18 APPG memberships (as of 6 Oct 2021)
Bangladesh, Britain-Pakistan Trade and Tourism, Côte d’Ivoire, Dying Well, Ethiopia and Djibouti, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Hate Crime, India, Indian Traditional Sciences, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Race and Community, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene26 Former APPG memberships
Armed Forces, British Curry Catering Industry, Curry Catering Industry, Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, Egypt, Islamic Finance, Jordan, Kenya, Libraries, Malaysia, Mutuals, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, School Food, South East Asian Nations, Srebrenica, Sudan, Tajikistan, Third World Solidarity, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development, Uzbekistan, Zoroastrian, ZoroastrianismGovernment position on adopting a formal definition of Islamophobia
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voted No - in line with the party majority
One of 59 Conservative No votes vs 18 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 213 Noes - 60
My Lords, I start by saying that I am totally opposed to the Bill and completely opposed to the principle …
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the environmental impact caused by the fire on the X-Press …
Division Voting information
Lord Sheikh voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 33 Conservative Aye votes vs 188 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 367 Noes - 214
Lord Sheikh voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 40 Conservative Aye votes vs 165 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 359 Noes - 188
Lord Sheikh voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Conservative No votes vs 147 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 408 Noes - 24
Debates during the 2019 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(12 debate interactions)
(5 debate interactions)
(4 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(14 debate contributions)
(12 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(2,774 words contributed)
(1,369 words contributed)
(1,281 words contributed)
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Sheikh, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Lord Sheikh has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Lord Sheikh has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Lord Sheikh has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Sheikh has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
8 Written Questions in the current parliament
(View all written questions)The UK government remains concerned about the environmental impact caused by the fire on the X-Press Pearl ship. While the risk of an oil spill is now considered low, plastic pellets and other debris are affecting the shoreline. We have engaged regularly with the Sri Lankan authorities and international experts on the ground to determine how the UK can best support the response.
The UK government is providing marine pollution expertise to Sri Lanka to help respond to the potentially devastating impact on the marine life and coastal habitats of Sri Lanka. The UK will also provide expertise and analytical capacity to support plastic pollution monitoring, as well as environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments. The UK's Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science will partner with Sri Lankan Government Departments, academics and responsible authorities to support effective emergency response and implementation of a post spill integrated monitoring plan.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 15 June, COVAX had delivered 87 million doses to 131 participating countries and territories. UNICEF is supporting COVAX with the delivery of these vaccines, and details of what each country has received in terms of doses and quantities can be found at https://www.unicef.org/supply/covid-19-vaccine-market-dashboard.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government is concerned about the Covid-10 situation in Sri Lanka. The Minister for South Asia Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed this with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner on 10 May and with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 17 June.
The UK has consistently stressed that we are all facing the same pandemic and the threat of further waves and variants of the virus makes cooperation between all our partners and the UK ever more vital and important.
The UK remains committed to equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. As the multilateral mechanism set up to support international co-operation on vaccines, COVAX remains best-placed to allocate vaccines fairly and to where they will be most effective. The UK was one of the earliest and largest donors to COVAX donating £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. Our early funding gave COVAX the purchase power it needed to secure deals with manufacturers to supply internationally-approved vaccines for up to 92 low and middle income countries. So far, COVAX has helped deliver over 81m doses to 129 countries and territories, including Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister announced on 11 June that the UK will donate 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines within the next year, with 30 million of those donated by the end of 2021. 80% of the vaccines donated will go to COVAX. This was part of an agreement with G7 partners to donate 1 billion doses by June 2022. We will set out more detail in due course and will continue to discuss with G7 partners the ambition to end the pandemic.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomes the 10 November peace deal including the implementation of many of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles. During her recent visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and implement the remaining Basic Principles to ensure future regional stability and peace. The UK Government firmly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure regional stability in the South Caucasus in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomes the 10 November peace deal including the implementation of many of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles. During her recent visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and implement the remaining Basic Principles to ensure future regional stability and peace. The UK Government firmly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure regional stability in the South Caucasus in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Official statistics published in July 2020 show that over 6,000 women were released from custody in the year to March 2020, with 51% going into secure, long-term accommodation and a further 7% to approved premises; 18% were recorded as rough sleeping or homeless at the point of release.
We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the next financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.
The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.
HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.
In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from male to female Approved Premises (AP) to give better geographic spread of AP for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008. In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in June supporting female offenders.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Official statistics published in July 2020 show that over 6,000 women were released from custody in the year to March 2020, with 51% going into secure, long-term accommodation and a further 7% to approved premises; 18% were recorded as rough sleeping or homeless at the point of release.
We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the next financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.
The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.
HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.
In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from male to female Approved Premises (AP) to give better geographic spread of AP for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008. In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in June supporting female offenders.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)