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Written Question
Nuclear Disarmament
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking with international partners (a) through the UN and (b) in other fora to (i) tackle the use of nuclear rhetoric and (ii) promote disarmament.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Alongside our NATO Allies and G7 partners, we have consistently condemned Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. In February 2024, G7 Foreign Ministers "condemned Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, its posture of strategic intimidation, its announcement that it has deployed nuclear weapons in Belarus, at an increasingly unstable and dangerous moment, and its undermining of arms control regimes". Our nuclear deterrent has protected the UK and our Allies from the most extreme acts of aggression and will continue to protect us for as long as it is needed. We remain committed to full implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

In 2023 G7 Leaders issued the Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament, which reaffirms our commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all. The UK has also funded over £1.8 million worth of projects on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including our annual conference to address the diplomatic, political and strategic challenges for the global non-proliferation regime. This sits alongside our work on verification and irreversibility of nuclear disarmament that uniquely connects key government representatives with non-government policy, scientific and technical experts.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Finance
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the funding allocated to his Department in the Spring Budget 2024 on (a) national security and (b) the UK's commitments to its international allies.

Answered by James Heappey

UK defence spending is at its highest level in history and is increasing in real terms. We were one of the first countries to support Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion The Integrated Review Refresh recognised the implications of the invasion on our own security and wellbeing, providing extra investment and strengthening our alliances via partnerships (AUKUS and GCAP).

In a volatile, complex and ambiguous security environment we are a proud leading contributor to NATO, contributing to every NATO mission and operation. The UK was the first large European country to commit to 2% of GDP for defence and we have consistently met or exceeded the NATO target.

We also remain committed to increasing our overall spending to 2.5% of GDP as soon as fiscal and economic conditions allow. The Prime Minister has been clear that the target and path towards 2.5% will be set out at the next Spending Review.

The hon. Member will be concerned to note that his own party has thus far declined to match the Governments commitments on defence spending, saying only that a Labour Government would meet the 2% NATO minimum. Such a policy would mean an immediate £7 billion cut to the defence budget, with profound consequences for both our national security and our relationship with international allies.


Written Question
Mental Health: Debt Collection
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of debt collection practices on the (a) mental and (b) physical health of individuals in financial difficulty.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No specific assessment has been made, but we work with HM Treasury to support people with mental ill health facing debt collection. We have been working with HM Treasury and the Money and Pensions Service to promote the mental health Breathing Space scheme, which gives those with mental ill health who are facing financial difficulties, the space to receive debt advice without pressure from creditors or mounting debts. The scheme has protected over 100,000 people who are unable to afford their debt repayments by pausing enforcement action, creditor contact and most interest, fees, and charges for a 60-day period, giving them time to find a debt solution that works for them.

Those receiving mental health crisis treatment can also access a Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space, where the protections last as long as their mental health crisis treatment lasts, plus a further 30 days.

The Government is also delivering a package of cost-of-living support totalling over £104 billion, or £3,700 per household on average, between 2022 to 2025. The Government is continuing to support millions of households most in need, with up to £900 in further cost of living payments in the past year.

Over six million people across the United Kingdom on eligible extra-costs disability benefits have received a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment, to help with the additional costs they face. More than eight million pensioner households across the UK have received an additional £300 Cost of Living Payment during the winter of 2023/24, paid as a top-up to the winter fuel payment.


Written Question
Arts
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking with creative industry leaders to help ensure (a) growth and (b) sustainability in that sector.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The UK Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and support another 1 million jobs by 2030. As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, we are committed to working with industry and the devolved administrations to ensure our creative industries continue to be the best in the world. The Sector Vision sets out our 2030 goals and objectives for supporting the creative industries.

As part of the Growth goal, we outline how we are supporting creative businesses to grow and scale-up through investment, innovation and export support - including through programmes like the Create Growth Programme and the Creative Clusters.

