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Written Question
L3Harris: Export Controls
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to his oral contribution of 27 February 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 163, if he will provide a response to the queries raised by the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion in relation to licences for L3Harris.

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

We have a robust arms export licensing regime, and all exports are regularly assessed against clear criteria. We regularly publish data on export licensing decisions.

We regularly review Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law. We act in accordance with that.


Written Question
Absent Voting
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2024 to Question 14837 on Absent Voting, how are postal ballot sweeps are undertaken; and what guidance is provided to Returning Officers.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Royal Mail conducts ‘sweeps’ of all primary (and where requested, secondary) mail centres on the evening of polling day by identifying and pulling out postal vote envelopes, which are specially marked to support this process. All incoming mail collected from post-boxes goes via the delivery offices and should be at the mail centres later that day, before sweeps take place. Any postal vote envelopes pulled out at mail centres are provided directly to the relevant local returning officers. Royal Mail liaises directly with each local elections office regarding the organisation of postal ballot sweeps.

Guidance on working with Royal Mail and other mail delivery partners is provided by the Electoral Commission and is available on their website (https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-returning-officers-administering-local-government-elections-england/planning-election/managing-contractors-and-suppliers/working-mail-delivery-partners).

Sweeps for Police and Crime Commissioner and UK Parliamentary elections are paid for centrally from the Consolidated Fund and are planned for the Police and Crime Commissioner and local elections on 2 May 2024 and for the next UK Parliamentary general election.


Written Question
Absent Voting
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2024 to Question 14837 on Absent Voting, whether postal ballot sweeps will be undertaken at local delivery offices on the evening of (a) 2 May 2024 and (b) General Election polling day.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Royal Mail conducts ‘sweeps’ of all primary (and where requested, secondary) mail centres on the evening of polling day by identifying and pulling out postal vote envelopes, which are specially marked to support this process. All incoming mail collected from post-boxes goes via the delivery offices and should be at the mail centres later that day, before sweeps take place. Any postal vote envelopes pulled out at mail centres are provided directly to the relevant local returning officers. Royal Mail liaises directly with each local elections office regarding the organisation of postal ballot sweeps.

Guidance on working with Royal Mail and other mail delivery partners is provided by the Electoral Commission and is available on their website (https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-returning-officers-administering-local-government-elections-england/planning-election/managing-contractors-and-suppliers/working-mail-delivery-partners).

Sweeps for Police and Crime Commissioner and UK Parliamentary elections are paid for centrally from the Consolidated Fund and are planned for the Police and Crime Commissioner and local elections on 2 May 2024 and for the next UK Parliamentary general election.


Written Question
Palestinians: Refugees
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide safe and legal entry routes for people in Gaza seeking to join family members in the UK.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The UK Government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza closely to ensure that it is able to respond appropriately.

British citizens and those with settled status in the UK, together with their foreign national dependants, may come to the UK provided that they have valid travel documents and existing permission to enter or remain in the UK; or are non-visa nationals. They must also pass appropriate security checks.

The Government allows individuals with protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to stay with, or join, them here through our refugee family reunion policy, provided they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin to seek protection.

There are additional safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK should they wish to join family members here, work, or study. They would need to meet the requirements of the relevant Immigration Rule under which they were applying to qualify for a visa.

The Home Office has not considered establishing a separate resettlement route for Palestinians to come to the UK. Since 2015, over half a million people have been offered safe and legal routes into the UK. Our approach is considered in the round, rather than on a crisis-by-crisis basis.

UK Visas and Immigration is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in supporting family members of British nationals evacuated from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre.


Written Question
Visas: Gaza
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the barriers to people in Gaza who are seeking to join their family members in the UK reaching their closest visa application centre in Egypt.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Immediate family members of British citizens, individuals with protection status, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK and do not have a current UK visa, can apply under one of the existing Family visa routes.

The Home Office is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in supporting family members of British nationals evacuated from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre (VAC). VACs in the region, such as Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, are open and offering a full service.

In the vast majority of circumstances, the UK requires biometrics to be taken as part of an application; this is vital so we can conduct checks on the person’s identity and suitability to come to the UK. Biometrics, in the form of fingerprints and facial images, underpin the current UK immigration system to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control.

Applicants who are at risk of embarking on an unsafe journey must provide evidence they need to make an urgent journey to a VAC that would be particularly unsafe for them, and they cannot delay their journey until later or use alternative routes.

When considering a pre-determination or an excusal of the requirement for an applicant to enrol their biometrics request under the Unsafe Journey’s policy, decision-makers must refer to the Biometric Enrolment and the Unsafe Journey’s guidance.


Written Question
Offshore Industry
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State, Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make it her policy to require UK oil and gas companies to (a) clean up legacy pollution and (b) adhere to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, before divesting of their foreign subsidiaries.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK encourages a coordinated effort between national governments, oil and gas companies, and communities to bring an end to all forms of oil contamination. We continue to work with overseas governments to support initiatives to reduce the negative impact of oil and gas production overseas.

The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and is clear that we expect UK businesses to comply with all applicable laws; identify and prevent human rights risks; and behave in line with the UNGPs.


Written Question
Rugby and Tour de France
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of the £30 million allocated for the UK’s proposed bids for the (a) 2025 Rugby World Cup and (b) 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ has (i) been spent on each event and (ii) is yet to be spent as of 21 February 2024.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS works closely with UK Sport on the hosting of major sporting events. UK Sport often undertakes feasibility work into major sporting events to understand the costs, impacts and technical requirements of hosting.

This supports the UK’s strategic objective to secure a programme of major sporting events into the 2030s that will generate impact across the cities and regions of the UK and allow our world-class events sector to thrive.

In May 2022, England were announced as hosts of the Rugby World Cup 2025. This event has ambitions to be the best attended women’s Rugby World Cup ever. Up to the end of Financial Year 2023/24, around £11 million will have been invested into staging costs for the Rugby World Cup 2025, and the RFU-led Rugby World Cup 2025 Impact programme.

The Tour de France Grand Départ is being considered as part of the UK’s ongoing feasibility work.


Written Question
Shell: Nigeria
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with Shell on (a) tackling oil pollution in the Niger Delta and (b) the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights following that company's divestment from its onshore oil operations in Nigeria.

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

The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and is clear that we expect UK businesses to comply with all applicable laws; identify and prevent human rights risks; and behave in line with the UNGPs. The UK Government regularly discusses with Shell the importance of action to address the risks of pollution from oil production in the Niger Delta. We continue to support initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas production in Nigeria, including encouraging the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project to meet the needs of the communities affected by pollution.


Written Question
Tour de France
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 2.148 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, whether UK Sport is actively pursuing a 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ bid.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS works closely with UK Sport on the hosting of major sporting events. UK Sport often undertakes feasibility work into major sporting events to understand the costs, impacts and technical requirements of hosting.

This supports the UK’s strategic objective to secure a programme of major sporting events into the 2030s that will generate impact across the cities and regions of the UK and allow our world-class events sector to thrive.

In May 2022, England were announced as hosts of the Rugby World Cup 2025. This event has ambitions to be the best attended women’s Rugby World Cup ever. Up to the end of Financial Year 2023/24, around £11 million will have been invested into staging costs for the Rugby World Cup 2025, and the RFU-led Rugby World Cup 2025 Impact programme.

The Tour de France Grand Départ is being considered as part of the UK’s ongoing feasibility work.


Written Question
Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023
Wednesday 28th February 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Leader of the House on the timetable for laying the necessary motion to bring into force the draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government remains committed to introducing a ban on the use of e-collars. We will pursue new regulations to deliver this commitment on a revised timeline. Decisions will take place in the usual manner.