Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make representations on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia with the Crown Prince of that country during his visit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. Our latest published assessment of human rights in Saudi Arabia can be found in the 2022 FCDO Human Rights and Democracy Report. Our relationship with Saudi Arabia enables us to engage candidly on human rights. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, regularly discusses human rights with the Saudi authorities, including the Saudi Vice Foreign Minister and Saudi Ambassador in London. Lord Ahmad, senior HMG officials, and non-governmental figures and organisations engaged in constructive dialogue with the Saudi Human Rights Commission during their first official visit to the UK on 26-29 September. We will continue to discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of Ministerial and official channels.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government's pledge to spend £11.6 billion on international climate finance between 2021 and 2026, what steps his Department plans to take to support the delivery of that pledge.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are delivering on our commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance (ICF). The Written Ministerial Statement on International Climate Finance published on 17 October showed that we spent over £3.2 billion ICF in 2021/22 and 2022/23. It also sets out the trajectory of spend for the remaining three years of the pledge, providing all-important certainty and predictability for our developing country partners.
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, what discussions her Department has had with energy providers on the provision of (a) financial and (b) welfare support to households which include a disabled person.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I have had regular meetings with energy suppliers, charities – including disability charities - and other external organisations in recent months on a range of consumer and affordability issues, including the energy needs of households that include a disabled person.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his oral contribution of 20 June 2023, Official Report, column 694, what the evidential basis is for not accepting the findings of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Recent food inflation in the UK has been driven by a range of factors. Domestic agricultural commodity prices increased due to increases in international commodity prices and changes in exchange rates and in particular the strength of the dollar. Alongside this there was an increase in food manufacturing costs and particularly energy costs, which also contributed to food inflation. These factors are the main reasons for recent high food inflation, as shown by the fact that other countries in Europe have experienced similar levels of food inflation.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 providing (a) visa extensions and (b) settlement routes for Ukrainian nationals who reach the end of the temporary leave granted through schemes established following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
In line with the situation in Ukraine, working closely with the Ukrainian Government, as well as our international counterparts, we keep the need for a possible extension of UK sanctuary, beyond March 2025, under consistent review.
The UK Government stands with Ukraine and firmly believe that Ukraine will be safe again. When it’s safe to do so, Ukraine will need the repatriation of its citizens to help recover and rebuild their economy and infrastructure. Our approach therefore has been to provide 36 months sanctuary under our Ukraine visas, which are temporary and do not lead to settlement. This 36 month period is longer than any other European scheme.
We are however also mindful that permission will start to expire, for the first arrivals under our Ukrainian schemes, from March 2025, and their need for certainty beyond that point to help them to plan ahead, for example if remaining in the UK, entering into rental agreements and living here independently. The scheme is actively under review across government.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) contributions to, (b) analysis of and (c) the government response to her Department’s consultation on Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government intends to bring forward proposals and engage with stakeholders this year on transparency of information and the protection of confidential information regarding the regulation of the use of animals in science.
In doing so, the Government intends to clarify section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, taking account of the previous consultation.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2023 to Question 180105 on Energy: Prices, whether he plans to launch a consultation on an energy social tariff by 31 December 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the 2022 autumn statement, the Government is exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms.
The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2023 to Question 181721 on Energy: Prices, what progress her Department has made on introducing a consultation on social tariffs for energy.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the 2022 autumn statement, the Government is exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms.
The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of coca substitution programmes in Colombia on levels of (a) coca production and (b) alternative economic opportunities for local coca growers in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Colombia remains one of the largest producers of coca, which continues to fuel violence in some areas of the country as illegal armed groups fight for control of territory. We commend the Colombian Government's commitment to tackling the root causes of insecurity and to developing sustainable livelihoods for those living in conflict-affected areas. We remain committed to working with Colombia and international partners, including through our contribution to a multi-donor $2 million project for crop substitution and food security.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department (a) is providing and (b) plans to provide support to Colombia to help enable (i) structural reform of the National Police, (ii) a review of the protocols for the use of force and weapons and (iii) greater protection for the right to peaceful assembly.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Whilst structural reform and internal reviews are a matter for the Colombian Government, we are clear that we support the right of all Colombians to protest peacefully, and that the right to peaceful assembly and association must be guaranteed. Through the Conflict, Security, and Stabilisation Fund (CSSF) in Colombia, the UK launched a three year, £2.1 million Police Innovations for Stabilisation in Colombia Programme (SCIP) in 2020, which is helping the transformation of the Colombian National Police. The SCIP aims to contribute to the modernisation of the police service by scaling up and improving police practices with a preventive approach, focusing on i) building links and trust with communities to improve relations and reduce conflict; ii) putting human rights first when managing social tensions and preventing violence; iii) developing and implementing strategies for tackling and preventing gender-based violence.