Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office keeps all the recommendations from the report by the UN Committee under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The department will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East sent on 3 February and 24 March 2025, reference SL01756/dw.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member’s correspondence about the oil and gas industry in Scotland, reference SL01756/dw. I issued a response to the hon. Member on 23 April.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to help increase the affordability of taxis for disabled people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
General policy on taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing is devolved in Scotland (where PHVs are known as private hire cars), Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, licensing authorities can set maximum taxi fares for journeys within their area to protect passengers hailing taxis in the street or at a rank where passengers have little choice over which vehicle they hire. The setting of fares by private hire vehicle operators is a commercial matter for the company in question; as such services must be pre-booked passengers can shop around, comparing factors such as price, reliability and availability.
Disabled people are particularly reliant on taxi and PHV services and, thus, can be especially sensitive to high fares. We encourage licensing authorities to use the government’s Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing best practice guidance for licensing authorities in England which emphasises the importance of licensing authorities continuing to improve the inclusivity of the taxi and PHV services they regulate to ensure services in their area are safe, available, affordable and accessible. The Equality Act 2010 is however clear that operators and drivers cannot charge disabled people, including wheelchair users and assistance dog owners, more for their carriage or for providing assistance required by law.
Local authorities in England can also choose to provide an additional scheme to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), whereby a person eligible for free bus travel under the ENCTS, may agree with the local authority to surrender their pass in return for alternative travel concessions, such as travel tokens (which may be used on taxi and PHV services) or a railcard.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to (a) introduce a common charger for electrical devices and (b) require producers to provide accessible user information for how the charger works that is suitable for disabled people.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government considers that it would potentially help businesses and deliver consumer and environmental benefits if we were to introduce standardised charger requirements for mobile phones and certain other portable electrical/electronic devices across the UK. Accordingly, we sought views through a Call for Evidence from manufacturers, importers, distributors, trade associations, and consumers as to whether it would be helpful to do so. This Call for Evidence closed in December 2024. The Government is considering the evidence received and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with (a) NHS Scotland and (b) the Scottish Government's health and social care directorates on health and social care staffing needs in the context of the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with the Scottish government's economy directorates on the staffing needs of the (a) hospitality and (b) tourism sector in the context of the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.