Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the use of ultrasonic anti-social behaviour devices on the health and wellbeing of young people who are not engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all products placed on the market in the UK are safe and a comprehensive regulatory framework exists to ensure this is the case. Products such as ultrasonic devices, including those used to deter anti-social behaviour are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), and may be covered by other product specific laws, such as the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. GPSR require that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The laws place obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers, and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information including instructions for assembly, installation, and maintenance.
Concerns and questions about the safety of any product should be directed to the manufacturer in the first instance. The manufacturer should be able to provide some reassurance or take action to address these. Consumers and members of the public may also liaise directly with the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/). Citizens Advice may, if appropriate, send a copy of the information to the local trading standards service on their behalf. It is the responsibility of the trading standards service which receives the details from Citizens Advice to determine whether there is evidence of an offence, and to decide what further action to take. Alternatively, Citizens Advice themselves may be able to provide advice on consumer rights.
The Department of Business and Trade can confirm that there have been no reports relating to these products on the UK product safety database, which is a system used by regulators to notify information about safety risks and actions taken.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recommendations in the Age International report entitled Universal Health Coverage For All Ages, on the United Nations high-level meeting on universal health coverage in September 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We fully support the three areas set out in the Age International Report. Health systems that deliver the full spectrum of health services from health promotion to palliative care, are responsive to the needs of all citizens, particularly through quality primary health care, and are grounded in a rights-based approach that promote participation and accountability, are essential for global progress on universal health coverage (UHC). These align with the action that the UK will advocate for at the 2030 High-Level Meeting. We appreciate the report's thoughtful and evidence-based highlighting of specific barriers faced by older people and we are working other Member States to ensure that the needs and rights of older people are clearly reflected in the 2023 High-Level Meeting's political declaration.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on allegations of violent human rights violations committed by security forces in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government raises issues about human rights violations at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan, urging them to ensure they act in line with international human rights law, including ensuring everyone's right to a fair trial. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, impressed the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections. We continue to monitor the situation. On 6 September Lord Ahmad condemned attacks against religious minorities in his meeting with the Pakistani High Commissioner.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the arrest of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan; and whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in Pakistan on the arrest.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. The arrest, detention and sentencing of the former Prime Minister is an internal matter for Pakistan. We continue to monitor the situation closely and engage regularly across the political spectrum. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon impressed the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of making non-student visas available to women and girls from Afghanistan who wish to study in the UK and are unable to travel here on a student visa.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help relocate at-risk individuals in Afghanistan. To date, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety from Afghanistan and the neighbouring region, this includes thousands of women and girls.
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) provide two safe and legal routes for eligible people at risk affected by events in Afghanistan to come to the UK.
We recognise there are many vulnerable individuals who remain in Afghanistan and the region. The capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited and difficult decisions have to be made on who will be prioritised for resettlement.
The UK government is appalled by the Taliban’s attacks on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. We continue to work with the international community to press the Taliban to reverse their prohibitive edicts.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart regarding (a) security and (b) human rights in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan closely and regularly raise the issue at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke with the Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 27 June to emphasise the importance of peaceful democratic processes, human rights and adherence to the rule of law. He spoke with the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for Pakistani minorities on 5 September. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord Ahmad emphasised the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Frontier Worker Permit Scheme, what assessment she has made of the implications for her polices of a person who is eligible for a Frontier Worker Permit who has entered the UK without obtaining a Frontier Workers Permit.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The frontier worker permit scheme implements our obligations under the Citizens’ Rights Agreements to protect the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were frontier working in the UK (that is employed or self-employed in the UK but residing elsewhere) before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, for as long as they continue to be a frontier worker.
Since 1 July 2021 frontier workers have been required to hold a valid frontier worker permit in order to evidence their right to enter the UK to work. Irish citizen frontier workers are not required to obtain a frontier worker permit to enter the UK to work, although they can apply for one if they wish. Frontier workers are not required to use a frontier worker permit to evidence their right to work or to access benefits and services while in the UK as they can evidence their status by other means.
Asked by: Lord Hampton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the finding by Citizens Advice in 2021 that 5.5 million people had a parcel lost or stolen in the 12 months leading up to 31 July 2021, what plans they have to persuade courier companies to include parcel tracking in their base level of service.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It is for retailers to determine the delivery services they make available to their customers and the Government has no plans to ask courier companies to provide tracking as standard.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, it is the seller’s responsibility to ensure items ordered are delivered and Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the postal sector, has imposed an ‘Essential Condition’ requiring relevant parcel delivery companies to take all reasonable steps to minimise exposure of postal packets to risk of loss, theft, damage or interference.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competitions grant.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
As part of the grant management process finance and performance reviews of the Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition Grant take place annually. A grant award of £25,000 was made to the Citizenship Foundation in the financial year 2020/2021 to support an interactive programme that introduces state school students aged 12-14 to the criminal justice system through the workings of the magistrates’ court. The award has made a contribution to giving young people an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, knowledge of the legal system and societal skills for later life, such as advocacy and constructive influencing.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterparts about the treatment of human rights defenders in that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Human rights defenders make an essential contribution to the promotion of the rights of their fellow citizens. The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship including issues where we have them. These topics were among issues discussed by Lord [Tariq] Ahmad, Minister for South Asia, with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during his recent visit to India (27-31 May).