Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to support local LGBT+ communities in the most challenging contexts in low and middle income countries.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is committed to championing LGBT+ rights internationally and supporting those who defend them. Ministers and our overseas missions work closely with partners to advance LGBT+ equality, and promote the implementation of new laws and policies that better protect LGBT+ people from violence and discrimination.
Since 2018, the UK committed over £11 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights. On 24 June, the Prime Minister announced a further £2.7 million of UK funding to support LGBT+ grassroots human rights defenders, and advance equality and freedom across the Commonwealth.
Asked by: Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether (1) women, (2) girls, and (3) LGBT+ people, who are relocated to Rwanda will be afforded the same safety as in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Rwanda is a safe and secure country with respect for the rule of law. We have carried out a robust report that demonstrates our commitment to fully evaluating whether Rwanda would be suitable for each potentially eligible person to be relocated.
We would only ever work with countries that we know are safe and will treat asylum seekers in accordance with relevant international human rights laws. Furthermore, Rwanda’s constitution includes a broad prohibition on discrimination.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2021 to Question 53888 on Conversion Therapy, whether Government policy has changed since that response.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to ban conversion therapy. We are currently analysing responses to our recent public consultation.
The Government’s actions to protect people from conversion therapy extend beyond legislating. We are procuring a support service for victims and those at risk via a helpline and website which will provide initial pastoral support, and signposting to services such as counselling and advice about emergency housing.
The Government has reluctantly taken the decision to cancel this summer’s Safe To Be Me conference. We have been proud to work alongside civil society partners, businesses and others to develop ambitious plans for the conference and appreciate the time and effort that all stakeholders have put into this.
We are disappointed that the conference will no longer be going ahead and remain committed to strengthening LGBT rights and freedoms. We will continue to support human rights defenders globally and to influence and support countries on the path to decriminalisation.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban conversion therapy in the UK.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to ban conversion therapy. We are currently analysing responses to our recent public consultation.
The Government’s actions to protect people from conversion therapy extend beyond legislating. We are procuring a support service for victims and those at risk via a helpline and website which will provide initial pastoral support, and signposting to services such as counselling and advice about emergency housing.
The Government has reluctantly taken the decision to cancel this summer’s Safe To Be Me conference. We have been proud to work alongside civil society partners, businesses and others to develop ambitious plans for the conference and appreciate the time and effort that all stakeholders have put into this.
We are disappointed that the conference will no longer be going ahead and remain committed to strengthening LGBT rights and freedoms. We will continue to support human rights defenders globally and to influence and support countries on the path to decriminalisation.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what further discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on banning conversion therapy in all circumstances following the withdrawal of over 100 LGBTQ+ organisations from the Government's Safe To Be Me conference.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to ban conversion therapy. We are currently analysing responses to our recent public consultation.
The Government’s actions to protect people from conversion therapy extend beyond legislating. We are procuring a support service for victims and those at risk via a helpline and website which will provide initial pastoral support, and signposting to services such as counselling and advice about emergency housing.
The Government has reluctantly taken the decision to cancel this summer’s Safe To Be Me conference. We have been proud to work alongside civil society partners, businesses and others to develop ambitious plans for the conference and appreciate the time and effort that all stakeholders have put into this.
We are disappointed that the conference will no longer be going ahead and remain committed to strengthening LGBT rights and freedoms. We will continue to support human rights defenders globally and to influence and support countries on the path to decriminalisation.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in Latin America on the legalisation of same-sex marriage in their respective country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is a champion for the human rights of LGBT+ people. Ministers and our overseas missions work closely with partners to champion LGBT+ equality and inclusion, adopting new laws and policies that better protect LGBT+ people from violence and discrimination.
In December 2021, the UK celebrated adoption of same-sex marriage legislation in Chile - the eighth country in Latin America to support equal marriage. We look forward to welcoming representatives from Latin America to the Safe To Be Me conference on LGBT+ equality in June.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department plans to take support transgender and non-binary Ukrainian overcome barriers preventing them from leaving Ukraine safely.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Combating violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. It is important that all those seeking to leave Ukraine are able to do so; we will continue to liaise with authorities on the ground to ensure this principle is respected.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department is offering to people from (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) LGBT+ minorities and (c) religious minorities in the Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are concerned about credible reports of discrimination against people of African, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds amongst those seeking to leave Ukraine. The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. Combating violence and discrimination against minorities forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. We have pledged £220 million of aid, which includes £120 million of humanitarian assistance and deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting refugees fleeing Ukraine, through providing logistics advice and analysis of needs on the ground.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the risk to people from (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) LGBT+ minorities and (c) religious minorities as a result of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are concerned about credible reports of discrimination against people of African, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds amongst those seeking to leave Ukraine. The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. Combating violence and discrimination against minorities forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. We have pledged £220 million of aid, which includes £120 million of humanitarian assistance and deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting refugees fleeing Ukraine, through providing logistics advice and analysis of needs on the ground.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to Afghans with UK visas in travelling to the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government responded swiftly to the fast-moving and challenging events in Afghanistan, including supporting the largest and fastest evacuation in recent history. We can be proud as a country that we helped over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan in August 2021 and we continue to do all we can to enable those who are eligible to relocate to the UK.
We have continued to bring people to the UK, with 1,500 people helped to enter since the evacuation, including people under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, LGBT+ Afghans, female judges and human rights defenders.
People in these groups who were evacuated to the UK will now be granted indefinite leave to remain; where such people were called forward for evacuation but did not make it out of Afghanistan they will be prioritised for inclusion in the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available.
Those who were not called forward, and who hold a UK visa, are expected to make their own arrangements to travel to the UK.