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.
The Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) form the UK’s data protection regime. The legislation sets out the responsibilities of:
It also details the rights that people have - for example, a right to access to their personal data.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) oversees and enforces the law.
As Members of Parliament are “controllers”, they must comply with the 2018 Act and the UK GDPR. The ICO has published Guidance for the use of personal data by elected representatives in carrying out constituency casework (updated September 2023).
The Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) form the UK’s data protection regime. The legislation sets out the responsibilities of:
Major central banks around the world tightened monetary policy in response to rising inflation, initially caused by higher goods and energy prices, as well as bottlenecks in global supply chains. Some are now beginning to cut rates.
On 7 November, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut interest rates by 0.25 of a percentage point to 4.75%. The MPC vote was eight members in favour of the cut and one in favour of leaving rates unchanged. The MPC last cut rates in August.
The MPC’s previous cycle of rate increases – from 0.1% in December 2021 to 5.25% in August 2023 – came in response to high inflation, which peaked at 11.1% in October 2022. Since then, inflation has fallen, and was 1.7% in September 2024 on the CPI measure – slightly below the MPC’s target of 2%. The Bank of England expects the inflation rate to rise to 2.8% by the third quarter of 2025 before easing.
The results of the next scheduled MPC meeting will be announced on 19 December.
The MPC is reducing the size of its asset purchase – or quantitative easing, QE – programme from its peak value of £895bn to £655bn on 30 October 2024. It is doing this by letting some of the government bonds it holds mature and by actively selling some of the bonds it holds to the market. At its September 2024 meeting, the MPC said it planned to reduced the size of the assets it holds by a further £100bn over the next year.
QE consists of the Bank creating new money electronically (as central bank reserves) and then using it to purchase financial assets, mostly government bonds.
In March 2020 the Bank introduced measures in response to Covid-19. Interest rates were cut to 0.1% - the lowest they have ever been. They remained at this level until December 2021. The MPC also expanded its quantitative easing (QE) programme by £450bn in 2020 and 2021, taking the total value of assets it owned to a peak of £895bn. For more, see section 4.2 of the Library briefing paper, Coronavirus: Economic impact.
Interest rates were cut by 0.25 of a percentage point to a range of 4.50% to 4.75% by the Fed at its policy meeting ending 7 November. Inflation was 2.4% in September, with the Fed saying progress toward its 2% target had been made but that inflation “remains somewhat elevated”. The Fed slowed the pace it reduces the assets it holds in its Quantitative Easing programme from $95bn to $60bn per month from June 2024.
The Fed's next scheduled policy meeting ends on 18 December.
Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fed had by 15 March 2020 cut interest rates to close to 0% from 1.5%‑1.75% prior to the pandemic. On 23 March 2020, the Fed announced a wide range of measures designed to support the economy. This included buying debt from the government, corporations and purchasing other securities (such as those backed by mortgages and other assets). The Fed began to raise rates again in March 2022, taking them from 0-0.25% to 5.25-5.50% in July 2023.
At its 12 December 2024 meeting the ECB cut its main interest rates by 0.25 of a percentage point, with the deposit rate lowered from 3.25% to 3.0%. This was the fourth time the ECB has cut rates since its cycle of rate rises ended in September 2023 (the first cut was in June 2024). Further rate cuts are expected in 2025.
The ECB, since March 2023, is unwinding one of its main quantitative easing programmes, with reductions to the overall size of its pandemic-related QE programme in the second half of 2024.
The ECB's next scheduled policy meeting ends on 30 January.
The ECB launched its pandemic response on 12 March 2020 and expanded it significantly on 18 March and 4 June. The ECB has also made cheap loans available to banks to encourage them to lend to businesses.
In July 2022, the ECB announced the creation of a new bond purchase programme, the Transmission Protection Instrument (TPI). The TPI is designed to be used, if needed, to lower government borrowing costs in individual countries, if these costs are rising due to “unwarranted, disorderly market dynamics”.
