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Written Question
Gaza and Israel: International Law
Friday 24th May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the joint statement by international NGOs on humanitarian law in Gaza published by Amnesty International on 15 May 2024.

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

We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected.

We have one of the most robust arms export systems in the world, enshrined in law through the Export Control Act, and implemented through our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Foreign Secretary has reviewed the most recent advice about the situation in Gaza and Israel, and his latest assessment leaves our position on export licences unchanged. We will keep the position under review.

Hamas, along with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), are already sanctioned by the UK in their entirety and are subject to an asset freeze and arms embargo. The UK, working closely with the US and other allies, has imposed several new rounds of coordinated sanctions against Hamas since 7 October, to disrupt the terrorist group's financial networks and cut off their access to funding.


Written Question
Deportation: Rwanda
Tuesday 21st May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people who have been served with notices of intent for removal to Rwanda are (a) women and (b) unaccompanied children.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson

The Home Office does not routinely publish data on the gender or age of those issued with a notice of intent.

The UK-Rwanda Treaty makes clear at Article 3 that the agreement reached between the governments of Rwanda and the UK does not cover unaccompanied children and that the UK Government shall not seek to relocate unaccompanied children under the age of 18.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Tuesday 21st May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children are recorded as missing from asylum hotels as of 16 May 2024.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson

There are no unaccompanied asylum-seeking children housed in hotels.


Written Question
Liver Diseases: Screening
Thursday 9th May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the development of intelligent liver function tests by the University of Dundee; and if she will make it her policy to increase the rollout of these tests in areas with the highest levels of liver disease in England.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Government is working with the National Health Service to support earlier diagnosis of liver disease, and to identify patients at risk. This includes plans agreed as part of the £2.3 billion diagnostics transformation programme, to upgrade the digital capabilities of laboratories across the country and ensure that they have the capability required to offer Intelligent Liver Function Tests (iLFTs).

NHS England is reviewing the liver fibrosis pathways, and looking at developing a diagnosis pathway starting in primary care that will make use of both laboratory-based tests, such as iLFTs, and community diagnostic centres. The Government will make a further assessment of this work once it is complete, including the benefits of an increased rollout of iLFTs across England.


Written Question
Biometric Residence Permits
Thursday 9th May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many biometric residence permits were delayed due to technical issues in each of the last three years, broken down by month.

Answered by Tom Pursglove

At the point that a decision is made to grant permission to remain, a BRP is automatically requested by the case working system and data is sent to the DVLA for the BRP to be produced. Any automatic requests that become "stuck" when sent to the DVLA are targeted and proactive reporting is being developed to identify such cases earlier.

During 2024, DVLA produced 100% of BRPs within 24 hours of this automatic request process.

During 2023, DVLA produced 99.6% of BRPs within 24 hours of this automatic request process and 100% within 48 hours.

During 2022, DVLA produced 97.2% of BRPs within 24 hours of this automatic request process and 100% within 48 hours.

During 2021, DVLA produced 75.1% of BRPs within 24 hours of this automatic request process and 100% within 48 hours.


Written Question
British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Companies
Thursday 2nd May 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had on progress on the introduction of public registers of beneficial ownership in the (a) Crown Dependencies and (b) Overseas Territories.

Answered by David Rutley

On 14 March 2024, the FCDO co-hosted, with the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government, the inaugural UK-OT Joint Ministerial Dialogue on Illicit Finance. We discussed, among other areas, beneficial ownership transparency. I [Minister Rutley] re-stated the UK's expectation that access for those with a legitimate interest, including media and civil society, will be established by the end of 2024 as an interim step to full public accessibility. Overseas Territory Governments re-affirmed the commitments outlined in the Statement that I laid in December (HCWS150). The Home Office continue to lead engagement with the Crown Dependencies.


Written Question
Immigration
Monday 29th April 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to publish guidance on the operation of section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson

Guidance on the operation of section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 will be published in due course.


Written Question
Refugees: Afghanistan
Monday 29th April 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to publish draft guidance on the family reunion route for Afghan nationals under pathway one of the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.

Answered by Tom Pursglove

We committed to opening the route for separated families under Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) for referrals in the first half of this year and we remain on track to meet that deadline. Guidance will be published when the route is opened.


Written Question
Immigration
Monday 29th April 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what entitlements and restrictions will be attached to leave granted under section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 prior to the commencement of section 2(1) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

Answered by Tom Pursglove

The length and conditions associated with leave granted under section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 prior to commencement of section 2(1) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 will be set out in full by Ministers in due course.


Written Question
Asylum: Rwanda
Thursday 25th April 2024

Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press statement by the Prime Minister of 22 April 2024, with which airline commercial charter planes for specific slots to remove people to Rwanda have been booked.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson

The Department engages with commercial partners where required to deliver on its responsibilities. The details of any such discussions are both operationally and commercially sensitive.