As part of the Maximising Impact goal, we set out an objective specifically for the environment: ‘Creative industries play a growing role in tackling environmental challenges, helping the UK reach the targets set out in the Powering Up Britain plan’. As part of this, the Creative Industries Council, which represents industry and worked with government to develop the Sector Vision, have published their Creative Climate Charter, which sets out key environmental principles for creative companies to aspire to. We will continue to work with industry and across government to address this objective.


Written Question
Arts
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to publish a strategy for the arts and creative industries.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The UK Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and support another 1 million jobs by 2030. As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, we are committed to working with industry and the devolved administrations to ensure our creative industries continue to be the best in the world. The Sector Vision sets out our 2030 goals and objectives for supporting the creative industries.

As part of the Growth goal, we outline how we are supporting creative businesses to grow and scale-up through investment, innovation and export support - including through programmes like the Create Growth Programme and the Creative Clusters.

As part of the Maximising Impact goal, we set out an objective specifically for the environment: ‘Creative industries play a growing role in tackling environmental challenges, helping the UK reach the targets set out in the Powering Up Britain plan’. As part of this, the Creative Industries Council, which represents industry and worked with government to develop the Sector Vision, have published their Creative Climate Charter, which sets out key environmental principles for creative companies to aspire to. We will continue to work with industry and across government to address this objective.


Written Question
Internet: Young People
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to help (a) educate young people about the dangers of internet use and (b) prevent engagement in harmful online activities by young people.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online, and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. The government’s guidance for primary and secondary school teaching on relationships, sex and health education can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.

The department has updated the Teaching Online Safety in Schools non-statutory guidance (2023), on how to teach about all aspects of internet safety in a coordinated and coherent way across their curriculum. Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The computing curriculum can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.

The statutory ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ guidance, which all schools and colleges must have regard to when drawing up and implementing their own safeguarding policies, has been strengthened with regards to online safety in recent years. Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure online safety is a running and interrelated theme whilst devising and implementing their whole school or college approach to safeguarding and related policies and procedures. This includes doing all that they reasonably can to limit children’s exposure to the harmful online content on the school’s or college’s IT system.

The department has brought forward the review of the RSHE curriculum and statutory guidance. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to feed into the process through a thorough consultation. Following the consultation, the department will make a decision about any new content to be included in the RSHE curriculum. The department expects to publish the revised guidance soon after.


Written Question
Exports: Sanctions
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has (a) taken steps to help support exporters to comply and (b) issued guidance to exporters on compliance with international sanctions.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Non-compliance with sanctions is a serious offence. We expect and support UK businesses to take steps to reduce their risk and comply with sanctions.

We regularly engage with exporters, have published statutory and non-statutory guidance, and issued notices to exporters on due diligence and circumvention risk.

We recently announced that we are creating the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation, which will strengthen the implementation and enforcement of our trade sanctions once operational, including through additional business outreach and guidance.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Exports
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on the level of vehicle exports to Azerbaijan.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

DBT ministers regularly meet with sector bodies and companies to discuss a variety of issues. This includes meetings with The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and automotive companies where trade issues are discussed.


Written Question
Dogs: Smuggling
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to enforce (a) legislative provisions and (b) border controls relating to puppy smuggling.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.

We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. The Animal and Plant Health Agency works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the pet travel rules, disrupt illegal imports, safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals.


Written Question
Dogs: Animal Welfare
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support animal welfare organisations in tackling (a) ear cropping and (b) puppy smuggling.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.

Defra supports the work of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which includes in its membership some of the country’s key animal welfare organisations. To ensure that advertisements for pets are legal and ethical, PAAG has developed a set of advertising standards which several of the UK’s largest classified websites have agreed to meet. The standards prohibit engaged websites from hosting adverts for dogs whose ears have been cropped.

Defra regularly engages with stakeholders, including veterinary and animal welfare professionals, on a range of animal welfare issues, including the illegal smuggling of pets into the UK.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the UK including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.