Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to (a) renegotiate adhesion to the European Convention on Human Rights and (b) hold a referendum on remaining a party to that treaty.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has a longstanding tradition of ensuring rights and liberties are protected and abiding by the rule of law, both domestically and internationally. The Government remains committed to that position and will ensure that our laws continue to be fit for purpose and work for the people of the UK. As the Prime Minister has said, if it becomes clear that our domestic laws or international conventions are frustrating our priority of stopping the boats, we are prepared to change those laws and revisit those relationships.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Sierra Leone on alleged irregularities in the elections on 24 June 2023; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help prevent civil conflict in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to supporting the aspirations of the Sierra Leonean people and has engaged stakeholders including the government, opposition, election bodies and international community in the months leading up to, during and after the elections. We have given consistent messages about the importance of free and fair elections, good governance and the rule of law. The former Foreign Secretary raised these issues during his March visit to Sierra Leone and in a telephone call with President Bio on 7 August. It remains vital that Sierra Leone's political leaders support the democratic process and reduce the risk of civil unrest.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings on pages 64 to 66 and 103 to 106 of the report “Join Us or Die”: Rwanda’s Extraterritorial Repression, published by Human Rights Watch in October 2023.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
All attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. Any threats made by a foreign state against individuals in the UK will be thoroughly investigated.
This Government is committed to tackling the issue of transnational repression. The National Security Act will strengthen our legal powers to counter foreign interference and the Defending Democracy Taskforce, established last year to help protect the democratic integrity of the UK, is conducting a review into the UK’s approach to transnational repression.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many further education colleges reported anti-Semitic incidents in each year since 2013.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The UK unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and stands in solidarity with Israel in its hour of need. Antisemitism has no place in our society.
The Department does not hold this information. Whilst the Department strongly encourages schools and colleges to record and report all kinds of bullying, there is not a legal requirement for schools and colleges to record and report incidents of bullying.
The Department has published guidance to support schools and colleges to monitor bullying incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying. The Government is committed to ensuring that all schools and colleges prepare children for life in modern Britain. Every school and college should actively promote the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
The Prime Minister has announced that £3 million of extra funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust to protect schools, colleges, nurseries and synagogues and other Jewish community buildings.
The Secretary of State and Ministers visited a Jewish school to show their support and wrote to school and college headteachers on 17 October to remind them of their relevant responsibilities, including the need to challenge intolerance and actively respond to discrimination, as well as outlining their duties under the Prevent programme. The Department’s Educate Against Hate website provides a range of resources and support to challenge discrimination and intolerance, and how to respond where you have concerns. This is available at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools reported anti-Semitic incidents in each year since 2013.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The UK unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and stands in solidarity with Israel in its hour of need. Antisemitism has no place in our society.
The Department does not hold this information. Whilst the Department strongly encourages schools and colleges to record and report all kinds of bullying, there is not a legal requirement for schools and colleges to record and report incidents of bullying.
The Department has published guidance to support schools and colleges to monitor bullying incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying. The Government is committed to ensuring that all schools and colleges prepare children for life in modern Britain. Every school and college should actively promote the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
The Prime Minister has announced that £3 million of extra funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust to protect schools, colleges, nurseries and synagogues and other Jewish community buildings.
The Secretary of State and Ministers visited a Jewish school to show their support and wrote to school and college headteachers on 17 October to remind them of their relevant responsibilities, including the need to challenge intolerance and actively respond to discrimination, as well as outlining their duties under the Prevent programme. The Department’s Educate Against Hate website provides a range of resources and support to challenge discrimination and intolerance, and how to respond where you have concerns. This is available at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support the Ukrainian government on matters of (a) governance and (b) rule of law.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Rule of law and governance reform are UK priorities, alongside anti-corruption, security sector reform and economic and business environment reform. The Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, is supporting Ukraine's good governance, economic resilience and growth. UK-funded expertise is helping to relaunch the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges, institutions critical to a judiciary free from unlawful interference. Such reforms increase private sector confidence, which will be critical to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. The UK has driven progress on this agenda internationally, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on the principle of the rule of law in Ukraine in the context of postwar reconstruction.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK regularly discusses rule of law with the Government of Ukraine in the context of postwar reconstruction. Ukraine recognises that robust governance and respect for the rule of law is critical to attracting private sector investment and supporting Ukraine's postwar reconstruction. Further, the UK's Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting Ukraine's good governance, economic resilience and growth. UK-funded expertise is also helping to relaunch the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges to support a judiciary free from unlawful interference.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the rule of law in Ukraine and the potential impact of this on the appetite of private investors to fund any post-war reconstruction.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London, the UK and international partners reiterated the need for Ukraine to continue with reform, including on rule of law, to underpin recovery and reconstruction and attract private investment into Ukraine. The UK's Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting anti-corruption and judicial reforms in Ukraine, including the relaunch of the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges. Both these institutions are critical to a judiciary that is free from unlawful interference.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on the outcome of the presidential election in Guatemala.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK stands with those in Guatemala seeking to safeguard democracy and rule of law. I [Minister Rutley] have raised the need to respect democratic institutions and the choice of the people of Guatemala directly with the Guatemalan Foreign Minister and Vice Foreign Minister, as well as with Secretary General Almagro of the Organization of American States. The British Embassy in Guatemala City continues to work with international partners, including the US, to ensure the Guatemalan Government is aware of the importance we and our international partners put on the election results being upheld.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 19 September 2023, Official Report, column 1253, whether new Afghan people arriving in the UK on approved schemes will be placed in bridging accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes. We continue to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme which was formally opened on the 1 April 2021 , has already relocated thousands of Afghans who have worked for or alongside the UK government, and their families, and who are deemed eligible.
In addition, the UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022. The scheme prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law.
We take seriously our commitment to resettling Afghans yet to arrive in the UK, including those eligible for our schemes still in Afghanistan. But our efforts to move people out of hotels has shown how vital it is that they are moved into long-term settled accommodation, so, they can put down roots in the community.
Once in the UK eligible Afghans have the right to live, work and study, and can apply for benefits and other local authority support.