Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Sharma and Virendra Sharma

Wednesday 9th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

What steps he has taken to champion diversity and inclusivity in the UK’s COP26 negotiating team.

[The COP26 President (Alok Sharma)]

The UK is committed to championing diversity and inclusion throughout our COP26 presidency. More than 45% of the senior management team in the COP26 unit are women, including our chief operating officer and communications director, and around half the COP26 negotiating team are women.

[Mr Virendra Sharma]

Later this year, I am hosting the British South Asian youth summit, focusing on COP26. Will the Minister meet our youth champions to hear the perspective of young people living in some of the areas of the world that are most vulnerable to climate change?

[Alok Sharma]

As I said in response to an earlier question, we have the civil society and youth advisory group, co-chaired by two young climate activists, one from the global south and one from the global north, and on every visit that I do, I meet youth activists. Of course, I am very happy to look at the event that the hon. Gentleman is talking about and, if my diary permits, I will certainly come to it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Sharma and Virendra Sharma

Wednesday 29th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

We support organisations such as the Global Fund and, as my hon. Friend knows, the UK will host the replenishment of GAVI later this year. He is right to highlight this important issue.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

11. What progress his Department has made on achieving sustainable development goal 2 on tackling hunger.

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

Debate between Lord Sharma and Virendra Sharma

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend makes an interesting point. As the Minister said, this is a complex issue and there is not necessarily a common view about how we need to deal with it. That is why the proposal to have education as a first step is absolutely right. I welcome the fact that Talk for a Change will be running the—

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that before the Race Relations Act 1976 many fewer race relations cases, if any, were taken through the courts, but after the law was passed people had the confidence to take their cases further?

[Alok Sharma]

I am pleased that we have come a long way from that time. We live in a modern society, and that is entirely appropriate.

As I understand it from the debate in the other place—I am sure that the Minister will respond to this—the Government’s mind is not closed on legislation. The fact that work is going to be done by the Equality and Human Rights Commission should also be welcomed. This is a very complex issue, and it would be unfortunate if we were to follow a route of introducing legislation without having the evidence base for it.

My final point, which was made by a caller this morning, is how much of an issue this is from the perspective of those who are second, third or fourth generation and were born and brought up in this country. I do not define myself by my caste and I suspect that there are millions like me up and down the country. I will therefore support the Government’s motion.