Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Ensure Trans people are fully protected under any conversion therapy ban
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 12 May 2022 Debated on - 13 Jun 2022 View Nia Griffith's petition debate contributionsEnsure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.
These initiatives were driven by Nia Griffith, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Nia Griffith has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Nia Griffith has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Nia Griffith has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Nia Griffith has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Government has been liaising with Territorial Offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue. It is positive to note that developments in all four parts of the UK are such that there is work underway, at different stages, to end conversion practices often known as conversion therapy.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts to discuss the UK Government’s proposals for England and Wales and share advice and progress on the approach to banning conversion therapy practices. We will share responses to our current public consultation relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland with relevant officials and we look forward to receiving further details of the Scottish Expert Advisory Group’s findings once they are developed. We have also provided the Scottish Parliament with written evidence on our plans to ban conversion therapy.
We are engaging with a wide range of international jurisdictions including Canada, France, New Zealand and Malta to understand the approaches they have taken or are developing to ban conversion therapy and to share our own developments too.
The Government has been liaising with Territorial Offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue. It is positive to note that developments in all four parts of the UK are such that there is work underway, at different stages, to end conversion practices often known as conversion therapy.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts to discuss the UK Government’s proposals for England and Wales and share advice and progress on the approach to banning conversion therapy practices. We will share responses to our current public consultation relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland with relevant officials and we look forward to receiving further details of the Scottish Expert Advisory Group’s findings once they are developed. We have also provided the Scottish Parliament with written evidence on our plans to ban conversion therapy.
We are engaging with a wide range of international jurisdictions including Canada, France, New Zealand and Malta to understand the approaches they have taken or are developing to ban conversion therapy and to share our own developments too.
Our proposals to ban conversion practices often known as conversion therapy are robust and comparable to other bans in place, or currently under development, around the world.
We are engaging with a wide range of international jurisdictions including France, Canada, New Zealand and Malta and will continue to work with a wide range of domestic stakeholders as our policy develops.
The existing criminal law is clear that a person cannot consent to serious harm and we do not propose to change this. We are working closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that the proposals will complement existing laws, including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and that they will not interfere with existing professional obligations and regulatory frameworks.
Our proposals to ban conversion practices often known as conversion therapy are robust and comparable to other bans in place, or currently under development, around the world.
We are engaging with a wide range of international jurisdictions including France, Canada, New Zealand and Malta and will continue to work with a wide range of domestic stakeholders as our policy develops.
The existing criminal law is clear that a person cannot consent to serious harm and we do not propose to change this. We are working closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that the proposals will complement existing laws, including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and that they will not interfere with existing professional obligations and regulatory frameworks.
Our proposals to ban conversion practices often known as conversion therapy are robust and comparable to other bans in place, or currently under development, around the world.
We are engaging with a wide range of international jurisdictions including France, Canada, New Zealand and Malta and will continue to work with a wide range of domestic stakeholders as our policy develops.
The existing criminal law is clear that a person cannot consent to serious harm and we do not propose to change this. We are working closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that the proposals will complement existing laws, including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and that they will not interfere with existing professional obligations and regulatory frameworks.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.
The UK Parliament has a range of activities and events taking place over LGBT History month. These include:
Pride at Parliament LGBT+ history tours. 75 minute guided tour highlighting the significant part played by LGBT+ people at UK Parliament as leaders, legislators, activists, lobbyists and monarchs.
Evening event for LGBT+ History Month. Combines a themed guided tour and a visit to the Parliamentary Archives for a talk and to view historic artefacts.
General Tours of Parliament including school visits. Tours are adapted to have an LGBT+ focus; this includes tailored content and the use of examples to explain the work of Parliament within the context of LGBT+ history.
Social media. Content will include a story quiz on historical LGBT+ people and laws in UK Parliament, historical landmarks, legislation, a range of artworks and online content and comms relating to Jez Dolan’s artwork Wolfenden. There will also be chamber coverage of relevant business and profiles of and quotes from MPs.
