Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect disabled people from people riding bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters illegally on the pavement.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The police have the powers they need within road traffic and anti-social behaviour legislation to enforce the law, including in relation to illegal e-scooter use and illegal driving. Decisions on when to use these powers are an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour (ASB). This includes Civil Injunctions and Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).
It is for local authorities, forces and agencies to decide how best to use these powers depending on the specific circumstances as they are best placed to understand what is causing the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.
The police have powers under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles being driven illegally without a valid driving licence or insurance or in an anti-social manner. It is for the officer dealing with an incident to collect and consider in each case the evidence available and decide whether there might have been an offence and if so what action to take.
We expect the police to work collaboratively with local authorities to deal with these matters.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 3 July (HL Deb col 991), when they will publish a response to the Policy Exchange paper A Culture of Impunity: The ongoing erosion of disabled people's access to Parliament and Westminster, published on 8 June.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government agrees that disabled people should be able to go about their everyday business without being affected by the unlawful and inconsiderate actions of others. It agrees that the issues highlighted in the Policy Exchange paper, including the disruptive actions of protestors and the inconsiderate behaviour of some cyclists and e-scooter riders, can have a disproportionately negative impact on the journeys of disabled people in and around the Westminster area.
However, the Government does not agree that there is a culture of impunity in relation to these issues. Cycling or riding an e-scooter on the pavement is already an offence, and enforcement of this is a matter for the police, who also have powers to deal with protestors who are blocking the pavement or highway. Like all highway authorities, Westminster City Council has the power to remove items including abandoned rental cycles or scooters from the pavement or highway if they are causing an obstruction. Operational decisions on these and other issues are a matter for the police and Westminster City Council.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether NHS continuing healthcare managers within a Clinical Commissioning Group have a duty of care to those whom they support; and if so, whether (1) the duty of care includes ensuring rigorous monitoring and supervision of the services commissioned, and (2) this includes services provided by care agencies.
Answered by Lord Markham
Clinical Commissioning Groups have been replaced by integrated care boards (ICBs), effective as of 1 July 2022. As set out in legislation and statutory guidance, ICBs deliver NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC) for their local area.
ICBs have a duty of care for individuals eligible for NHS CHC as part of their care planning, commissioning of services, and case management responsibilities. One element of ICB case management is monitoring and supervising services commissioned as part of NHS CHC packages, including services provided by care agencies. In this way, ICBs ensure that the agreed care and support package meets the individual’s needs and can identify and act on any issues arising in the provision of NHS CHC. ICBs therefore ensure that quality standards are met and sustained, as set out in the NHS Standard Contract.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of threat posed by Iran to the Jewish community in the UK.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There is no secret that Iranian regime has a long history of targeting Jewish and Israeli interests around the world. Their publicly stated animosity towards Jewish and Israeli interests has manifested in a persistent level of threat and, unfortunately, attacks around the world aimed at the representatives, citizens and symbols of Israel and also Jewish communities.
We take any threat to the UK-based Jewish community extremely seriously. The community should be alert but not alarmed. As I said on 20 February, we are taking significant steps to address the activities of the Iranian regime and its operatives in the UK – whether those activities are threatening the Jewish community or any individuals or organisations in this country.
I have instructed the Home Office to lead work on countering Iranian-state threats, making use of the full breadth and expertise of the government and the police, security, and intelligence agencies. Working with a range of partners, the UK government will continue to use all tools at its disposal to protect individuals in the UK against any threats from the Iranian state.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers have had with Home Office Ministers concerning the proscription of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; and what the outcome of those discussions was.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The list of proscribed organisations is kept under careful review, but we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription. The UK maintains sanctions on over 300 Iranian individuals and entities including in relation to human rights violations, counter-proliferation, regional activity and terrorism. That includes sanctioning the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of reports that France seized a shipment of more than 2,000 Iranian assault rifles headed to Houthi groups in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Iran continues to breach UNSCR 2216 and undermine UN-led peace efforts by providing material support for the Houthis. There is extensive evidence of this in the UN Yemen Panel of Experts report published 21 February 2022, much of which is provided by maritime interdictions conducted by the UK and its partners. The widely reported seizure of more weapons in January by France and in February by the UK would appear to be further examples of this. We urge Iran to uphold their obligations under international law and cease activity which has escalated the conflict and threatened civilian lives.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Hamas has located three rocket launch sites close to schools in Gaza City.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK remains resolute in its commitment to Israel's security. Our position on Hamas is clear: we condemn Hamas' attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their response to the consultation Disability workforce reporting, which closed on 8 April; and when they plan to publish the findings of their review of the Disability Confident scheme.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The commitment to consult on disability workforce reporting was set out in the National Disability Strategy. In January 2022, the High Court declared that the strategy was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations.
The Department aims to minimise the risk of acting inconsistently with the Court’s declaration, without compromising on the ambitious agenda we are delivering for disabled people. As such, we have paused a limited number of policies referred to in the Strategy or directly connected with it, including the planned findings report and next steps publication for the Disability Workforce Reporting consultation and work directly related to the Disability Confident review.
We are committed to disability policy that supports all areas of life, and to taking action to create a society that works for everyone.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to share UK expertise in green technology with partners in (1) the Middle East, and (2) North Africa region, following the water-for-energy deal agreed by Israel and Jordan, and brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Middle East and North Africa region, particularly as one of the most water stressed regions in the world, will be profoundly affected by climate change. Regional co-operation to address shared challenges, such as the water for energy deal, is necessary. The UK is committed to supporting the region transition to low carbon economies and to adapt to future climate change. Through Build Back Better, HMG will be exploring ways to supplement existing efforts which include work on green finance instruments across North Africa using the expertise of the Bank of England and the recent £50m contribution to the High Impact Partnership for Climate Action trust fund delivered by London headquartered European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of France regarding steps to counter levels of antisemitism in the UK and France.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK and France stand together in opposing antisemitism. The UK works with France and other partners in the UN, OSCE, G7 and Council of Europe to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all.