Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect Border Force and Immigration Enforcement officers from being targeted with legal action by political activists during the performance of their duties.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Border Force and Immigration Enforcement Officers exercise statutory powers when performing their duties, including the power to use reasonable force if necessary.
The Home Office will always defend robustly any legal action brought against them by activists or anyone else, if it relates to the proper discharge of immigration officers’ duties for which they have lawful authority.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question
What steps he is taking with international partners to help ensure that climate action contributes to the post-covid-19 pandemic economic recovery.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister’s 10-Point Plan and Net Zero Strategy sets out our blueprint for a Green Industrial Revolution. The plan invests in green technologies and industries; leverages billions of pounds of private sector investments to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs, and level up across the UK. It’s a clear plan to build back greener from the covid pandemic.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
What steps she is taking to ensure equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is committed to seeing 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027. The department delivers a range of initiatives which includes specialised employment support like the Work and Health Programme, local trials in partnership with health, Access to Work and Disability Confident.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the opportunities for Northern Ireland in COP26.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have attended cross-government meetings with the COP President, most recently on 22 March. I also recently met with the Chair of the Expert Panel on the Future of Energy to discuss the NI Executive’s Energy Strategy and how the UK Government can help in developing this. We continue to press for engagement with the Executive and Northern Ireland businesses in order to promote Northern Ireland’s interests.
Recent announcements of New Deal funding to support green technology in Northern Ireland and support for the production of hydrogen buses in Ballymena reflect the priority which this Government has given to decarbonisation. We all want to see Northern Ireland play a big role in the Green Industrial Revolution, and COP26 will provide us an opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland’s many advances in green technologies.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take at the United Nations on the expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran in October 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has been clear that the scheduled expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020 would have major implications for regional security and stability. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Secretary Pompeo during his recent visit to Washington and with his French and German counterparts on 10 September. The UK Government continue to engage regional partners, the US, and others, to find a solution to Iranian proliferation in the region, whilst upholding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council. We will also continue to enforce sanctions regimes including those under UNSCRs 1540, 1701, and 2216 which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until at least 2023.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran in October 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has been clear that the scheduled expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020 would have major implications for regional security and stability. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Secretary Pompeo during his recent visit to Washington and with his French and German counterparts on 10 September. The UK Government continue to engage regional partners, the US, and others, to find a solution to Iranian proliferation in the region, whilst upholding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council. We will also continue to enforce sanctions regimes including those under UNSCRs 1540, 1701, and 2216 which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until at least 2023.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Wales Office:
What steps his Department is taking to support Wales’ economic recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
This Department is focussed on jobs and growth in Wales. We’re ensuring the four City & Growth Deals support the different regions. We are working with partners to improve transport infrastructure and digital connectivity. We are continuing to support our existing industry and looking for opportunities to develop new sectors, particularly on renewable energy.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps his Department is taking to protect the public in response to the temporary release of prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
On 4 April, this Government announced its intention to temporarily release risk-assessed prisoners as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives.
Public protection is our top priority. No high-risk offenders will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. Likewise, no prisoner will be released if they have symptoms of coronavirus or without housing and health support being in place.
Prisoners who pass the stringent criteria for early release will be subject to strict conditions, and will be electronically monitored, including with GPS tags, with the option to recall to prison if necessary.