smooth functioning of the United Kingdom’s internal market is vitally important to achieving economic growth. People and businesses depend on being able to buy and sell goods, provide services,...
My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security (Douglas Alexander MP) has today made the following statment.
The smooth functioning of the United Kingdom’s internal market is vitally important to achieving economic growth. People and businesses depend on being able to buy and sell goods, provide services,...
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