Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2024 to Question 24574 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, which individual cases his Department are monitoring; and whether he has made recent representations to his Bahraini counterpart on their releases.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO continues to discuss human rights regularly with Bahrain, including some individual cases where appropriate and when specific allegations relating to them are raised. Whilst we sometimes comment publicly, we also engage constructively in private. The FCDO has not made recent representations to Bahrain on the release of the individuals mentioned in Question 24574.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2024 to Question 25717 and to the Answer of 10 May 2024 to Question 24573 on Energy: Debts, whether an allowance for servicing consumer debt was permitted by Ofgem in any period before April 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) has never included an allowance for bad debt held by suppliers. All funding was used to apply a unit rate discount to household tariffs.
Ofgem have always included within the standing charges element of the Default Tariff Cap (Price Cap) some element to account for consumer debt held by suppliers.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make (a) an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of and (b) representations to his Saudi counterpart on the approval of new death sentences against minors in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country, in part because of the continued use of the death penalty. The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and circumstances. During Saudi Arabia's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council on 22 January, the UK Government recommended that Saudi Arabia abolish the juvenile death penalty and conduct thorough investigations into individuals who may have been minors at the time of their alleged crimes. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has also raised recent cases with the Saudi authorities as a priority, including in January with the President of the Human Rights Commission.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of (a) the statement by Amnesty International entitled Bahrain: human rights activist faces trial in further prosecution for protesting travel ban, published on 3 May 2024, and (b) other reports by human rights organisations on that matter; and if he will make representations to his Bharani counterpart on ensuring that human rights are upheld.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely and is aware of the report by Amnesty International. We continue to draw upon a range of sources when assessing the situation in Bahrain. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain and to encouraging the government to meet its human rights commitments.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what (a) assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of and (b) representations he has made to his Saudi counterpart on the case of Manahel al-Otaibi.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is closely monitoring the case of Manahel al-Otaibi and the British Embassy in Riyadh will continue to attempt to attend trials where possible. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon regularly raises individual freedom of expression cases with the Saudi authorities, alongside other human rights concerns, including in January with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. Saudi Arabia remains a FCDO human rights priority country, in part due to continued restrictions on freedom of expression.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
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 the claim by Hamas that British hostage Nadav Popplewell has died as a result of an IDF airstrike.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government is working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals. We continue to do all we can to secure the release of the hostages. It would not be right to comment further until the facts of the matter are ascertained.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department shared intelligence on the location of British hostage Nadav Popplewell in Gaza with the IDF.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We will not comment further on detailed intelligence matters.