Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the Federal Government of Iraq to promote inclusion of Kurdish (a) political leaders and (b) Members of Parliament in the (i) Iraqi Council of Representatives in Baghdad and (ii) national political affairs of Iraq.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports a thriving Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Through our diplomatic engagements, we continue to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues, including around Kurdish representation in Iraqi politics.
Elections are essential for the people of the KRI to express their voice and for the future of the region. We are monitoring the situation with long-overdue KRI elections closely and we are seeking a solution that allows free and fair elections to take place as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure the Federal Government of Iraq uphold the constitutional rights of the Kurdish population.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports a thriving Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Through our diplomatic engagements, we continue to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues, including around Kurdish representation in Iraqi politics.
Elections are essential for the people of the KRI to express their voice and for the future of the region. We are monitoring the situation with long-overdue KRI elections closely and we are seeking a solution that allows free and fair elections to take place as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle anti-social behaviour committed by tenants living in rented properties.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters (Reform) Bill will strengthen landlords’ ability to repossess their property from anti-social tenants.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Ofcom's press release entitled Universal postal service must modernise, published on 24 January 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposals to reduce the number of Royal Mail service days on (a) working conditions and (b) staff numbers.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Ofcom's press release entitled Universal postal service must modernise, published on 24 January 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposals to reduce the number of Royal Mail service days on postal delivery targets.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in Royal Mail service days on small (a) businesses and (b) online traders.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to the Israeli government on the potential merits of enabling a neutral humanitarian organisation to (a) conduct checks on aid and (b) facilitate the opening of more land routes.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We have set out very clearly the steps that Israel needs to take, including an immediate humanitarian pause to get more aid in and the hostages out; increased capacity inside Gaza and fully enabling the UN's minimal operating requirements, including by allowing visas, telecommunications equipment, armoured vehicles, trucks and personal protective equipment; as well as increased access for aid through land routes, including the scaling up of the Jordan corridor, with a streamlined screening and delivery process, the opening of a crossing in northern Gaza, Ashdod Port fully open for aid delivery and increased screening capacity at Kerem Shalom and Nitzana to seven days a week and extended hours.
We also need to see an expansion of the types of aid allowed into Gaza and the provision of electricity, water and telecommunications, to both the north and the south of Gaza.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent progress his Department has made on helping to secure the release of hostages in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families.
We have been clear that the release of all the hostages is one of the vital elements for a lasting peace and the Foreign Secretary has reiterated that we want to see the safe release of all hostages unconditionally.
The Government continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause now to allow for the release of hostages.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on levels of demand on the courts.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
With regards to specialist housing courts and the impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on levels of demand on the courts, I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 203400 on 26 October 2023 and Question UIN 10066 on 25 January 2024.
The Government monitors possession claim actions in the county courts using the Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics published quarterly by the Ministry of Justice. We will set out further details shortly about how we will assess the operation of the courts in the context of the changes to possession processes which we are introducing through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specialist housing courts.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
With regards to specialist housing courts and the impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on levels of demand on the courts, I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 203400 on 26 October 2023 and Question UIN 10066 on 25 January 2024.
The Government monitors possession claim actions in the county courts using the Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics published quarterly by the Ministry of Justice. We will set out further details shortly about how we will assess the operation of the courts in the context of the changes to possession processes which we are introducing through the Renters (Reform) Bill.