Mentions:
1: Baroness Hazarika (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, it is my huge pleasure, although a bit of a scramble, to be making my maiden speech on the - Speech Link
2: Lord Davies of Brixton (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, it is such a pleasure to follow the maiden speech of my noble friend Lady Hazarika, of Coatbridge—Ayesha - Speech Link
3: Baroness Kramer (LD - Life peer) If anyone doubts that, they should listen to today’s speech from the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Brixton - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: None His Majesty’s most gracious Speech was then delivered to both Houses of Parliament by the Lord Privy - Speech Link
2: None My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, the focus of my Government has been to deliver its plan - Speech Link
3: None The United Kingdom continues to play a leading role in defending freedom across the world, including - Speech Link
Report May. 24 2024
Committee: Human Rights (Joint Committee)Found: breach of the duty of candour.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Amnesty International report published on 13 May “On my campus, I am afraid": China's Targeting of Overseas Students Stifles Rights; and what action they are taking with allies to protect Chinese and Hong Kong students studying abroad who are subject to intimidation and surveillance from Chinese agents.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s International Education Strategy and its recent update make clear that the internationalisation of the higher education (HE) sector cannot come at any cost. Universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risk.
The department recognises concerns about overseas interference in the HE sector and regularly assess the risks facing staff and students.
The Integrated Review Refresh, which this government published in March 2023, sets out in clear terms the UK’s policy towards engagement with China and Chinese entities.
Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK, or on campuses abroad, will not be tolerated. This is an insidious threat to democracy and fundamental human rights.
The department passed the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 to further protect the UK’s campuses from interference and other threats to lawful freedom of speech. The Act strengthens existing freedom of speech duties placed upon HE providers in England and creates new routes of redress if these duties are breached.
The department has made the Commencement Regulations to ensure the main provisions of the Act are in place for 1 August 2024.
Where providers are operating campuses abroad, they must take, and should already be taking, reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law on those campuses.
HE providers are independent autonomous organisations and therefore responsible for ensuring they have adequate governance and risk management procedures in place when accepting donations. The department expects the HE sector to be alert to risks when collaborating with any international partners.
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0009 - Future funding of the BBC World Service Voice of the Listener & Viewer Written Evidence
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0013 - Future funding of the BBC World Service BBC Written Evidence
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0006 - Future funding of the BBC World Service Al Arabiya Written Evidence
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0004 - Future funding of the BBC World Service GrowTraffic Ltd Written Evidence
Mentions:
1: McArthur, Liam (LD - Orkney Islands) the Scottish Parliament building; recommits to the shared EU values of human dignity, freedom, democracy - Speech Link
2: Allan, Alasdair (SNP - Na h-Eileanan an Iar) The shared European“values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law - Speech Link
3: Adamson, Clare (SNP - Motherwell and Wishaw) The values of peace, freedom and respect for common humanity have renewed meaning. - Speech Link
4: Robertson, Angus (SNP - Edinburgh Central) human dignity, freedom and democracy. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Penny Mordaunt (Con - Portsmouth North) The UK has been through tough times, but the choices we have made collectively have given us the freedom - Speech Link
2: Iain Duncan Smith (Con - Chingford and Woodford Green) This is not a valedictory speech on my part—I will be standing and I intend to come back here on 5 July—but - Speech Link
3: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) the all-party parliamentary group on international freedom of religion or belief, each week I bring - Speech Link
4: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) the House be good enough to make representations for my private Member’s Bill, the Special Envoy for Freedom - Speech Link
5: Penny Mordaunt (Con - Portsmouth North) Friend for all she has done in this Parliament to promote religious freedom. - Speech Link