Lord McInnes of Kilwinning

We take the issue of dangerous dogs and fatal dog attacks seriously and are making sure enforcement measures are fully utilised for all breeds of dog.

These measures range from Community Protection Notices that can be served for low level anti-social behaviour to offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act – where serious offences can see people put in prison for up to 14 years, disqualified from ownership or their dog euthanised if they allow it to become dangerously out of control.

We are working in partnership with the police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations to ensure that the full range of existing dog control powers are effectively applied, encourage responsible dog ownership and reduce the risk of dog attacks. We currently have no plans to add additional breed types to the banned breed list. It is already an offence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place. Additionally, section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 also allows a complaint to be made to a Magistrates’ court where a dog is “dangerous and not kept under proper control”. The court may then make any Order it considers appropriate to require the owner to keep the dog under proper control or, if necessary, that it be destroyed.

Defra does not collect this data. Hospital Episode Statistics published by NHS Digital include numbers of finished consultant episodes for hospital admissions in England that were caused by a dog bite or strike. Information on the breed type involved in dog control incidents may also be held by individual local authorities and police forces.

The UK is concerned over the kidnapping of Israeli-Russian dual national Elizabeth Tsurkov. The Government of Iraq opened an investigation into her kidnapping last year and we await the findings. Those suspected of criminal responsibility for her kidnapping should be brought to justice in fair trials. However, as Elizabeth Tsurkov is not a British citizen, we are not in a position to offer direct consular assistance.

Thorough due diligence assessment of all funding is carried out and the FCDO ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries.

Thorough due diligence assessment of all funding is carried out and the FCDO ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries.

The preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

The UK is concerned over the kidnapping of Israeli-Russian dual national Elizabeth Tsurkov. The Government of Iraq opened an investigation into her kidnapping last year, and we await the findings. Those suspected of criminal responsibility should be brought to justice in fair trials. His Majesty's Government has not had any discussion with the Government of Iraq regarding the kidnapping.

As of 31 December 2022, the UK had granted settled status to over 7,600 individuals under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). Since then, we have welcomed the first individuals under Pathway 3. Further information on the number of individuals relocated and resettled under each Pathway of the ACRS is detailed in the quarterly Immigration Statistics. The latest release is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets

Under stage one of Pathway 3, places are being offered to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni in Afghanistan or the region, and their eligible family members.

FCDO have informed over 250 individuals from these cohorts that they are eligible in principle for resettlement under Pathway 3, subject to passing security checks. Including their family members, this accounts for over 1,200 of the 1,500 available places under this stage of Pathway 3. FCDO have communicated an outcome on over 11,200 (98%) of the over 11,400 EOIs received. We look forward to welcoming all remaining individuals as soon as practicable.

We recognise there are many vulnerable individuals who remain in Afghanistan and the region. Unfortunately, the capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited and difficult decisions have to be made on who will be prioritised for resettlement.

All asylum and human rights claims from LGBT persons from Russia are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw.

The Home Office publishes Country Policy and Information Notes, which provide country of origin information, and analysis of this information, for use by Home Office decision makers assessing protection and human rights claims. Each Note provides information concerning the situation for a particular group of people in a particular country. They are published on the GOV.UK website. They are kept under constant review and updated periodically.

Decision makers also have access to the latest available country information through an information request service for specific enquiries to deal with particular issues raised in individual claims

The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Migration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics. The next statistics, which contain resettlement arrivals by nationality for the year ending December 2019, is planned for publication on 27 February. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlements by host country.

The Home Office undertakes remote video interviews with refugees referred for resettlement under the Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Schemes. These interviews are principally designed to gain a deeper understanding of any UK family links and gather information to assist with the process of matching refugees to suitable offers of accommodation, and do not form part of the case consideration process. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlement case acceptance or rejection by host country.

The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Migration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics. The next statistics, which contain resettlement arrivals by nationality for the year ending December 2019, is planned for publication on 27 February. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlements by host country.

The Home Office undertakes remote video interviews with refugees referred for resettlement under the Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Schemes. These interviews are principally designed to gain a deeper understanding of any UK family links and gather information to assist with the process of matching refugees to suitable offers of accommodation, and do not form part of the case consideration process. We do not publish a breakdown of resettlement case acceptance or rejection by host country.