Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects for a negotiated peace between the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia; and what steps they are taking to support the current negotiations between the two parties.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories spoke with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on 11 October and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on 31 October. Both parties highlighted progress on peace negotiations, supported by meetings between the two countries in Istanbul and Kazan in October. The Government is clear that a sustainable peace is key for the stability and prosperity of both countries and the region, and we stand ready to support the two sides to achieve this goal.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the release of ethnic Armenians held in detention following Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to urge the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those detained during September 2023's military action in Nagorno-Karabakh are afforded a fair trial and provided safe conditions, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations and commitments. The Minister of State for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories discussed this issue with Presidential Representative Elchin Amirbayov on 29 October.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether (1) women, (2) girls, and (3) LGBT+ people, who are relocated to Rwanda will be afforded the same safety as in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Rwanda is a safe and secure country with respect for the rule of law. We have carried out a robust report that demonstrates our commitment to fully evaluating whether Rwanda would be suitable for each potentially eligible person to be relocated.
We would only ever work with countries that we know are safe and will treat asylum seekers in accordance with relevant international human rights laws. Furthermore, Rwanda’s constitution includes a broad prohibition on discrimination.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether families will be split up through the new Asylum Partnership Arrangement with Rwanda; and if not, what evidence they have that the policy will not lead to increased trafficking of women and children.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Other than unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, anyone arriving in the UK whose claim is inadmissible and who has undertaken a dangerous journey to the UK on or after 1 January 2022 may be considered for relocation to Rwanda.
Everyone considered for relocation will be screened and have access to legal advice. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis and nobody will be removed if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.
We comply fully with the UK’s legal obligations, including under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. For those with family links in the UK, who want to be considered for entry to the UK, they should seek to do so via legal and safe routes. Nobody should put their lives into the hands of criminal people smuggling gangs by making dangerous and irregular journeys.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to determine whether someone arriving in the UK, outside of the authorised channels, is eligible for being relocated to Rwanda.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Other than unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, anyone arriving in the UK whose claim is inadmissible and who has undertaken a dangerous journey to the UK on or after 1 January 2022 may be considered for relocation to Rwanda.
Everyone considered for relocation will be screened and have access to legal advice. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis and nobody will be removed if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.
We comply fully with the UK’s legal obligations, including under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. For those with family links in the UK, who want to be considered for entry to the UK, they should seek to do so via legal and safe routes. Nobody should put their lives into the hands of criminal people smuggling gangs by making dangerous and irregular journeys.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether families will be split up through the new Asylum Partnership Arrangement with Rwanda; and if not, what evidence they have that the new policy will not lead to increased trafficking of women and children.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether any (1) women, (2) girls, and (3) LGBT+ people, who are relocated to Rwanda, will be afforded the same safety as in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to determine whether someone arriving in the UK other than by authorised channels is eligible for being relocated to Rwanda.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether their target for the number of affordable homes that they want to see built is sufficient to meet the demand for such homes.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies.
The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and is investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which will leverage £38 billion of private finance and provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 26 January (HL Deb, col 1500), what assessment they have made of the level of household income that would be needed to afford a home defined as "affordable".
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government does not a prescribe a definition of affordability, but we recognise that the fundamental purpose of social housing is to provide affordable, safe and secure homes to those who cannot afford to rent or buy through the open market. This purpose is reflected in the definition of affordable housing in the National Planning Policy Framework and in our approach to setting maximum rent levels in social housing. The vast majority of rented social housing in England is let at Social Rent using a formula that takes account of relative county earnings (among several other factors). In the case of Affordable Rent, the initial rent is capped at up to 80 per cent of the equivalent market rent (except in London where both Social Rent and Affordable Rent levels tend to be lower).
The Government continues to invest to deliver different types of rented social housing to meet the needs of a wide range of households including those at risk of homelessness in areas of the country where affordability is most pressured.
For those who cannot afford their rent, Housing Benefit or Universal Credit is available to provide support with housing costs.