Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the BBC on maintaining a sustainable production department in Scotland.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The public service remit for television requires that public service broadcasters like the BBC make an appropriate range and amount of their programmes across the UK. This includes specific obligations to production in Scotland, where the BBC is required to make 8% of its network spend and network programme hours. The independent regulator Ofcom holds the BBC to account in meeting these obligations.
The Government is committed to working with the sector to ensure the right framework, conditions and support are in place for all broadcasters - including the BBC - to be more ambitious in growing our world-leading TV sector outside of London and the South East, and to commission content in every part of the country. Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have regular discussions with the BBC, and during the upcoming Charter Review will consider the work of the BBC across the whole UK, including in Scotland.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the salary threshold for the visa sponsorship programme.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary confirmed on 30 July that the Government will be retaining the increase to the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa route brought in by the previous government. The general salary thresholds are updated on an annual basis to keep track with the latest available salary data and pay scales to account for overall wage increases.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the role of that country’s Islamic Council in the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains deeply concerned by the discrimination faced by marginalised religious communities around the world. In Pakistan, we work to promote the rights of religious minorities through diplomatic engagement and programme funding. I raised the issue of religious tolerance when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister when I visited this year. The UK also stands firm on human rights in China, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. We raise our concerns with China at the highest levels - the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised human rights recently with their Chinese counterparts.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will remove Asma Assad's UK citizenship.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases.
But in the wider issue raised, the Home Office acted swiftly to temporarily pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation.
We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.
While all asylum claims are routinely considered on their individual merits, it is standard procedure to deny protection to anyone who has committed crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, other serious crimes abroad or acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent incursions by the Coastguard of the People's Republic of China into the restricted waters of the Kinmen islands.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, including increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the statement by the Chinese Embassy to the UK entitled Embassy Spokesperson on a Taiwan-related motion concocted by a handful of British MPs, published on 29 November 2024, what the Government's policy is on whether Taiwan is a province of China.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan, as set out in the 1972 Communiqué, has not changed and remains the position of this government.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the Falun Gong community in China.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
This Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised human rights recently with their counterparts, President Xi and Foreign Minister Wang, respectively.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will issue guidance to (a) HSBC and (b) Standard Chartered on the validity of British National (Overseas) passports for Hong Kongers to use to secure early withdrawals of their Mandatory Provident Fund savings after permanently leaving Hong Kong.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq
This government is deeply committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK. We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British National (Overseas) route are having difficulties accessing their Mandatory Provident Fund from Hong Kong.
Whilst documentary requirements for withdrawing funds are a matter for the Hong Kong authorities, officials have raised this issue directly with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong MPF Schemes Authority. We have urged them to facilitate early draw down of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently and have made clear such discrimination of BN(O)s is unacceptable.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with international counterparts on the use of force against pro-democracy protesters in Georgia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In his 9 December statement the Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the excessive use of force against protesters and journalists in Georgia. He also outlined the suspension of programme support to the Georgian government as a result of the crackdown. In my 3 December statement, I made clear our support for the Georgian people's European future, and I condemned the excessive force used against protesters and journalists. Protesters in Georgia are making clear their opposition to Georgian Dream's decision to stall the country's progress towards EU membership, directly undermining the Georgian Constitution. We are in regular contact with international partners regarding the situation. I continue to call on the Georgian authorities to listen, de-escalate, and reverse this harmful trajectory away from European values.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support a female appointment as General Secretary of the United Nations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports a merit-based appointment for UN Secretary-General, based on principles of transparency and inclusiveness. The Government would like to see women's representation strengthen across the multilateral system, and we welcome the Secretary-General's ambition for gender parity. We encourage member states to nominate women for the top jobs. The UK is proud to continue to support the objectives of the UN's Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP), including programme funding totalling £50,000 in the current financial year.