Rachael Maskell MP: written questions
708 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Gaza: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75012More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to provide safe zones around hospitals and recognised refugee camps in Gaza.
Answer: The UK has been clear that hospitals and other essential civilian infrastructure must be protected under International Law. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly all hospitals in Gaza have been partly damaged or destroyed. We have made ...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK Aid is entering Gaza.
Answer: The UK is doing all we can to alleviate suffering. All allocations of our Humanitarian Programme are available publicly on Development Tracker. We have published further information on Core Relief Items through the programmes annual review with the next t...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with international partners on protecting Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and East Jerusalem.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the announcements made by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary on 21 September, further details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-formally-recognises-palestinian-state.
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Internally Displaced PeopleForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on Israel's plans to clear Gaza City.
Answer: The Israeli Government's refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, and the UK has been clear that the latest military operation in Gaza City will only worsen the humanitarian crisis and endanger the lives of...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: Humanitarian AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on providing USAID to Sudan.
Answer: We have engaged closely and productively with our US colleagues about the crisis in Sudan and the UK greatly values the role played by the US as the largest financial humanitarian donor. The former Foreign Secretary has raised Sudan personally with the US...
Answered 25 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: Peace NegotiationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with (a) civil society and (b) women's organisations in Sudan on advancing a pathway to peace.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials, including our Special Representative to Sudan, regularly meet Sudanese civil society and diaspora groups. We also had extensive engagement with civil society and NGOs prior to the London Sud...
Answered 25 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSudan: 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 record
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