Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan people under which schemes his Department plans to transfer from Pakistan in the next 12 weeks.
Answered by James Heappey
Many factors govern the flow of relocation, but we are grateful to the Government of Pakistan for their support on this important matter and we are endeavouring to bring as many eligible Afghans as possible to the UK, as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to expedite applications for resettlement to the UK by Afghan nationals in Pakistan who are at risk of being removed to Afghanistan.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We will continue to honour our commitment to bring eligible Afghans to the UK and plans are underway to relocate families as soon as possible.
Afghans in third countries including in Pakistan who are eligible for resettlement to the UK continue to be supported by the UK Government, and flights from Pakistan to the UK continue to take place. However, we are unable to provide further operational details on this.
The UK Government is aware of recent announcements made by the Government of Pakistan regarding Afghans being illegally present in Pakistan. We have engaged intensively with the Government of Pakistan to secure assurances that none of those eligible under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will be subject to deportation while they await relocation to the UK.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a temporary help to repay scheme that provides repayment matching and debt relief for energy arrears that cannot be afforded by consumers.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government understands the challenges that are posed by cost of living pressures that includes energy bills and the impact of debt. However, energy prices have fallen significantly with the price cap more than halving from £4,279 at the start of this year to £1,834 since the start of October.
This coincides with the £900 cost of living payment being provided by the Government across 2023/24, which has increased from the £650 provided the previous year. The Government continues to closely monitor energy prices and will keep support schemes under review.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to provide increased levels of financial support to consumers who have accumulated energy debt.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the challenges posed by cost of living pressures, including the impact of energy bills and debt, and is already providing extensive financial support to households. The Government has spent nearly £40 billion protecting households and businesses from spiralling energy bills over last winter, covering around half a typical household’s energy bill, and this comes in addition to the £900 cost of living payments being delivered across 2023/24. This payment has already increased from the £650 payments provided the previous year.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce a temporary Help to Repay scheme for energy debts in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Through the energy crisis, the Government has provided unprecedented support for consumers, including by paying nearly half of household bills between October 2022 and June 2023, saving households £1,500 on average.
This is in addition to the benefits uprating and Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24, helping more than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, 8 million pensioner households and 6 million people across the UK on eligible disability benefits.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of civil servants on temporary contracts in her Department are women.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Within the Department for Business and Trade there were 190 staff on Fixed Term or Temporary Contracts on 30 September 2023. 88 of the staff on Fixed Term or Temporary Contracts are women which is equal to 46.3%.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of FTE civil servants on pay band SCS2 in her Department are women.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 30 September 2023 the Department for Business and Trade had 62.8 FTE of staff on pay band SCS2. 22.6 FTE on pay band SCS2 are women (36%).
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Gambian President Adama Barrow on democratic governance in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The British High Commission in Banjul regularly raises good governance and democracy with the Government of The Gambia. We welcome President Barrow's commitment to passing a new constitution during his tenure. The UK-funded International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has facilitated peaceful and constructive dialogue between Gambian political, civil society, and religious groups to help progress the constitutional reform process. In association with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, the UK also provides legislative support and judiciary training for parliamentarians to build capacity within the judiciary system.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided (a) financial aid and (b) technical support for the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in The Gambia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is providing support for the implementation of a number of recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in The Gambia. We have funded the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance to facilitate peaceful and constructive dialogue between Gambian political, civil society, and religious groups to help progress the constitutional reform process. In association with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, the UK also provides legislative support and judiciary training for parliamentarians to build capacity within the judiciary system. We are also supporting the Gambian Ministry of Justice to set up a special prosecutors office to ensure victims of Jammeh era crimes have access to justice.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Gambian counterpart on the potential merits of a (a) substantive and (b) timely transitional justice process in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the overthrow of Yahya Jammeh in 2016, The Gambia has made progress on consolidating democracy, under the leadership of President Barrow, who won a second term of office in 2020. The UK welcomes the President's commitment to implementing broad constitutional reform. We and other partners are supporting the Government of The Gambia and civil society to achieve this aim. We are also supporting the Government through the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission to bring to justice those who committed crimes and human rights violations under the Jammeh regime.