Written questions by Sultana.

Whether any British armed forces officers have studied or trained at Israeli military colleges since October 2023.

Fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has funded any non-governmental or media organisations in Venezuela since 2023.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 May 2025 to Question 50066. She can find details of all programmes supported in Venezuela on the GOV.UK Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any funds from the UK Integrated Security Fund have been allocated for projects involving Venezuela since 2024.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 May 2025 to Question 50066. She can find details of all programmes supported in Venezuela on the GOV.UK Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) financial institutions and (b) private corporations attended the Wilton Park conference on the reconstruction of Gaza.

The UK co-hosted a conference at Wilton Park with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt on mobilising private sector finance in support of Palestinian-led planning for the Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza. Wilton Park Protocol means that we cannot provide exact names or institutions, but the attendees included international investors with particular focus on development impact, multilateral institutions, Palestinian private sector representatives, and our international partners, including European and Arab Governments.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) rights and (b) remedies available to tenants affected by (i) nuisance and (ii) overgrown trees on neighbouring land.

Through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, social landlords, the police and local authorities have been given a range of powers and tools to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), including nuisance. There is also a statutory regime for dealing with a range of nuisances including noise, and it is for individual local authorities to determine the detailed arrangements of the services they provide, taking into account their assessment of local needs and circumstances. Under the new consumer regulation regime, the Regulator of Social Housing will proactively seek assurances that providers are meeting the outcomes set by the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. Providers will be required to collect and publish data on tenants’ satisfaction with their landlord’s approach to handling ASB, which will ensure that tenants can hold registered providers to account. Under common law, a landowner can cut the branches from a neighbour's trees at the boundary between the two properties, whether or not they are causing any damage, if they overhang his or her property and are regarded as a nuisance. If you live in a conservation area, or the trees in the hedge are protected by a ‘tree preservation order’, you might need your council’s permission to trim them.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK is training Palestinian police forces.

As part of our commitment to stability in Israel and Palestine, the UK provides the Palestinian Authority with professional support in helping develop capable and responsible security institutions that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people. The Foreign Secretary recently announced up to £1 million funding for UK supported training facilities in Jordan, which will train Palestinian Security Forces based in the West Bank to build their capacity and capability to maintain security in the State of Palestine.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of her Department's policies on (a) all people seeking asylum and (b) people seeking asylum whose age is disputed who arrived in the UK by irregular means.

The impact of our policies on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the asylum policy development process, and that includes our policy on age assessment.The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders. All policy development is carried out with regard to section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and in line with our international obligations.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending redundancy protection to 18 months for employees experiencing pregnancy loss at any stage of pregnancy.

If an employee experiences pregnancy loss within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, the redundancy protected period ends two weeks from the end of the pregnancy. After a stillbirth from 24 weeks, the protected period ends 18 months from the date of birth.The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss, and powers to provide protections around redundancy and dismissal. A primary driver of the existing enhanced redundancy protections is to protect those who take lengthy absences from work on statutory family leave and thus may be at a disadvantage in a redundancy situation.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that families of adults with learning disabilities are given a greater role in decisions on their (a) care and (b) support.

Under the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, carers will be actively involved in the care planning of those they care for, mirroring the practices of family group conferencing.Additionally, we are increasing the information captured about unpaid carers throughout the health and care system to help us better understand responsibilities and provide more targeted support. Development of a new ‘MyCarer’ section of the NHS App will also allow people to communicate more easily with relevant clinical team members on behalf of those for whom they care.To provide further support, in April, the Government increased the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the largest ever increase since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many foreign officials have been granted special mission immunity to visit the UK since March 2024; and what the (a) names and (b) country of origin are of those officials.

