Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to (a) help prevent and (b) raise awareness of the risks of e-bike fires.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the Office for Product Safety and Standards will publish the findings of its Product Safety Review of e-bikes.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the UK's compliance with the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the Situation of human rights in Myanmar of 4 April 2024, A/HRC/55/L.17, in the context of the involvement of UK-based companies in supply chains delivering jet fuel to Myanmar that could be used by the military in that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2022 we updated our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses operating in Myanmar should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence. This guidance is regularly updated. Additionally, we have met and will continue to meet with representatives of the UK Insurance Sector, noting the importance of conducting thorough supply chain due diligence in Myanmar to ensure that commodities, such as aviation fuel, do not reach the Myanmar military. We continue to look at further sanction and non-sanction measures to tackle the military's ability to use air capabilities to target civilians.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department plans to submit its next nationally determined contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and if she will make it her policy that the next nationally determined contribution will set out how the UK will adhere to the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In line with the Paris Agreement, the UK will communicate its next nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at least 9 to 12 months ahead of COP30 (i.e. between November 2024 and February 2025).
In communicating the NDC, the UK will take account of the Global Stocktake which encourages Parties to come forward in their next NDCs with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, as informed by the latest science, in the light of different national circumstances.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will have discussions with the Regulator of Social Housing on whether it has instructed the Board of Tower Hamlets Community Housing to discontinue the negotiations with Poplar HARCA about the proposed merger of the organisations.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.
Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will have discussions with the Regulator of Social Housing on whether they have had discussions with any of the large G15 housing associations on taking over Tower Hamlets Community Housing.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.
Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will have discussions with the Regulator of Social Housing on whether the Board of Tower Hamlets Community Housing has produced an improvement plan as of 26 April 2024.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.
Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he asked the Regulator of Social Housing to report on the effectiveness of its involvement in the proposed merger between Swan Housing and Orbit in 2022.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Regulator of Social Housing is an arm’s-length body with operational independence from government. It sets the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet. The details of the Regulator’s engagement on the proposed merger between Swan Housing Association and Orbit is a matter for the Regulator.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the whole of a building that is partially higher than 11 metres and partially lower than this threshold will be eligible for funding from the Cladding Safety Scheme.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Cladding Safety Scheme is open to buildings over 11 metres (and up to 18 metres in London) when measured in accordance with the guidance set out on scheme eligibility on gov.uk. The height measurement should be taken from the lowest external ground level to the finished floor level of the top occupied storey. If a building is of varying height, it is the height of the highest residential floor which is relevant when measured in accordance with the instructions provided.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department last raised the case of Karim Ennarah with the Egyptian Government.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, last raised Karim Ennarah's case with the Egyptian Ambassador on 20 February 2024 and also raised this case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to Cairo last year. Our Embassy in Cairo continues to raise the challenges faced by human rights defenders with the Egyptian authorities, and UK representatives have also done so via Item IV Statements at the Human Rights Council. Human rights defenders make a vital contribution to the health of all societies and should be able to conduct their work and lives unimpeded in Egypt, fully benefiting from their rights under the Egyptian Constitution.