Written questions by Law.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of RQF Level 3-5 dental professionals from the list of Skilled Worker Visa eligible sponsored roles on patient access to dental care.

Dentists, dental surgeons, dental therapists and other dental practitioners, including orthodontists, meet the raised skills threshold of Regulation Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 or above and continue to remain eligible for the Skilled Worker visa.Those individuals already in the Skilled Worker route in dental professional roles at RQF 3 to 5, who have a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, can continue to work and extend their visas as long as they meet occupation salary thresholds. However, as these roles do not meet the new skills threshold of RQF level 6 or above, new visa applicants after 22 July are not eligible.The numbers recruited from overseas into the dental professions are relatively low when compared to other healthcare professions such as nurses or doctors. In the second quarter of 2025, 29 dental nurses and 38 medical and dental technicians (including, though not exclusively, dental hygienists) were granted Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visas.

What information her Department holds on the number of children in the Dundee City Council local authority area that live in households (a) in receipt of (i) Universal Credit and (ii) Child Tax Credit and (b) that include three or more children and do not receive the child element amount for at least one child.

The Department publishes Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, with the latest statistics available to April 2025. The accompanying tables provide breakdowns by country, region, local authority and parliamentary constituency. Child Tax Credit closed in April 2025

How many children in Dundee Central constituency are in households in receipt of (a) Universal Credit and (b) Child Tax Credit with three or more children that are not receiving a child element for at least one child.

The Department publishes Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, with the latest statistics available to April 2025. The accompanying tables provide breakdowns by country, region, local authority and parliamentary constituency. Child Tax Credit closed in April 2025

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure safe passage for students in Gaza due to commence university programmes in the UK.

We are working urgently to support Chevening Scholars in Gaza who have offers from British universities to leave and take up their places in the UK. The Government is working through options on how best to support other students with scholarships to take up their places at UK universities this academic year, in the context of an extremely challenging situation on the ground in Gaza.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on private sector investment by UK companies in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Government is committed to promoting sustainable economic growth and supporting British businesses overseas. During my visit to Baku on the 24 and 25 August, I discussed economic cooperation and commercial opportunities across Azerbaijan with President Aliyev, Foreign Minister Bayramov, and UK businesses operating in Azerbaijan. This Government's growth mission places an emphasis on unlocking opportunities for UK companies in emerging markets, including the South Caucasus. We continue to encourage responsible investment that supports growth in alignment with regional stability and international legal obligations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department supports the right of return for Armenians ethnically cleansed from Nagorno-Karabakh.

It is essential that Azerbaijan makes its recovered territories safe for the return of its own internally displaced population and provides clarity on the rights and security of ethnic Armenians who wish to return. To this end, we strongly welcome the initialling of a peace agreement and the signing of a joint declaration by President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan on 8 August in Washington, and commend President Trump's role in securing this breakthrough. The UK stands ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in securing long-term peace, stability, and prosperity for the South Caucasus - I discussed how the UK could do this in practical terms with both leaders during my visit to Baku and Yerevan on 25 and 26 August respectively.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing an arms embargo on Azerbaijan until it complies with international legal obligations relating to (a) Nagorno-Karabakh and (b) the right of return for Armenians.

The UK warmly welcomes the recent progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan towards peace, as summarised by the joint declaration made by their respective leaders in Washington on 8 August. I visited Baku and Yerevan on 25 and 26 August respectively and met with President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan to discuss our support for the recent agreements and to upgrade our relationships to strategic partnerships with both countries. Export licence applications for Azerbaijan are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, and licences are not issued where doing so would be inconsistent with these criteria, and wider policies. We continue to keep our wider policies under review.We have called for Azerbaijan to provide clarity on the rights and security of ethnic Armenians who wish to return to Karabakh.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's policy is on (a) whether Tibet is a part of China and (b) whether Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Syrian counterpart on the protection of Christian minorities.

We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised this with Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. The Foreign Secretary also raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to ensure that the dispute between Tibet and China is resolved in accordance with international law.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the potential merits of negotiating an agreement between China and Tibet.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Syrian counterpart on ensuring a (a) comprehensive and (b) unbiased transitional process.

I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised the importance of accountability and transitional justice for a sustainable political transition, and offered UK support to Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. During the Foreign Secretary's meeting with President al Sharaa in Damascus in July, he also raised this. We support the Syrian Government in establishing Syrian-led processes, such as the National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons, and have urged them to engage collaboratively with civil society and the UN to ensure these are inclusive, comprehensive and transparent.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart on protecting the (a) cultural, (b) religious and (c) linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is taking action to limit the impact of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda, and working with international partners to forge a collective counter FIMI agenda.We continue to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on disinformation on Tibet.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is taking action to limit the impact of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda, and working with international partners to forge a collective counter FIMI agenda.We continue to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of sectarian violence on Christian minorities in Syria.

We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised this with Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. The Foreign Secretary also raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Syrian counterpart on (a) preventing human rights violations, (b) protecting people and (c) ending sectarian violence in that country.

We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised this with Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. The Foreign Secretary also raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect the (a) rights and (b) safety of (i) Armenian and (ii) Arab Orthodox Christian communities in Syria.

We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised this with Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. The Foreign Secretary also raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle sectarian conflict between Syria's ethnic groups.

We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and raised this with Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. The Foreign Secretary also raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.

If her Department will waive biometric visa requirements for students in Gaza who are due to commence university programmes in the UK.

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas for all Chevening scholars from Gaza, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival in the UK.We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025. The Government is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK, while noting that the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act in the US.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. For example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October.