Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent rise in Islamophobia (1) in Europe, and (2) globally; and what discussions they have had with EU counterparts to prevent Islamophobia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. We monitor the situation for religious and non-religious communities globally and work multilaterally and bilaterally to promote FoRB, including with our EU partners. The UK condemned the incidents of Quran burning in Europe earlier this year, recognising the deep hurt felt by Muslims across the world, and we unequivocally denounce hatred and incitement of violence on the basis of religion or belief. We are committed to both freedom of expression and FoRB and will continue to promote mutual respect between different communities.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the compliance of the Marriage Act 1949 and other marriage law with the right to freedom of religion or belief, when Church of England and Church in Wales marriage ceremonies fulfil legal requirements and are legally recognised, while other religious ceremonies may not be.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The law makes provision for couples to marry in registered places of worship in a way that gives them legal rights and protections. Couples may choose instead to have a religious-only celebration alongside a legally binding civil ceremony.
However, the Government does share the concern that some people may have a wedding ceremony that does not give them legal rights and protections, without appreciating the consequences.
As part of its review, the Law Commission made recommendations which seek to ensure that, insofar as possible, couples are provided the same opportunities to legally marry in a way that reflects their beliefs. This would mean fewer ceremonies conducted according to religious rites result in a marriage that the law does not recognise.
The Government is considering its report carefully and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current marriage law in an inclusive multi-faith society.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The law makes provision for couples to marry in registered places of worship in a way that gives them legal rights and protections. Couples may choose instead to have a religious-only celebration alongside a legally binding civil ceremony.
However, the Government does share the concern that some people may have a wedding ceremony that does not give them legal rights and protections, without appreciating the consequences.
As part of its review, the Law Commission made recommendations which seek to ensure that, insofar as possible, couples are provided the same opportunities to legally marry in a way that reflects their beliefs. This would mean fewer ceremonies conducted according to religious rites result in a marriage that the law does not recognise.
The Government is considering its report carefully and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the urgency of the need for marriage law reform, with particular reference to protection and prevention for women whose religious marriage ceremonies do not comply with legal requirements and may not be legally recognised.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares the concern that some people, and disproportionately women, may have a religious wedding that is not legally binding, and does not provide legal protections, without appreciating the consequences.
We are carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on weddings reform. As part of its review, the Law Commission has considered ways of ensuring there are fewer religious wedding ceremonies that result in a marriage which the law does not recognise.
Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. We are now taking the time to consider the report’s recommendations and will publish a response shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bellamy on 8 November 2022 (HL2958 and HL2957) when their response to the Law Commission’s report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law published on 19 July 2022 will be published.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government shares the concern that some people, and disproportionately women, may have a religious wedding that is not legally binding, and does not provide legal protections, without appreciating the consequences.
We are carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on weddings reform. As part of its review, the Law Commission has considered ways of ensuring there are fewer religious wedding ceremonies that result in a marriage which the law does not recognise.
Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. We are now taking the time to consider the report’s recommendations and will publish a response shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund civil society organisations in Nigeria who provide emergency assistance to civilians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK funds civil society organisations to provide assistance to people displaced by conflict and violence across Nigeria, so they have access to food, healthcare and nutrition, and protection and water. Through the UK's Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience Programme we have provided over £53 million since 2022 to civil society organisations and the UN to support the humanitarian response in North East Nigeria, and have allocated a further £7.45 million for this financial year. The UK also contributes to the START Fund which provides funding to organisations helping people affected by conflict, flooding and cholera outbreaks, as well as the Red Cross Disaster Response Emergency Fund.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of violence in Nigeria on (1) international trade and business, and (2) the potential for further division leading to civil war.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
2022 was one of the worst years on record for levels of conflict and political violence deaths in Nigeria. This is detrimental to the country's stability, hinders growth, and deters international trade, business, and investment despite Nigeria's vast economic potential. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are committed to supporting efforts to tackle insecurity and secure a safe and prosperous Nigeria. The UK continues to encourage the Nigerian Government to assist affected communities and implement long-term solutions.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Nigeria (1) to co-operate with local leaders in the deployment of security forces, and (2) to monitor the forces’ activities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting Nigeria tackle rising insecurity through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership. How the Government of Nigeria deploys its security forces and monitors the forces' activities are both matters for the Nigerian Government. However, the UK continues to encourage the Nigerian Government to assist conflict-affected communities. The UK military's engagement with Nigeria's security forces includes an emphasis on the importance of human security and civil-military coordination on operations.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the use of artificial intelligence technology in radiotherapy treatment in England.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2020, the Department has provided £123 million to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies through the AI in Health and Care Award. The Award is accelerating the testing and evaluation of the most promising AI technologies likely to meet the aims set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Funding was provided for two projects, one from Mirada Medical and one led by Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust (project OSAIRIS), that specialise in assisting clinicians by automatically segmenting radiotherapy scans. The current process requires a time-consuming manual procedure, outlining healthy organs to be avoided during radiotherapy treatment. These technologies could significantly reduce the time from people being referred for radiotherapy to starting treatment. Award funding was granted to generate more evidence and test the feasibility of AI tools of this type.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government which body is currently in charge of the commissioning of radiotherapy services in England; and whether they have any plans to change this over the next two years.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is the accountable commissioner for radiotherapy services, and as such is responsible for setting evidence-based national service standards for radiotherapy, including service specifications and clinical commissioning policies. There are no plans for this to change in the future.