Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Iranian government on respect for the (a) burial rites for deceased Baha’is and (b) rights of their families to bury them and mark their graves in accordance with their beliefs.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed and targeted by Iranian authorities. The UK Government agrees with the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran Human Rights' latest assessment that destruction of Baha'i cemeteries and prevention of proper burial for Baha'i is representative of Iran's deeply unjust judicial system. We raise human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including freedom of religion or belief (FORB).
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of food labelling (a) of trans fats in food and (b) generally.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules. The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.
Food law provides a robust framework that protects public health and requires food businesses that produce, process, and distribute food to apply food safety controls that ensure food they place on the market is safe.
An assessment of the prevalence or labelling of trans fats in food in the UK has not been recently undertaken.
The most recent data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, collected between 2016 and 2019, show that average trans fat intakes in the UK are 0.5-0.6% of total energy intake for adults, and 0.5% for children. This is well within the UK recommended maximum of no more than 2% of total energy.
Trans fat intakes in the UK have declined substantially since the 1980s and 1990s due to the voluntary removal of artificial trans fats from processed foods by the food industry; with some additional work to reduce levels of trans fats in food being undertaken between 2011 and 2013.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the prevalence of trans fats in food in the UK.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No estimate has been made. The most recent data from the United Kingdom National Diet and Nutrition Survey, collected between 2016 and 2019, show that average trans fat intakes in the UK are 0.5-0.6% of total energy intake for adults, and 0.5% for children. This is well within the UK recommended maximum of no more than 2% of total energy.
Trans fat intakes in the UK have declined substantially since the 1980s and 1990s due to the voluntary removal of artificial trans fats from processed foods by the food industry, with some additional work to reduce levels of trans fats in food being undertaken between 2011 and 2013.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement entitled FCDO Programme Allocations of 30 March 2023, HCWS705, how much funding will be provided to each country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO is committed to transparency with the public and predictability with our partners. My (Minister Mitchell) Written Ministerial Statement of 30 March sets out how we have allocated Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2022-23 and for 2023-24. We plan to publish full breakdowns of the 2023-24 allocations, including by country in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023 on 13 July.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of water abstraction plans by Thames Water at Teddington.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Teddington Direct River Abstraction is a water recycling scheme considered in Thames Water’s draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024 (dWRMP24) and Water Resources South East’s (WRSE) Regional Plan as a supply option for 2030/31.
The Environment Agency has scrutinised WRSE’s plan and has responded to Thames Water’s dWRMP24. Any scheme developed will have to meet environmental requirements, and where possible enhancements. The scheme will need environmental permits that the Environment Agency regulate, and planning consents where the Environment Agency is a statutory consultee.
The scheme is being developed through the ‘Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Delivery’ (RAPID) gated process and has undergone environmental assessment largely meeting the Regulators’ expectations for Gate 2. Risks have been identified in the Gate 2 submission. There is a risk to scheme feasibility if environmental impacts cannot be mitigated. The Environment Agency has asked Thames Water to undertake further investigations and studies to address these risks by 31 August 2023.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision is being made for the education of and the disruption caused to children from asylum seeking families who are moved to hotel accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Irrespective of where “school aged” asylum seeking children are housed, the responsibility for the provision of education remains with the Local Authority in conjunction with the parent(s). When dispersal accommodation is identified a dispersal notification is issued which generally provides 5 days’ notice to the family. For those children of service users who are due to be dispersed there is a responsibility on the parent to ensure that their childrens’ school is advised they are due to move. Where necessary, accommodation providers will signpost and assist asylum seekers with this.
In terms of the new receiving school, it remains the responsibility of the asylum seeker to ensure that the new school is advised of their child’s previous place of education so effective ‘link up’ can be made by both schools, as is the case for the general population. Accommodation providers reiterate the importance of this when signposting asylum seekers to schools within the local area. Receiving councils will work quickly to ensure that available school places are offered to the children of asylum seekers.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure the smooth flow of Eurostar passengers at St Pancras.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the important benefits international rail services provide for citizens and businesses, providing fast and sustainable connections to European destinations. Ensuring the smooth flow of passengers at St Pancras remains a priority for Government.
My Department, together with the Home Office as the lead Department on borders, routinely engages with the French Government, Eurostar and other relevant parties in discussions on border-related matters and also to ensure that respective arrangements between the UK and French authorities work as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to (a) introduce retraining programmes and (b) take further steps to help support unemployed people over the age of 50 move back into the workforce.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government offers a wide range of training programmes such as Sector-based Work Academies, Skills Bootcamps and Apprenticeships aimed at helping people of all ages find work or a new career. Unemployed benefit claimants are supported by Work Coaches and other Jobcentre Plus staff, who are equipped with knowledge about local labour markets and training opportunities, including what may be available for older people looking to move back into employment.
The Government is also providing over £20 million over the Spending Review Period for an enhanced offer for people aged 50+ to remain in and return to work.
Mid-life MOTs will be delivered to people in work in the private sector; to eligible customers in the Jobcentres; and the digital Mid-life MOT will also be expanded and improved. Sessions in the Jobcentres have already started to be delivered.
This funding will also ensure that older jobseekers on Universal Credit receive more intensive, tailored support during the first nine months of their claim. This will give work coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed, and who the work coach feels need extra support to tackle barriers or difficulties in finding work.
There are also multiple over 50 jobs fairs, Mid-life MOT fairs and 50 plus events in individual regions and JCPs to facilitate this.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that adequate mental health care is available for children with autism and those awaiting autism diagnoses.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health services is a priority for the National Health Service. We are increasing access to support for those that need it, including autistic children and children with a learning disability with mental health needs. The NHS Long Term Plan, includes a commitment that an additional 345,000 children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old will have access to NHS-funded mental health support, including in new Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges, by 2024.
For people and families who are waiting to have an autism assessment, we know that this is a challenge. NHS England is currently developing a national framework to support partners in local areas to commission and deliver autism assessment services for children, young people and adults. The aim of this work is to improve access to and the quality of these assessment processes and to reduce the time that people wait for an assessment. The framework will be published in due course.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of HMRC in enforcing the agency regulations when collecting PAYE tax from agencies.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Agencies must deduct Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) at source from payments of earnings to agency workers. HMRC’s processes for collecting any Income Tax and NICs due from agencies under Pay As You Earn (PAYE) are the same as those for other employers.
Where HMRC finds that a UK agency has failed to account for Income Tax and NICs in circumstances where the agency rules apply to them, it will usually seek to recover unpaid amounts due from them. Whether the agency rules apply in a particular case is dependent on the facts of that case.