Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise with the government of Iran (1) the detention of lawyers defending Iranian protesters, and (2) the detention of 17 journalists, including Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who first reported on Jina Mahsa Amini's death in custody.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's human rights record is dire. The UN Fact Finding Mission's update to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 5 July echoed our serious issues over the continued detention of protesters, lawyers and journalists, the ongoing wave of executions, and new legislation targeting women accused of breaching headscarf rules. We continue to work with our international partners to ensure the regime is held to account. That is why the UK initiated the joint statement of 5 July calling on Iran to end executions, which was signed by 54 countries. On 6 July we announced a further package of human rights sanctions, including on senior prison officials and on the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) - the body responsible for setting headscarf policies. Our annual Human Rights Report, published on 13 July, outlines our wide-ranging concern with the human rights situation in Iran and Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We continue to raise these and other human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have with the government of Iran regarding the executions, and threat of executions, of many of those connected to the protests that began in that country in September 2022.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's human rights record is dire. The UN Fact Finding Mission's update to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 5 July echoed our serious issues over the continued detention of protesters, lawyers and journalists, the ongoing wave of executions, and new legislation targeting women accused of breaching headscarf rules. We continue to work with our international partners to ensure the regime is held to account. That is why the UK initiated the joint statement of 5 July calling on Iran to end executions, which was signed by 54 countries. On 6 July we announced a further package of human rights sanctions, including on senior prison officials and on the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) - the body responsible for setting headscarf policies. Our annual Human Rights Report, published on 13 July, outlines our wide-ranging concern with the human rights situation in Iran and Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We continue to raise these and other human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Iranian authorities about punishments for women and girls found in breach of provisions requiring the wearing of a headscarf.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's human rights record is dire. The UN Fact Finding Mission's update to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 5 July echoed our serious issues over the continued detention of protesters, lawyers and journalists, the ongoing wave of executions, and new legislation targeting women accused of breaching headscarf rules. We continue to work with our international partners to ensure the regime is held to account. That is why the UK initiated the joint statement of 5 July calling on Iran to end executions, which was signed by 54 countries. On 6 July we announced a further package of human rights sanctions, including on senior prison officials and on the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) - the body responsible for setting headscarf policies. Our annual Human Rights Report, published on 13 July, outlines our wide-ranging concern with the human rights situation in Iran and Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We continue to raise these and other human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise with the government of Iran the evidence gathered by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's human rights record is dire. The UN Fact Finding Mission's update to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 5 July echoed our serious issues over the continued detention of protesters, lawyers and journalists, the ongoing wave of executions, and new legislation targeting women accused of breaching headscarf rules. We continue to work with our international partners to ensure the regime is held to account. That is why the UK initiated the joint statement of 5 July calling on Iran to end executions, which was signed by 54 countries. On 6 July we announced a further package of human rights sanctions, including on senior prison officials and on the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) - the body responsible for setting headscarf policies. Our annual Human Rights Report, published on 13 July, outlines our wide-ranging concern with the human rights situation in Iran and Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We continue to raise these and other human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement of new sanctions against the government of Belarus, what assessment they have made of the impact of previous sanctions against the government of Belarus, particularly in relation to the treatment of Belarusian political prisoners.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK introduced comprehensive sanctions in response to Belarus' flawed 2020 presidential elections and subsequent brutal crackdown, sanctioning over 120 individuals and entities. These include Lukashenko, security officials, judges and prosecutors. Belarus must be held accountable for both human rights violations, including treatment of political prisoners, against its own people and their support of Putin's illegal war. Since 2022, the Belarusian regime has facilitated Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the UK introduced sanctions in June 2022 and June 2023 in response which severely limited Belarus's ability to trade with the UK. We keep our sanctions under review, and reserve the right to introduce further measures.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to raise the issue of human rights abuses against political prisoners in Belarus in international forums; and if so, which forums.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is appalled by the brutal and ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. We have already applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations, and are supporting further accountability measures including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. The UK makes our solidarity with political prisoners clear, when possible attending trials and engaging with their families. We have raised political prisoners at the UN and OSCE and will continue to take every opportunity, both publicly and privately, to urge the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and protect the human rights of its citizens.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take any further action against the worsening situation for political prisoners in Belarus; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is appalled by the brutal and ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. We have already applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations, and are supporting further accountability measures including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. The UK makes our solidarity with political prisoners clear, when possible attending trials and engaging with their families. We have raised political prisoners at the UN and OSCE and will continue to take every opportunity, both publicly and privately, to urge the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and protect the human rights of its citizens.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to support the roll out of smart meters; and if so, what standards they require of electricity companies on their collection of customers' data and the accuracy of the data displayed on those meters.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government wants as many homes and small businesses as possible to benefit from smart metering and has taken steps to make it the default meter offer in Great Britain.
The smart metering Targets Framework introduced this year sets energy suppliers minimum annual installation targets to ensure the rollout continues to deliver at scale. The Department also works closely with industry to drive best practice.
There is a strict Data Access and Privacy Framework for smart metering, that protects consumers’ privacy. Households have control over who can access their energy consumption data and for what purposes, except where this is required for regulated purposes (e.g. billing).
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require television broadcasters improve accessibility for visually impaired people.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Her Majesty’s Government recognises that as part of a digitally inclusive society, television content should be accessible for all UK audiences, including people with visual impairments. As the independent regulator, Ofcom is responsible for holding broadcasters to account for the delivery of television access services, which includes the provision of audio-description services. Statutory targets are set by Ofcom which include five and ten year targets for licensed television services. Ofcom’s Code on Television Access Services sets out these obligations and provides guidance and best practice for broadcasters.
Asked by: Baroness Crawley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require motor manufacturers to add a noise component to electric cars to help visually impaired people to hear approaching vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Requirements to fit sound generators, known as Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS), are mandatory for new electric and quiet hybrid-electric vehicles. These requirements ensure that vehicles that can be operated on electric power only will always produce a minimum level of noise.