The Commission does not control or regulate All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).

The Committee on Standards put forward recommendations which were approved by the House on 19 July 2023. These included the following provisions which are now contained within the APPG rules:

a) groups are not permitted to have a secretariat either provided or funded by a foreign government.

b) a group’s officers must undertake due diligence as to whether a foreign government is the eventual funder of a secretariat or other benefit. If a group receives a benefit (other than a secretariat) from a foreign government, this is permissible but must be registered.

c) for groups receiving over £1500 in benefits in a calendar year, the group shall publish an annual report explaining its work and a due diligence statement in relation to foreign government funding.

As the Committee recommended, the Parliamentary Security Department and the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on 20 September 2023 issued guidance on due diligence. That guidance was emailed to all APPG Chairs and is available here: Guide to the rules on All-Party Parliamentary Groups - UK Parliament

There is no ban on the receipt of benefits from foreign governments, but such benefits must be registered.

Developing a deployable cattle bovine TB vaccine is one of the government’s top priorities. Field trials have been taking place in England and Wales since 2021, following a major breakthrough by government scientists in the development of a new DIVA skin test to Detect Infected among Vaccinated Animals. The aim of these trials is to gather information to enable both the CattleBCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccine and the new DIVA skin test to be authorised for use and recognised internationally.

CattleBCG stimulates a protective immune response in vaccinated cattle. In the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)’s experimental challenge model vaccinated animals display a range of protection and demonstrate a 12 month duration of immunity. The extent of disease reduction from CattleBCG depends on many factors including severity of exposure to bTB and herd immunity. Establishing the true level of protection afforded by vaccines is only possible by monitoring and assessing performance after licensing and routine use in the population vaccinated. When combined with existing disease control measures, we are confident that widespread vaccination will help to further reduce the incidence of bTB and its impact on cattle farms in England.

We continue to work in partnership with stakeholders, alongside colleagues in Scotland and Wales, to assess how this potential new tool could be deployed in the future and provide the greatest possible benefit to our herds for generations to come.

Information on the development of a bovine TB cattle vaccine can be found on the TB Hub at https://tbhub.co.uk/resources/frequently-asked-questions/development-of-a-deployable-tuberculosis-vaccine-for-cattle/.

HM Treasury works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure that the market works well, competitively and fairly for both firms and consumers, and that the advice being provided is of high quality.

HM Treasury sets the legislative framework for financial services, including financial advice, and regulation of the sector is the responsibility of the independent FCA. Their rules require advice firms to understand the essential facts about their client’s investment objectives, risk tolerance, and ability to bear losses before making a recommendation. The FCA’s Consumer Duty also applies, which requires regulated firms to avoid foreseeable harm and support their customers to pursue their financial objectives.

In 2020, the FCA published an evaluation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR) – significant interventions to improve the quality of financial advice. This found that the reviews enhanced the offering available to consumers and increased trust in the investment industry. It also found a small increase in the number of advisers in the market from approximately 35,000 to 36,400 between 2012 and 2019.

The Government recognises continued concerns regarding the accessibility and cost of advice and has launched a review, alongside the FCA, of the regulatory boundary between financial guidance and financial advice. The review seeks to create a regulatory system where commercially viable, high-quality models of support can emerge for consumers at all life stages. HM Treasury and the FCA published a joint policy paper in December 2023 outlining initial proposals for reform and are currently considering the feedback provided by industry and consumer groups.

HM Treasury works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure that the market works well, competitively and fairly for both firms and consumers, and that the advice being provided is of high quality.

HM Treasury sets the legislative framework for financial services, including financial advice, and regulation of the sector is the responsibility of the independent FCA. Their rules require advice firms to understand the essential facts about their client’s investment objectives, risk tolerance, and ability to bear losses before making a recommendation. The FCA’s Consumer Duty also applies, which requires regulated firms to avoid foreseeable harm and support their customers to pursue their financial objectives.

