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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of police powers in responding to suspected offences committed by diplomatic mission staff where evidence is withdrawn into inviolable diplomatic premises.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of police powers in responding to suspected offences committed by diplomatic mission staff where evidence is withdrawn into inviolable diplomatic premises.
The Government recognises that, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR), the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable. The UK complies with its international obligations under the VCDR. Where appropriate, law enforcement authorities may seek a waiver of inviolability from the sending State through established diplomatic channels.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has been made of the risks associated with the unlawful importation of prohibited weapons using diplomatic privileges, including but not limited to diplomatic consignments protected under the Vienna Convention.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has been made of the risks associated with the unlawful importation of prohibited weapons using diplomatic privileges, including but not limited to diplomatic consignments protected under the Vienna Convention.
The Government recognises that, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR), diplomatic bags and certain diplomatic consignments are afforded specific immunities. The UK complies with its international obligations under the VCDR, and there are long-established rules concerning the use of diplomatic consignments which we expect all states to adhere to. Relevant authorities continually assess and manage the risks of misuse of diplomatic privileges, including for the unlawful importation of prohibited weapons.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he is seeking the reinstatement of tariff rate quotas in any future UK-Canada trade agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he is seeking the reinstatement of tariff rate quotas in any future UK-Canada trade agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to seek an interim arrangement with Canada to address tariff quota-related trade disruptions before the conclusion of a comprehensive trade agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to seek an interim arrangement with Canada to address tariff quota-related trade disruptions before the conclusion of a comprehensive trade agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to visit Canada in the next six months.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to visit Canada in the next six months.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the strategic importance of a future UK-Canada trade agreement; and whether he has set a timetable for determining the next phase of UK-Canada trade relations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the strategic importance of a future UK-Canada trade agreement; and whether he has set a timetable for determining the next phase of UK-Canada trade relations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the Chinese Ambassador to the UK since 3 July 2026.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the Chinese Ambassador to the UK since 3 July 2026.
The Foreign Secretary has not met the Ambassador. On the 23rd of July, the Foreign Secretary met the Chinese Foreign Minister in Malaysia where they discussed the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and extending collaboration on security, the economy and climate.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the incident involving the alleged use of prohibited weapons that took place at the Chinese Embassy in London on 3 July 2026.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the incident involving the alleged use of prohibited weapons that took place at the Chinese Embassy in London on 3 July 2026.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that their investigation continues as officers review evidence, including video footage supplied by witnesses. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any authority under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 has been granted to personnel of the Chinese Embassy in London.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any authority under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 has been granted to personnel of the Chinese Embassy in London.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that their investigation continues as officers review evidence, including video footage supplied by witnesses. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
Q11
.
Chris Law (Dundee Central) (SNP):
In response to my question last week, the Prime Minister stated that he was
“very aware of every word in the Good Friday agreement, and I will stick to it 100% as Prime Minister.”—[Official Report, 1 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 50.]
He will therefore know that the Northern Ireland Act 1998 contains a provision for a referendum on leaving the United Kingdom, but no equivalent provision exists in the law for Scotland. Does he recognise that the people of Scotland have an equal right to choose their own future, and that the conditions for a second independence referendum should be set out in law?
Q11
.
Chris Law (Dundee Central) (SNP):
In response to my question last week, the Prime Minister stated that he was
“very aware of every word in the Good Friday agreement, and I will stick to it 100% as Prime Minister.”—[Official Report, 1 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 50.]
He will therefore know that the Northern Ireland Act 1998 contains a provision for a referendum on leaving the United Kingdom, but no equivalent provision exists in the law for Scotland. Does he recognise that the people of Scotland have an equal right to choose their own future, and that the conditions for a second independence referendum should be set out in law?
The hon. Member mentions the Good Friday agreement, and I will stick to it 100%. I remind him, on the question of a border poll, that that is to be considered by the Northern Ireland Secretary when there is clear consensus in the country—when public opinion has changed to the point at which the call has to be considered. I would say that it is exactly the same situation in Scotland. I am not aware that there is majority public support for another referendum, and until that changes, there will not be one.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 9 September.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 9 September.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to establish a minimum floor of employment rights for workers in the parcel delivery sector regardless of their contractual status; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current protections for...
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to establish a minimum floor of employment rights for workers in the parcel delivery sector regardless of their contractual status; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current protections for...
It is important that the parcel delivery market works for businesses, customers and workers.
Ofcom has powers to independently regulate parcel delivery companies although this does not extend to their employment models.
Employment rights are determined by employment status, which is based on the reality of the relationship between the individual and the person for whom services are provided. Employers should never seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when in reality they are not.
The Government plans to consult on employment status in due course and we will engage with stakeholders across the postal services industry as part of this work.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to tackle the misclassification of workers as self-employed in the parcel delivery sector.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to tackle the misclassification of workers as self-employed in the parcel delivery sector.
It is important that the parcel delivery market works for businesses, customers and workers.
Ofcom has powers to independently regulate parcel delivery companies although this does not extend to their employment models.
Employment rights are determined by employment status, which is based on the reality of the relationship between the individual and the person for whom services are provided. Employers should never seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when in reality they are not.
The Government plans to consult on employment status in due course and we will engage with stakeholders across the postal services industry as part of this work.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to introduce proactive enforcement of employment status rules in the parcel delivery sector.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to introduce proactive enforcement of employment status rules in the parcel delivery sector.
It is important that the parcel delivery market works for businesses, customers and workers.
