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, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help promote freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in West Papua, in the context of recent reports of political imprisonment in that region.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains committed to upholding and defending human rights, freedom of speech and equality at home and oversees. We are aware of increased tensions in the Papua region and we continue to monitor developments closely. We have raised the issue of Papua with the Indonesian Embassy in London. Officials from the British Embassy in Jakarta visited Papua in March 2022 and met with officials, police, local business, human rights defenders, environmentalists and religious leaders. They also visited the region in February and July 2023.
Apr. 17 2024
Source Page: Civil servants employed in Speech Writing team by Scottish Government: FOI releaseFound: Civil servants employed in Speech Writing team by Scottish Government: FOI release
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to bring the provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 into force.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department is working closely with the Office for Students (OfS) to determine when provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will come into force.
The timeline will involve working in collaboration with the OfS on the creation of new registration conditions and a complaints scheme dedicated to handling freedom of speech complaints, which will be operated by the OfS. The OfS will also develop guidance on how to comply with these duties, in consultation with providers, constituent institutions and students’ unions.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her most recent meeting with the Office for Students was.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Secretary of State met with Susan Lapworth, CEO of the Office for Students (OfS), and Lord Wharton, Chair of the OfS on 25 January 2023.
In my capacity as the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, I have also met with the CEO once, and Chair of the OfS twice, in 2023. My noble friend Baroness Barran has also met with the CEO once.
My Right hon. Friend, The Secretary of State for Education has not met with Arif Ahmed, Director of Free Speech and Academic Freedom of the OfS, since his appointment in June 2023. The Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP, the previous Minister responsible for freedom of speech in the department, met with Arif Ahmed once in 2023 following his appointment.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times she has met the Office for Students in 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Secretary of State met with Susan Lapworth, CEO of the Office for Students (OfS), and Lord Wharton, Chair of the OfS on 25 January 2023.
In my capacity as the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, I have also met with the CEO once, and Chair of the OfS twice, in 2023. My noble friend Baroness Barran has also met with the CEO once.
My Right hon. Friend, The Secretary of State for Education has not met with Arif Ahmed, Director of Free Speech and Academic Freedom of the OfS, since his appointment in June 2023. The Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP, the previous Minister responsible for freedom of speech in the department, met with Arif Ahmed once in 2023 following his appointment.
Asked by: Baroness Chakrabarti (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance, if any, they provide to ensure that the work of the National Security Online Information Team is compliant with protection of the rights to freedom of expression and privacy; and whether they will publish that guidance.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government firmly believes that people must be able to debate and discuss issues freely. Preserving individuals’ right to freedom of expression is therefore a key principle which underpin National Security and Online Information Team’s (NSOIT’s) work.
The NSOIT tackles online attempts to manipulate the information environment while respecting the right to free speech and privacy, by only monitoring themes and trends - not individuals. The team is focused on threats posed by foreign states as well as risks to election integrity.
NSOIT has policies and procedures in place, in accordance with all applicable legislation, to ensure that individuals are not monitored and their rights are respected. NSOIT has a privacy notice which sets out how data will be processed and this is regularly reviewed and updated. A copy will also be published on gov.uk shortly. However, the Government does not plan to publish its detailed compliance policy, as to do so would give malign actors, including hostile states, insights into NSOIT capabilities and specific areas of focus.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for freedom of speech of (1) transparency orders, and (2) privacy injunctions, used in family courts, which may restrict named individuals from discussing the case with third parties including family and media outlets.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the importance of enabling the media to access family court proceedings to increase transparency in the Family Justice system while at the same time ensuring the privacy of vulnerable children and families going through court are protected.
Transparency Orders and privacy injunctions are made by the independent judiciary, taking all relevant factors, including freedom of speech, into consideration.
Transparency Orders are used by the court to set the parameters on what may or may not be reported in a particular case without amounting to contempt of court. The template Transparency Order, drafted by the judiciary, is cast in injunctive terms. If a Transparency Order is made in a case, then it is binding on members of the media to whom it applies. The Media Reporting Pilots in the family courts are being independently evaluated before any decisions are made on whether there should be changes to provision on media access to, and disclosure of information from family proceedings.
Report Feb. 13 2024
Committee: Constitution CommitteeFound: 4th Report - Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill Report
Dec. 29 2023
Source Page: Gillian Martin speech at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow: EIR releaseFound: Gillian Martin speech at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow: EIR release
Apr. 30 2024
Source Page: Prime Minister's keynote speech at the Society of Editors 25th Anniversary Conference: 30 April 2024Found: Prime Minister's keynote speech at the Society of Editors 25th Anniversary Conference: 30 April 2024