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Written Question
Somalia: Politics and Government
Tuesday 10th September 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of the SSC-Khaatumo region in supporting stability, development and growth in Somalia.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has not made a specific assessment of the role of the SSC-Khatumo area in supporting stability, development and growth in Somalia. We engage closely with all parties in Somalia and are a core security and development partner to the country.


Written Question
Somalia: Foreign Relations
Monday 9th September 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to meet President Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali of the SSC-Khaatumo region in Somalia.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has no current engagement plans with Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali. The UK Ambassador to Somalia engages regularly with a wide range of contacts in Somalia, including those from the SSC-Khatumo area.


Written Question
Prisoners
Monday 9th September 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are being held under Imprisonment for the Public Protection sentences in HMP (a) Buckley Hall, (b) Forest Bank, (c) Hindley and (d) Manchester.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) in HMP Buckley, HMP Hindley, HMP Forest Bank and HMP Manchester, as at 30 June 2024, are set out in the table below.

Prison

Number of IPP Prisoners

Buckley Hall

49

Forest Bank

27

Hindley

18

Manchester

24

Please note:

(1) Figures for the IPP population include both unreleased and recalled IPP prisoners.

(2) The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

This Government believes it is right that these sentences were abolished and is determined to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that impacts public protection.


Written Question
Mortgages: Islam
Thursday 5th September 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing the tax regulations for Sharia-compliant mortgages in line with conventional mortgages.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to the continued strength of the UK Islamic Finance sector, both as an important part of the UK’s overall financial ecosystem and as an instrument of financial inclusion.

The alternative finance tax rules aim to provide a level playing field for tax purposes across alternative and conventional financing arrangements.

On 16 January 2024, HM Treasury published a consultation proposing changes to the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that apply to alternative finance arrangements. The proposed changes seek to amend those rules so that where property is used as collateral for the purposes of raising finance, the CGT outcome is the same whether alternative finance or conventional finance is used. The consultation also asked whether there are any implications for capital allowances. The consultation closed on 9 April 2024 and the Government is considering responses. Next steps will be set out in due course.


Written Question
Taxation
Thursday 5th September 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Tax Simplification for Alternative Finance, which closed 9 April 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to the continued strength of the UK Islamic Finance sector, both as an important part of the UK’s overall financial ecosystem and as an instrument of financial inclusion.

The alternative finance tax rules aim to provide a level playing field for tax purposes across alternative and conventional financing arrangements.

On 16 January 2024, HM Treasury published a consultation proposing changes to the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that apply to alternative finance arrangements. The proposed changes seek to amend those rules so that where property is used as collateral for the purposes of raising finance, the CGT outcome is the same whether alternative finance or conventional finance is used. The consultation also asked whether there are any implications for capital allowances. The consultation closed on 9 April 2024 and the Government is considering responses. Next steps will be set out in due course.


Written Question
Gaza: Humanitarian Aid
Friday 24th May 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much aid he has given to organisations providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza since October 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We committed over £100 million in 2023-24. This funding was mainly allocated and delivered through partners; for example: £8.25 million to the World Food Programme, £13.75 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Pooled Fund, £7.75 million to the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, £12.22 million to UNICEF, £2.75 million to Emergency Health Response, £1.35 million to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, £1.5 million to WHO.


Written Question
Railways: Access
Thursday 23rd May 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 13050 on Railways: Access, what recent progress his Department has made on assessing applications for Access for All funding.

Answered by Huw Merriman

As part of our recent Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of our train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding. At stations awarded funding this will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Extra Costs Taskforce
Tuesday 21st May 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 72 of the National Disability Strategy, published in July 2021, what progress his Department has made on establishing the Extra Costs Taskforce.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

We are pleased that we can restart the work around the Extra Costs Taskforce. The Taskforce will be focused on bringing together disabled people, regulators and businesses, to better understand the extra costs faced by disabled people, including how this breaks down for different impairments.

The Disability Unit is currently working up a project plan and engaging with other government departments to take this commitment forward. The Disability Unit has begun to engage with interested stakeholders, including the Disability Charities Consortium, to develop an understanding around the definition of extra costs and what the terms of reference and focus areas of the Taskforce could be.

The Disability Unit will also be using insight from the Disability Action Plan consultation findings regarding the impact of the cost of living on disabled people when taking forward work on the Extra Costs Taskforce.


Written Question
Air Pollution: Grants
Friday 17th May 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the recipients of the £6 million air quality grant will be announced for the 2023-24 period.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I had concerns that the Local Air Quality Scheme would not deliver the most positive outcomes for local air quality at this particular time and so I have asked Defra officials to consider redesigning the Scheme in the future, to be able to better deliver those positive outcomes and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.


Written Question
Air Pollution: Grants
Friday 17th May 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to increase the air quality grant for 2024.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I had concerns that the Local Air Quality Scheme would not deliver the most positive outcomes for local air quality at this particular time and so I have asked Defra officials to consider redesigning the Scheme in the future, to be able to better deliver those positive outcomes and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.