This briefing is part of our Economic Indicators series. Visit the main Economic Indicators page to see data on other parts of the economy.
Major central banks around the world tightened monetary policy in response to rising inflation, initially caused by higher goods and energy prices, as well as bottlenecks in global supply chains. Some are now beginning to cut rates.
On 7 November, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee...
On 4 December 2023 the Conservative Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced some changes to visa rules in what he described as a “five-point plan” to reduce immigration. The Home Office released more information later that month, including some adjustments to what had initially been announced.
The changes came into force in accordance with two sets of revisions to the Immigration Rules released on 19 February and 14 March. The Labour government which took office in July 2024 supports most of the new rules, although it is reviewing the policy on the minimum income to sponsor a spouse/partner visa.
No. Revision of visa regulations is done through statements of changes to the Immigration Rules. The government laid two statements before Parliament to implement these changes, one on 19 February 2024 (care worker dependants) and another on 14 March 2024 (family and work visa income thresholds).
Statements of changes take effect automatically unless either the House of Commons or House of Lords actively votes to annul them within 40 days. Usually there is no vote and the Government is not obliged to make time for one in the Commons even if MPs table motions against the changes (as Alison Thewliss of the Scottish National Party did: Early Day Motions 573 and 574).
There were non-binding Westminster Hall debates in April 2024 and November 2024. These did not involve a vote. Another non-binding debate is scheduled for 20 January 2025.
Conservative ministers felt that immigration is far too high. Net migration (the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants) has been at record levels, now estimated at 866,000 in 2023.
International students, social care workers and their immediate family members (dependants) were the main contributors to the recent increase in net migration, along with humanitarian visa schemes and people claiming asylum.
The changes announced in December 2023 followed restrictions on student dependant rules announced separately in May 2023 and in force since the start of 2024. The Home Office said that 300,000 of the people who moved to the UK in 2023 would not have been able to come had all these changes been in place then.
Labour agrees that immigration is too high and should be reduced.
Only to first-time applicants. A Government spokesperson initially said the higher threshold would apply to visa extensions, but the Home Office later announced that it will not. The notes accompanying to the Immigration Rules published on 14 March explain:
There are transitional arrangements for those who, before 11 April, already have a Family visa within the fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner or five-year partner route, or who applied before 11 April and are being granted. Once a minimum income requirement (MIR) has been met, the same MIR must be met through to settlement on the route, provided the applicant is applying to stay with the same partner.
This means that someone whose fiancé(e), partner or spouse applied for a visa before 11 April 2024 will only need to demonstrate a minimum income of £18,600 per year. This transitional exemption will apply to their initial visa application, future visa extension applications, and future applications for settlement (also known as indefinite leave to remain).
When applying for the initial visa from outside the UK, only the sponsor’s income can be counted towards the minimum income threshold. For extensions and permanent residence, both incomes count. People generally need to provide evidence of having earned that income for the past six months (although the exact rules are complicated).
There are also some options for people who do not earn the minimum income, allowing them to qualify for the visa by other means such as by using savings above £16,000 or in exceptional circumstances.
None of this changed in 2024.
Yes. The basic rule is the same as before: only savings above £16,000, divided by 2.5, count towards the threshold.
Usually people will add savings to the sponsor's income to get to the threshold, although they are also allowed to use only savings. A couple with no relevant earnings who are looking to meet the threshold entirely through savings now need a lump sum of £88,500.
As with the main income rule, people generally need to have had the required amount of savings in their account(s) for six months before applying.
Yes, but only to £23,496, the armed forces minimum wage.
Many countries require proof of sufficient economic resources. The way the requirement is expressed and assessed varies, making exact comparisons difficult.
