Israel suffered an appalling terrorist attack on 7 October - the deadliest in its history. As we have said from the outset, Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international humanitarian law, and Hamas must release the hostages immediately.

We will continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages. Nothing can justify their continued detention. Their families are showing great courage in horrific circumstances. We want to see a deal agreed that would ensure the release of hostages and a pause in the fighting.

We are clear that building momentum towards a lasting peace will require the release of all hostages, the removal of Hamas' capacity to launch attacks against Israel, Hamas no-longer being in charge of Gaza, the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza accompanied by an international support package, and a political horizon to a two-state solution.

We are aware of historic allegations of use of anti-semitic language. Antisemitism is abhorrent and has absolutely no place in our or any society, and we are committed to tackling it in all its forms.

The Secretary of State is considering in detail the advice that Ofcom has provided. The Secretary of State will make regulations as soon as reasonably practicable, in line with Schedule 11 of the Act.

More broadly, all user-to-user services in scope of the Online Safety Act – including online forums of any size – will be required to comply with the illegal safety duties and take steps to remove illegal content. The strongest protections in the Act are for children and where these services are likely to be accessed by children, they must also protect children from a wider range of harmful content. Targeted duties on search services, to minimise illegal search results, will also reduce traffic to websites, including online forums, that host illegal material.

The Secretary of State is considering in detail the advice that Ofcom has provided. The Secretary of State will make regulations as soon as reasonably practicable, in line with Schedule 11 of the Act.

More broadly, all user-to-user services in scope of the Online Safety Act – including online forums of any size – will be required to comply with the illegal safety duties and take steps to remove illegal content. The strongest protections in the Act are for children and where these services are likely to be accessed by children, they must also protect children from a wider range of harmful content. Targeted duties on search services, to minimise illegal search results, will also reduce traffic to websites, including online forums, that host illegal material.

Indeed. We are assured that the strength of our relationship with Israel allows us to make representations about the protection of civilians, and about the increase in the flow of humanitarian aid. We do that in the context of it being an extremely important ally, while being cognisant of the broader threat from the terrorist group Hamas and Iran, which my hon. Friend mentioned.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications received, and the initial decisions on claims, is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. This data includes nationality breakdowns.

Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of each workbook. The latest data relates to 31 December 2023. Data up to the end of March 2024 will be published on 23 May 2024.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Plants of below 100MW may be eligible to apply for the Greenhouse Gas Removals Business Model, which will provide revenue support for negative emissions.

The Government is also currently consulting on potential support for large scale biomass power stations (100MW and above) to help facilitate the transition to power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Larger scale generation should provide the greatest immediate benefits from both a decarbonisation and energy security perspective. Nevertheless, we welcome responses on the eligibility criteria proposed in the consultation.

The Government announced its intention to make provision for second staircases in tall buildings at or above a threshold height of 18m, in July 2023. A second staircase will offer additional capacity for escape and fire-fighting in the event of a significant incident. The Written Ministerial Statement of 19 February 2024 confirmed that the Building Safety Regulator will aim to publish new guidance on second staircases before the end of March 2024.

The Government is not currently proposing to extend building safety regulations for high rise buildings to buildings under 18m.

We continue to keep the safety requirements for buildings, including those under 18m, under review. For new buildings of any height, Building Regulations performance requirements including Part B ‘Fire Safety’ must continue to be met.

Antisemitism has no place in our or any society and we strongly condemn it.

FCDO's travel advice is constantly under review and regularly updated to ensure the safety of British Nationals travelling to and living in South Africa.

The 'safety and security' page of our South Africa travel advice currently includes a section on the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Antisemitism has no place in our or any society and we strongly condemn it.

FCDO's travel advice is constantly under review and regularly updated to ensure the safety of British Nationals travelling to and living in South Africa.

The 'safety and security' page of our South Africa travel advice currently includes a section on the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We respect the role and independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). However, we have stated that we have considerable concerns about this case, which is not helpful in the goal of achieving a sustainable ceasefire. Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with IHL, as we have said from the outset.

Our view is that Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, which is why we considered South Africa's decision to bring this case was wrong and provocative.

Antisemitism is evil and has absolutely no place in our - or any - society, and we are committed to tackling it in all its forms.

The UK will take on the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in March 2024 for one year, which comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration on Holocaust remembrance in January 2025.

