Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support his Department is providing to Burkina Faso following the recent attack on a Catholic church in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is appalled by the attacks against churches, mosques and local communities in Burkina Faso that took place in late February. As Lord Ahmad said on 26 February, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental right and must be protected, and those responsible for these heinous attacks must be held to account. We routinely discuss security challenges with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and continue to work with partners in the region to promote stability.
The UK is monitoring the threat from terrorist groups in the Sahel and has proscribed the Al-Qaeda associated group Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). We assess that the terrorist threat in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso will likely increase as a result of ongoing instability as will the risk of atrocities against people of all faiths by jihadist armed groups. We do not believe that the withdrawal of French troops alone will have direct implications on the safety of Christian minorities due to the often remote regions where these attacks take place, and the multitude of local factors that influence conflict dynamics in Sahel.
The UK signed up to the UN Security Council statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso which was issued on 29 February 2024, and also continues to provide vital humanitarian aid in the Sahel to support those affected by conflict.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking with international partners to help ensure a more concerted political effort on the situation in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK condemns the ongoing violence in Sudan following the outbreak of conflict on 15 April 2023. The UK continues to work with a wide range of countries and bodies, including traditional allies, Gulf and African partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to achieve a ceasefire and take forward a sustained and meaningful peace process that leads to the resumption of civilian rule in Sudan.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to protect rural bus services in Leicestershire; and what discussions he has had with Arriva East Midlands about the necessity of such bus services.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In England, the majority of bus services outside London operate on a commercial basis. Where commercial service provision is insufficient to meet the needs of local communities, local authorities can subsidise bus services where this represents value for money. This ensures that service provision is aligned with local needs. The Department for Transport regularly engages with bus operators and local authorities throughout England on the provision of local bus services, including those in rural areas.
The Government recognises the importance of local bus services to ensuring communities can stay connected, including in rural areas, and has announced over £4.5 billion to support and improve bus services since 2020.
The over £4.5 billion includes:
o £2bn pandemic funding between March 2020 and June 2023, followed by £300m in further service support until April 2025 (of which £160m is BSIP+ (not included in the £2bn BSIP funding below) and £140m is BSOG+ funding);
o £2bn Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding, including £1bn for LTAs in the North and the Midlands recently reallocated from HS2 (of which we have already announced allocations for the first £150m in 2024/25 and allocations for 25/26 onwards will be published in due course);
o Nearly £600m of funding for the £2 fare cap until the end of 2024.
From the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, Leicestershire County Council has been allocated over £7.5 million so far.
The Government also makes over £200 million available to bus operators every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to help them maintain their network. A further £42 million in BSOG funding is provided directly to local authorities to help subsidise socially necessary bus services that might otherwise be commercially unviable, helping to support rural bus routes. Leicestershire County Council receives £535,302 of this funding every year.
The Government is also providing £20 million through the Rural Mobility Fund in England to trial 16 innovative demand responsive minibus services to better understand the challenges associated with introducing bookable bus services in rural and suburban settings. £1.3 million of this funding has been provided to Leicestershire County Council to trial their ‘FoxConnect’ service, covering rural areas between Hinckley and Leicester.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed EU regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability on Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to legislate to extend that regulation to the UK.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will assess the impact of the proposed EU regulations on the welfare of dogs and cats in line with agreed frameworks and established conventions and fora.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on how goods entering the mainland UK from Northern Ireland will be differentiated from goods entering from the EU at Cairnryan.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the rest of the UK market is a longstanding Government policy, underscored and strengthened as a result of the package of commitments in our Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. The Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024 further entrench the legislative protections for unfettered access.
We will use existing systems, using commercial information and evidence, to differentiate qualifying Northern Ireland goods. Operational measures will be in place to prevent avoidance of the rules, drawing on the anti-avoidance powers we have in law to deal with people looking to abuse the system.
We will work closely with all Devolved Administrations on arrangements for non-qualifying goods which move into Great Britain via Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that goods entering the mainland UK from Northern Ireland will be differentiated from goods entering from the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the rest of the UK market is a longstanding Government policy, underscored and strengthened as a result of the package of commitments in our Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. The Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024 further entrench the legislative protections for unfettered access.
We will use existing systems, using commercial information and evidence, to differentiate qualifying Northern Ireland goods. Operational measures will be in place to prevent avoidance of the rules, drawing on the anti-avoidance powers we have in law to deal with people looking to abuse the system.
We will work closely with all Devolved Administrations on arrangements for non-qualifying goods which move into Great Britain via Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including representatives of the police on the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Although HMRC works with the police where appropriate, it is the lead law enforcement agency on tobacco fraud. HMRC has its own powers to conduct criminal investigations, make arrests and seek prosecution (via the Crown Prosecution Service).
The initial members of the taskforce will play a lead role in tackling tobacco fraud, but will also work with all law enforcement and intelligence agencies where appropriate. As the taskforce develops, the Government will regularly review the need to bring in other partners.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance by NICE entitled Covid-19 rapid guideline: managing symptoms (including at the end of life) in the community, NG163, published on 3 April 2020, which medical experts were consulted during the commissioning process.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG163, published in 2020, was commissioned in accordance with an established agreement between NHS England and NICE. The focus at that time was given to providing rapid guidance on the management of affected patients with COVID-19. The following organisations were consulted on the guideline:
- Association for Palliative Medicine;
- Palliative Care Formulary;
- Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre;
- Cicely Saunders Institute;
- NHS England;
- ICU Steps;
- Macmillan Cancer Support;
- Marie Curie;
- National Audit for Care at the End of Life;
- Palliative Care for Wales;
- Royal College of General Practitioners;
- Royal College of Physicians; and
- Sue Ryder.
The following organisations provided general practice consultation on the guidance:
- NICE GP Reference Group; and
- RCGP Network.
A number of NICE’s COVID-19 rapid guidelines were subsequently incorporated into a single guideline, NG191, for the management of COVID-19 in children and adults. The list of panel members for this guideline is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng191/documents/register-of-interests-2
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department plans to respond to the Eighth Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 2022-23 on Tilting Horizons: the Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific, HC 172, published on 30 August 2023; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in the Open Doors 2024 World Watch List.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government will publish shortly its response to Foreign Affairs Committee report HC 172 on the Indo-Pacific. The Government welcomes the Committee's recognition of the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific to the UK's prosperity, security and development objectives.
We note the launch of the report by Open Doors entitled World Watch List 2024. Championing freedom of religion or belief for all remains a priority for the UK. We will continue to recognise, and seek to address, the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, as well as the persecution of those of other religions or beliefs.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has held recent discussions with his counterpart in Nigeria on the persecution of Christians in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Promoting the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Rising insecurity has impeded on the rights of people of all faiths in Nigeria. The UK supports Nigeria to deliver on its constitutional commitment to FoRB through ongoing development programming and security cooperation. The UK also regularly raises FoRB with the Nigerian Government and will be an active participant in the upcoming UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process for Nigeria which provides an opportunity to raise questions and recommendations on a country's human rights record, including FoRB.