Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 potential merits of sanctioning individual vessels involved in the transportation by sea of Russian oil since 2022.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK has sanctioned over 2000 individuals and entities under the Russia sanctions regime, including those who support Russia's efforts to circumvent UK and G7 oil sanctions. We will build on this action by enhancing our power to sanction individual vessels under the Russia sanctions regime. The enhanced power will allow us to be even more targeted and will increase Russia's costs further, including where Russia uses the shadow fleet to export its oil by sea.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the amount of jet fuel produced from Russian crude oil purchased by (a) Shell and (b) BP since 2022.
Answered by Andrew Bowie
The Department collects and publishes monthly data on the origin of oil cargoes in line with international reporting requirements and the UK’s non-preferential Rules of Origin. National data on imports are published in Energy Trends Table 3.14 and on refinery production in Table 3.12: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oil-and-oil-products-section-3-energy-trends.
Individual company data are commercially sensitive and not published or otherwise made publicly available by the Department.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2024 to Question 17855, whether all renewal processes for Ukrainians already in the UK are meant to be online.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Ukrainian guests wishing to apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme will need to apply online using the digital application process. Full details on the application process and of eligibility will be available on GOV.UK ahead of the scheme launching in early 2025. Our intention is to open UPE to applications 3 months before the expiry of a person’s current visa to ensure Ukrainians have sufficient time to apply to the scheme.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to settle Access to Work payments owed to Icarus Theatre Collective in Southwark to support a disabled actor.
Answered by Mims Davies
We are unable to comment on individual cases.
Claims for Access to Work payments can be submitted via our online portal or through the post and this is clearly explained in customer letters. Approved claims submitted through the proper channels are typically processed within 10 days.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will reinstate the digital application process for Ukrainians in the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
All Ukraine scheme application forms are accessed online. The application process which allowed Ukraine scheme applicants to use the UK Immigration ID Check app to provide facial biometrics was open to eligible Ukrainians outside of the UK until 7 December 2023. This process was only ever available for Ukrainians applying from outside of the UK. We keep the Ukraine schemes and application processes under constant review, including for Ukrainians in the UK.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Independent review of drugs by Professor Dame Carol Black, if his Department will commission further research on the potential impact of the use of (a) skunk and (b) all other cannabis on levels of psychosis.
Answered by Chris Philp
Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs noted that cannabis poses a large number of health risks, including psychological and respiratory disorders, particularly given increases in potency. There is a growing body of evidence that indicates a link between cannabis and psychosis which underlines the importance of our approach to tackling its misuse. Cannabis continues to be the most commonly used drug and around 21% of adults starting drug treatment between 2021 and 2022 said they had a problem with cannabis use.
For this reason, cannabis is controlled under Class B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. There is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people’s mental and physical health, and harms people and communities.
At the UK Drugs Ministerial in November 2023, the latest research findings into the links between cannabis and psychosis were presented by a leading academic and those findings are informing policy making. The department has no current plans to commission further research into the links between cannabis and psychosis but continues to keep all drugs under review and will consider all evidence as appropriate.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department distinguishes between (a) relocation agents, (b) estate agents and (c) property agents within the housing sector, in the context of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The existing measures in this Bill will apply principally to managing agents acting on behalf of their landlord or estate manager, but measures relating to the ban on new leasehold houses will also apply to those involved in marketing a property, including estate agents.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to make representations to the Department for Transport's open consultation entitled Smarter regulation: proposed changes to legislation for electrically assisted pedal cycles, published on 29 February 2024.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
As part of a cross-Whitehall approach my Department, through the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), works closely with the Home Office and Department for Transport (DfT) to ensure activity in relation to e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries is aligned. OPSS has worked with DfT during the development of the electrically-assisted pedal cycles consultation and will continue to collaborate as the consultation progresses.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many deaths have been caused by dangerous or counterfeit e-bike chargers in each of the last nine years.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
The Office for Product Safety Standards (OPSS) is aware of three fatalities in 2022 and 11 fatalities in 2023 from fires related to e-bikes, lithium-ion batteries or chargers. This is drawn from data supplied by UK fire and rescue services, shared with OPSS. Incidents are complex as often multiple products are involved that can be safe and compliant when used individually, but become unsafe when used in combination.
Lithium-ion battery fires involving e-bikes can cause catastrophic damage to property, it is not always possible to identify whether products involved were unsafe, counterfeit or non-compliant given the damage they can sustain.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing regulations to improve fire safety measures for e-bikes.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
Under existing UK law, e-bikes must be safe before they are placed on the market. E-bikes are in scope of the Supply of Machinery Regulations (2008) which includes obligations on manufacturers to mitigate safety risks, including fire.
Last year, the Government consulted on the Product Safety Review, seeking views on proposals to reform the UK’s product safety framework so it is fit for the digital age and meets consumers’ and businesses’ needs. Responses to the consultation are currently being analysed. The Government intends to publish its response later this year, which will summarise the findings and set out future plans.