Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following the publication of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality on 22 April.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations. We recognise the pivotal role the UNRWA play in support of Palestinians in Gaza and neighbouring countries.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake an impact assessment of the closure of the Work and Health Programme this autumn and the impact of this on enabling disabled people to enter the job market.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the government’s Back to Work Plan we have launched and plan to deliver a range of other support which will put in place an offer to a broader range of disabled people, for example, Universal Support will support up to 100,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and people with additional barriers to employment per year, once fully rolled out, helping them to find, enter, and remain in work.
The Work and Health Programme (WHP) has supported 300k people since it was introduced in 2017 to the end of November 2023, of whom over 130k have entered employment in this time. More recently WHP Pioneer, which is part of the first phase of Universal Support, aims to support up to 25k people through DWP contracts. The next publication of WHP Statistics on Gov.UK is due at the end of May 2024.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent Refugee Council report Keys to the City 2024: ending refugee homelessness in London and its finding that in the two years to September 2023, there was a 239 per cent increase in refugees requiring homelessness support from local authorities after being evicted from Home Office asylum accommodation.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We recognise the number of individuals moving on from the asylum support system is placing pressure on local authorities. The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working closely on this and have been regularly engaging with local authorities to ensure they are supported. There are a number of improvements in train to ensure local authorities receive early notification of those leaving Home Office asylum accommodation to enable effective planning.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the transfer to Universal Credit of those with a long-term disability which inhibits them from entering the job market.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP continue to learn and iterate our approach as we progress our Move to Universal Credit activity. We remain committed to ensuring that the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible for all customers, including enhanced customer support for vulnerable customers.
Our latest insight publication is available on GOV.UK - Move to Universal Credit – insight on Tax Credit migrations and initial Discovery activity for wider benefit cohorts.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate identity tracing agencies in relation to the recovery of debt.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants to see fair treatment of individuals in problem debt, and there is a range of work underway across government and regulators to promote responsible practices for debt recovery.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates the collection of debt by lenders and certain debt collection agencies arising under credit agreements, consumer hire agreements and peer-to-peer loans. The FCA sets clear expectations for firms undertaking the collection of these debts, including the expectation for firms to establish the correct identity, where this is disputed.
On 18 March 2024 the UK Regulators Network (UKRN), including the FCA, Ofgem, Ofwat and Ofcom, published joint guidance which sets out their expectations for firms’ debt collection practices across their respective sectors. This is to ensure that firms support customers in debt and that firms’ collection practices are not causing harm to customers.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the protection of Armenian heritage in Nagorno–Karabakh following the recent destruction of the St John the Baptist Church and the Ghazanchetsots cemetery in Shusha, and the nearby village of Karin Tak/Dashalti.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. British Embassy in Baku have raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction and the need to protect such sites with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at the most senior levels.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the occupation by Israeli settlers of Cows Garden in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem on 3 April.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have not held discussions with Israeli counterparts on the situation in the Cow Garden site of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. The UK is monitoring the situation and is clear on the need to avoid any further rise in tensions. British Consulate General staff in Jerusalem met members of the community on 19 January, discussed the current situation and visited the Cow's Garden site. The UK's position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and an advocate for the integrity of culturally important areas to be respected.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding the 12 targets set out in the Levelling Up the United Kingdom white paper, published on 2 February 2022.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, the Government will publish an annual report on mission progress, this will detail the progress that has been made against the 12 missions set out in the Statement on Missions in January 2024.
Levelling Up is a long-term ambition, but we are already making headway. 64% of England’s population and 90% of the North are now covered by a devolution deal. We have met the 5G element of the digital connectivity mission early, achieving 5G coverage for the majority of the population with 72% of premises having outdoor access to a 5G signal. The disparity in employment rates between regions has reduced and productivity has grown faster across many Northern cities than London.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Orpheopolis system of French orphanages for the orphaned children of police officers; and what assessment they have made of the benefits of introducing such a facility in England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government has no plans to introduce a facility specifically for orphaned children of police officers.
The death of an officer is devastating for all in policing, but most deeply felt by their loved ones and children. It is important that bereaved families have access to the appropriate support, primarily from the police force. Depending on the particular circumstances, there is a range of benefits payable to children on the death of an officer under both the occupational pension and injury benefit schemes. There are also a number of police charities providing support for bereaved families and children, which provide access to counselling and peer support.
This Government also introduced the Police Covenant, to support the police workforce and their families, recognising the risks and demands that can be involved. We have funded the National Police Wellbeing Service to develop and launch the first national family support package, providing advice for the families of officers on mental health and fatigue, as well as practical resources for those with young children to help them understand the role of policing.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to hold chief officers of police to account for the appropriate vetting of adverse information on police recruits regarding (1) security, (2) public safety, and (3) the confidence of the community.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Police forces carry out their vetting independently of government and in line with the College of Policing’s vetting code of practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP) guidance, which are both continually reviewed. The code sets out the role that a thorough and effective vetting regime has in helping to ensure public trust and confidence in those working in policing.
The College’s most recent code, published in July 2023, sets out how adverse information should be considered in vetting decisions, as well as provides a number of requirements on chief officers, including the need to assess the risks posed by the individual undergoing vetting both to the public and the police service.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) hold forces to account by routinely carry out independent inspections of forces’ effectiveness and efficiency, which include assessments on vetting. The inspectorate has recently set up a new rolling inspection programme on integrity which will look at the work of professional standards units alongside force vetting and counter-corruption arrangements.
The government is supporting policing by creating a statutory requirement for officers to hold and maintain vetting clearance, as well as creating a new set of regulations which will govern how those who fail vetting can be dismissed. In January this year, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) also published outcomes from its exercise ensuring all officers and staff were checked against the Police National Database (PND).