Talk and panel discussion celebrating parliamentary achievements in progress for LGBT+ rights.
Your Story, Our History Films – Promote series of films with focus on three individuals – who share their experiences of how lgbt+ legislation passed by the UK Parliament has affected their lives.
House Magazine Various Op-ed from staff about LGBT+ History month Lord Cashman event – ‘From Albert Square to Parliament Square’ and followed by an audience Q+A.
ParliOUT Open Art Exhibition: being your authentic LGBT+ self. Artwork from membership shown digitally across the Estate.
Lego Suffragette hosted by Pride Cymru in the Welsh Assembly for their LGBT History Month programme. Culminates with a lecture on Baroness Rhondda, a famous local Suffragette and women's rights advocate on 29th February.
BAME & LGBTQ Trailblazers exhibition. In Richmond House Business Lounge, showcasing the stories and work of LGBT activists from BAME backgrounds.
UK BAME LGBTQ Life after Stonewall Lunch and Learn – A one-hour lunch and learn with Veronica McKenzie of Harringay Vangard.
As set out in the Command Paper published in May, the UK is committed to implementing the Protocol in a pragmatic and practical way that minimises the impact on both businesses and consumers. Further guidance will be set out in due course on post and parcel movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The UKCA marking becomes mandatory for most goods from 1 January 2023. Products requiring the UKCA marking are valued at approximately £110bn of UK imports
BEIS is continuing to support industry through an extensive programme of engagement, publication of enhanced business guidance, and working closely with the Conformity Assessment Body sector and the UK Accreditation Service to support sufficient capacity to test and certify products to UKCA requirements.
Levelling up is central to the Government’s agenda and we are working with local leaders to ensure that every region, city, and town will effectively recover from Covid-19.
As part of this, £1,243,604,030 is being allocated through the Local Growth Fund for local growth deals in 2020 to 2021.
We notified the industry in October and December 2020 that the EU would not accept non-depurated, live, bivalve molluscs from class B waters harvested from wild stock from 1 January 2021.
Since then, we have heard that the EU Commission additionally has concerns about the trade from registered aquaculture production businesses. We have not however had a formal notification setting these out.
We are rapidly working to identify any scientific or legal basis that might undermine the trade so that it may continue to operate on a secure footing. This work includes discussions with EU Member States and the European Commission.
We understand the importance of this trade for Welsh shellfish businesses and others in the UK.
Live bivalve molluscs such as oysters, mussels, clams, cockles and scallops can continue to be exported to the EU if they are harvested from class A waters, have been cleaned or have cleared end product testing in GB.
The changes to The Highway Code to help improve road safety are being communicated in two phases:
Both phases of the campaign include a significant media spend, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising.
Communications activity also includes media engagement with supporting stakeholder comment and an extranet to share both static and video assets with stakeholders to amplify our messages.
More information on the campaign can be found at: www.think.gov.uk/campaign/highway-code-changes/
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises there is a high demand for learners who are wanting to take their practical driving test following the suspension of routine driver training and testing during the pandemic.
The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as possible and has a number of measures in place to do this.
These include:
As of 31 March 2022, driving test waiting times at Llanelli is 3 weeks.
The DVSA has a live recruitment campaign covering Llanelli, and has recently completed a campaign to recruit Welsh speaking driving examiners. The DVSA is also launching a new national campaign to recruit an extra 161 examiners across Great Britain to help meet the increasing demand for driving tests. This is in addition to its previous campaign to recruit more than 300 additional examiners.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises there is a high demand for learners who are wanting to take their practical driving test following the suspension of routine driver training and testing during the pandemic.
The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as possible and has a number of measures in place to do this.
These include:
As of 31 March 2022, driving test waiting times at Llanelli is 3 weeks.
The DVSA has a live recruitment campaign covering Llanelli, and has recently completed a campaign to recruit Welsh speaking driving examiners. The DVSA is also launching a new national campaign to recruit an extra 161 examiners across Great Britain to help meet the increasing demand for driving tests. This is in addition to its previous campaign to recruit more than 300 additional examiners.
