Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Serbia on attempts to prevent the EuroPride march from taking place in Belgrade in September 2022.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Working in close coordination with the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for LGBT+ rights, Lord Herbert, our Embassy was in frequent touch with the Serbian authorities and EuroPride organisers. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, and the UK Ambassador in Belgrade, raised our concerns at the highest levels with Serbian counterparts. The UK joined more than 20 states in a statement issued by Embassies in Belgrade, expressing our full support for members of the LGBTIQ+ community and pushing for the EuroPride March to go ahead.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to (a) protect and (b) advocate for LGBT+ rights in Europe.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Since 2018, the UK has committed over £13 million in programmes to support LGBT+ rights. In Europe, this has included targeted interventions to respond to hate crime in the Western Balkans, and support LGBT+ organisations in Poland, Hungary and Serbia.
Within the Council of Europe, the UK have co-chaired the European LGBTI Focal Points Network, and have played an important role in establishing a new Council of Europe LGBT+ working group.
As the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for LGBT+ Rights, Lord Herbert of South Downs works with our diplomatic network to respond to the challenges faced by LGBT+ people in Europe. Most recently, he met Ukrainian and Polish civil society organisations at the joint Warsaw-Kyiv Pride, and supported efforts to ensure a successful EuroPride in Belgrade.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the security situation in Kosovo in the context of recent tensions between the governments of Kosovo and Serbia.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK, with international partners, devotes sustained political and diplomatic effort to securing progress in the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, and to de-escalating tensions, including through active engagement by the PM's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach. We welcome recent agreement on the use of Identification Documents, helping to defuse tensions over the summer, and encourage a similarly constructive approach in tackling further outstanding issues. The UK remains committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all in Kosovo, underlined by our continued commitment to NATO's KFOR mission.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2022 to Question 40929 on Dogs: Imports, if he will publish a breakdown of the countries of origin of the dogs commercially imported into the UK from abroad in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Below are tables to show the countries of origin of commercial dog imports. The data for 2020 is for the UK, while the data for 2021 and 2022 (up to 31 August 2022) is for Great Britain only. We do not hold data for Northern Ireland for 2021 and 2022.
This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFF systems not directly controlled by the department.
Country Of Origin from EU 2020 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2020 |
Austria | Antigua and Barbuda |
Belgium | Argentina |
Bulgaria | Australia |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czech Republic | Belarus |
Denmark | Bermuda |
Estonia | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Finland | Brazil |
France | Canada |
Germany | Cayman Islands |
Greece | Colombia |
Hungary | Costa Rica |
Ireland (Rep. of) | Egypt |
Italy | Ethiopia |
Latvia | French Polynesia |
Lithuania | Hong Kong |
Malta | India |
Netherlands | Indonesia |
Poland | Israel |
Portugal | Japan |
Romania | Jordan |
Slovakia | Kenya |
Slovenia | Korea (South) |
Spain | Kuwait |
Sweden | Lebanon |
Switzerland | Macao |
| |
| Malawi |
| Malaysia |
| Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Namibia |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| North Macedonia |
| Oman |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russia |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Serbia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| Sri Lanka |
| Taiwan |
| Tajikistan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| Turks and Caicos |
| UAE |
| Uganda |
| Ukraine |
| Uruguay |
| USA |
| Vietnam |
| Zimbabwe |
Country Of Origin from EU 2021 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2021 |
Austria | Argentina |
Belgium | Australia |
Bulgaria | Bahamas |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czechia | Belarus |
Denmark | Bermuda |
Estonia | Brazil |
Finland | Canada |
France | Cayman Islands |
Germany | China |
Greece | Colombia |
Hungary | Costa Rica |
Iceland | Ecuador |
Italy | Egypt |
Latvia | Ethiopia |
Lithuania | Guam |
Luxembourg | Hong Kong |
Malta | India |
Netherlands | Indonesia |
Northern Ireland | Israel |
Norway | Jamaica |
Poland | Japan |
Portugal | Jordan |
Republic of Ireland | Kenya |
Romania | Kuwait |
Slovakia | Lebanon |
Slovenia | Macao |
Spain | Malawi |
Sweden | Malaysia |
Switzerland | Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Mozambique |
| Namibia |
| Nepal |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| Oman |
| Panama |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russian Federation |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Serbia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| South Korea |
| Taiwan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates |
| United States of America |
| Viet Nam |
| Zimbabwe |
Country Of Origin from EU 2022 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2022 |
Austria | Albania |
Belgium | Algeria |
Bulgaria | Australia |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czech Republic | Bermuda |
Denmark | Brazil |
Estonia | Brunei |
Finland | Canada |
France | Cayman Islands |
Germany | Chile |
Greece | China |
Hungary | Colombia |
Isle of Man | Costa Rica |
Ireland (Rep. of) | Dominican Republic |
Italy | Ecuador |
Latvia | Egypt |
Lithuania | Fiji |
Luxembourg | Hong Kong |
Netherlands | India |
Northern Ireland | Indonesia |
Norway | Israel |
