Zarah Sultana

The Government acknowledges that some citizens identify as non-binary. However, as set out in the response to the Gender Recognition Act consultation, there are no plans to make changes to the 2004 Act.

Following a considerable amount of consultation with the public and representative organisations, the Government decided that the current provisions within the GRA allow for those that wish to legally change their sex to do so. The GRA provides a means for transgender people to change the sex on their birth certificate, but there is currently no provision for those who do not identify solely as male or as female.

We are committed to fulfilling our obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); our interim report to the CEDAW Committee is due to be published and available online in the coming weeks. This report will set out the steps taken, in different parts of the UK, to implement four of the recommendations identified in 2019 by the Committee in its concluding observations.

The substantive provisions of CEDAW are already largely reflected in existing domestic legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. The UK has strong human rights protections within a comprehensive and well-established constitutional and legal system. We have a longstanding tradition of ensuring rights and liberties are protected domestically, and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations.

The UK has made significant progress over the years in tackling racism. This Government made manifesto commitments to tackle prejudice, racism and discrimination and is committed to making further progress.

The Government has considered the recommendations and conclusions in the Joint Committee on Human Rights report. We have responded to each of these in turn in our response to the Committee’s Eleventh Report of Session 2019–21 published on 11 February 2021.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’ report makes an important contribution to both the national conversation about race, and our efforts to level up and unite the whole country.

We are carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations. We will publish a Government response in due course. This Government remains fully committed to building a fairer UK and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist.

The Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department (GLD) deals with the estates of people domiciled in England & Wales who appear to have died without leaving a valid will or relatives entitled to share in their estates in priority to the Crown.

Estates are administered by BVD in compliance with the law and the legal duties which apply to the administrators of estates.

This includes making reasonable enquiries to establish whether the deceased has left a valid will or relatives entitled to share in the estate in priority to the Crown. Such enquiries include publishing details of the estate on BVD’s website and in the national and local press; making enquiries of banks, local solicitors and other parties and potentially conducting a search of the deceased’s property to establish whether they left a will.

I refer the Honourable Member for Coventry South to the answer given on 25th October 2023 in response to PQ 203635.

As set out by the Prime Minister, the Roadmap out of restrictions in England will be driven by data not dates. As set out in the Roadmap, it takes around four weeks for the data to reflect the impact of easing restrictions from the previous step, and the Government will provide a further week’s notice to the public and businesses ahead of any further changes.

As set out in the Roadmap, step 4 will be no earlier than 21 June. On 14 June, the Government will review the latest data against the four tests set out in the Roadmap. The Government will then set out whether or not it is safe to move England to step 4 on 21 June.

Central Government buyers must publish all tender documents and contracts with a contract value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder. Updated guidance on transparency and the publication of tender and contract documents was published in 2017, Procurement Policy Note 02/17: Promoting Greater Transparency.

We are also taking steps to improve the processes already in place by proposing specific measures to strengthen transparency through the commercial lifecycle as set out in our Green Paper.

At Step 3, no earlier than 17 May 2021, weddings and civil partnership receptions can proceed with up to 30 people either outdoors (including private gardens) or in any COVID Secure indoor venue that is not required by law to remain closed. At Step 3, indoor hospitality will be allowed to open, meaning that wedding receptions can take place in restaurants as well as a range of other COVID-Secure venues and businesses.

Further details on receptions at this Step will be updated in due course to enable us to take account of developments in the pandemic.

For further information, please refer to the guidance for for wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-wedding-and-civil-partnership-receptions-and-celebrations

For further information, please refer to the guidance on reopening businesses and venues, which sets out what businesses/venues open at each step:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reopening-businesses-and-venues-in-england/reopening-businesses-and-venues

The Government has established facilities within 9 Downing Street, rather than 10 Downing Street, which are being used for daily broadcasting by a number of news organisations, therefore I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 169917 on 22 March 2021.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The Export Control Joint Unit will not issue an export licence to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria, including where there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.

The Government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely and will take any action the Government considers appropriate as the situation develops. All extant licences are kept under careful review and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke licences as circumstances require.

The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 2(c) - the provision not to grant a licence if it is determined there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Extant licences are kept under careful review and the Business and Trade Secretary has the power to suspend, revoke or amend extant licences as required.

The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 2, covering respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law.

Extant licences are kept under careful review and the Business and Trade Secretary has the power to suspend, revoke or amend extant licences as required.

During the Energy Bill Relief Scheme review, the Government assessed a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence from businesses and stakeholders, including Post Offices, on sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity.

