Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle companies that make employees redundant without (a) giving notice and (b) following a consultation process.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While we recognise that tough decisions such as redundancies remain a commercial matter, it’s important that employees are treated fairly and that correct process is followed.
The Government has a robust package of measures to address non-compliance including:
Whether an employer met consultation requirements for collective redundancy would be a matter for an employment tribunal to decide, having heard detailed evidence on the facts of the case.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to ensure that Trading Standards have adequate resources to investigate all reports it is provided on the alleged operation of rogue traders.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.
The majority of Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to rogue traders.
The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Human Rights Watch entitled The Massalit Will Not Come Home: Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan, published on 9 May 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK condemns in the strongest terms reported atrocities being committed across Sudan, particularly in Darfur. Reports of ongoing attacks on innocent civilians by militias, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing. These acts must stop immediately. The UK continues to pursue all diplomatic avenues to press the warring parties into a permanent ceasefire, to allow unfettered humanitarian access, to protect civilians, and to commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. Atrocity prevention is one of the pillars of our Sudan strategy and we analyse the conflict on an ongoing and rolling basis. Our policies are under constant review and the FCDO will ensure we take the policy suggestions detailed in the report into consideration.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Peruvian counterpart on supporting families from the indigenous Kichwa community of Santa Rosillo de Yanayacu.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is aware of the challenges faced by indigenous people and their supporters in the Peruvian Amazon. We monitor the threats that they face, as well as the actions of the Peruvian Government to protect these communities. We regularly engage with indigenous national organisations to discuss human rights and climate initiatives. I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October and met with representatives of indigenous groups, including from the Santa Rosillo de Yanayacu community, to hear directly about the challenges, threats and opportunities they face. I also discussed the importance of protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities with my former counterpart, Mr Ignacio Higueras Hare, during the annual UK-Peru High Level Dialogue in October.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department will provide support to Haitian police to help tackle the increase in violence from criminal gangs.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Haiti that exacerbates pre-existing humanitarian and economic crises. On 9 April, the Foreign Secretary announced a £5 million UK contribution to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, the main role of which is to work in collaboration with the Haitian National Police to tackle gang-related violence.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he plans to take steps to support the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul following recent floods in that area.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I [Minister Rutley] was saddened to learn of the terrible flooding that has ravaged Rio Grande do Sul. I offered my sincere condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident, including the families of those who have so sadly lost their lives. His Majesty's Ambassador to Brazil has also offered condolences to State Governor Eduardo Leite. Through the Start Fund the UK has supported an allocation of £193,000 to provide humanitarian aid in response to the flooding in Brazil. The Start Fund is a pooled fund to which the UK is a major donor.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Russia's threat of a military response following the UK's provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK provided long range, precision strike conventional weapons so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may better defend themselves in Ukraine.
The granting of Storm Shadow was in response to Russia's continued brutality and deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and it will help Ukraine restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow is the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has successfully put pressure on Russian forces.
The UK, along with other allies, is providing a range of equipment to Ukraine to help it counter Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression, on the understanding that it will be used in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to support people facing food insecurity due to El Niño in (a) Colombia, (b) Ecuador, (c) Peru and (d) Bolivia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is a significant contributor to global humanitarian pooled funds which are activated to respond to a humanitarian crisis such as those caused by El Nino. This includes the UN Crisis Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) and the NGO Start Fund.The UK is providing expertise through a multi-year Government-to-Government Agreement with Peru to support the reconstruction of the country's public service facilities following severe damage caused by El Niño flooding in 2017 and supporting Peru through the Start Fund and Save the Children in its humanitarian response to flooding caused by heavy rainfall and high sea temperatures in northern Peru in March this year. Since June 2023, the Start Fund has also provided £140,000 to support NGO responses to the health, water and food security impacts of drought in Colombia. These responses targeted assistance to thousands of people across the region.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the BGI Group (a) has or (b) has ever had contracts with his Department.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence does not have, nor has ever had, contracts with the BGI Group.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the ruling by the Appeal Court in Hong Kong on the banning of the song entitled Glory to Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned about the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including freedom of speech, which is guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. As the then Foreign Secretary said in the foreword to the January - July 2023 Six-monthly Report, "the Hong Kong authorities have extended the application of the National Security Law beyond genuine national security concerns…to use legal routes to supress the song 'Glory to Hong Kong'". I raised the deterioration of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong with Christopher Hui, Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury on 24 April during my visit to China.