Rachael Maskell MP: written questions 2025
238 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Sudan: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the external actors to the war in Sudan.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) confirmed that the UK will continue to use its leadership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to advocate for increased international efforts on Sudan, including pushin...
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: Peace NegotiationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75005More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to convene the talks to end the war in Sudan since the London Sudan Conference.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) confirmed that the UK will continue to use its leadership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to advocate for increased international efforts on Sudan, including pushin...
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: CeasefiresForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take at the UN General Assembly to support a ceasefire in Sudan.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) confirmed that the UK will continue to use its leadership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to advocate for increased international efforts on Sudan, including pushin...
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFamiliesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to redirect funding for orphanage economies to fund family strengthening.
Answer: As part of the Children's Care Reform campaign, a new programme was launched earlier this year to provide resources for technical assistance to signatories of the Global Charter and engagement with stakeholders, including young people with lived experienc...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGlobal Charter on Children's Care ReformForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the sustainable impact of the Global Care Reform Campaign, including (a) a long-term strategy up to 2030 and (b) adequate resour
Answer: As part of the Children's Care Reform campaign, a new programme was launched earlier this year to provide resources for technical assistance to signatories of the Global Charter and engagement with stakeholders, including young people with lived experienc...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGlobal Charter on Children's Care ReformForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what international commitments he plans to make in relation to the Global Care Reform Campaign.
Answer: The Global Charter on Children's Care Reform, led by the UK, sets out a series of commitments including supporting families to prevent unnecessary separation, ensuring safe and nurturing family-based alternative care and progressively ending the instituti...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67911More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation document Fair Funding Review 2.0 updated on 23 June 2025, what the funding formula used for the review is.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to chapter 4 of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which sets out the approach to assessing local authority demand through seven formulae. Government have also published detailed technical annexes for each formula. We will pu...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: ChristianityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on restrictions faced by (a) Christians and (b) underground churches in China.
Answer: The environment for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Chinese regulations on religious activity severely restrict religious and cultural expression in...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and GuardianshipDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the Coram quarterly data reports on adoption and special guardianship, published in March 2025.
Answer: Coram’s quarterly statistics on adoption and special guardianship orders provide a critical insight into how well local services are performing. The department regularly takes stock of where improvements are needed and works closely with Adoption England ...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoptionDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of prospective adopters; and what steps her Department is taking to increase this.
Answer: The government inherited a situation marked by a growing disparity between the number of children awaiting adoptive families and the number of approved adopters. In 2024/25, Adoption England launched a national recruitment campaign funded by the governmen...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoptionDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66936More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered updating the Statutory Guidance on Adoption, published on 18 July 2013.
Answer: The department keeps all statutory guidance under regular review, including that relating to adoption, and considers updates where required.
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Humanitarian AidMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66556More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of air dropping medical aid into Gaza.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office leads on coordinating the Government’s humanitarian response to deliver lifesaving assistance to the civilian population in Gaza. The Ministry of Defence has provided military support when requested to faci...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordInfectious Diseases: GazaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has provided NHS equipment to help manage infection control in health settings in Gaza.
Answer: There have been no donations of National Health Service equipment specific to infection control. However, the Government recently announced a £7.5 million package to strengthen medical care in Gaza and the region, including additional funding for UK-Med a...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgery: GazaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66554More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to opening a unit in the UK for surgical emergencies from Gaza.
Answer: In October 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care helped the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to arrange 21 tonnes of vital, life-saving Government humanitarian aid for displaced civilians in Gaza. Essential supplies included 76,800 su...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Aid WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66553More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide opportunities for NHS staff to work in (a) Gaza and (b) other conflict zones.
Answer: There are options for National Health Service staff to voluntarily provide healthcare support on a humanitarian basis and separately to their NHS duties. For example, humanitarian medical charities such as UK Med are active in Gaza, with NHS clinicians vo...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: PalestiniansHome OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Foreign Secretary on taking steps to help support Palestinians to access locations to verify their biometric data for UK visa applications.
Answer: There are currently two UK Visa Application Centres operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in Ramallah and Jerusalem. The centres in Ramallah and Jerusalem are open twice per week and once every two weeks respectively for biometrics enrolment....
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: GazaHome OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking to steps to help support children in Gaza with family members in the UK to come to the UK.
Answer: The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immig...
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: GazaHome OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reunite people in Gaza with members of their families in the UK.
Answer: The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immig...
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the level of ODA spend.
Answer: To fund an increase in defence spending, the Government has taken the decision to reduce our ODA budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. This reflects the world we live in and the threats our country faces. We must do this to maintain econo...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on establishing field hospitals in Gaza.
Answer: Healthcare in Gaza is on the brink following Israel's expanded military operations. It is appalling that nearly all Gaza's hospitals are damaged or partly destroyed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). We recently announced a £7.5 million p...
Answered 6 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will provide clean (a) medical and (b) surgical equipment in Gaza.
Answer: Healthcare in Gaza is on the brink following Israel's expanded military operations. It is appalling that nearly all Gaza's hospitals are damaged or partly destroyed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). We recently announced a £7.5 million p...
Answered 6 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: Conflict ResolutionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66546More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help de-escalate the conflict in Sudan.
Answer: We are engaging with a range of international partners to coordinate action on de-escalation of the conflict in Sudan, including through our role as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council. The UK has shown clear leadership on Sudan, including the L...
Answered 6 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption: Advisory ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66545More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an Adoptee Reference Group to provide guidance to the Department on adoption policy.
Answer: I regularly meet with representatives from the adoption sector including Adoption England, Adoption UK and Coram amongst others to discuss a range of issues. I hosted an adoption roundtable sector meeting on 21 May with a number of key representatives to ...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption: Advisory ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an Adoption Advisory Board of sector experts to advise the Minister for Children and Families on adoption policy.
Answer: I regularly meet with representatives from the adoption sector including Adoption England, Adoption UK and Coram amongst others to discuss a range of issues. I hosted an adoption roundtable sector meeting on 21 May with a number of key representatives to ...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoptionDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66543More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of adoption disruptions in the last year; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce these.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for York Central to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 37457.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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