Where countries do express the requirement as a minimum income, such as in Belgium or Norway, Library research did not find any examples of the threshold being set above or close to £38,700 (the level the Conservative government ultimately intended to reach). The UK’s rules on what income sources count towards the threshold are also stricter than in other countries, according to the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
Opponents of the minimum income policy often cite a ranking called the Migrant Integration Policy Index or MIPEX. In 2020, the UK was placed second from bottom among 56 countries for ease of family reunion. The family reunion ranking takes minimum income-style rules into account, along with various other factors, in comparing the various countries.
Yvette Cooper, the Labour Home Secretary, says she will keep the threshold at £29,000 until the Migration Advisory Committee has reviewed the whole issue. The committee might recommend that the threshold go up, go down or stay the same. The Home Secretary does not have to accept the committee’s recommendation, but it will be very influential.
The committee has been asked to report in June 2025. Any changes are only likely to affect first-time applicants.
No. The Minister for Legal Migration announced in December 2023 that “those already in the Skilled work route, and applications made before the rules change, will not be subject to the new £38,700 salary threshold when they change employment, extend, or settle”.
The revised Immigration Rules confirm that someone who had a Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024, and applies to extend it or for settlement before 4 April 2030, does not need to meet the thresholds now in place for first-time applicants. They only need to be paid whichever is the higher of £29,000 (rather than £38,700) and the 'lower going rate' for that job (rather than the 'standard going rate').
People applying for their first Skilled Worker visa after 4 April 2024 can still be paid less than the new salary thresholds in some circumstances. This includes people at the start of their career, such as those aged under 26 or on a Graduate visa. There are also different salaries for NHS staff and education workers, based on national pay scales. Social care workers are a special case and can be paid £23,200.
On 4 December 2023 the Conservative Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced some changes to visa rules in what he described as a “five-point plan” to reduce immigration. The Home Office released more information later that month, including some adjustments to what had initially been announced.
The changes came into force in accordance with two sets of revisions to the...
From 8 October 2023, Hezbollah, a non-state group based in Lebanon that the UK has proscribed as a terrorist organisation, launched missile attacks against Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched air strikes in response. In September 2024, a strike killed Hezbollah’s leader. Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon on 1 October 2024. A ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Hezbollah on 26 November 2024.
This briefing provides information on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict since October 2023, and on the UK and international response. This includes the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. The Commons Library collection, Middle East instability in 2024, has more research on the region.
The Armed Conflict and Location Data Project (ACLED) estimates that there were 7,000 cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah from October 2023 to June 2024. These actions caused large-scale displacement of civilians in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Since 2023, the Israeli Government has said that it is seeking the return of Israeli civilians to the north by diplomatic means, but would use military means if other alternatives were exhausted. The Lebanese Government had argued an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict would likely bring an end to Hezbollah attacks. Hezbollah long said it would only support a ceasefire in Lebanon if one was held in Gaza (though following the Israeli offensive in October 2024 it said it was open to a ceasefire in Lebanon first).
On 17 and 18 September 2024, pager explosions in Lebanon killed a reported 27 people and injured around 4,450 people, including some children, according to the Lebanese Government. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Lebanon’s Government has blamed Israel.
On 1 October 2024, the IDF said it entered southern Lebanon to conduct “limited” military operations against Hezbollah members and infrastructure. On 8 October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said to the “people of Lebanon […] free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end”. The United States said it supported “limited ground incursions” targeting Hezbollah as a means to achieve Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) (see below).
As of 26 November 2024, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that in Lebanon (based on Lebanese Government statements) there had been at least 3,961 conflict-related deaths since 8 October 2023, with at least 16,520 injured. The Lebanese Government also reported that around 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, with 90% displaced in the last week of September 2024 as a result of fighting and Israeli air attacks. Around 469,000 were estimated to have been displaced to Syria. The UN Human Rights Office estimated that on 7 October a quarter of Lebanese territory was under “Israeli military displacement orders”.
The Israeli Government says around 60,000 Israelis were evacuated from the north, and 45 civilians and 75 IDF soldiers killed, to November 2024.