Ofcom has powers to independently regulate parcel delivery companies although this does not extend to their employment models.
Employment rights are determined by employment status, which is based on the reality of the relationship between the individual and the person for whom services are provided. Employers should never seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when in reality they are not.
The Government plans to consult on employment status in due course and we will engage with stakeholders across the postal services industry as part of this work.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on whether the current delivery regulatory framework adequately accounts for the growth of unregulated parcel delivery operators; and what steps he is taking to address any resulting imbalance.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on whether the current delivery regulatory framework adequately accounts for the growth of unregulated parcel delivery operators; and what steps he is taking to address any resulting imbalance.
It is important that the parcel delivery market works for businesses, customers and workers.
Ofcom has powers to independently regulate parcel delivery companies although this does not extend to their employment models.
Employment rights are determined by employment status, which is based on the reality of the relationship between the individual and the person for whom services are provided. Employers should never seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when in reality they are not.
The Government plans to consult on employment status in due course and we will engage with stakeholders across the postal services industry as part of this work.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the Employer National Insurance Contributions lost to the Exchequer as a result of the misclassification of workers as self-employed in the parcel delivery sector; and what steps he is taking to recover those contributions.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the Employer National Insurance Contributions lost to the Exchequer as a result of the misclassification of workers as self-employed in the parcel delivery sector; and what steps he is taking to recover those contributions.
HMRC does not produce estimates of Employer National Insurance Contributions lost through worker misclassification in the parcel delivery sector.
Employment status for tax purposes depends on the specific terms and conditions of an engagement and must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Parcel delivery drivers may be correctly classified as self-employed or employed, depending on the particular facts of their engagement.
HMRC is committed to robustly tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence that suggests companies may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. In these cases, HMRC will identify the facts and take steps to ensure the correct tax and National Insurance Contributions are paid, along with any interest and penalties due. As announced by this Government, HMRC is recruiting 5,500 additional compliance officers to bolster tax compliance and close the tax gap. If someone is aware of non-compliance, they can report it to HMRC, and they will consider this evidence.
That this House recognises the central importance of education to sustainable development, including its role in securing peace, prosperity and equality; expresses its serious concern that, despite these benefits, 273 million children and young people globally are out of school, while millions more are in classrooms but not learning the basics; notes that education financing in low and lower middle income countries is under unprecedented pressure, with domestic budgets constrained by rising debt and inflation, exacerbated by massive cuts to overseas development and humanitarian assistance which in the UK has resulted in an end to bilateral support for education; further notes that in the second half of 2026 both the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies, are raising funds for their next operational periods; welcomes the commitment made by the UK to maintain existing levels of support for ECW by pledging £80 million for the period 2027 to 2030; calls on the Government to do the same for the GPE, and pledge £430 million for the period 2026-2030; acknowledges that although a significant cut in real terms, maintaining UK funding at this level would enable GPE to train 1.15 million teachers, allow 11.49 million more girls to attend school, and improve the quality of education for over 84.3 million children by 2030; and urges Ministers to attend the Global Education Summit during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and affirm the UK’s commitment.
That this House recognises the central importance of education to sustainable development, including its role in securing peace, prosperity and equality; expresses its serious concern that, despite these benefits, 273 million children and young people globally are out of school, while millions more are in classrooms but not learning the...
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
It is beyond doubt that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories are illegal, and the Foreign Secretary has stated that sanctions for those who participate in illegal settlement expansion will be brought forward. Sadly, Labour MPs in this House are trying to prevent that on the basis that it could result in retaliatory measures from the US. Can the Foreign Secretary assure the House that the UK’s adherence to international law will not be traded away, that the rights of the Palestinian people are not bargaining chips, and that he will not be bullied by Back Benchers or President Trump into allowing continued settler violence and the deliberate destruction of the two-state solution?
It is beyond doubt that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories are illegal, and the Foreign Secretary has stated that sanctions for those who participate in illegal settlement expansion will be brought forward. Sadly, Labour MPs in this House are trying to prevent that on the basis that it could result in retaliatory measures from the US. Can the Foreign Secretary assure the House that the UK’s adherence to international law will not be traded away, that the rights of the Palestinian people are not bargaining chips, and that he will not be bullied by Back Benchers or President Trump into allowing continued settler violence and the deliberate destruction of the two-state solution?
I can assure the hon. Member that Labour MPs are very keen that action be taken, and it will be.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the consistency of scrutiny applied under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme to Russian-linked institutions compared with institutions linked to other foreign states.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the consistency of scrutiny applied under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme to Russian-linked institutions compared with institutions linked to other foreign states.
The Government remains alert to the risk that foreign states may seek to use a range of organisations (including religious and cultural centres), proxies and influence networks, to advance their objectives in the UK.
The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) supports transparency around activity directed by foreign states. We have placed Russia and Iran on the enhanced tier of FIRS, requiring those carrying out any activity in the UK at the direction of the Russian or Iranian states to register or face criminal penalties.
The Government is focused on ensuring compliance with FIRS, including referring cases to the police where we believe a criminal offence has been committed. There will be an annual report on the operation of the scheme, including total numbers of registrations under the enhanced tier, which will be published later this year.
More recently, the Home Secretary has introduced a new designation power enabling her to designate bodies involved in foreign power threat activity, including state-linked proxies and affiliated structures. The UK has also imposed extensive sanctions in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including sanctions against Vladimir Gundyayev (Patriarch Kirill), the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for his public support for and endorsement of Russia's invasion.