Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for (a) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on taking steps to protect and support (i) people from Hong Kong and (ii) Uighur Muslims from surveillance and oppression within the UK.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government regularly assesses potential threats to the UK, and takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and DLUHC as well as other government departments to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for people who choose to settle here.
As I stated to the House on 1 November, I have asked officials to step up the work to ensure that our approach to transnational repression is robust, and I have asked our Department to review our approach to transnational repression as a matter of urgency. This will include how we work with other Departments including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that communities feel safe and supported. I will provide an update on that work to the House in due course.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect (a) freedom of expression and (b) the right to protest outside foreign embassies in the UK.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights set out that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This government will always fully support these rights, including the right of individuals to engage in peaceful protest.
It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.
The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police. In certain circumstances, the police have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect those who want to exercise their rights peacefully.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received guidance from (a) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on how local authorities should respond to protests outside foreign embassies and consulates.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights set out that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This government will always fully support these rights, including the right of individuals to engage in peaceful protest.
It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.
The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police. In certain circumstances, the police have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect those who want to exercise their rights peacefully.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide guidance to (a) local authorities and (b) police forces on protests outside foreign embassies and consulates.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights set out that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This government will always fully support these rights, including the right of individuals to engage in peaceful protest.
It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.
The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police. In certain circumstances, the police have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect those who want to exercise their rights peacefully.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the outcome was of the equalities impact assessment on disabled people in awarding the contract for Fire Safety Order Guidance to CS Todd.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The contract to draft a suite of fire safety guidance was awarded to CS Todd Associates in accordance with the relevant public procurement regulations and following a fully transparent commercial procurement process.
We are ensuring that the development of fire safety policy remains in compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow parents to be listed as the gender neutral category parent or birth-parent on their children's birth certificates.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Civil registration in the UK is a devolved matter and there are separate systems in place for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In England and Wales, a birth entry records the name of the child’s mother and, where certain conditions can be met as set out in law, either the name of the father or a second female parent.
There are currently no plans in England and Wales to change how parents are recorded in birth entries or on birth certificates.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to broaden the Afghan Resettlement Programme to allow more refugees from conflict zones to reach sanctuary in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability, around half of whom were children.
In responding to the crisis in Afghanistan, the Government launched both the Afghan Relocations & Assistance Policy (ARAP), through which Afghans employed by the UK locally in Afghanistan can relocate here, and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will resettle up to 20,000 people at-risk.
The UK also continues to welcome vulnerable people through the global UK Resettlement Scheme, Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Community Sponsorship Scheme.