The purpose of special missions is a 'temporary mission, representing a state, which is sent by one state to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending state'. All visitors granted a special mission status would have had bilateral engagements with UK ministers and officials during their visit, pertinent to the individual bilateral relationship.Since 1 March 2024, special mission status has been granted to four delegations:Benny Gantz, Chairman of The National Unity Party & War Cabinet Minister of the State of Israel and two delegates, March 2024;Lieutenant General Herzl Halevi, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and four delegates, November 2024;Major General Oded Bassiuk, Head of the Operations Directorate J3 of the Israel Defense Forces and five delegates, January 2025;Major General Tomer Bar, Head of the Israeli Air Force, July 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Tomer Bar was granted special mission immunity to visit the UK in July 2025.

Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK. As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 4 March 2013, Official Report, volume 559, column 55WS, a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office gave consent for special mission status for the visit to the UK on 17-18 July for Tomer Bar, Head of the Israeli Air Force, and a member of their delegation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 50563 on Israel: Military Aid, what gifts of controlled military equipment were provided to Israel between 7 October 2023 and 17 July 2024.

While I am unable to comment on specific capabilities, equipment gifted to Israel by the UK Government since 7 October 2023 has been non-lethal.

What progress her Department has made in reviewing the pause on decision-making for (a) asylum and (b) indefinite leave to remain applications from Syrian nationals; and what her planned timetable is for resuming the processing of such claims.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum. Settlement Protection applications from Syrian nationals who are trying to obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK are also subject to the pause.The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.We will not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.

When he plans to answer Question 50563, tabled by the hon. Member for Coventry South on 7 May 2025.

I will respond to the hon. Member shortly.

With reference to his Department's letter dated 13 May 2025, reference MC2025/08064, how he decides whether intelligence collected by Royal Air Force surveillance missions over Gaza and shared with Israeli authorities will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Defence activity with Israel, as with any other State, is subject to rigorous processes to ensure that it is compliant with domestic and international law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has used contractors to provide (a) information and (b) analysis to the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Assessment Process Cell.

Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments include information from a wide range of sources, including a third-party contractor specialising in geolocation verification and consider analysis from a wide range of sources including the UN, Non-Governmental Organisations, media and organisations on the ground.The UK's operational mandate has been narrowly defined to focus on securing the release of the hostages only. These Royal Air Force surveillance flights are unarmed and do not have a combat role. We will not comment further on detailed intelligence matters to protect operational security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Assessment Process Cell has submitted assessments on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law since July 2024.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has carried out regular International Humanitarian Law assessments since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October 2023. To date we have undertaken 14 assessments. Further information on the assessment process can be found on Gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account/summary-of-the-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the International Humanitarian Law Compliance Assessment Process Cell has requested access to footage from the Royal Air Force's surveillance missions over Gaza.

Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments include information from a wide range of sources, including a third-party contractor specialising in geolocation verification and consider analysis from a wide range of sources including the UN, Non-Governmental Organisations, media and organisations on the ground.The UK's operational mandate has been narrowly defined to focus on securing the release of the hostages only. These Royal Air Force surveillance flights are unarmed and do not have a combat role. We will not comment further on detailed intelligence matters to protect operational security.

Whether any types of unmanned aerial vehicle engines have been removed from (a) ML10d and (b) 9A001 of the UK Strategic Export Control Lists since 2020.

Since 2020 the only changes made to the ML10d & 9A001 control entries were, respectively, to exclude aero engines originally manufactured prior to 1946 and to delete the control on aero gas turbine engines for aircraft able to cruise above Mach 1. It is considered that these changes do not substantively alter the extent of the controls that apply to engines designed for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Whether his Department has exempted the company RCV Engines Ltd from applying for arms export licenses for the sale of (a) engines and (b) engine parts.

The requirement for an export licence for military and dual-use goods is set out in the Export Control Order 2008. Export licence applications for all controlled goods are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.The Export Control Joint Unit does not issue exemptions from requirements for export licences except those specifically prescribed in law (e.g. the list of controlled goods under the 2008 Order exempts any engine manufactured before 1946). Where individual licence applications include items that are not covered by the 2008 Order, exporters can be informed that no licence is required.