When the ceasefire was agreed in November 2024, the IDF said it had destroyed 70% of Hezbollah’s stockpile of unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) and cruise missiles and killed between 2,500 and 3,500 Hezbollah operatives (its total number of fighters is estimated to be around 40,000 to 50,000). In October 2024 then Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Hezbollah was no longer an effective proxy for Iran to threaten Israel.
The United States and others, including the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, called for negotiations to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. They said negotiations should be held in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). This, among other elements, requires Hezbollah to disarm, for there to be no foreign troops in Lebanon without the government’s permission, and for the Lebanese Armed Forces to have full territorial control of Lebanon, including the southern areas bordering Israel.
Two proposals for a ceasefire, of 21 days, and 60 days, made in September and October 2024 respectively, were considered.
On 26 November 2024 President Biden announced that a ceasefire was agreed, and was intended to be “permanent”. This will include the withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period and the deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL to these areas. Israel retains the right to target Hezbollah in self-defence. The US and France would monitor its provisions. There have been some attacks and fighting into December 2024.
Since October 2023, the government has advised against all travel to Lebanon. It says that all Britons should leave while commercial flights remain available. Those in Lebanon should register their presence with the UK Government for updates. The government has deployed Border Force, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials and around 1,200 troops to Cyprus to assist UK nationals. It also has aircraft and transport helicopters on standby if necessary. The most recent government-charted flight was on 6 October. More will be organised if demand increases.
In September 2024 Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the UN General Assembly that Hezbollah and Israel should “step back from the brink [and] we need to see an immediate ceasefire”. In a statement to the Commons in July 2024, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, told MPs that a “widening of the conflict is in nobody’s interest” and the government would continue to press for a solution based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). The UK Government welcomed the ceasefire of November 2024.
The UK provided £854 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon from 2009 to 2022 to support stability and the 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. In 2024/25, it plans up to £31 million in humanitarian aid.
It has provided £100 million in support to the Lebanese Armed Forces since 2009. In October 2024, ration packs and medical equipment was sent.
UNIFIL is mandated by the UN Security Council to monitor the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon following the 2006 conflict and support the Lebanese Armed Forces to extend Lebanese government control throughout the country. In 2024, it has reported attacks on its positions by the IDF, Hezbollah and groups not-yet determined. The IDF says it “takes every precaution” to minimise harm against peacekeepers. The Israeli Government has called on UNIFIL to withdraw from some areas of fighting.
The UK has joined with statements from the UN Security Council, France, Germany and other G7 members in support of UNIFIL and its role in Lebanon. The UK Government says it has raised the need to protect UNIFIL forces with the Israeli Government and called on Israel and Hezbollah to refrain from attacks against the force.
On 6 October 2024 then Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the “right approach is not a ceasefire” and that Hezbollah could end the conflict by withdrawing from southern Lebanon in line with the UN Security Council Resolution. Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Calum Miller has backed the government’s call for a ceasefire. The party has criticised the fall in UK aid to Lebanon in recent years due to reductions in the UK aid budget from 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5% from 2021.
From 8 October 2023, Hezbollah, a non-state group based in Lebanon that the UK has proscribed as a terrorist organisation, launched missile attacks against Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched air strikes in response. In September 2024, a strike killed Hezbollah’s...
HS2 is a project to build a high-speed rail line in England. HS2 was originally planned to connect London to Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands Parkway, Leeds and York.
However, in October 2023 then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that HS2 would only run from London to the West Midlands. The Prime Minister highlighted cost overruns, delays and changes to post-covid travel as key reasons why he cancelled the line north of the West Midlands. In October 2024, the Labour government confirmed it would not resurrect the cancelled phases.
In addition to confirming that it would not resurrect the cancelled phases of HS2, the Labour government also announced that it would take urgent action to tackle the “spiralling” costs and launch an independent review into the oversight of HS2.
