Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord McInnes of Kilwinning, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord McInnes of Kilwinning has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord McInnes of Kilwinning has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
We take the issue of dangerous dogs and fatal dog attacks seriously and are making sure enforcement measures are fully utilised for all breeds of dog.
These measures range from Community Protection Notices that can be served for low level anti-social behaviour to offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act – where serious offences can see people put in prison for up to 14 years, disqualified from ownership or their dog euthanised if they allow it to become dangerously out of control.
We are working in partnership with the police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations to ensure that the full range of existing dog control powers are effectively applied, encourage responsible dog ownership and reduce the risk of dog attacks. We currently have no plans to add additional breed types to the banned breed list. It is already an offence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place. Additionally, section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 also allows a complaint to be made to a Magistrates’ court where a dog is “dangerous and not kept under proper control”. The court may then make any Order it considers appropriate to require the owner to keep the dog under proper control or, if necessary, that it be destroyed.
Defra does not collect this data. Hospital Episode Statistics published by NHS Digital include numbers of finished consultant episodes for hospital admissions in England that were caused by a dog bite or strike. Information on the breed type involved in dog control incidents may also be held by individual local authorities and police forces.
The UK is concerned over the kidnapping of Israeli-Russian dual national Elizabeth Tsurkov. The Government of Iraq opened an investigation into her kidnapping last year and we await the findings. Those suspected of criminal responsibility for her kidnapping should be brought to justice in fair trials. However, as Elizabeth Tsurkov is not a British citizen, we are not in a position to offer direct consular assistance.
Thorough due diligence assessment of all funding is carried out and the FCDO ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries.
Thorough due diligence assessment of all funding is carried out and the FCDO ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries.
The preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.
The UK is concerned over the kidnapping of Israeli-Russian dual national Elizabeth Tsurkov. The Government of Iraq opened an investigation into her kidnapping last year, and we await the findings. Those suspected of criminal responsibility should be brought to justice in fair trials. His Majesty's Government has not had any discussion with the Government of Iraq regarding the kidnapping.
The UK is actively monitoring the situation, and engaging closely with partners across the region. We are a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and call for places of worship to be respected. Israel has made clear its commitment to freedom of religion, and we encourage the Israel Government to do all that it can to uphold the values of equality for all, enshrined in its laws. Our Embassies in Tel Aviv, and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise matters relating to religious freedom with the Israeli Governments.
Defending media freedom at home and abroad is a priority for the UK Government. We continue to address media freedom in our discussions with the Taliban and regularly raise the issue with the Government of Pakistan. A number of Afghan journalists have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain under Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We continue to work with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan to support the safe passage of eligible Afghans to the UK. Our commitment on ACRS Pathway 3 to welcome wider groups of at-risk Afghans still stands. Further detail will be set out in due course.
The UK is a champion of media freedom and a proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, 40 per cent of media outlets in Afghanistan have ceased to operate and 60 per cent of journalists have lost their jobs since August 2021. In response, the UK is providing programme funding to support media organisations still operating in Afghanistan. We also continue to raise the issue of media freedom in our discussions with the Taliban.
The UK Government has repeatedly called for immediate action to re-open the Lachin Corridor and restore the flow of goods and people into Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 2 March, our Ambassador stated that the parties to the conflict must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict and to resolve all outstanding tensions. The UK Government will continue to emphasise this message in further official engagement with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months.
The UK Government has repeatedly called for immediate action to re-open the Lachin Corridor and restore the flow of goods and people into Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 2 March, our Ambassador stated that the parties to the conflict must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict and to resolve all outstanding tensions. The UK Government will continue to emphasise this message in further official engagement with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months.
The UK recognises that Jerusalem's holy sites hold particular significance for all Christians, Jews and Muslims around the world. The UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the status quo to ensure the safety and the security of the Al Aqsa Mosque and all who worship there. I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] emphasised the UK's unwavering support for Jordanian custodianship of the holy sites in East Jerusalem during my visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque on 12 January. The Foreign Secretary and I reaffirmed this in our meetings with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi on 22 March. British Embassy Tel Aviv also raises the matter of permits for Palestinians regularly as we approach Ramadan and Easter.
The UK Government has made clear that blocking the Lachin corridor and disrupting gas supplies in winter risk severe humanitarian consequences. We continue to urge the governments of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to abide by all ceasefire commitments in good faith. This is consistent with our support for international efforts to facilitate a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict. The Minister for Europe reinforced this position in calls with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in September, in recent meetings with senior officials from both capitals, and in meetings in London with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors to the UK.
We remain deeply concerned about the continuing persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. The UK Government has raised this issue repeatedly with the Russian Government and made clear that Russia must abide by its international human rights obligations. On 17 June, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas raised our concerns with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Titov.
In December 2018, the UK was one of 16 countries to invoke the OSCE's Moscow Mechanism, requiring an independent OSCE investigation. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism's independent 2018 report confirmed allegations of serious human rights violations in Chechnya against LGBT people and other groups including unlawful detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings. We continue to urge Russia to implement the recommendations made in the Moscow Mechanism report and to end the climate of impunity for human rights abusers in Chechnya.
The review will engage with a range of stakeholders here and abroad to ensure proper consultation and challenge. We will listen and learn from different voices across the UK and internationally including civil society. Good practice from previous reviews and strategies will be explored when formulating the right approach.
As of 31 December 2022, the UK had granted settled status to over 7,600 individuals under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). Since then, we have welcomed the first individuals under Pathway 3. Further information on the number of individuals relocated and resettled under each Pathway of the ACRS is detailed in the quarterly Immigration Statistics. The latest release is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets
Under stage one of Pathway 3, places are being offered to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni in Afghanistan or the region, and their eligible family members.
FCDO have informed over 250 individuals from these cohorts that they are eligible in principle for resettlement under Pathway 3, subject to passing security checks. Including their family members, this accounts for over 1,200 of the 1,500 available places under this stage of Pathway 3. FCDO have communicated an outcome on over 11,200 (98%) of the over 11,400 EOIs received. We look forward to welcoming all remaining individuals as soon as practicable.
We recognise there are many vulnerable individuals who remain in Afghanistan and the region. Unfortunately, the capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited and difficult decisions have to be made on who will be prioritised for resettlement.
All asylum and human rights claims from LGBT persons from Russia are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw.
The Home Office publishes Country Policy and Information Notes, which provide country of origin information, and analysis of this information, for use by Home Office decision makers assessing protection and human rights claims. Each Note provides information concerning the situation for a particular group of people in a particular country. They are published on the GOV.UK website. They are kept under constant review and updated periodically.
Decision makers also have access to the latest available country information through an information request service for specific enquiries to deal with particular issues raised in individual claims
The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Migration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics. The next statistics, which contain resettlement arrivals by nationality for the year ending December 2019, is planned for publication on 27 February. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlements by host country.
The Home Office undertakes remote video interviews with refugees referred for resettlement under the Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Schemes. These interviews are principally designed to gain a deeper understanding of any UK family links and gather information to assist with the process of matching refugees to suitable offers of accommodation, and do not form part of the case consideration process. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlement case acceptance or rejection by host country.
The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Migration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics. The next statistics, which contain resettlement arrivals by nationality for the year ending December 2019, is planned for publication on 27 February. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlements by host country.
The Home Office undertakes remote video interviews with refugees referred for resettlement under the Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Schemes. These interviews are principally designed to gain a deeper understanding of any UK family links and gather information to assist with the process of matching refugees to suitable offers of accommodation, and do not form part of the case consideration process. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlement case acceptance or rejection by host country.