PIP is designed to provide help with extra costs arising from disability. Alongside the £9.1 billion Energy Bills Rebate announced on 3 February, the Government is providing £12 billion of support over this financial year and next to ease cost of living pressures, with help targeted at working families, low-income households and the most vulnerable.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 107516.
Following the first reports of paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) cases in London in April 2020, the former Public Health England initiated enhanced prospective national surveillance of PIMS cases with symptom onset between 1 March and 15 June 2020. NHS England used a rapid consensus exercise to develop national clinical management guidance on the condition.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that clinicians follow guidance from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which directs critically ill children to acute care facilities. Training for paediatricians on PIMS has been supported by webinars for clinician decision makers and regular updates to paediatric critical care networks. Children with PIMS are identified, including appropriate treatment pathways, supported by seven specialised disease centres co-ordinating treatment advice.
The main bulk of the Integrated Review is expected to conclude in line with the Comprehensive Spending Review later this year, although implementation of its recommendations will be a multi-year project. Unlike a normal Strategic Defence and Security Review the Integrated Review will not be limited to specific departments, objectives or timeframes but will take a holistic approach to our place in the world and how Government is best structured to achieve our objectives.
The main bulk of the integrated review is expected to conclude in line with the Comprehensive Spending Review later this year, although implementation of its recommendations will be a multi-year project.
The government is launching a new Levelling Up Fund worth £4bn for England, that will attract up to £800m for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the usual way. The Levelling Up Fund will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities and will support economic recovery. The SR makes available up to £600m in 2021-22. Further funding will be spread over subsequent years up to 24/25.
On Friday 18 September 2020, the Government confirmed that a Fujitsu led consortium had been appointed to deliver the Trader Support Service (TSS). The consortium has expertise across the range of services needed to make the TSS effective, including the Institute of Export & International Trade, an existing provider of customs education, and the Customs Clearance Consortium, an established customs intermediary.
The Trader Support Service (TSS) was launched on 28 September and will be making declarations on behalf of traders from 1 January. The Trader Support Service will be able to help all traders, regardless of size and at no additional cost, to get their businesses ready for changes to trade due to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Home Office has agreed to provide £2.5m of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in respect of these costs up to September 2021.
The Home Office has agreed to provide £2.5m of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in respect of these costs up to September 2021.
The Home Office has agreed to provide £2.5m of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in respect of these costs up to September 2021.
The Home Office has sought Public Health advice on how we can make best use of this accommodation, working within the constraints of the configuration, whilst minimising risks from Covid-19.
Risk mitigations include limiting occupancy in dormitories ensuring a minimum distance between beds of at least 2 metres. This is complemented by a range of additional safety measures including increased cleaning of surfaces, availability of hand sanitisers, a track and trace system and communications with residents around covid-19 control measures.
Asylum seekers will have the same access to testing as the general population.
The Home Office’s contractor?has an outbreak management plan which will be enacted if we experience an outbreak.?
In recent months we have faced additional challenges which have required us in some instances to use temporary accommodation, including hotels, to fulfil our statutory obligations to house destitute asylum seekers whilst their claims are examined.
This accommodation is contingency accommodation. Our ambition is to house asylum seekers within the asylum estate without the need for contingency accommodation. We are working to address the issues putting pressure on our asylum accommodation including resuming cessation of support for those whose cases have been decided. This frees up accommodation for new claimants and allows us to reduce our use of contingency measures.
The Ministry of Defence has given permission to use the site for up to 12 months; this facility will be temporary, and we will discontinue it as soon as we are able.
The Future Accommodation Model (FAM) pilot was launched in September 2019 and will run for three years. The Ministry of Defence provides regular updates to the Public Accounts Committee and through the Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report on the status of the FAM. In addition, Defence Ministers will update the House as we consider the full business case for FAM in 2022, when a decision on whether to roll out the FAM across other UK bases will be made; we will not be in a position to judge the success of the pilot until we have a complete picture in 2022.
