Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to introduce legislative proposals to help ensure that parcel delivery companies are providing high levels of customer service.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Postal Service Act 2011 already provides Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the sector, with powers to impose requirements on postal operators to protect customers. Ofcom's current consumer protection condition requires all postal operators to establish simple and inexpensive procedures for dealing with consumers’ complaints about postal services.
Following its review of the regulatory framework for post last year, Ofcom proposed new guidance on complaints handling processes for parcel operators which will take effect from 1 April 2023. Ofcom has committed to ongoing monitoring of the new provisions and to consider enforcement action, or further regulation, if progress is not made.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to require delivery companies to provide proof of delivery notices rather than notices of delivery.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government currently has no plans to change postal services legislation.
Ofcom is the independent regulator for the sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy will be published.
Answered by Paul Scully
The government has been reviewing the UK semiconductor sector and is leading the development of a strategic approach to the sector. The government intends to set out more detail in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy that will be published in due course.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average processing times are for Refugee Family Reunion applications outside the rules.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All applications for refugee family reunion are made on the same visa application form. It is only when an application has been considered that it can be established whether the application falls within the criteria of the Rules or not.
Information regarding processing times is not routinely published and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
We are committed to improving and speeding up processing times for family reunion applications. We are reviewing processes to streamline decision making to enable us to provide a better service to our customers. We always prioritise applications where there is an evidenced urgent or compelling reason to do so.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average processing times are for Refugee Family Reunion applications inside the rules.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All applications for refugee family reunion are made on the same visa application form. It is only when an application has been considered that it can be established whether the application falls within the criteria of the Rules or not.
Information regarding processing times is not routinely published and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
We are committed to improving and speeding up processing times for family reunion applications. We are reviewing processes to streamline decision making to enable us to provide a better service to our customers. We always prioritise applications where there is an evidenced urgent or compelling reason to do so.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the (a) proposed demolition of property in Haldwani and (b) other potential human rights abuses on the progress of trade discussions with her Indian counterpart.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British High Commission in New Delhi continues to monitor the situation in Haldwani, while recognising that this is a matter for India.
We will not pursue trade to the exclusion of human rights. We regard both as an important part of a mature and wide-ranging relationship with our international trading partners. We engage India on a range of human rights matters and, where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Armenia and (b) Azerbaijan on de-escalating of tensions between those nations following recent developments in the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I [Minister Docherty] issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. This is consistent with our long-standing support for international efforts to facilitate a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict. I [Minister Docherty] spoke to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 17 September and met the Azerbaijani Ambassador on 9 November. The Rt. Hon Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 15 December and reinforced the importance of de-escalation and a return to internationally facilitated negotiations. We continue to urge the governments of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to abide by all ceasefire commitments in good faith.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) appropriateness of Russian forces upholding the peace between Armenian and Azerbaijan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
At this time the UK Government has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Russian 'peacekeeping' forces although we are aware of the terms of their deployment, as set out in the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement of 2020. Any deployment of international observers should follow recognised and accepted international norms. We have been clear that there can be no military settlement to this conflict. As such, we welcome the continued efforts of international partners, including the recent deployment of EU and OSCE Monitoring Missions, to support stability and security in the region.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help support the re-opening of the Lachin corridor in Nagorno Karabakh.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor during winter risks severe humanitarian consequences. Officials are in contact with humanitarian agencies, including the ICRC, about their assessment of the impact of the closure and the Government is a significant donor to agencies providing assistance on the ground. I [Minister Docherty] issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. We also called for early resolution of this issue in our interventions in Vienna at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on 15 December and in New York at the UN Security Council on 20 December.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support an independent fact finding mission on the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government's primary objective has been to restore freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor in line with agreed principles and to avoid a situation requiring a humanitarian response. If an independent fact-finding mission was welcomed by all parties and would contribute to an early solution, then the UK would, in principle, support it. We have been clear that there can be no military settlement to this conflict. As such, we welcome the continued efforts of international partners, including the recent deployment of EU and OSCE Monitoring Missions, to support stability and security in the region.