Every parliamentary written question tabled by Chris Law this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 278 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the level of humanitarian medical access in Gaza.
The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the denial of entry to Gaza for UK medical personnel. We have raised these cases with Israeli counterparts and continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access and for aid workers.
How much revenue has been generated by his Department by private aircraft landing at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.
Private aircraft use of Leuchars Aerodrome has generated revenue of circa £204,420, since 30 October 2023.
How many private aircraft have landed at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.
100 private aircraft have landed at Leuchars Station since 30 October 2023.
Whether his Department will suspend (a) trade preferences and (b) procurement contracts with entities (i) operating in or (ii) profiting from settlements in (A) East Jerusalem and (B) the West Bank.
The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the potential reputational implications of involvement in economic and financial activities in settlements, as well as possible abuses of the rights of individuals that such activity may entail. Those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to reinstate multi-year core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
In July 2024, this Government reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and has since committed £27.5 million for 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people across the region. Future funding decisions will be taken in due course, and announced in the normal way.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to suspend new military export licences to Israel, in the context of the findings of the report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of Palestinian institutions in (a) the West Bank and (b) East Jerusalem that are no longer able to provide services due to (i) Israeli demolitions, (ii) closures and (iii) funding restrictions.
The Government does not hold the requested estimates, but we work closely with civil society, international organisations, and the Palestinian Authority to assess the situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
What discussions he has had with NHS England on adopting the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway for people with multiple sclerosis.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services, including hospital care, for their local population, including for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.Whilst there hasn’t been a specific discussion with NHS England regarding the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the NHS to address variations in care and promoting best practices. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England has also recently updated its Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) Service Specification, which includes services for people with MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. The refreshed service specification is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/ The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.
With reference to the MS Society’s report entitled A Different Path: Rethinking MS hospital care, published in September 2025, what steps he is taking to improve hospital care for people with multiple sclerosis.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services, including hospital care, for their local population, including for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.Whilst there hasn’t been a specific discussion with NHS England regarding the MS Optimum Clinical Pathway, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the NHS to address variations in care and promoting best practices. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England has also recently updated its Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) Service Specification, which includes services for people with MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. The refreshed service specification is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/ The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the US Government on closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
That is a matter for the US and the nations of those detained at the facility, which does not include the UK.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to publicly support a global initiative to stop the trade of goods used for torture during the first committee stage of the UN General Assembly in 2025.
The UK Government remains committed to preventing torture and tackling impunity for those who torture others. It is essential for safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.At the UN General Assembly, we will continue to work with allies to encourage all states to uphold their international human rights obligations. As a member of the Global Alliance on Torture Free Trade, the UK supports the initiative to stop the trade of goods used for capital punishment and torture. Goods are subject to export restrictions if they can be used for torture, capital punishment, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Export licence applications are considered against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will not grant a licence for items where we determine there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the creation of Israeli settlements inside occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli settler organisation Ateret Cohanim.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 3 September to Question 71442.
What guidance his Department has provided to assessment providers on whether Work Capability Assessments for new claims should have priority over claimants who report a change in their circumstances.
It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments
How many existing claimants are waiting for Work Capability Assessment reassessments.
Department for Work and Pensions continues to monitor waiting times for Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) and works closely with assessment suppliers to manage demand and ensure claimants progress through the process as efficiently as possible. The department remains focused on maintaining a timely assessment service, while ensuring that support is directed to those who need it most. The number of WCAs for new claimants undertaken in each month since January 2025 are as follows. Jan 25Feb 25Mar 25Apr 25May 25Jun 25Jul 25Aug 2558,00054,00060,00053,00052,00052,00054,00041,000 The number of WCAs for existing claimants undertaken in each month since January 2025 are as follows. Jan 25Feb 25Mar 25Apr 25May 25Jun 25Jul 25Aug 251,9002,1001,7001,2001,4001,9002,1003,000 As of 31 August 2025, approximately 110,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered. Please note:Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
What his planned timeframe is for completing existing claimants’ Work Capability Assessment reassessments.
It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments
With reference to his Department's accredited official statistics entitled ESA: Work Capability Assessments, Mandatory Reconsiderations and Appeals: June 2025, published on 12 June 2025, for how long he expects his Department's instruction to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new claims over reassessments of existing claimants to be in place.
It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments
How many Work Capability Assessments for existing claimants were undertaken in each month since January 2025.
Department for Work and Pensions continues to monitor waiting times for Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) and works closely with assessment suppliers to manage demand and ensure claimants progress through the process as efficiently as possible. The department remains focused on maintaining a timely assessment service, while ensuring that support is directed to those who need it most. The number of WCAs for new claimants undertaken in each month since January 2025 are as follows. Jan 25Feb 25Mar 25Apr 25May 25Jun 25Jul 25Aug 2558,00054,00060,00053,00052,00052,00054,00041,000 The number of WCAs for existing claimants undertaken in each month since January 2025 are as follows. Jan 25Feb 25Mar 25Apr 25May 25Jun 25Jul 25Aug 251,9002,1001,7001,2001,4001,9002,1003,000 As of 31 August 2025, approximately 110,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered. Please note:Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
On what date his Department instructed assessment providers to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new claims over reassessments of existing claimants.
It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments
What the evidential basis was for his Department instructing assessment providers to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new claims over reassessments of existing claimants.
It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity. Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers. We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases. The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments