Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Azerbaijani government on Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have raised Dr Ibadoghlu's case, including his access to medication and fair legal process, on a number of occasions with senior representatives of the Azerbaijani government in both London and Baku. I [Minister Docherty] spoke with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov in person about this case on 22 November during my visit to Baku. The former Foreign Secretary also raised the issue in a call on 17 October. Our Ambassador and other officials from the British Embassy in Baku continue to press the case with senior counterparts and to monitor the legal process. On 14 November, the UK delivered a statement during Azerbaijan's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council highlighting this case. We urge Azerbaijan to improve human rights protections for all.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, both what steps she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to recover property titles on the Register of Overseas Entities owned by overseas entities which have been dissolved or struck off without there first being an onward sale.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The handling of overseas entities assets upon dissolution is based on the company's information and the location of the asset. If the asset is located in England or Wales, the Treasury Solicitor manages the assets. In Scotland, it's the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. In Northern Ireland, the Crown Solicitor's Office. Assets located in the Duchies of Cornwall or Lancaster are dealt with by their solicitors.
My Department is responsible for compliance with the transparency obligations imposed on overseas entities owning UK property under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she he will take steps to expand the person of significant control regime to English and Welsh Limited Partnerships.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are currently no plans to expand the People with Significant Control framework to English and Welsh limited partnerships, which do not have a separate legal personality distinct from their partners.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 makes the largest reforms to the law governing limited partnerships since 1907. Under these reforms, all general partners will have to verify their identities, and much more information will be required on the partners of all limited partnerships, leading to greater transparency. Companies House will also have greater powers to challenge, reject, share and remove suspicious information relating to limited partnerships.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she plans to take to achieve transparency over the ultimate ownership of UK land held by overseas entities where the legal owner and the beneficial owner of land are different.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
HM Land Registry holds publicly accessible records of the registered proprietors of land and buildings in England and Wales. If the registered proprietor is an overseas entity, information about the company and its beneficial owners is already publicly available on the Register of Overseas Entities, held by Companies House.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 will also require Overseas Entities acting as nominees to disclose their information to Companies House.
The Government intends to launch a consultation on how to make trust information held on the Register of Overseas Entities more transparent.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department plans to report on (a) any decisions reached and (b) points in discussions from the annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on 26 and 27 November 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the November Joint Ministerial Council, the UK Government agreed a Declaration with the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories (OTs), providing a new framework for our relationship with the OTs that is based on our shared values, and is fit for the 21st Century. A Written Ministerial Statement on the Declaration will be made once it has been approved by the Cabinets and Executive Councils of the OT.
The UK and OTs also discussed the timeline for implementation of publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership. Intensive discussions continue and we have made progress with the majority of the OTs. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of these discussions before recess.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of when (a) the British Virgin Islands, (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (c) the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, (d) the Pitcairn Islands, (e) St Helena, (f) Montserrat, (g) the Falkland Islands, (h) the Cayman Islands, (i) Bermuda and (j) Anguilla will implement a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We discussed the timeline for implementation of Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership at the Joint Ministerial Council over 14 - 15 November in plenary, in the margins and in bilateral meetings. We have made progress with the majority of the inhabited Overseas Territories (OTs). Some are yet to confirm precise timelines. Intensive discussions continue with these OTs, led by Ministers. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of those discussions before recess.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many violations there have been of sanctions placed on Russia; and what the value is of fines issued for those violations.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has imposed a wide range of sanctions measures against Russia, including finance, trade and transport. The UK has implemented sanctions against Russia since 2014, following the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol from Ukraine, and the illegal invasion in 2022.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is responsible for the civil enforcement of financial sanctions breaches, including the imposition of civil monetary penalties. OFSI does not hold full information on the number of breaches across all sanctions measures against Russia.
Since 2014, the UK has imposed fines totalling more than £20 million on firms for breaching financial sanctions related to Russia. OFSI has a range of enforcement tools it can use, in addition to civil monetary penalties, depending on the severity of the breach. These include issuing a private warning letter, publishing details of the breach but not issuing a penalty or making a referral to regulators.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients at King George's Hospital Accident and Emergency Department in Goodmayes were seen (a) within four, (b) within six and (c) in over eight hours in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. The data requested is not available at an individual hospital level. The following table shows the National Health Service trust level data for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust showing accident and emergency (A&E) attendances and the proportion of patients seen within four hours and over four hours for October 2023.
A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | Total attendances in October 2023 |
17,450 | 67.9% | 8,259 | 32.1% | 25,709 |
Source: A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2023-24 (england.nhs.uk)
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients at Queen's Hospital in Romford Accident and Emergency department were seen (a) within four, (b) within six and (c) in over eight hours in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. The data requested is not available at an individual hospital level. The following table shows the National Health Service trust level data for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust showing accident and emergency (A&E) attendances and the proportion of patients seen within four hours and over four hours for October 2023.
A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | Total attendances in October 2023 |
17,450 | 67.9% | 8,259 | 32.1% | 25,709 |
Source: A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2023-24 (england.nhs.uk)
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people within the North East London Integrated Care Board area who have an urgent referral were waiting to start cancer treatment on the NHS on 13 November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not held centrally. As of week-ending 1 October 2023, 75 patients in North East London were waiting for a first treatment following a decision to treat.