The Government will undertake an integrated review of Britain's security, defence and foreign policy. This will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development and will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities. A key strand of the review will explore how we modernise the equipment and improve the capability of our world-class Armed Forces, including that of the British Army.
We remain committed to ensuring the Royal Navy has the ships and capabilities required to fulfil Defence commitments now and in the future.
Babcock is contractually obligated to deliver five Type 31 Frigates to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) by the end of 2028, and HMS GLASGOW, the first of the Type 26 Frigates, will be in-service with the MOD in 2027. The last Type 23 Frigate will be transitioned out of service in 2035. The first Type 45 Destroyer entered service in 2010, these Destroyers have a projected 25-year life span.
The Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence and foreign policy. This review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development and will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities, including our approach to procurement and maintaining our technological edge. We are considering a number of options to increase the availability of ships during this period.
This is a significant year for the LGBT community and Defence as we celebrate 20 years since the ban was lifted on LGBT personnel serving within the Armed Forces. I was honoured to host a reception in January at the Houses of Parliament and make a personal apology to those who experienced discrimination before 2000.
Various events are taking place throughout February across Defence to celebrate LGBT History Month which are being actively publicised through both internal and external communications, including regular social media posts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with Defence case studies. Some of the highlights include a ‘Let’s talk about Inclusion’ event where a panel will discuss the LGBT History Month and inclusion with a question and answer session to open up conversations and give staff the confidence to have open discussions; a workshop that explored the issues LGBT staff face in the workplace; a Royal Navy conference, Navy Pride 20 – ‘The Past, Present and Future’; an Army memorial event at the National Memorial Arboretum and the Royal Air Force’s Freedom Network taking part in a collaborative media project with the RAF Museum. In addition, a number of Defence establishments are celebrating the month through raising the rainbow flag.
Looking further ahead, I am proud that Defence will be recognising and celebrating various events throughout the year, such as Pride, Transgender Day of Visibility, Transgender Day of Remembrance, National Coming Out Day and more.
The Sri Lanka and UK defence relationship was significantly strengthened in 2019 with the appointment of a resident Defence Adviser.
Following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019, the UK offered support to the Sri Lankan authorities based on the UK experience of tackling terrorism. Ministry of Defence support has included providing training to Sri Lanka in countering Improvised Explosive Devices, with some Sri Lankan students attending training in the UK.
HMS Montrose visited Colombo in April 2019 as part of her deployment in the Indian Ocean and conducted a short exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy. This visit was an opportunity for the UK and Sri Lankan Navies to compare experience in countering drug trafficking, and to share the tactics and techniques which have proven most effective in tackling this shared global threat.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, Earl Howe, on 8 January 2020 in the House of Lords (Official Report, column 177).
The Defence Space Strategy has developed significantly. We are currently reviewing the right timing for publication and how best to align it with the emerging National Space Strategy. The Ministry of Defence is firmly committed to a number of space programmes, and we are assessing our space capabilities, coherence and requirements. The strategy on the UK's Defence Contribution in the High North will be published shortly.
My department continues to work on modernising how lasting powers of attorney (LPA) are created and used by members of the public. Since the meeting in 2018, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has launched its “Use a lasting power of attorney” service. This allows third parties such as banks and hospitals to check the details of an LPA digitally including who can legally act under the LPA. This removes the need for any physical LPA to be provided. Additionally, in July last year we published a consultation on modernising how LPAs are created and registered with the OPG. The consultation outlined proposals for how an LPA could be created digitally in the future. This work includes research with the people who make and use LPAs to understand what format they would want an LPA to exist in, in the future.
As has been the case under successive Administrations, it is not government policy to comment on security procedures in government buildings.
I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails. www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-departments-on-private-email-use
I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails. www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-departments-on-private-email-use
It is government policy not to comment on specific technical security controls; however, the incidental personal use of private email accounts from departmental systems is subject to our ‘Acceptable Use’ policy, in spare time.
Where it is appropriate, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has approached the Cabinet Office Clearing House for advice on Freedom of Information requests.
