Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policies of the decision by FIFA to ban the One Love rainbow armband at the World Cup.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and senior officials have raised the concerns of LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities at all levels, and will continue to engage on this issue during the World Cup. Qatar has repeatedly committed that "everybody is welcome" to the tournament. We will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights, and identify what action the Qatari authorities are taking to match their commitment.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching an urgent inquiry into the death of animals in establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as a result of failure to provide adequate food or water, as set out in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual reports for 2019-2021.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government continues to be committed to assuring that animals used in science are protected by the legal framework.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework which identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies to minimise the risk of recurrence.
All cases of non-compliance during 2019 to 2021 have been thoroughly investigated and the outcomes have been published in ASRU’s annual report.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the level of support provided by the energy bill relief scheme will be kept under review by his Department during the initial six month period of that scheme; and whether the Government plans to continue support (a) beyond the initial six month period and (b) until energy price volatility has decreased.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government announced its intention to introduce an Energy Bill Relief Scheme, for six months, from 1 October 2022. Alongside that announcement, the Government committed to carrying out a review of the operation of the scheme in order to inform decisions on future support after March 2023.
The review will focus on identifying the non-domestic customers most at risk and how the Government will continue assisting them with energy costs from April 2023.
The Government will publish finding of the review by January 2023.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) district councils and (b) other local authorities will be eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
District councils and other local authorities on eligible contracts will be covered by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure all businesses and other non-domestic energy users are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with LGBT activists and organisations from the (a) Cayman Islands and (b) Bermuda where the right to marriage for same-sex couples is refused by their respective Governments; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The inhabited British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. The relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership. Policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility.
The majority of Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships, either through marriage or through civil partnerships as is the case in Bermuda. In 2020 the Governor of the Cayman Islands enacted civil partnership legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships in order to comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The UK Government continues to engage with and encourage remaining Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so.
The UK Government remains open to further engagement with LGBT+ activists and organisations across the Overseas Territories to support increased recognition and protections for same-sex relationships in the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to extend the IFRS9 statutory override for pooled investments beyond 31 March 2023 in the context of volatility in asset prices; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing further additional financial support as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2023/24 and 2024/25 to reflect additional costs in the context of inflationary pressures, including in external audit fees.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
With reference to financial years 2023/2024 and 2024/25, the Government is currently considering elements of the future financial settlement and will make announcements in due course.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with her counterparts and legislators in (a) Malta, (b) France, (c) Canada, (d) New Zealand, (e) Greece and the relevant regional or state governments of the (i) US, (ii) Spain and (iii) Australia on their legislation on banning conversion practices and their protection of transgender people.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has engaged with a wide range of international counterparts including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Malta, to understand the approaches they have taken to ban conversion therapy. We will continue to engage with counterparts around the world that are committed to protecting everyone from conversion practices to share insight and develop our approach.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendations made by the Ending Conversion Practices Expert Advisory Group in Scotland on 4 October 2022; and what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on banning sexual orientation and transgender conversion practices.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what work has been undertaken by her Department on transgender conversion practices since the Government set out its plans on this topic in its background briefing to the Queen’s Speech in May 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Since May 2022, the Government has launched a support service open to all victims or those at risk of conversion practices regardless of their background or circumstances. The Government has committed up to £360,000 over three years to this service. The service includes a helpline, instant messaging service, and website to enable people to get the support they need.
More widely, the Government remains committed to protecting everyone from these practices. We are carefully considering the responses to the public consultation which closed earlier this year and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has consulted (a) NHS England, (b) NHS Wales, (c) the Royal College of GPs, (d) the Royal College of Psychiatrists, (e) the British Psychological Society and (f) the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy as part of its work to explore the issue of transgender conversion practices further.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.