Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled Observation of the early parliamentary elections in Montenegro, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 9 October 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK welcomes the Council of Europe (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly's 9 October debate on the observation of the early parliamentary elections in Montenegro. The UK understands the importance of election monitoring. We supported a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) to provide early projections of election results, as part of a package of CSSF-funded projects to strengthen election integrity against destabilising influences. We now look forward to government formation and furthering our support for Montenegro to conduct free and fair democratic processes and to strengthen electoral practices in line with Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and CoE recommendations.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by France, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 10 October 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We greatly value the work of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and welcome this debate, following the monitoring committee's report. The UK welcomes the French initiative to assess and reform the legal and judicial systems within France. The UK and France will continue to work closely together at the Council of Europe.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled The challenge of far-right ideology to democracy and human rights in Europe, which was held at Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 10 October 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK welcomed the debate on far-right ideology and human rights within Europe. We put open societies and the protection of human rights around the world at the heart of what we do. Ideologies aiming to undermine human rights, democracy and rule of law are in direct opposition of our core values.
The UK takes the challenge of far-right ideology seriously. Our counter terrorism strategy CONTEST is threat agnostic, and applicable and effective in tackling Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism. We continue to work with our partners to defend democracy and freedom globally and hold those who violate human rights to account.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate on Escalation of violence in the Middle-East following the recent Hamas attack on Israel, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 11 October 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We echo the sentiments of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in wishing strength to all those who have become victims of the enormous tragedy in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We express our steadfast and united support to Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. Hamas does not speak for or act in the interests of the Palestinian people. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and its military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times. The Prime Minister has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 12 October. He reiterated the need to ensure the protection of innocent civilians and underlined the importance of safe humanitarian access to Gaza.
The UK Government has authorised the sending of a significant support package to the region, UK military assets will support regional stability and prevent escalation. On the 16 October, the Prime Minister announced a further £10 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), in response to the escalating conflict. We will continue to work with our regional partners so that essential aid can reach civilian populations in Gaza including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his Department's policies of the United States imposing sanctions on the Lebanese organisation Green Without Borders.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long condemned the destabilising activities of Hizballah and its affiliates, including Green Without Borders, in the region. Hizballah's activities, particularly along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, pose a grave threat to civilians living in the vicinity, as well as UN peacekeepers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). At this time of heightened tension in the region, there is an urgent need for calm along the Blue Line. We do not speculate about future UK sanctions designations.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment for the implications of her policies of Tel Aviv’s recent rating as the second-best cleantech ecosystem; and if her Department will hold discussions with Israeli businesses on the steps being taken to develop cleaner and safer technologies.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Business and Trade works closely with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, who recognise the importance of the CleanTech sector in Israel and its success and innovation in developing new technologies, along with the value that this can bring to the UK economy.
The Embassy both prioritises this sector and assists Israeli companies who wish to invest and expand into the UK. It also supports UK corporates who are looking for solutions that Israeli start-ups can provide in this sector.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on Israeli research grants for carbon capture projects; and whether his Department is providing grants for businesses engaging with carbon capture projects in the UK on a similar basis to those in Israel.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK Government is committed to convene and lead international engagement on CCUS through engaging in multilateral fora and fostering bilateral relationships to collaborate and share lessons on CCUS.
Domestically, In March 2023 we announced up to £20 billion funding for early deployment of CCUS across all sectors. This includes the £1 billion Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Infrastructure Fund, supporting the ambition for CCUS in four industrial clusters by 2030 at the latest.
This follows previous UK Government investment into CCUS between 2004 and 2021 the UK Government has invested over £346 million into CCUS Research, Development and Deployment (RD&D). This funding has ensured the UK remains at the forefront of CCUS Research and Innovation, developing the skills, knowledge, and technology to allow the UK to deploy CCUS domestically and export our expertise around the world.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on UK reform of its human rights legislation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 21 June 2023.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has noted the debate and resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly on legislation currently before this Parliament. The Government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. We will always make sure that our laws work in the best interests of the UK.
Having carefully considered the Government’s legislative programme in the round, we have decided not to proceed with the Bill of Rights Bill. The Government remains committed to a human rights framework that is up to date and fit for purpose and works for the British people.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 implications for his policies of the debate on Recent political developments in Poland at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 20 June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We recognise the worries that many countries, including Poland, have over the malign influence or interference of Russia in their domestic agenda. HMG expressed concerns in June 2023 that Poland's proposed State Commission on Russian Influence could undermine trust in the electoral process, which would not be in anyone's interests. President Duda has proposed amendments to the law, which the Polish parliament is considering. This is an important step. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has urgently requested an opinion on the State Commission law. We now await the opinion of the Venice Commission. As a good friend of Poland, the UK government will continue to follow this issue closely.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate on the Integration of migrants and refugees at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 21 June 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those that need it. Since 2015, over half a million people have been offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees.
This Government is committed to ensuring that refugees arriving through safe and legal routes can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.
All refugees and those granted protection in the UK have immediate access to the labour market and to mainstream benefits and services that support their integration. We are already working successfully with local authorities, strategic migration partners and community sponsors to implement measures that assist integration and enable self-sufficiency. The Home Office provides local authorities with funding to cover resettlement and integration costs for those who arrive through the UK Resettlement Scheme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme or the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
We are further delivering on our commitment to strengthen support for refugees through our Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund (RTOF) and Refugee Employability Programme (REP) helping them to move into work, learn English, access housing and build links in their local communities.
We monitor and evaluate our programmes of support, to better understand refugee needs and integration outcomes.