In 2020, the FCA published an evaluation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR) – significant interventions to improve the quality of financial advice. This found that the reviews enhanced the offering available to consumers and increased trust in the investment industry. It also found a small increase in the number of advisers in the market from approximately 35,000 to 36,400 between 2012 and 2019.

The Government recognises continued concerns regarding the accessibility and cost of advice and has launched a review, alongside the FCA, of the regulatory boundary between financial guidance and financial advice. The review seeks to create a regulatory system where commercially viable, high-quality models of support can emerge for consumers at all life stages. HM Treasury and the FCA published a joint policy paper in December 2023 outlining initial proposals for reform and are currently considering the feedback provided by industry and consumer groups.

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he does representing his constituents. He is right about the pressures that are faced, particularly in rural areas, which is why the Government provided £600 million of additional funding for local government across the country, ensuring an increase of around 7.5% in resources available to invest in social care, but also an extra addition to the rural services delivery grant—an acknowledgement of the challenges of providing services in rural areas—with more funding for those rural councils to deliver.

Better protecting communities from flooding remains a key priority for the Government and significant investment in flood mitigation has taken place in Shrewsbury and the wider Severn Valley.

During the 2024-25 financial year, approximately £5 million investment is planned to fund projects that will seek to further reduce flood risk in Shrewsbury. These projects are initiatives funded as part of the current six-year capital programme (2021-27). This programme aims to invest over £150 million, reducing flood risk and better protecting 3,000 homes and businesses across the English Severn and Wye Catchment. Almost £45 million of this will be in Shropshire, better protecting almost 600 homes and businesses.

There are also existing flood risk management assets in Shrewsbury in the Frankwell and Coleham Head areas which together better protects 154 properties from flooding. The Environment Agency ensures they remain operational and highly effective at alleviating flooding to properties, businesses and infrastructure including through the most recent significant flooding events.

Officials have discussed this issue with senior managers at First Rail Holdings (Avanti West Coast Owning Group) and the Managing Director of Avanti West Coast. Further discussions will be taking place with Ministers.

The Department reimburses pre-agreed budgeted costs incurred by operators on a good and efficient basis.

Additionally, operators earn two types of fees. A fixed management fee and a performance-based fee. Payment of the performance-based fee is dependent on operators’ performance against contractual criteria and target measures.

One element of that performance component is the SQR Regime, which was fully implemented for Avanti in April 2023. This regime is entirely separate from the operational performance regime which incentivise the operator to manage on-time running and cancellation levels. To date no fees have been paid to Avanti under the SQR regime. The first period to be assessed to determine the Performance Fee are the scores for April to October 2023. The evaluation process for this period is underway.

I start by saying that my thoughts are with all those affected by the devastating impact of Storm Henk and the flooding that we have seen over the past week or two, including those in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Action is already being undertaken under our six-year, £5.2 billion investment programme to better protect land across the River Severn catchment area and elsewhere, but I know the Minister responsible for flooding met my hon. Friend, along with the Environment Agency, in his constituency just before Christmas to discuss the specific plans he mentions. I know the Chancellor has received and started reviewing them. I assure my hon. Friend that the Environment Agency is working closely with other partners to explore his plans in more detail.

The UK’s Counter Terrorism (CT) legislation criminalises terrorism financing in all its forms. The Government keeps under review our legislative tools to ensure that we keep pace with evolving terrorist financing threats.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act 2023, created new powers for law enforcement to seize, detain or freeze, and forfeit terrorist cryptoassets, alongside other forms of terrorist property. The ECCT Act is future-proofed to allow further technological advancements in digital currency to be captured under the new civil recovery powers.

The UK continues to engage with international partners to mitigate illicit and terrorist finance risks associated with cryptoassets including non-fungible tokens, and to share best practice for meeting international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). To ensure that terrorist organisations are unable to exploit blockchain technology, the UK has also, as of September 2023, implemented the FATF’s 'Travel Rule' which extends information sharing and retention for cryptoasset transfers to detect both illicit and terrorist financing.

