Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement between the UK and Mexico.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
Negotiations between the UK and Mexico have been positive so far, with a clear mutual intention to pursue a Free Trade Agreement which can complement and build on our new trade arrangements as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. We have held three rounds of negotiations, with the latest taking place in May.
We look forward to concluding negotiations at the earliest opportunity. However, we want to make sure any new trade deal adds value to the UK economy and meets our trade policy objectives. We are prepared to take the time necessary to deliver that.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have set a date for beginning the dialogue on human rights between the UK and Mexico which both Governments agreed should be conducted in parallel with negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We have not yet set a date for a formal bilateral human rights dialogue with Mexico, however we continue to engage regularly on human rights and related issues with Mexican authorities at ministerial and official level. Most recently, on 19 June, the Minister for the Americas, David Rutley MP, spoke with the Mexican Undersecretary for Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs, Eduardo Jaramillo, and reiterated the UK's desire to formalise these conversations through the inaugural human rights dialogue.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Foreign Secretary held about the implementation of the Colombian peace agreement during his recent visit to that country; with whom; and with what outcome.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
During his visit to Colombia, the Foreign Secretary met with President Petro and Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva to discuss our ongoing support to the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement in Colombia. The Foreign Secretary committed £3.6 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) in 2023/24 to support the implementation of the Peace Agreement and improve stability and security. Through the CSSF, which has now committed £80 million since 2015, our funding will continue to support the Colombian Government's rural development and reintegration programmes, transitional justice mechanisms, and help strengthen the security and participation of communities in conflict-affected areas.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether all printed information and advice provided to women who are pregnant or in labour about specific conditions and procedures which may be required at short notice are available in languages other than English; and if so, in which languages.
Answered by Lord Markham
The language and format of information available at short notice to women who are pregnant or in labour about specific conditions and procedures vary, as this is often locally produced in line with the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed some information nationally, which is available in English alongside Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish and Urdu. It is also available in spoken formats including British Sign Language.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require written asylum applications to be submitted in English.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
12,000 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, and Libya who lodged asylum claims before 28 June 2022 will be considered through a Streamlined Asylum Process. This will involve eligible claimants being sent a questionnaire asking them to provide all the necessary information so claims can be considered more quickly. This will speed up decisions for those in genuine need, ending the uncertainty over their future, and help us remove people with no right to be here.
It is standard practice for the Home Office to issue correspondence and questionnaires to asylum claimants in English. This is to avoid responses being received in other languages.
Asylum claims will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis against published Immigration Rules, policy guidance and country information. These five nationalities had a grant rate of over 95% in the year-ending September 2022, therefore it is right to accelerate the processing of these claims where appropriate. An automatic grant of protection status for these countries is certainly not guaranteed – all individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an interview will follow the questionnaire if more information is needed.
All individuals will have already undergone a screening interview, including criminal checks and will have their biometrics, such as their fingerprints, taken before they can be considered for a grant of protection status.
If individuals do not reply to the questionnaire, and the Home Office is unable to trace them, their claim could be withdrawn.
We will respond to the correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter to the Minister of State for Immigration from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting on 27 February about the use of online translation tools to assist written asylum applications.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
12,000 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, and Libya who lodged asylum claims before 28 June 2022 will be considered through a Streamlined Asylum Process. This will involve eligible claimants being sent a questionnaire asking them to provide all the necessary information so claims can be considered more quickly. This will speed up decisions for those in genuine need, ending the uncertainty over their future, and help us remove people with no right to be here.
It is standard practice for the Home Office to issue correspondence and questionnaires to asylum claimants in English. This is to avoid responses being received in other languages.
Asylum claims will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis against published Immigration Rules, policy guidance and country information. These five nationalities had a grant rate of over 95% in the year-ending September 2022, therefore it is right to accelerate the processing of these claims where appropriate. An automatic grant of protection status for these countries is certainly not guaranteed – all individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an interview will follow the questionnaire if more information is needed.
All individuals will have already undergone a screening interview, including criminal checks and will have their biometrics, such as their fingerprints, taken before they can be considered for a grant of protection status.
If individuals do not reply to the questionnaire, and the Home Office is unable to trace them, their claim could be withdrawn.
We will respond to the correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the use of online translation tools to assist written asylum applications on the level of appeals against asylum decisions.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
12,000 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, and Libya who lodged asylum claims before 28 June 2022 will be considered through a Streamlined Asylum Process. This will involve eligible claimants being sent a questionnaire asking them to provide all the necessary information so claims can be considered more quickly. This will speed up decisions for those in genuine need, ending the uncertainty over their future, and help us remove people with no right to be here.
It is standard practice for the Home Office to issue correspondence and questionnaires to asylum claimants in English. This is to avoid responses being received in other languages.
Asylum claims will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis against published Immigration Rules, policy guidance and country information. These five nationalities had a grant rate of over 95% in the year-ending September 2022, therefore it is right to accelerate the processing of these claims where appropriate. An automatic grant of protection status for these countries is certainly not guaranteed – all individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an interview will follow the questionnaire if more information is needed.
All individuals will have already undergone a screening interview, including criminal checks and will have their biometrics, such as their fingerprints, taken before they can be considered for a grant of protection status.
If individuals do not reply to the questionnaire, and the Home Office is unable to trace them, their claim could be withdrawn.
We will respond to the correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide public service interpreters to assist asylum seekers if they are required to submit a written asylum application in English.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
12,000 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, and Libya who lodged asylum claims before 28 June 2022 will be considered through a Streamlined Asylum Process. This will involve eligible claimants being sent a questionnaire asking them to provide all the necessary information so claims can be considered more quickly. This will speed up decisions for those in genuine need, ending the uncertainty over their future, and help us remove people with no right to be here.
It is standard practice for the Home Office to issue correspondence and questionnaires to asylum claimants in English. This is to avoid responses being received in other languages.
Asylum claims will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis against published Immigration Rules, policy guidance and country information. These five nationalities had a grant rate of over 95% in the year-ending September 2022, therefore it is right to accelerate the processing of these claims where appropriate. An automatic grant of protection status for these countries is certainly not guaranteed – all individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an interview will follow the questionnaire if more information is needed.
All individuals will have already undergone a screening interview, including criminal checks and will have their biometrics, such as their fingerprints, taken before they can be considered for a grant of protection status.
If individuals do not reply to the questionnaire, and the Home Office is unable to trace them, their claim could be withdrawn.
We will respond to the correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they monitor compliance with the 'Guidance for Commissioners: Interpreting and Translation Services in Primary Care', published by NHS England in September 2018.
Answered by Lord Markham
The Department does not monitor compliance with this guidance. However, when commissioners, NHS Regions and integrated care boards commission interpreting and translation services for their areas, those contracts would be governed in line with National Health Service guidance and professional standards.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the right to translation services for people engaged with the criminal justice system, under Directive 2010/64/EU of the European Parliament, and incorporated into UK law by 18 different measures, will be affected by the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill; and if so, whether this right will be (1) sunsetted, (2) retained, (3) replaced, or (4) updated.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
The measures implementing Directive 2010/64/EU concerning the right to translation services for people engaged with the criminal justice system are in scope of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. We are reviewing these and other pieces of retained EU law for which the Ministry of Justice is responsible to decide whether they should remain on the statute book, and if so whether they should in due course be amended using powers in the Bill, or whether they should be left to sunset.
The provision of translators and intermediaries is a priority for this government, and we do not intend to remove the right to translation services for people engaged with the criminal justice system.