Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on whether transport carriers can accept (a) an expired British passport and (b) other evidence of British citizenship as proof of exemption from the electronic travel authorisation requirement.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We recommend that all dual nationals travel on a valid British or Irish citizen passport (or Irish passport card) or with a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode to minimise any potential delay during their journey; or at the border.
Carriers bringing passengers to the UK routinely carry out checks to ensure passengers hold genuine, valid documents, so, it is likely that passengers seeking to rely on an expired passport to establish a permission to travel may be delayed or even denied travel.
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA to enter the UK and should not apply for one.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether dual citizens with British or Irish nationality are required to apply for electronic travel authorisation to travel to the UK in instances where their British or Irish passport has expired.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We recommend that all dual nationals travel on a valid British or Irish citizen passport (or Irish passport card) or with a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode to minimise any potential delay during their journey; or at the border.
Carriers bringing passengers to the UK routinely carry out checks to ensure passengers hold genuine, valid documents, so, it is likely that passengers seeking to rely on an expired passport to establish a permission to travel may be delayed or even denied travel.
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA to enter the UK and should not apply for one.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much overseas aid funding his Department disbursed to (a) the Kenyan government and (b) Kenyan civil society organisations in financial year (i) 2022-2023 and (ii) 2023-2024.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2022 and 2023, Kenya featured within the top ten recipient countries for UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2022/23 we spent £45 million of bilateral ODA in Kenya. In 2023/24, this figure increased to £48 million of bilateral ODA. Our assistance is not delivered directly to the Government of Kenya, but is disbursed to trusted partners and focused on refugees, women and girls, and climate-smart economic development.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of dietetic apprenticeships.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan next summer, to ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need, when they need it. This will include how we ensure that we train, through all training routes, and provide the staff the NHS needs, including allied health professionals such as dieticians, to care for patients across our communities.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to increase resources for enforcement agencies to (a) investigate and (b) prosecute complex sanctions evasion schemes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A range of Departments have responsibility for the enforcement of UK sanctions, including the Home Office, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Transport and HM Treasury. Resourcing is decided by those Departments and their agencies in conjunction with HM Treasury. I launched a cross-Government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October. The review is examining whether we have the right powers, approach, capacity and resourcing on policy, implementation and enforcement, with an urgent focus on strengthening the latter. It is being led by the FCDO in collaboration with key sanctions Departments.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, If he will delay announcing subsidy decisions on Drax until after he has received Ofgem’s report on the compliance of Drax with sustainability rules during the last financial year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with our criteria.
The results of Ofgem’s investigation into Drax’s compliance with biomass sustainability criteria was published in August 2024 and can be found here, https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-decision-investigation-drax-power-limited) . Ofgem found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. Drax’s misreporting is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system. No decision has been taken as to whether transitional support arrangements will be introduced for relevant biomass generators when their current subsidies end.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to bring forward secondary legislation to regulate large-scale commercial prize draws.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. Independent research was commissioned in 2023, looking at possible gambling harm and assessing the impact of potential regulation, and will inform our policy considerations. The department is grateful for the voluntary action taken so far by the sector to act transparently and apply player protection measures. We want to ensure high standards in this area and the Minister for Gambling will be meeting the sector to discuss this work.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published on 27 April 2023, when she plans to introduce consumer protections for players of large-scale commercial prize draws.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. Independent research was commissioned in 2023, looking at possible gambling harm and assessing the impact of potential regulation, and will inform our policy considerations. The department is grateful for the voluntary action taken so far by the sector to act transparently and apply player protection measures. We want to ensure high standards in this area and the Minister for Gambling will be meeting the sector to discuss this work.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to limit the value of prizes offered by large-scale commercial Prize Draws.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. Independent research was commissioned in 2023, looking at possible gambling harm and assessing the impact of potential regulation, and will inform our policy considerations. The department is grateful for the voluntary action taken so far by the sector to act transparently and apply player protection measures. We want to ensure high standards in this area and the Minister for Gambling will be meeting the sector to discuss this work.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish the research that her Department has commissioned London Economics to undertake on the online prize draws and competitions market.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department is still considering the findings of the independent research, which looked at the size and nature of the prize draw market, as well as possible gambling harm associated with these products. This research is informing our policy considerations, as whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. We will update Parliament further in due course.