Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was spent by Arts Council England to process requests to support global talent visa endorsement applications in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) shortest, (2) longest, and (3) average, amount of time taken by Arts Council England to process requests to support global talent visa endorsement applications in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many global talent visa endorsement applications from (1) non-disabled, and (2) disabled, artists have been (a) endorsed, and (b) rejected, by Arts Council England in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps Arts Council England is taking to ensure that its endorsement criteria for the global talent visa comply with the provisions relating to disability in the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when Arts Council England last reviewed the endorsement criteria for the global talent visa; and what revisions were made as a result of that review.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent work has been undertaken by the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle transnational repression.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe, and we are committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.
We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across Government and law enforcement. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of cross-border transnational repression faced by migrants from Hong Kong and whether the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London has facilitated it; and, if so, what steps they are taking to tackle it.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The first duty of any government is to keep the country safe and protect its citizens. The UK does not tolerate attempts by any state to threaten or intimidate UK residents. We continually assess potential risks and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. This involves taking a proactive approach to countering the most acute forms of state-directed threats to individuals.
We will continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.
Home Office officials work closely with operational partners, the FCDO and other government departments to ensure that UK residents are safe and secure. Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact their local police in the first instance.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the proscription of the Wagner Group, what assessment they have made of the case for proscribing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
While the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
The UK Government has long been clear about our concerns over the malign activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The UK maintains sanctions on over 350 Iranian individuals and entities covering human rights abuses and nuclear proliferation. The Government has also imposed sanctions on the IRGC in its entirety and on several senior security and political figures in Iran, including senior commanders within the IRGC and its Basij force.
The Government will continue to hold Iran and the IRGC to account.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that disabled people have unimpeded access to (1) disabled parking bays, and (2) paths and pavements around Westminster and Parliament Square, during protests in the vicinity of Parliament.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The management of public protests and access to roads and pavements around Parliament are matters for the Metropolitan Police Service, Westminster City Council, and the Greater London Authority, who are all independent of the Government.
Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the Government expanded the list of prohibited activities in the controlled area of Parliament Square to include the obstruction of vehicular access to the Parliamentary Estate. It is a criminal offence to ignore a constable’s direction to cease such an activity.
In addition, Parliament has approved a Statutory Instrument providing the police with greater flexibility and clarity over when to intervene to stop disruptive protest tactics such as blocking roads and slow walking. We have done this to support the police in striking the right balance between the rights of the public and the rights of protesters, and to ensure public order legislation is clear, consistent and current.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps are being taken to ensure disabled people have unimpeded access to the House of Lords areas of the Parliamentary estate during protests in and around Parliament Square.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The management of public protests and access to roads and pavements around Parliament are matters for the Metropolitan Police Service, Westminster City Council, and the Greater London Authority, who are all independent of the Government.
Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the Government expanded the list of prohibited activities in the controlled area of Parliament Square to include the obstruction of vehicular access to the Parliamentary Estate. It is a criminal offence to ignore a constable’s direction to cease such an activity.
In addition, Parliament has approved a Statutory Instrument providing the police with greater flexibility and clarity over when to intervene to stop disruptive protest tactics such as blocking roads and slow walking. We have done this to support the police in striking the right balance between the rights of the public and the rights of protesters, and to ensure public order legislation is clear, consistent and current.