I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on a range of issues relating to the Union, including Lord Dunlop’s review of Union Capability.
The UK Government’s ambition is to publish the Dunlop Report as soon as possible alongside a full response from the Government. The report is an important contribution to the debate on strengthening the Union, a key Government priority.
I have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on a range of issues, including the UK Internal Market Bill. Discussions between the two governments on the UK Internal Market proposals have taken place at Ministerial, official and special adviser level.
I have also engaged with Welsh businesses and their representative organisations on the Government’s internal market proposals and have heard their broad support at first-hand. This was reflected in the response to the Government’s Internal Market White Paper. The Government is keen to engage constructively with the Welsh Government as we take forward this vital legislation.
The Government published the Frameworks Analysis 2020 on 24 September. It describes 66 policy areas returning from the EU which intersect with the devolution settlement in Wales and can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frameworks-analysis
The Government’s Frameworks Analysis published in April 2019, set out 70 policy areas which intersect with the devolution settlement in Wales. Since then, intergovernmental discussions on the Common Frameworks Programme have considered whether these policy areas should be merged to reflect the way in which frameworks will operate in practice. These changes have been agreed with the Welsh Government and result in 4 fewer policy areas in total. This does not change the total number of powers that will transfer to Welsh Ministers at the end of the Transition Period.
The UK Government has regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on preparations for the end of the Transition Period. The main ministerial forum for discussing preparedness is the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) which has met on five occasions this year. Preparedness is also discussed at quadrilateral meetings with Ministers from the Devolved Administrations chaired by my Rt hon Friend, the Paymaster General.
The UK Government has extensive, constant and wide-ranging engagement with the Welsh Government. This includes discussions on our Covid-19 response, and areas of joint work between our governments such as on city and growth deals, as well as preparations for the end of the Transition Period. Discussions are constructive and their frequency will increase further as we approach the end of the year.
The new United Kingdom Government Hub in Cardiff is scheduled to open in February 2021.
There have been nine meetings between ministers or officials in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales and Airbus since 1 July 2020. We have been in touch with Airbus regularly throughout the covid-19 pandemic and will continue to do so.
The UK Government in Wales website has referred to Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament in all new content since the name change took place in May 2020. There is ongoing work to update older content on the site to reflect the new name of the devolved legislature for Wales.
The Department has 28 members of staff based in its London office and 22 members of staff based in its Cardiff Office. Staff currently work from home in response to the Covid-19 crisis and attend the office only by exception.
The Department has 28 members of staff based in its London office and 22 members of staff based in its Cardiff Office. Staff currently work from home in response to the Covid-19 crisis and attend the office only by exception.
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is planning to publish its 2019-20 Annual Report and Accounts before the Parliamentary Summer recess.
All staff in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales are currently working from home, in accordance with Government guidance. The Department has no current plans to return staff to the Office.
All staff in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales are currently working from home, in accordance with Government guidance. The Department has no current plans to return staff to the Office.
My Rt Hon Friends the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I are in regular discussions with the First Minister of Wales on our Governments’ response to Covid-19. These discussions are part of on-going and regular dialogue between the governments at all levels as part of the UK-wide response to the pandemic. The overall approach in responding to the pandemic remains aligned across the UK, with each government able to modify that approach to reflect the needs of each constituent nation of the United Kingdom.
My Rt Hon Friends the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I are in regular discussions with the First Minister of Wales on our Governments’ response to Covid-19. These discussions are part of on-going and regular dialogue between the governments at all levels as part of the UK-wide response to the pandemic. The overall approach in responding to the pandemic remains aligned across the UK, with each government able to modify that approach to reflect the needs of each constituent nation of the United Kingdom.
My Rt Hon Friends the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I are in regular discussions with the First Minister of Wales on our Governments’ response to Covid-19. These discussions are part of on-going and regular dialogue between the governments at all levels as part of the UK-wide response to the pandemic. The overall approach in responding to the pandemic remains aligned across the UK, with each government able to modify that approach to reflect the needs of each constituent nation of the United Kingdom.