Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the context of recent terrorist attacks in the UAE, whether she has plans to proscribe the Houthi’s as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Government condemns the recent attack in Abu Dhabi.
The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription. The Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of recent terrorist attacks in the UAE, whether she plans to take steps to encourage international partners to designate or proscribe the Houthi’s as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on the UAE on 17 and 24 January. We are in close contact with our Emirati partners and continue to offer our support. We share concerns about the Houthis' continual attacks on civilians in Yemen and cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We keep the use of sanctions under close review and supported the UN Security Council's sanctioning of four Houthi individuals in 2021.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the IAEA Director General reportedly stating that the JCPOA nuclear deal signed in 2015 is no longer applicable to the current state of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019 and its nuclear programme is more advanced now than it has ever been.
We strongly urge Iran to halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in the current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. The JCPoA is not perfect but it currently represents the only framework for monitoring and constraining Iran's nuclear programme. The diplomatic door is firmly open to Iran to conclude a deal, and there is a fair and comprehensive offer on the table which would benefit the Iranian people and economy. Iran's nuclear escalation means we have weeks, not months, to restore the deal before the JCPoA's core non-proliferation benefits are lost and the deal collapses.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential (a) global and (b) regional effects of Iran’s activities in (a) Iraq, (b) Lebanon, (c) Syria and (d) Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. The UK regularly engages with partners in the region on Iran, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Most recently, on 20 December the Foreign Secretary hosted representatives from the Gulf Co-operation Council, including those three states, at Chevening. Iran's nuclear programme and its destabilising regional activity were discussed.
We regularly discuss our concerns at Iran's nuclear escalation with our partners. Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than it has ever been and is undermining regional and international security. We are clear that Iran should halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Bahrain, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) United Arab Emirates on the strategic challenges posed by Iran’s (a) nuclear programme and (b) support for terror groups.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. The UK regularly engages with partners in the region on Iran, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Most recently, on 20 December the Foreign Secretary hosted representatives from the Gulf Co-operation Council, including those three states, at Chevening. Iran's nuclear programme and its destabilising regional activity were discussed.
We regularly discuss our concerns at Iran's nuclear escalation with our partners. Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than it has ever been and is undermining regional and international security. We are clear that Iran should halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether it is Government policy that (a) works of art held in the national collections, including the British Museum, should be retained by those institutions in the UK in perpetuity and not gifted to other nations and their institutions and (b) the Government will intervene should any such institution propose an alternative approach.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
National museums and galleries in the UK, including the British Museum, operate independently of the Government, but some are prevented by law from “deaccessioning” objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains that are less than 1000 years old, and objects that were spoliated during the Nazi era. The Government has no plans to change this law.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals are currently (a) in temporary accommodation of any form, or (b) resettled in permanent accommodation, (i) by local authority; and (ii) Strategic Migration Partnership area have entered the UK since 15 August under the ARAP scheme or associated schemes for the sage passage of individuals from Afghanistan.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Between 15th and 29th August, the UK evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. Under ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, we are taking a cross-government approach to supporting Afghans to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities. We are working at pace with local authorities to source appropriate accommodation for Afghan families who were evacuated to the UK.
Data on relocation will be published as part of our quarterly release which can be found at this link: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The length of time that a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing. Over 300 Local Authorities have pledged housing, helping to provide the long term support required by these families.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have (a) arrived in the UK, (b) are currently in temporary accommodation; (c) are currently in holiday camp accommodation, and (d) been resettled in permanent housing since the fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021; and what estimate she has made of the average number of days individuals wait on the UK before they are resettled.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Between 15th and 29th August, the UK evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. Under ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, we are taking a cross-government approach to supporting Afghans to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities. We are working at pace with local authorities to source appropriate accommodation for Afghan families who were evacuated to the UK.
Data on relocation will be published as part of our quarterly release which can be found at this link: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The length of time that a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing. Over 300 Local Authorities have pledged housing, helping to provide the long term support required by these families.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Afghan Refugee Scheme will open for applications, and when the first refugees under this scheme is expected to arrive in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme is not yet open and remains under development. Officials are working urgently to stand up the remaining elements of the scheme. However, the first to be resettled through this scheme will be some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk.
There will not be a formal Home Office owned application process for the ACRS. Instead, eligible people will be prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK.
Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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 increase covid-19 booster jab uptake in (a) Newark and the surrounding areas and (b) Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Maggie Throup
NHS England are contacting those eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine, including those in Newark and Nottinghamshire, inviting them to book an appointment by either calling 119 or booking online. If an eligible individual has not been contacted at six months and one week since their second dose, they are invited to book their booster dose via the National Booking Service without the need of an invitation letter.
A national ‘BOOST your immunity this winter’ communications campaign has launched setting out the importance of getting the COVID-19 booster and flu vaccinations this winter.