Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific will declare the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill in Hong Kong to be a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration following its first application in the case of Ma Chun-man in March 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following a series of breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration by China, including the imposition of the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) under which Ma Chun Man was originally prosecuted, the then Foreign Secretary declared China to be in continuous breach of the Joint Declaration. That view has not changed. The Foreign Secretary called for the NSL to be repealed and an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it on 17 December. The new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was enacted by the Hong Kong government under Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law. As The Foreign Secretary said on 19 March, its overall impact will be to further damage the rights and freedoms enjoyed in the city. It undermines Hong Kong's implementation of binding international obligations including the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We are monitoring its implementation closely, including its swift application in this case.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights concerns relating to the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill and the 2020 National Security Law while meeting the (a) Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and (b) Treasury Christopher Hui in Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 24 April I met with Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui during my six-day visit to China and Hong Kong. I raised concerns over the deterioration of rights and freedoms in the city precipitated by the 2020 National Security Law and the recent passage of legislation under Article 23. We will continue to raise areas of disagreement or concern, including human rights in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of consolatory payments issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency publishes the cost of consolatory payments it makes as part of its Annual Report and Accounts. In the last published report for 2022-23 the information can be found under ex-gratia payments on page 66 using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvla-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the average processing time of applications submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Applications sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are being processed within published turnaround times.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of building an additional 1 million homes for social rent in the next 10 years; and whether he has had discussions with the private sector on building homes for social rent.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country.
The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.
Since 2010, we have delivered over 696,100 new affordable homes, including over 482,000 affordable homes for rent, of which over 172,600 homes for social rent.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that smallholder cocoa farmers will not be faced with additional costs when the deforestation requirements of the Environment Bill 2021 come into force.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK recognises the importance of promoting sustainable trade and development alongside action to prevent deforestation. We will continue working with producer countries to ensure that their views inform the Government’s delivery of the forthcoming Forest Risk Commodities scheme, including in respect of smallholder farmers of cocoa and other commodities. The UK will also provide support to help countries to adapt to the new requirements, and benefit from the opportunities which this presents to increase trade in legally-produced commodities. This includes funding a new ten-year £500m phase of the UK’s Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use programme, which work with the private sector to mobilise investment into legal and sustainable commodity production; and provide support to smallholder farmers and poor rural communities who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The UK is committed to scaling up this work in future.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 11369 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles and with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for Halifax dated 14 March 2024, deposited paper reference DEP2024-0312, who the 18 scimitar combat reconnaissance vehicles were sold externally to.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 December 2023 to Question UIN 6229 to the hon Member for Norwich South (Mr Clive Lewis).
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the next Annual Threat Update from the Director General of MI5.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
MI5 assesses, investigates and works to disrupt threats to UK national security. The Director General of MI5 makes public statements, including on the changing threat picture, when he judges it necessary to do so.
He last spoke publicly in October 2023, details of which are available on MI5's website (www.mi5.gov.uk). When the Director General next provides public update, the details will also be available on MI5's website.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2024 to Question 10491 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Accidents, how he plans to monitor implementation of the recommendations made by the Defence Safety Authority Service Inquiry into the fatal accident involving a Scimitar Fighting Vehicle on Salisbury Plain Training Area - 15 October 2021, published on 23rd November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The welfare of our personnel is of the utmost importance and all 52 of the recommendations in this report have been accepted and assigned an appropriate Owner within the Department. The Owner will, when appropriate, submit their evidence to the Defence Safety Authority, where the Director General will consider closing the outstanding action.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of all scimitar combat reconnaissance vehicles that are no longer in active service.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It is taking time to collate the information. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.