Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) made representations on the non-recognition of the BNO passport by (a) China and (b) Hong Kong during her recent visit to Hong Kong.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I visited Hong Kong in November for a two-day programme of engagements. I met with stakeholders across the Hong Kong Government, the business community and public to discuss areas of co-operation and challenge on areas of contention.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to support people from Hong Kong with British National (Overseas) visas to apply for British citizenship to help ensure they are able to access pensions managed by (a) HSBC and (b) other UK-based pension providers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 5.141 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, when the Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund will open to new applicants.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are aiming to open the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund to new applications before the summer 2024. Further detail and guidance will be made available shortly on the delivery organisation’s website (Action with Communities in Rural England).
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of religious freedom in Mozambique; and if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in that country on religious freedom.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Article 54 of the Constitution of Mozambique provides for the right to practice religion freely and prohibits discrimination based on religion. This is generally upheld in practice but there have been some reports of Mozambican authorities not upholding the constitution. In May 2023, President Nyusi of Mozambique and I discussed UK support for the Government of Mozambique's response to IS-affiliated attacks carried out on civilians in Northern Mozambique. The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) around the world. We work multilaterally and bilaterally to promote FoRB, and it remains an important priority for our work in Africa.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure Nnamdi Kanu is not subject to capital punishment.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Court proceedings are ongoing in Nigeria regarding Mr Kanu's continued detention, and we are following these closely. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to provide Mr Kanu with consular support. The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle in every country, including Nigeria. In individual consular cases we raise our oppositions to the death penalty at whichever stages we judge will be the most effective.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the legality of the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Court proceedings are ongoing in Nigeria regarding Mr Kanu's continued detention, and we are following these closely. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to provide Mr Kanu with consular support. The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle in every country, including Nigeria. In individual consular cases we raise our oppositions to the death penalty at whichever stages we judge will be the most effective.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to use Alexandra Business Park in St Helens to house asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
We are unable to disclose publicly the specific location of any of our asylum accommodation in order to maintain the privacy and security of those accommodated and of staff who support destitute asylum seekers.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many offences under section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 have been recorded.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No offences under section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 have been recorded.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness of section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not issued guidance or advice on the potential impact of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 on clinical practice. On 15 July 2022, NHS Blood and Transplant wrote to NHS Trust Chief Executives, Medical Directors, Advisory Group Chairs, Clinicians and Recipient and Living Donor Co-ordinators to inform them of the commencement of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022.
We continue to engage with colleagues across the public sector, including from NHS Blood and Transplant, the Human Tissue Authority, UK Visas and Immigration, National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service, to raise awareness of the change in the law and build the United Kingdom’s capacity to identify, investigate and prosecute transplant tourism.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued (a) guidance and (b) other advice to (i) medical professionals, (ii) health and care partnerships and (iii) other health-related bodies on the potential impact of section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 on clinical practice.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not issued guidance or advice on the potential impact of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 on clinical practice. On 15 July 2022, NHS Blood and Transplant wrote to NHS Trust Chief Executives, Medical Directors, Advisory Group Chairs, Clinicians and Recipient and Living Donor Co-ordinators to inform them of the commencement of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022.
We continue to engage with colleagues across the public sector, including from NHS Blood and Transplant, the Human Tissue Authority, UK Visas and Immigration, National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service, to raise awareness of the change in the law and build the United Kingdom’s capacity to identify, investigate and prosecute transplant tourism.