The outcome of the review informed the criteria of the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, which will run from April until March 2024, and will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including Post Offices. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting businesses and other non-domestic customers over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets.

The Government supports work to reduce the environmental impact of energy companies. As part of the UK's international support for the clean energy transition, the Government provide technical or regulatory assistance that supports energy or emissions efficiency, health, safety, social and environmental standards.

Where activities take place overseas however, it is for the relevant national authorities to determine what regulation should apply. It would not be appropriate for the UK to place additional and potentially conflicting conditions on such activities.

Under Ofgem’s licence conditions, suppliers are required to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers.

As the independent regulator, Ofgem is responsible for ensuring licensed energy suppliers are complying with their rules. Details of Ofgem’s ongoing supplier compliance and enforcement activity, including individual decisions, are at this link: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement/retail-compliance-and-enforcement.

The Government regularly discusses with Shell the importance of action to address the risks of pollution from oil production in the Niger Delta.

More generally we have supported initiatives to reduce the impact of oil and gas production in Nigeria. We have encouraged the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (“HYPREP”) to meet the needs of the communities affected by pollution specifically in Ogoniland. The UK has also supported the gas flare penalty regime in Nigeria and the use of satellites to identify fossil fuel facilities that emit methane at high rates.

The UK Government is supporting Nigeria in meeting its ambitious climate change objectives set by its Nationally Determined Contributions and commitment to net-zero by 2060.

The Government recognise that hospitality businesses are facing cost of living pressures.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced a range of support measures regarding business rates worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.

Councils are responsible for the oversight, administration and publication of their local Assets of Community Value scheme. The Government does not hold a central list of this information and does not require Local Authorities in England to submit updates on the number of Assets of Community Value which they have listed or rejected.

The Government values the important contribution whistleblowers make when they shine a light on wrongdoing. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 gives legal protection to those who speak up in the public interest.

The Government has made numerous improvements to the whistleblowing framework. This includes extending protections to student nurses and midwives, regularly updating the list of prescribed persons, and introducing a legislative requirement for most prescribed persons to produce an annual report on whistleblowing disclosures they receive.

The Government has committed to review the whistleblowing framework. We are considering the scope and timing of this review.

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill, introduced by the Hon. Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East as a Private Member's Bill and backed by the Government, will deliver these changes. It is currently progressing through Parliament and has now completed Commons Committee Stage.

The Government recognises that having a baby with health complications is particularly stressful for parents. This is why we are committed to introducing additional paid parental leave entitlement for neonatal care, to support those new mothers and fathers who need it during some of the most difficult days of their lives.

As set out in our Manifesto, we are committed to making it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave. In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay, this consultation included Paternity Leave and Pay. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

The use of lip syncing and pre-recordings as part of performances advertised as being live is a decision for the artist or performer, and a private contractual matter between them and the event organiser. Event organisers, as with all businesses and traders, must comply with consumer rights legislation.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of the government, and trends relating to audience and viewership are a matter for the BBC.

The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions. It is for Ofcom as the BBC’s independent regulator to ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties.

The BBC includes details on audience trends within their Annual Report and Trust Statement.

The Secretary of State and I have had constructive discussions with the BBC leadership, and have made it clear that the BBC needs to ensure it is more accessible, and representative of the people who pay the licence fee.

There have been extensive reforms to policing practices as well as significant changes to press self-regulation.

Since Lord Justice Leveson published his report on part 1 of the inquiry in 2012, the Government has considered all eight recommendations and introduced a number of reforms to policing. This includes the publication of the policing Code of Ethics by the College of Policing in 2014; guidance on relationships with the media; guidance on whistle-blowing; new powers for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to investigate without referral from the police and voluntary notification by chief constables of post-service employment for 12 months.

There now exists a strengthened, independent, self-regulatory system for the press. The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A number of smaller publishers have joined Impress.

These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections or critical adjudications.

IPSO, unlike its predecessor the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), has the contractual power to legally enforce all the obligations into which the press has entered. This includes determining the wording, where a ruling is placed in a newspaper, in what font size and on what page. As well as dealing with complaints, IPSO can launch a standards investigation in cases where there may have been serious and systemic breaches of the Editors’ Code. IPSO also now has a compulsory low cost arbitration scheme, introduced in August 2018, that all member national newspapers have signed up to. This can be used to make claims for defamation, privacy and harassment, and some data protection breaches.

In 2016 IPSO commissioned its own independent review which found it had made some important achievements in demonstrating it was an independent and effective regulator, and that it was largely compliant with the recommendations of the Leveson Report.