Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to launch the new UK Resettlement Scheme; whether the scheme includes the Government's current ambition to resettle 5,000 refugees in its first year; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK will continue to welcome refugees through resettlement following the completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). We continue to work closely with domestic and international partners on plans to complete the VPRS and to assess the UK’s capacity for resettlement activity, as we recover from the pandemic.
Resettlement will continue to play a primary role, alongside a reformed asylum system, which will see us continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable people in need of protection.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) extending the application date for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and bounce back loans for 12 months and (b) delaying the repayment start date for people who have already received this support for an additional 12 months.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The end date for new applications under Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has already been extended several times, ensuring businesses have more time to make loan applications, supporting them through the pandemic. The Government is continuing to work to introduce a new, successor loan guarantee scheme, set to begin in early April, following the closure of the existing schemes to new applicants on 31 March 2021.
In order to give the smallest businesses further support and flexibility in making their repayments for BBLS, the Chancellor has announced “Pay as You Grow” (PAYG) options. PAYG will give businesses the option to repay their BBLS facility over ten years. This will reduce businesses’ average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. Businesses will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), or to pause their repayments entirely for up to six months. Given the continued challenges businesses are facing, the Government has opted to make the full repayment holiday available to borrowers from the first repayment meaning a borrower would be able to make no repayments for 18 months from taking out their loan. If borrowers want to take advantage of this option, they should notify their lender when they are contacted about their repayments.
Furthermore, the Government has amended the CBILS rules to allow lenders to extend loan terms from six to a maximum of ten years at lenders’ discretion and where they judge that this will help borrowers repay their loan, helping them to reduce their monthly repayments.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on the imposition of strict sharia law in the province of Aceh, with particular reference to the recent flogging of gay men in that province; what steps he is taking to help protect global gay rights; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is opposed to the use of judicial corporal punishment and all forms of discrimination. We are committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people around the world. We work through our embassies and high commissions and through international organisations, including the UN, European Institutions, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise same sex conduct. We regularly press legislators and the Indonesian Government not to discriminate against minority groups, including the LGBT community. We urge Indonesia to adhere to its founding principles by ensuring that its laws, both at national and local level, are non-discriminatory and celebrate the diversity and tolerance of its people.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of job losses in the wedding industry sector in the event that additional fiscal support from his Department is not made available to that sector in response to the third national covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have provided an unprecedented package of financial support since March 2020 to businesses, including those in the weddings sector. We keep this regularly under review, through discussions with HM Treasury.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) wedding venues and (b) wedding suppliers are supported during the third covid-19 national lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have provided an unprecedented package of financial support since March 2020 to businesses, including those in the weddings sector. We keep this regularly under review, through discussions with HM Treasury.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how private individuals and households can register as an approved UK employer for the purposes of employing an au pair, child care assistant, child minder or nanny under the Skilled Worker visa scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The sponsorship system is designed to ensure employers fulfil specific duties to confirm those who apply for permission to enter or stay in the UK to work are eligible and will comply with the conditions of their visa.
Businesses are able to comply with these duties and demonstrate a verifiable track record of operating lawfully in the UK, both within the immigration system and the wider employer regulatory regime, in a way individuals or households cannot. Individuals cannot therefore be licensed to sponsor workers. This approach ensures the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and safeguards migrants from exploitative practices.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of SMEs in the hospitality and food and drink manufacturing industries who have regularly changing menus to determine what constitutes a product high in fat, sugar or salt for the purposes of the online advertising ban.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and we have engaged with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will publish the response to the consultation shortly.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the Global Partnership for Education’s 2021-2025 replenishment is fully funded.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta of Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in London in July 2021. The UK is GPE's largest bilateral donor. No decision has yet been taken on the UK's next contribution to GPE, and details will follow in due course.
As co-hosts of the Summit, we are using all the means at our disposal to help the Global Partnership for Education secure its five-year financing target of up to $5 billion (2021-2026), in line with our commitment to stand up for the right of every girl around the world to gain 12 years of quality education.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend the power to allow Councils to continue meeting remotely, such as in (a) licensing and (b) planning committees, after the expiry of the relevant powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 on 6 May 2021.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for councils to continue to meet remotely, or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation. We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and are carefully considering next steps in this area.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from (a) local councils and (b) local government groups on extending the power to allow councils to continue meeting remotely, such as in licensing and planning committees, after the expiry of the relevant powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 on 6 May 2021.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for councils to continue to meet remotely, or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation. We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and are carefully considering next steps in this area.