Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the law around class actions to establish a maximum on damages awarded and legal costs claimable.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As a general rule, the appropriate damages to be awarded in individual cases are independently determined by the courts on the basis of the relevant law and evidence, once liability has been established. In England and Wales, costs follow the event.
The Government has no plans to establish a cap on damages or costs in collective actions generally.
The Department for Business and Trade recently issued a Call for Evidence on the opt-out collective actions regime in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
The Civil Justice Council recently concluded a review of litigation funding which is a common form of funding in collective action claims. The Government is reviewing the Council’s report and will make an announcement in due course.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to secure the release of Zhang Yadi; and what steps she is taking to co-ordinate her actions with (a) her French counterpart and (b) SOAS.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is aware of a report concerning the detention of Zhang Yadi, and the case concerning Gui Minhai in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to secure the release of Gui Minhai in China; and what steps she is taking with (a) Sweden and (b) the European Union to secure his release.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is aware of a report concerning the detention of Zhang Yadi, and the case concerning Gui Minhai in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international counterparts to ensure the protection of the rights of minority ethnic Bosniaks living in Republika Srpska.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working closely with our international partners and parties across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement, rule of law and rights of all BiH citizens, including Bosniaks in Republika Srpska. In July, the Foreign Secretary spoke with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about safeguarding BiH's stability, and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have regular coordination meetings with Quint counterparts. On 9 October, I held a joint meeting with the Foreign Ministers of BiH and Serbia.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international counterparts to ensure the continued implementation of the Dayton Accords.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working closely with our international partners and parties across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement, rule of law and rights of all BiH citizens, including Bosniaks in Republika Srpska. In July, the Foreign Secretary spoke with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about safeguarding BiH's stability, and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have regular coordination meetings with Quint counterparts. On 9 October, I held a joint meeting with the Foreign Ministers of BiH and Serbia.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with allies in Latin America to support (a) regional stability and (b) democratic outcomes.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has worked closely with many Latin American partners over recent years to promote shared interests and values, including strong commitments to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to work closely with allies across the region and promote stability and defend robust democratic outcomes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to prevent hate speech in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
There is no place for hate or prejudice in our education system. Every school should actively promote the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect for those of different faiths and beliefs.
The department has published advice for schools on promoting these values and made resources available through the Educate Against Hate website.
The new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance seeks to provide a practical framework that enables schools to teach RSHE in a way that is preventative and protective. It strengthens content on healthy relationships, mental health and the content reflects some of the challenges facing young people today. The guidance was updated on 15 July and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
The department has also published ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole- school approach which promotes respect and discipline. It is available here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports regarding extrajudicial killings in the Punjab region.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the human rights concerns raised about the activities of the Crime Control Department in Punjab, and we are monitoring the situation closely. Promoting human rights and the rule of law is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan, and we consistently urge the Pakistani authorities to investigate and address any breaches of those standards. Through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA), we are also supporting progress on human rights in Pakistan through dialogue, technical assistance, and targeted programming.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in China on the recent detention of members of Zion Church; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is aware of reports concerning the detention of Zion Church members in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help promote public confidence in democratic institutions.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is working closely with a wide range of stakeholders including the Electoral Commission to identify how best to improve public confidence in democratic institutions and tackle the barriers that affect attitudes towards those institutions and participation in our democracy.
For example, MHCLG is exploring integrating the Register to Vote digital service with GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK app, which support citizens to access a range of government services more easily, and which could streamline the route to registration for many people. The Attorney General is also prioritising direct engagement with civil society groups and young people, to develop and strengthen the cultural acceptance of the rule of law as a fundamental democratic and British value, further helping to rebuild public trust in the institutions that underpin our democracy.