Poland | Japan |
Portugal | Jordan |
Romania | Kenya |
Slovakia | Korea (South) |
Slovenia | Kuwait |
Spain | Lebanon |
Sweden | Malaysia |
Switzerland | Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Namibia |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| Oman |
| Panama |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russia |
| Saint Lucia |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| Sri Lanka |
| Taiwan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| UAE |
| Uganda |
| Ukraine |
| USA |
| Vietnam |
| Zimbabwe |
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support (a) peace, (b) stability and (c) security in Kosovo.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK remains committed to supporting a more secure, stable and prosperous Kosovo. We devote sustained political and diplomatic effort to securing progress in the EU-facilitated Dialogue aimed at normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo, including through active engagement by the PM's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach. Our programme of technical assistance is aimed at supporting Kosovo's efforts to deliver reforms that are crucial for its longer term resilience. The UK also contributes troops and continues to offer a Strategic Reserve Force to the NATO-led Force in Kosovo (KFOR) which is a battalion-sized high readiness Strategic Reserved Force based in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time for (1) all visa applications, and (2) visa applications from (a) Albania, (b) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (c) Kosovo, (d) Montenegro, (e) North Macedonia, and (f) Serbia.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Average waiting times are not published for a) Albania, (b) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (c) Kosovo, (d) Montenegro, (e) North Macedonia, and (f) Serbia. To capture the requested data would incur a disproportionate cost.
The processing times for visas can be found on the GOV.uk webpage:
The Home Office’s performance against its service standard by nationality can be found in our transparency data, which is attached and at the following link: Visas and Citizenship data: Q1 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing visa free travel for people wishing to visit the UK from Serbia.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK keeps its visa system under regular review. Decisions on changes reflect a range of factors. These will vary globally, but often include security, compliance, returns and prosperity.
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to list for each overseas country when resident UK pensioners do not receive yearly increases what the lowest current payment to a pensioner is who was entitled at retirement to a full basic UK state pension, stating the year the pension was frozen.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated in countries where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy which has been supported by successive post-war governments for over 70 years.
Up-rating is paid to State Pension recipients in the UK, European Union, European Economic Area, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Jamaica, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, The Philippines, Turkey, and the United States.
Information on the lowest full basic State Pension in payment, in each country where up-rating is not paid, is not readily available and to provide it would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which countries the UK has (a) bilateral or (b) reciprocal agreements on provision of the State Pension; when each of those agreements was made, whether UK pensioners resident in those countries receive yearly increases; and how many UK pensioners there were in each country as of 9 June 2022.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated annually in countries where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy which has been supported by successive governments for over 70 years.
As of November 2020, 473,842 State Pension recipients residing in the European Union or countries which are members of the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein) receive annual up-rating under various EU-Exit related agreements, including the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, which entered into force in 2020 and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force in 2021.
Other countries with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement also allowing for State Pension up-rating, the date in which the particular agreement was made, and the number of State Pension recipients residing in these countries (as of November 2020) are:
*Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the UK agreement with former Yugoslavia now covers Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Croatia and Slovenia are EU Member States covered by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The UK also has reciprocal social security agreements with New Zealand (1983) and Canada (1995) covering provisions for State Pension, but these agreements do not provide for annual up-rating. As of November 2020, 63,930 State Pension recipients reside in New Zealand and 126,426 recipients reside in Canada.
Source:
State Pension statistics by country of residence are currently available to November 2020 and these are available on Stat-Xplore here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance for users is available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NATO allies and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the sale of military jets to Serbia in the context of the (i) level of risk of escalation in Bosnia and (ii) failure of Serbia to sanction Russia.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Government carefully considers its support to Defence exports given the range of opportunities they can provide to support the UK industrial base and expand our global economic and security partnerships. Export licences are granted only in accordance with the UK’s robust Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and capabilities. We do not issue licences where we determine there is a clear risk that the items would, overall, undermine peace and security.