Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the urgent appeal submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture on 12 September by the international legal team for British citizen Jimmy Lai; and what action they are taking to secure his release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture with respect to British national Jimmy Lai and are deeply concerned by the allegations of torture and mistreatment it makes. The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy Lai's case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July and his case remains a priority for this Government. We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai and we will continue to press for consular access.
Sep. 24 2024
Source Page: UN Human Rights Council 57: UK Statement for Item 4 General DebateFound: In Xinjiang, we echo the statement made earlier by the US, while in Hong Kong, we call on the authorities
Sep. 24 2024
Source Page: G7 foreign ministers' statement in New York, September 2024Found: They are also worried about the crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy and independent institutions, and ongoing
Sep. 23 2024
Source Page: Digital technologies to support self-management of COPD: early value assessmentFound: Chengdu: Chinese University of Hong Kong: 2021.
Sep. 20 2024
Source Page: OSCAR II – publishing data from the database: September 2024Found: Communities TOTAL DEL DEL PROG Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government X085A959 X085A959-HONG
Sep. 17 2024
Source Page: Home Office: structure and salaries, 2024Found: 75000 79999 N/A Policy North West (England) HO202 N/D SCS1 Deputy Director DD EEA Citizens’ Rights & Hong
Sep. 17 2024
Source Page: PLACE Edinburgh and the Short Term Let Working Group: FOI releaseFound: Singapore, New York, Palma, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Istanbul - These are examples of cities which
Sep. 17 2024
Source Page: Former First Minister meetings with international leaders concerning human rights: FOI releaseFound: is open for people age 18 to 30 from Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Iceland, Hong
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the Hong Kong government recognises the British National (Overseas) passport.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will continue to stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong, as we have demonstrated by introducing the bespoke immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders and their eligible family members.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government in what ways they are supporting the integration of immigrants into UK society, and what measures are in place to promote community cohesion and reduce discrimination.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All immigrants with valid status in the UK should be able to fully integrate into British life. Immigrants who come to the UK usually integrate on their own initiative; there is not a one size fits all approach to integration, but we provide specific help to certain cohorts. For example Ukrainians through the STEP programme which provides an intensive 12 week English language and employment support course to support better employment outcomes and economic independence. Other cohorts supported include Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Afghans arriving in the UK through relocation schemes.
Most refugees and those granted protection in the UK integrate successfully and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy, to support this we are working across Government and with local authorities to ensure they have access to the labour market, to mainstream benefits (where eligible) and services, and to mainstream English language provision to enable their integration.
Government policy places a key role in supporting thriving, cohesive and resilient communities. Work is now underway in my Department to develop a stronger approach to support our communities and to build resilience against the challenges they face.