Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is he taking to help promote access to green spaces for girls.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We know that particular groups, including women and girls, can disproportionately experience barriers to accessing nature, and we are committed to tackling this inequity so that everyone can benefit from spending time in green and blue spaces.

Our Green Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide offers detailed guidance on creating accessible, multifunctional green spaces that deliver a wide range of benefits. Specifically, for teenage girls, it emphasises the need for designing spaces that are not only safe and inclusive but also comfortable and welcoming.

In addition, the Government licenses and oversees the Green Flag Award scheme, which recognises well-managed, inclusive and welcoming green spaces. Parks are assessed against criteria such as safety, accessibility, environmental management and community involvement, helping to ensure high standards are maintained across thousands of parks and open spaces and that these remain inclusive and accessible for all, including women and girls.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to bring into force the legislative provisions of the Equality Act 2010 relating to the socio-economic duty.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

The Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act
2010. The duty will require public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider
actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We will work in partnership with public authorities, civil society and others in order to ensure that the implementation of the duty is as effective as possible.

As part of this, we have included questions in relation to the socio-economic duty in a call for evidence on equality law, which was launched on 7 April and will be open until 30 June. This will enable public authorities and others to input into plans in relation to the socio-economic duty at an early stage. We will update further on our work to commence the duty once the call for evidence has closed and responses have been analysed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support African countries whose economies are affected by debt repayments.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Supporting all developing countries -including those in Africa - to tackle unsustainable debt is a key development priority of this government. We are working with all our partners to support sustainable debt and ensure all countries have the fiscal space to invest and grow. Where we are a creditor, we have fully engaged in multilateral negotiations with debtor countries via the Paris Club and G20 Common Framework mechanisms to put their debt back on a sustainable trajectory.

We welcome the G20 Common Framework debt agreements with Zambia and Ghana achieved last year but recognise these treatments took too long. We are therefore calling for efforts to strengthen, speed up and expand the Common Framework to all low and middle-income countries, whilst also building the enabling environment for more sustainable and transparent lending and strengthened public financial management. The Chancellor has recently announced the London Coalition on Sustainable Debt to progress these objectives with the private creditors.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he is having with (a) the Government of Pakistan and (b) other international partners on incidents of Ahmadiyya Muslims being barred from congregational Eid worship; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of such incidents on levels of human rights in Pakistan.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement overseas. We are concerned by the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, including reports they were prevented from offering prayers over Ramadan and Eid. I discussed the right of Ahmadi Muslims to practice their faith in a meeting with Pakistan's Minister of State for the Interior, Talal Chaudhry, on 31 March. On 16 April, Lord Khan of Burnley raised Ahmadi rights in a meeting with Pakistan's Minster for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf. The UK Government regularly engages with members of the Ahmadi community, both in Pakistan and the UK, to inform our understanding of the issues they are facing. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Maskell Sir Desmond Swayne Graham Stringer Margaret Mullane Marsha De Cordova Emma Lewell Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Daniel Francis Elaine Stewart Kirsteen Sullivan Adam Jogee John Grady Tracy Gilbert Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Tom Morrison Sarah Olney Marsha De Cordova Rachael Maskell Margaret Mullane Maya Ellis Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Tom Morrison Sarah Olney Marsha De Cordova Rachael Maskell Margaret Mullane Maya Ellis Dr Scott Arthur

Found: _22 Anna Dixon Jess Asato Tom Morrison Sarah Olney Marsha De Cordova Rachael Maskell Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur