Every parliamentary written question tabled by Abtisam Mohamed this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 161–180 of 289 · this parliament
What estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse of carbon capture technologies in each of the next three years.
The Autumn Budget settlement provides £3.9bn in 2025-26 for the first carbon capture and storage clusters in the UK. The breakdown of costs by financial year is commercially sensitive whilst negotiations progress. The cost of carbon capture after 2025-26 will be disclosed following the conclusion of the second phase of the Spending Review.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to reduce exports of plastic waste.
Plastic waste is a commodity which is traded on a legitimate global market. Exports can complement UK based reprocessing to help ensure more materials are recycled rather than landfilled or incinerated. Some of the plastic waste we export is used in the manufacturing of products which UK consumers subsequently purchase, thereby promoting the efficient circular economy we are striving for.
What steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) reduce (i) socio-economic and (ii) ethnic disparities in the rates of (A) neonatal death, (B) brain injury and (C) pre-term birth.
The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies across ethnicity and deprivation, including what targets are needed. This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.There has been some good progress to date. As part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and includes initiatives to reduce inequalities. All Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.The Government is currently piloting a training programme to help avoid brain injury in childbirth, and to address variation and improve safety for mothers and their babies. If successful, national rollout is expected to commence next year.The Department’s officials work closely with NHS England and maternity and neonatal sector partners to monitor inequalities in perinatal outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation, including through the published Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK reports.
If he will set clear and measurable targets to help tackle socio-economic and ethnic disparities in the rates of (a) neonatal death, (b) brain injury and (c) pre-term birth.
The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies across ethnicity and deprivation, including what targets are needed. This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.There has been some good progress to date. As part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and includes initiatives to reduce inequalities. All Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.The Government is currently piloting a training programme to help avoid brain injury in childbirth, and to address variation and improve safety for mothers and their babies. If successful, national rollout is expected to commence next year.The Department’s officials work closely with NHS England and maternity and neonatal sector partners to monitor inequalities in perinatal outcomes by ethnicity and deprivation, including through the published Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK reports.
If he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.
The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.
If he will initiative a review of UK treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlements.
The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) that contain investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). In 2022, these BITs covered at least £195 billion of UK investment overseas.ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without adequate compensation.The Government has no plans to review UK treaties containing ISDS.
What assessment his Department has made of the viability of carbon capture technologies.
Carbon capture technology has been proven in many countries across the world, and the Climate Change Committee have described it as a “necessity not an option” for reaching Net Zero. As a part of the initial assessment for choosing the first CCUS clusters, projects were assessed against five criteria including deliverability, under which technical viability was considered.
With reference to paragraph 3.46 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, how much of the additional funding for further education will be spent on adult learning.
This government is committed to driving economic growth and supporting opportunity for all, and further education (FE) is central to this. The government is providing an additional £300 million for FE to support development of the skills our economy needs, and a further £300 million to support colleges to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estate. The department will set out how the additional funding will be distributed in due course.
Whether she has had discussions with stakeholders on the potential merits of in-sourcing court language services.
Through the language services stakeholder forum, the Ministry of Justice has regular conversations with stakeholders and was made aware of their view of outsourcing from these conversations. This view was used to clarify the options explored within the delivery model assessment and resulted in the consideration of insourcing, and hybrid options of insource and outsource.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to work with (a) the Palestinian authority and (b) Egypt to identify (i) adults and (ii) children with disabilities in order to evacuate them for treatment in the UK.
The UK government is closely monitoring the impact of the conflict in Gaza on access to medical facilities and healthcare, including for disabled people. Through our support to UK-Med, we are helping to run field hospitals in Gaza. On 16 October, I announced £1 million of UK assistance to support medically evacuated Palestinians in Egypt. Through the World Health Organisation, the funds will provide vital supplies and medications, including rehabilitative equipment, and will strengthen capacity to care for patients with chronic diseases. UK funding to UNICEF is also providing lifesaving healthcare and specialist treatment to families in Gaza. We continue to press Israeli leaders on aid access including medical supplies: on 18 October the Prime Minister underlined that the dire humanitarian situation cannot continue. Israel can and must do more to ensure aid reaches civilians in Gaza.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is providing targeted funding to help ensure that children with disabilities in Gaza are included in UK-funded humanitarian responses in Gaza.
The plight of disabled children in Gaza is deeply distressing. They are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, and their access to healthcare is disproportionately affected in times of conflict. The UK continues to provide significant funding to partners to support those most in need, including £5.5m in additional funding for UK-Med to run field hospitals in Gaza, and an additional £6m for UNICEF to provide lifesaving aid to vulnerable families in Gaza. We are also the second largest donor to the 'Education Cannot Wait' fund which supports 5,000 children affected by the crisis, including those with disabilities. On 16 October, I announced £1 million of UK assistance to the World Health Organisation to support medically evacuated Palestinians in Egypt. These funds will provide vital supplies and medications, including rehabilitative equipment. We continue urgently to press Israel to ensure sufficient aid, including vital medical treatment, reaches civilians in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his 14 November call with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to evacuate (a) children and (b) adults from Gaza, including those now in Egypt, for medical treatment that is not available in either place.
The plight of sick and injured people in Gaza is deeply distressing. We urge Israel to open safe, regular routes for those requiring medical evacuation. There are provisions that allow Palestinians to come to the UK for Private Medical Treatment under the Immigration Rules. Where a relevant application is made consideration will be given to exceptional circumstances, compelling or compassionate grounds. The UK is supporting the provision of essential healthcare to civilians in Gaza, including support to UK-MED for operating their field hospitals. We also recently announced £1m for the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, delivered through WHO Egypt, to support medically evacuated Palestinians from Gaza.
What steps her Department is taking to collect biometric data from Palestinians seeking to reunite with family members in the UK in the absence of a functioning visa application centre in Gaza.
In most circumstances, foreign nationals who are required to apply for entry clearance to come to the UK are required to enrol their biometrics in the form of a facial image and fingerprints as part of the application process.The Visa Application Centre in Gaza has been closed since 7 October 2023 due to the conflict in the region and to ensure the safety of staff and customers. UKVI will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the supplier, VFS, to re-open the centre when it becomes safe to do so.In the interim, those who wish to make a UK visa application are required to enrol their biometrics at an alternative Visa Application Centre. For those in OPT this includes Ramallah or Jerusalem. Customers can visit Welcome to VFS Global | vfsglobal for an up to date list of Visa Application Centres in the region.The Government is working with the Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian authorities to identify alternative safe routes for British nationals and other eligible people to leave Gaza. Ultimately, it is at the discretion of the Israeli authorities as to who can leave Gaza.
How many requests for (a) predetermination and (b) biometric excusal have been granted to Palestinians in Gaza seeking to reunite with family members in the UK since 7 October 2023.
Since 7 October 2023, the Home Office have granted 143 predetermination requests, and 5 biometric excusal requests to Palestinians located in Gaza.The Home Office is aware from legal representatives that two Palestinian nationals located in Gaza died before their applications for predetermination/bio excusal had been concluded.
What steps she is taking to enable Palestinians from Gaza to be reunited with their family members in the UK.
Palestinian nationals who wish to come to the UK and do not have a current UK visa can apply under one of the existing visa routes available. The routes available for families to reunite will depend on the status of the sponsor. Options available may include appendix family reunion, appendix family migration - where the sponsor is a British national or has indefinite leave, and can also include dependents of those with most work or certain postgraduate study visas. Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. It is the decision of the Israeli authorities as to who can leave Gaza.
How many entry clearance applications from Palestinians in Gaza have been approved since 7 October 2023.
Since 7 October 2023, the Home Office have granted 143 predetermination requests, and 5 biometric excusal requests to Palestinians located in Gaza.The Home Office is aware from legal representatives that two Palestinian nationals located in Gaza died before their applications for predetermination/bio excusal had been concluded.
What steps her Department is taking to tackle tax avoidance in British Overseas Territories.
The Overseas Territories are an integral part of the British family, and the elected governments of inhabited Overseas Territories are responsible for many fiscal matters, including tax. The Overseas Territories have all made commitments to following the highest international tax standards, including the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for the automatic exchange of information for tax purposes. The UK provides support to the Overseas Territories to implement those standards. The communiqué from the Joint Ministerial Council on 19 to 21 November included commitments to improving corporate transparency by completing plans to implement Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2024-communique/b71f1ac8-d55c-44fb-b6a3-365f07a98689.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations of the 14th Report of Session 2017-19 of the Home Affairs Committee entitled Immigration Detention, HC 913, published on 12 March 2019, in the context of her Department's review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.
The Adults at Risk review is a wholesale review of the policy, including Rule 34 and Rule 35 of the detention centre rules. Accordingly, the review will engage broadly with some of the themes in the Report, since the focus of the review centres on vulnerability in detention.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the turnover threshold to £500,000 for businesses that are required to fund the Groceries Code Adjudicator.
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is currently funded by an annual levy on the 14 large retailers that are designated under the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code) by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA assesses annually whether retailers which have a turnover exceeding £1bn of grocery sales in the UK should be designated under the Code. The £1bn threshold is set out in the Groceries (Supply Chain Practices) Market Investigation Order 2009 which is the responsibility of the CMA.
Whether her Department has had discussions with (a) people that have experienced immigration detention and (b) charities and NGOs on the review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.
We will be engaging with NGOs as part of the review at the appropriate time, to ensure that they have the opportunity to share their views and experiences of working with those who have been in immigration detention.