Routine vaccinations, including the shingles vaccine, are not currently available at community pharmacies via the National Health Service. This is with the exception of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine where, in response to the current measles outbreak, some areas have stood up community pharmacy sites on a time-limited basis, to deliver the MMR vaccine to specific cohorts.

The NHS vaccination strategy signals an intent to give local systems the responsibility and flexibility to design and deliver vaccination services to meet their population needs. This includes commissioning the optimal provider network, which may include community pharmacy and hospital hubs, and continuing to use the expertise of primary care, including general practices and practice nurses, to maximise uptake.

The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting the rights of children at home and overseas, this includes working to tackle all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. We value the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues.

The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe in highlighting the increasingly repressive landscape in Belarus, and the continued failure to hold democratic elections that meet international standards. We share the Assembly's ambition for a future democratic, independent Belarus. We have applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations. We will continue to put pressure on Lukashenko's regime in pursuit of the free and democratic society that Belarusians deserve.

The Government unreservedly condemns the use of torture for any purpose and continues to call on all States to ensure that those in detention are treated in line with international human rights law. We value the work of the Committee on the Prevention of Torture at the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues.

The UK implements the Council of Europe campaign through the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. The FCDO is committed to media freedom. We raise violations across the world including through the Media Freedom Coalition to hold to account those abusing or restricting media freedom. We oppose all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation - whether online or offline. The FCDO facilitates sharing UK best practice, including on developing and implementing legislation and measures to counter Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), in international fora.

We strongly condemn the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. The UK welcomes the Council of Europe's role in highlighting this issue and supports the Reykjavik Declaration on the situation of the children of Ukraine. We continue to call on Russia to cease forced transfers, allow unhindered, immediate and safe access for humanitarian organisations. They must facilitate the safe return of children to Ukraine, in line with Russia's obligations under international law.

We are a participant in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. In June 2022, the UK also sanctioned Putin's so-called "Commissioner for Children's Rights" Maria Lvova-Belova, for her alleged involvement in the forced deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children.

The UK welcomes the 22 January debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on observation of Parliamentary elections in Serbia in December 2023. The UK contributed a strong contingent to the combined international monitoring mission, alongside support for local election observation. The UK shares concerns over election irregularities and welcomes President Vucic's pledge to implement the recommendations set out in the final OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) report. The UK stands ready to support Serbia in this important work and urges meaningful progress before elections this spring.

Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history at the hands of Hamas. Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We want the fighting to stop now. We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

The UK has noted the Annual Report of the Council of Europe's independent Commissioner for Human Rights. We particularly welcome the Commissioner's focus on the human rights situation of children forcibly transferred or deported to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. The UK supported the Reykjavik Declaration on the situation of the children of Ukraine and continues to support accountability efforts, including through sanctions, awareness-raising campaigns and our participation in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

The UK has played an important role in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) response to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, including by making Ukraine a focus of the UK chaired Ministerial Council Meeting in 2023. We have also fully supported the OECD's firm response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, including its decision to suspend Russia and Belarus from OECD bodies and programmes, close the OECD office in Moscow and open an OECD-Ukraine liaison office in Kyiv.

We also strongly support the OECD's broader work to address shared challenges in the current global context, including its work to promote economic resilience and tackle social inequality.

Current levels of immigration are unprecedented with net migration at 672,000 in the year to June 2023, up significantly on pre-pandemic volumes. This is partly because the UK is at the forefront of efforts to support those who flee persecution, conflict and instability. We welcomed over half a million people on resettlement schemes and visa routes since 2015. In parallel the government is addressing legal migration, including a plan to curb immigration abuse. We are working with international partners to tackle illegal migration.

As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, HM Government is committed to ensuring that funding for arts and culture is more fairly distributed across the country. Arts Council England’s 2023–26 investment programme (the ‘National Portfolio’), worth over £444 million per year, has seen investment to cultural organisations in rural areas increase to £44.6 million, benefiting 110 organisations across the country.

In local authority areas identified as predominantly rural, there has been a 22% increase in investment in National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations. Urban areas with significant rural portions have seen an increase of 37%.

Cultural opportunities are also provided in rural areas by organisations based in neighbouring urban areas – for instance, through touring. Public library services in the Arts Council’s National Portfolio with a base in urban areas are also important to cultural opportunities in rural locations. The National Rural Touring Forum has also had its funding increased to help build capacity in this important part of the sector.

Arts Council England has also supported approximately 30 Cultural Compacts across England – including in rural and Levelling Up priority areas – and has provided these existing Compacts with further funding to build capacity and long-term cross-sector relationships. (Cultural Compacts are partnerships between the cultural and heritage sectors, Local Authorities, and wider local partners such as universities, health agencies, and the private sector, with the aim of enhancing creatives’ contribution to local development.)

Additionally, arts and cultural organisations in rural areas are able to access Arts Council England’s project grants, an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. This supports thousands of individual artists and community and cultural organisations, with over £105 million of funding awarded in 2022/23.

Meanwhile, DCMS’s £86 million Museum Estate and Development Fund has supported several museums in rural areas, including The Food Museum in Stowmarket which presents the agricultural history of East Anglia, the industrial museums Papplewick Pumping Station and Coldharbour Mill, Shandy Hall, the rural home of the writer Laurence Sterne, and Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum.

The Government is committed to growing the UK space sector. Yesterday's inaugural meeting of the reformed National Space Council Inter-Ministerial Group was an important moment for taking forward the National Space Strategy and developing a single Government voice on space.

During 2022 Natural England received 7 individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds (common pheasants and/or red-legged partridges) on and/or with 500m of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or a Special Protection Area (SPA).

As of 21 June 2023, Natural England has received 84 Individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds on and/or within 500m of those Sites.

The Government supports gamebird shooting for all the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy. The Government wants to see a vibrant working countryside that is enhanced by a biodiverse environment. We recognise the valuable role gamekeepers play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity through habitat management and predation control and we support the valuable role shooting provides to the rural economy. We monitor the impacts of many different rural businesses have on the rural economy and factor that into decision making whenever possible. We recognise the challenges that avian influenza presents and are considering how we can mitigate the impact on the shooting interests and the wider community.

The Defra minister responsible is working with Natural England to ensure applications are processed promptly and within the 30-working-day customer service standard. We cannot comment on individual licence decisions.

The Government supports gamebird shooting for all the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy and will work with the industry to try to mitigate any potential impact.

The Defra minister responsible has taken this decision following initial advice from the statutory nature conservation body, Natural England to reduce the risk of impact of avian influenza on rare and protected wild bird populations. We informed stakeholders on 10 May, based on their feedback we sought further advice from Defra’s Chief Scientific Officer prior to issuing final decision on 31 May.

The Defra Minister responsible has assumed responsibility for the decision making of individual licence applications for SPAs following the changes to General Licence 43 (GL43). Natural England is responsible for processing the applications and providing recommendations to Defra ministers. As at 19 June, Natural England has recommended issuing 3 individual licences which would authorise the release of a specified number of gamebirds at the specified site in the licence. The Minister has considered these applications and granted the individual licences.

The Department is carefully considering the impact of our reforms on the student housing market. We recognise there is a general annual lettings cycle and are considering solutions, such as a ground for possession that enables landlords to guarantee vacant possession for next year's tenants. Any solution needs to balance the needs of both students and landlords, and we will continue to engage with the sector. I am happy to discuss this matter further with my Hon. Friend.