Although upgrading this line was not included in the Network North plan, £9.6 billion funding has been allocated towards transport infrastructure enhancements across the Midlands. This does not preclude the scheme from being funded in the future, and I understand Midlands Connect’s Strategic Outline Business Case outlines the potential benefits of the scheme for line-speed improvements to the Shewsbury to Wolverhampton line.

School-based counsellors can play an important role in supporting pupil mental wellbeing, alongside wider pastoral support.

Schools are best placed to decide what pastoral support to offer to meet pupil need and they have the flexibility to use a number of funding streams to provide this support, which can include counselling. Funding streams include core schools funding, which is set to increase to the highest ever level in real terms per pupil in the 2024/25 financial year, following the additional investment of £2 billion in each of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, as announced in the Autumn Statement 2022.

Schools can also use pupil premium and recovery premium funding to support pupil wellbeing, including through employing counsellors, in line with an evidence-based menu of approaches. Pupil premium rates have increased by 5% for 2023/24, to a total of £2.9 billion, and recovery premium will provide a further £1 billion of funding across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, following over £300 million delivered in 2022/23.

To support the provision of counselling in schools, in addition to increasing the funding available, the department has published a blueprint for school counselling services, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools. This provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling.

The UK Government condemns Iran's financial support to militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah which compromises the region's security and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. In 2019, the UK made its position clear by proscribing Hizballah in its entirety and put an asset freeze in place due to Hizballah's terrorist activity. We support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on Iranian weapons proliferation to non-state actors, including to Hizballah (UNSCR 1701). Our assessment remains that a sovereign Lebanon with strong institutions is the best way to tackle Hizballah's influence in Lebanon.

The UK Government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. It is for this reason that we currently have over 300 sanctions in place against Iran. Hizballah and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk. As the Foreign Secretary said in his 14 May statement, we welcome the current Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and urge all sides to de-escalate tensions.

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. I know that his constituents are anxious for the building work to get under way as soon as possible, but I also know that the Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with NHS England and the trust to support the development of the scheme. The trust is due to submit plans to the Department in the coming months, and the Department will work apace to review those plans.

My department has a team which covers the Caribbean and is in regular contact with governments and businesses, actively seeking export and investment opportunities for British firms. We are working with a number of UK companies on infrastructure projects in the region and would be delighted to discuss these opportunities with any UK exporters the Member is aware of. Please contact DITLATAC@fcdo.gov.uk.

Furthermore, Department for Business and Trade trade advisers in the region can provide dedicated, well-informed guidance on viable long-term commercial prospects across the Caribbean, including St Kitts and Nevis.

Significant investment in flood risk mitigation is taking place in Shrewsbury and the wider Severn Valley. Flood defence schemes in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency and wider surrounding areas are already benefitting from around £20 million of funding for several schemes, including the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme upstream of Shrewsbury. Across the English Severn and Wye region, around £170 million will be invested in flood and coastal erosion risk management from 2021 to 2027.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework: 2019 to 2024 five-year deal commits £2.592 billion per year to community pharmacies. In September last year we announced the agreement with the sector for the remainder of the five-year deal, which included a further one-off investment in the sector of £100 million. The Pharmacy Access Scheme financially supports pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies.

As set out in the relevant country policy and information notes (CPINs), our own comprehensive assessment of Rwanda and their asylum process has found it is a fundamentally safe and secure country with a track record of supporting asylum seekers. Our CPINs are kept under constant review and updated periodically to reflect any significant new issues or evidence and are available on the Gov.uk website.

We regularly monitor and review the situation in Rwanda, working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

My hon. Friend has raised this issue before, and he is right to do so. The Government have doubled our investment in flood defences over this Parliament, to £5.2 billion. I know that the DEFRA Secretary will talk to him and his communities on her visit, and I look forward to hearing back from her after that.