The UK condemns any actions that further fuel the brutal conflict in Sudan. The UK strongly supports an immediate end to the hostilities, both for the sake of Sudan's own people and to avoid the risk of further instability in the wider region. We continue to support the international community's efforts to reach a ceasefire and work towards a civilian political transition.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising what is a deeply concerning issue. As I have said before, there is no place for antisemitism or the glorification of terrorism in Britain, especially not in our classrooms. That is why we welcomed the recent report from Lord Mann, the Government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, and in particular his recommendation on how schools can tackle antisemitism. We will continue to work together with Lord Mann on this vital issue. I look forward to hearing further suggestions from my hon. Friend, too.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; the events of 7 October were uniquely horrific. It was an exercise in calculated, premeditated sadism which everyone in the House condemns. However, as my hon. Friend says, some voices, including some prominent media voices, have considered it appropriate to cavil, to question and to prevaricate in the face of this violence. It is vitally important for us to recognise—even as we recognise that all life is precious, and even as we recognise that it is vital for us to do what we can to minimise casualties in this conflict—that the events of 7 October stand out as the biggest slaughter of Jewish civilians since the holocaust, and for that reason there can be no quibbling when we face such a transparent evil.

Tragically, we have seen a significant increase in antisemitism since the events of 7 October. The Community Security Trust recorded 1,500 antisemitic incidents between 7 October and 22 November, the highest total in a 47-day period since records began in 1984 .

This Government is committed to making homeownership a reality for as many households as possible.

We operate a range of schemes to support first-time buyers in purchasing properties, including First Homes, Shared Ownership, Right to Buy and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. Over 860,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through Government-backed schemes. The Government also helps first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA.

We have also increased the level at which first-time buyers start paying Stamp Duty from £300,000 to £425,000. First-time buyers will be able to access the relief on property purchases up to £625,000, compared to £500,000 previously. This will apply until end March 2025.

This Government is committed to making homeownership a reality for as many households as possible.

We operate a range of schemes to support first-time buyers in purchasing properties, including First Homes, Shared Ownership, Right to Buy and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. Over 860,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through Government-backed schemes. The Government also helps first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA.

We have also increased the level at which first-time buyers start paying Stamp Duty from £300,000 to £425,000. First-time buyers will be able to access the relief on property purchases up to £625,000, compared to £500,000 previously. This will apply until end March 2025.

Children should be in school. While the department recognises young people should be able to peacefully express their views, the department does not condone missing out on their education to protest.

Missing school only disrupts lessons and adds to teachers’ workloads. The department will continue talking to the local authorities affected to offer support where needed. Any absence of this nature will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’, and parents may be given a penalty notice or prosecuted as a result. The department also expects teachers to fulfil their contractual requirements. It would be completely inappropriate for teachers to attend such protests during working hours.

Earlier this week the department wrote to schools, expressing our strong support for headteachers and local authorities in setting clear expectations that pupils should be in school and in enforcing them appropriately, including using fixed penalty notices where applicable.

It is the priority of the department that all students and young people learn in a safe and supportive environment. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to all schools and colleges on 17 October to provide advice on how to respond to the Israel-Hamas conflict in the classroom. To help schools navigate teaching about political issues, the department has also published guidance for teachers and leaders around political impartiality. Now is not the time for divisive, politically motivated rhetoric. Now is the time to do everything possible to ensure that students, staff and young people, many of whom will be personally affected by the ongoing conflict, are supported and feel safe in education settings.

The department will continue to monitor the situation closely.

The Government is committed to supporting the police in the robust use of their existing powers to prevent the incitement of hatred, disorder and disruption.

The management of protests, including the resourcing is an operational matter for the police.

On 20 October the Prime Minister met the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Cairo. He expressed his deep condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including the terrible destruction of the Al Ahli hospital. Both leaders agreed on the need for all parties to take steps to protect civilians, and civilian infrastructure, and minimise the loss of innocent lives. They condemned Hamas' terrorism and stressed that Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people.

The Foreign Secretary and Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, also continue to engage with the Palestinian Authority. We are deeply worried about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and are actively monitoring the situation. The UK Government remains committed to the two-state solution as the best way to bring peace and stability to the region and importantly between Israelis and Palestinians.