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1128042

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Sovereignty: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment she has made of the benefits to Northern Ireland of being part of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	910960
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>This Government has made clear on many occasions that we will never be neutral in expressing our support for the Union.</p><p>Northern Ireland benefits hugely from the Union and my steadfast belief is that Northern Ireland’s future is best served within a stronger United Kingdom.</p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley grouped question UIN 910961 question first answered 22/05/2019 14:13:03 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1092120

registered interest
date	20/03/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Dogs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide companion dogs with the same protections as assistance dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	234786
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control (section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991) applies to attacks on other dogs, livestock and any other animals including companion dogs, as it does to attacks on people and assistance dogs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This is based on the judgement in the Court of Appeal in R v Gedminintaite [2008] EWCA Crim 814. This case has shown that consideration of a dog being dangerously out of control is not restricted to situations where a person is present.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 26/03/2019 11:20:21 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078570

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support self-employed people who need to claim employment support allowance.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>We have successfully rolled out Universal Credit in all job centres nationally. Consequently, self-employed people, who have a health condition, can now claim either Universal Credit and/or New Style Employment and Support Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who are eligible to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance can do so by calling the Universal Credit helpline to request a claim form or by downloading and printing the form available on Gov.uk. Full details about how to apply (including information requesting forms in alternative formats such as braille) can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-esa" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-esa</a></p><p> </p><p>Claimants who are not eligible to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance can claim Universal Credit online. For those unable to access or use digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helplines. The Universal Credit Service Centre will establish the best means of support available.</p><p> </p><p>A home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure their application is completed.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, to help claimants who may struggle making a claim, Universal Support is available, which is advice, assistance or support to help Universal Credit and New Style Employment and Support Allowance claimants with managing their claim or award.</p><p> </p><p>From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will deliver a new “Help to Claim” service to support vulnerable claimants through the process of making a claim.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 07/03/2019 13:53:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078601

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Christianity: Oppression
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will convene an emergency international summit, hosted in London, to co-ordinate a response to the attacks on Christians around the world.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>We British Government Ministers regularly raise our concerns about the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, where this occurs. The Government works with a large number of NGOs, to help promote and protect freedom of religion or belief. We use information from a wide range of sources to inform our work. The Foreign Secretary has asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review of the persecution of Christians around the world to help inform this important area of our work to ensure it is targeted and effective. There are no plans to host an emergency international summit on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 06/03/2019 15:39:10 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078602

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Nigeria: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on (a) the rescue of Leah Sharibu and other people kidnapped by Boko Haram and (b) ending the violence against Christians in Nigeria’s middle belt.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226722
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK repeatedly calls for the release of all those abducted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) including Leah Sharibu. We will continue to use our public messaging and extensive engagement with the Government of Nigeria to secure their release. The Government of Nigeria has given assurances that they are making all efforts to secure Leah's release.</p><p>We regularly raise our concerns about intercommunal violence with the Nigerian Government at the highest levels. Our assessment is that religious identity is a factor but the root causes are highly complex, including disputes over land, farming rights, the impact of climate change, grazing routes and access to water. Our High Commission in Abuja is engaging closely with international partners, the Nigerian government, state governments and the National Economic Council to develop measures which address the underlying causes of the conflict, including the recently-announced bi-partisan National Livestock Transformation Plan.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 06/03/2019 16:26:28 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078603

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will co-ordinate an international effort to encourage Christians and other religious minorities who have left Iraq and Syria to return to those countries to rebuild their lives.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226723
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK supports the right of all Iraqi and Syrian refugees, regardless of religion, to return to their homes safely, voluntarily and in dignity, when conditions allow.</p><p>Syria is not currently an environment for safe, voluntary and dignified refugee return. We are calling for a negotiated political settlement to end the conflict and create the conditions for refugees to return.</p><p>During my visit to Iraq in January I raised the importance of voluntary returns of refugees and internationally displaced persons with representatives from the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. To help enable these returns, the UK has committed over £47 million to directly improve conditions in areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq, including an additional £6.9 million which I announced during my visit.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/03/2019 12:43:49 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078604

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Pakistan: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to Christians on death row on charges of blasphemy in Pakistan .
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>It is the British Government's longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in all countries. We remain deeply concerned by the misuse of the blasphemy laws and the treatment of minority religious communities, including Christians, in Pakistan.</p><p>We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. Most recently my colleague Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, discussed the treatment of minority communities with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during his visit to Pakistan on 18 and 19 February. At the UN Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan in November 2017, the UK pressed Pakistan to strengthen the protection of minorities and to explain the steps being taken to tackle the abuse of the blasphemy laws.</p><p>To ensure the United Kingdom is supporting Christians in the best possible way, the Foreign Secretary has commissioned an independent, global review of the support provided to Christians overseas. The Review will consider what additional practical steps the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can take to support persecuted Christians. It will be led by the Bishop of Truro, Rt Revd. Philip Mounstephen, and will make an initial report around Easter.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 08/03/2019 14:38:23 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078606

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the rights of Christian minorities in Burma.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226725
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>The British Government continues to express out concern at restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in Burma. The Minister for the Commonwealth and the United Nations raised the UK's concerns about persecution faced by Christian and other minorities in Burma in his speech to the Human Rights Council in February 2018. The UK, working with the EU and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, secured a UN Human Rights Council Resolution on 27 September 2018 that called for the amending or repealing of discriminatory provisions of the &quot;protection of race and religion laws&quot; in Burma covering religious conversion, interfaith marriage, monogamy and population control. The British Ambassador met the Burmese Minister for Religious Affairs on 9 August 2018, and underlined the importance of interfaith dialogue.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 06/03/2019 15:43:19 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078607

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Egypt: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote religious tolerance and justice for Coptic Christians in Egypt.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226726
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>​We condemn the terrorist attacks targeting the Coptic community and continue to stand with Egypt against terrorism. We regularly raise our concerns over issues affecting Christians with the Egyptian Government and welcome President Sisi's consistent calls for peaceful coexistence. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, visited Cairo in November, where he reaffirmed our mutual commitment to freedom of religion or belief and held a roundtable with religious leaders at the Anglican Cathedral.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/03/2019 11:59:18 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1078611

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the rights of Christian workers in the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	226727
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN have had a number of recent engagements with religious leaders, interested organisations, partner governments and parliamentarians on the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of human rights of Christians and all religious minorities around the world, including in the Middle East. We are also engaged on issues which impact on the situation of Christians working in the Middle East, including the rights of migrant workers and refugees and the ability of members of religious minorities to access labour markets in relevant countries in the region.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/03/2019 12:51:15 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson