Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has had discussions with the Colombian government on the compliance of AngloGold Ashanti with the referendum rejecting mining operations in Cajamarca.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During his visit to Colombia last May, the former Foreign Secretary met with President Petro and Foreign Minister Leyva to discuss shared priorities, including the environment and sustainable development. Whilst this specific company was not discussed, Colombia is an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country and since 2020, UK funding has supported the development of guides for joint risk assessments between extractive companies, public security forces and communities to help prevent community-corporate conflicts. We expect businesses to respect local and international law wherever they operate and look to extractive companies to comply with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Colombia about reported criminalisation of environmental defenders in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK Ministers and senior officials regularly discuss human rights, security, and environmental issues with the Colombian Government. Most recently we attended the 44th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 7 November to discuss the human rights situation in Colombia with the Colombian Government. We recommended strengthening prevention mechanisms and advancing timely, independent, and impartial criminal investigations into allegations of attacks and threats against environmental activists.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether HM Embassy Bogota has met Robinson Arley Mejia Alonso to discuss his security situation.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 12 September 2023, officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London met Robinson Arley Mejía Alonso to discuss his security situation. Officials at our Embassy in Bogotá will look to schedule a further meeting with him in Colombia at the next available opportunity.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) human rights and (b) environmental protections are incorporated in the critical minerals supply chain strategy.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Last year my Department published the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy to accelerate domestic production, collaborate with international partners, and enhance international markets to strengthen supply chains.
The Strategy commits to boost global environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance to support a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable critical minerals and mining industry. The UK is playing a leading role in international efforts to drive up ESG performance through its bilateral and multilateral engagements, including the Minerals Security Partnership. The UK is also a strong supporter and implementing country of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Further, we will ensure UK domestic mining complies with permitting and planning regulations that protect the interests of communities and our natural environment.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Vegan Society's report entitled Catering for Everyone: How far are councils catering for vegans, published in September 2023.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to UIN 1516 on 21 November 2023.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the contribution of the Minister for Nuclear and Networks in the debate on the Energy Bill on 5 September 2023, Official Report, column 281, when her Department plans to publish (a) an annual report on community energy and (b) a consultation on the potential barriers facing the sector.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working with the Community Energy Contact Group on the content of the annual report and consultation. Whilst it hopes to publish these products as soon as possible, until these discussions have concluded the Government is unable to outline a definitive timeline.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to support the provision of nutritionally balanced plant-based meals on menus for staff in public sector bodies under his Department's responsibility.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 1515 on 20 November 2023.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his (a) international counterparts and (b) delivery partners in Malawi on the impact of the devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha on the delivery of UK aid-funded programmes in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The approval of an $178 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in Malawi reflects important reform progress by the Government of Malawi to boost economic growth. The recent 44 per cent exchange rate realignment was a tough, but necessary measure to secure an ECF, as foreign exchange reserves were critically low and the overvalued currency was hampering export competitiveness. The UK development programme in Malawi will continue to provide support over this period of economic adjustment. In coordination with other partners, this support will include prioritising additional support for those facing food insecurity, through providing cash and food.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing VAT on period pants.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The women’s sanitary products VAT zero rate applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads. It also applies to reusable menstrual products, such as menstrual cups, to provide greater choice and more sustainable options for those who use sanitary products. The Government is looking into whether this important zero-rating is being passed on to consumers.
The relief does not include articles of clothing, such as period underwear. Such exclusions are designed to ensure that the relief is properly targeted.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including considering impacts on pricing, and welcomes representations to help inform future policy decisions.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to monitor waiting times for (a) UK and (b) non-UK passport holders to clear the UK Border at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Gatwick Airport.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Border Force measures and monitors wait times at all major UK ports including Heathrow and Gatwick to ensure the flow of legitimate travel into UK.
Border Force is committed to ensuring passengers wait times are kept to a minimum, however this must be balanced with our duty to Border Security, checking 100% of passports and making sure that anyone or anything that might cause harm to the UK is correctly dealt with.
Resource and staffing requirements at every port are continually reviewed by Border Force who work closely with port operators to ensure resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.
The latest Border Force transparency data shows that 95% of arrivals to the UK were cleared within the service standard in the second quarter of this year and in July, 90% of passengers surveyed were satisfied with their experience at UK border control. The most recent data is available on Gov.UK; www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-q2-2023