In the October 2024 Budget, the government also confirmed that it would provide funding for the HS2 tunnels to London Euston and was looking for private funding for the HS2 station at Euston and the surrounding area. The original plan was for HS2 to run to Euston, but in October 2023 the Conservative government announced plans to for this to be funded by the private sector. This led to uncertainty about whether the HS2 station at Euston and tunnels from Euston to Old Oak Common would attract sufficient private investment.
The case for a high-speed railway running through the centre of Britain was first formally made by the Labour government in 2010 to address capacity constraints on the existing north-south rail links in England. Proponents of the project also say it will reduce journey times, create jobs and help the country's economy. The government has seen investment in HS2 – and wider transport investment – as an opportunity to drive growth in regional economies and create opportunities for regeneration.
Following the 2023 announcement of the cancellation of the HS2 line north of the West Midlands, the Conservative government argued that there will still be an increase in capacity on the busiest part of the West Coast Main Line due to the construction of Phase 1, and that trains will be able to continue on the existing rail network to serve destinations in the north west, Scotland and other locations. However, critics have questioned whether capacity constraints on the existing network will mean that the full benefits of Phase 1 will not be realised.
The line was originally planned in three phases:
Following the then Prime Minister’s announcement in October 2023, only Phase 1 will now go ahead. When complete, Phase 1 will be the country's second high-speed line, the first being High Speed 1, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel.
A hybrid bill for the western leg, the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill, was introduced to Parliament on 24 January 2022. On 24 April 2022, the House agreed a motion to suspend proceedings and the bill was carried over to the 2022–23 and then the 2023–24 Session.
In March 2024, the government announced its intention to re-purpose the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill for the construction of the part of the route that will be used by Northern Powerhouse Rail. Following the 2024 general election, the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill was re-introduced on 25 July 2024.
The cancellation of HS2 north of the West Midlands has resulted in uncertainty for related projects, in particular Northern Powerhouse Rail, which was intended to use HS2 tracks between High Legh (near Manchester Airport) and Manchester Piccadilly Station.
With the potential exception of the HS2 station at Euston, the government is directly funding HS2. In 2012, it was estimated that HS2 Phase 1 would cost £20.5 billion (in 2019 prices). Since then, forecast costs have grown, and the most recent estimate (January 2024) was £49 billion to £56.6 billion (in 2019 prices). This has led to some to question whether Phase 1 should also be cancelled.
Cost increases have been driven by high inflation, as well as scope changes, worse ground conditions than expected, and optimism bias.
When proposed in the 2010 white paper, work on Phase 1 was expected to start in January 2013, with an opening date of December 2026 (PDF). Since then, the project has been delayed. The most recent six-monthly report to Parliament (November 2023) gives an estimated opening date between 2029 and 2033, and HS2 Ltd has a target date of 2030. This excludes the HS2 station at Euston and the tunnel between Euston and Old Oak Common.
Delays have been caused by several factors. These include:
The Minister for Rail has committed to providing a six-monthly progress report to Parliament. The latest six-monthly progress report was made on 15 November 2023. Both the Public Accounts Committee and the Transport Committee have undertaken inquiries into HS2. As a project in the government’s Major Project Portfolio, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority also provides annual updates on the status of HS2.
Following the cancellation of the HS2 line north of the West Midlands, the mayors of Manchester and the West Midlands commissioned a report which recommended the construction of a cheaper alternative, the Midlands-North West Rail Link (PDF) (sometimes called “HS2-Light”). This would consist of a new railway line between the northern end of the HS2 Phase 1 route, Crewe, and the proposed new railway line between Warrington, Manchester and Yorkshire.
The report also recommended leveraging private sector investment, with central and local government partnering to fund the balance.
In response, the government has said it is considering this plan. It has also said it will not dispose of any land already purchased for HS2 until it has considered whether the land would be needed for this proposed railway line.
More information on HS2 is given in the following Library briefings:
HS2 is a project to build a high-speed rail line in England. HS2 was originally planned to connect London to Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands Parkway, Leeds and York.
However, in October 2023 then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that HS2 would only run from London to the West Midlands....
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.
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