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1611934

registered interest
date	18/04/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Crown Prosecution Service: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to increase its number of legal trainees.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	181477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) runs an award-winning and highly competitive legal trainee scheme that has seen hundreds of trainees undertake a training contract and/or pupillage across England and Wales with the CPS since 2012. The CPS has extended its post graduate qualification requirements, to include not only the LPC and Bar Qualification, but the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination, which opens a career in law to a broader and more diverse audience.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2023 16:28:15 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1607970

registered interest
date	27/03/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Shahid Hussain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the arrest of UK national Shahid Hussain in Pakistan.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	174271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2023 answer text <p>Mr Hussain was released on 27 March. We are aware of reports of arrests and continue to monitor the situation on the ground. Where there are credible allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be investigated in line with due process.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 04/04/2023 15:45:27 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1605111

registered interest
date	17/03/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the High Seas Treaty will be ratified.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	168036
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2023 answer text <p>Draft text for an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction - the BBNJ Agreement - was agreed on 5 March. It will be adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference at a further meeting, later this year. This is a landmark agreement for biodiversity and will mean much greater protection for over 60% of the global ocean. The UK will work to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible, and work with global partners to ensure it is implemented quickly and effectively.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 27/03/2023 15:54:36 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1603909

registered interest
date	14/03/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Occupied Territories: Violence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential role of the Lions' Den organisation in levels of violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	165260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>While the FCDO has not made any specific recent assessment of the Lions' Den organisation, we continue to monitor the situation closely and our diplomatic teams in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are in constant communication with their hosts. The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the UK wants to see a de-escalation of tensions in Israel and the OPTs in his phone calls with both the Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Malki on 7 March, and we continue to encourage all sides to take action which delivers this. The recent agreement in Aqaba is encouraging in that regard. The UK Government will continue to do all it can to support a peaceful, negotiated, two state solution to the conflict, which we believe is in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/03/2023 13:56:51 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1603910

registered interest
date	14/03/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to support the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	165261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>I [Minister Rutley] refer the honourable member to the comments made by my noble colleague, Lord Goldsmith in the House of Lords on 7 March. The UK Government remains in close contact with the US Government about the US Middle East Partnership for Peace Act and how existing peace-building projects and funding can better support the goals of this Act. We share the objective of advancing economic, social, and political connections, and peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians. We stand ready to collaborate and coordinate further, including regarding the Act's Advisory Board, as additional information about its plans and priorities become available.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/03/2023 14:04:16 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1603644

registered interest
date	13/03/2023
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	Support for Mortgage Interest
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his policy to increase the level of payments through the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme in line with increases in the Bank of England base rate.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	163851
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>It is not SMI policy to increase the level of SMI payments in line with increases in the Bank of England’s base rate.</p><p> </p><p>The standard interest rate we pay is set at a level based on the Bank of England's published monthly average mortgage interest rate. We have selected this rate because it is the average interest rate that applies to outstanding mortgages, including fixed and variable mortgages. The Bank of England data is the most reliable as it is based on information that covers over 75 per cent of all banks and building societies' mortgage business. It is also updated on a regular (monthly) basis</p><p> </p><p>The standard interest rate is currently set at 2.09% and will only change when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate differs by 0.5 percentage points or more from the rate in payment.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 21/03/2023 14:18:34 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1602338

registered interest
date	08/03/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Broadband: Hendon
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help provide fast and reliable broadband throughout Hendon constituency.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	161268
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2023 answer text <p>More than 99% of premises in Hendon have access to Superfast broadband speeds (&gt;=30 Mbps) and over 69% can access gigabit-capable broadband. This is up from just 12% in March 2019, and is expected to increase as we support suppliers to expand their networks.</p><p>We introduced measures in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to specifically assist telecoms operators providing broadband services, such as an increased ability to upgrade and share the existing duct and pole network and a procedure to deal with non-responsive landowners. This is in addition to the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021, which makes it easier for broadband operators to install in multiple dwelling units where the landlord is repeatedly unresponsive to requests for access.</p><p>We have also taken steps to ensure that new homes are built with fast, reliable broadband. On 26 December 2022, new regulations came into force making it mandatory for new homes in England to be future-proofed with gigabit-ready physical infrastructure and - where they can be provided within a cost cap - gigabit-capable connections. This will help ensure that many more new households each year get the connectivity they want and need without costly and disruptive installation work after the home is built.</p><p>For premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, we are delivering Project Gigabit, which is focused on bringing gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach areas across the UK. There are high levels of commercial coverage within the borough of Barnet, and we are reviewing this commercial coverage prior to identifying what support could be provided through Project Gigabit.</p><p>Attracting private investment and incentivising competition in the fixed telecoms market is integral to the government’s strategy to deliver nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable broadband. Through the 2018 Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR) and the 2019 Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP), we brought forward substantive proposals to make it easier for new firms to enter the market and compete with the incumbent provider, such as granting competitors access to Openreach’s national network of ducts and poles. The SSP gave Ofcom a strategic priority to incentivise private investment and market competition by providing long-term regulatory stability. This approach has been successful – the UK fixed telecoms market now has over 80 companies investing c.£35 billion in its networks.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez grouped question UIN 161269 161270 question first answered 14/03/2023 16:43:24 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1601814

registered interest
date	07/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Afghanistan: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to (a) identify eligible applicants of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme still within Afghanistan who meet the criteria for vulnerable minorities and (b) provide that information to the Foreign Office to assist in the implementation of the Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	160246
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2023 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) has been designed to support those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values, as well as vulnerable people, including members of minority groups at risk.</p><p> </p><p>Under Pathway 3, in the first year, places are being offered to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni in Afghanistan or the region, and their dependents.</p><p> </p><p>The FCDO is working hard across Government to progress referrals under Pathway 3. They received over 11,400 expressions of interest, which they have been assessing against the eligibility criteria. Any offer of resettlement will be subject to security screening and provision of biometric information.</p><p> </p><p>The FCDO are notifying those who have completed initial security checks and providing advice on next steps. Some eligible individuals and their families have already arrived in third countries, where they are offered accommodation and support from the International Organisation for Migration. We look forward to welcoming the first arrivals to the UK under Pathway 3 as soon as practicable.</p><p> </p><p>Further details on the eligibility criteria for the ACRS and how vulnerability is taken into consideration has been set out in the policy statement:<br> <br> <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fafghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement&amp;data=05%7C01%7CEleanor.Morris3%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7Cb2280e1b7b58445b077908db25711f33%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638144939996866855%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=l6AMcfsGToYuRV5gfJHwlj29DkHXGsyJjAt9%2BnSb%2B6w%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement</a>.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 15/03/2023 16:26:45 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1600270

registered interest
date	01/03/2023
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla: Stone of Destiny
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Parliament on arrangements for the return of the Stone of Scone for the Coronation.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	156118
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2023 answer text <p>Under the terms of a Royal Warrant granted in 1996, the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia are charged to safeguard, repair and preserve the Stone of Scone and to ensure the Stone can be used in the Coronation of future Sovereigns. The Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are working with the Scottish Government, Historic Environment Scotland and the Commissioners on the movement of the Stone for the Coronation of King Charles III, as part of the preparations for the Coronation proceedings.</p> answering member constituency Dumfries and Galloway answering member printed Mr Alister Jack question first answered 08/03/2023 15:17:35 answering member 4619 label Biography information for Mr Alister Jack
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1599839

registered interest
date	28/02/2023
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Conveyancing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will update the Estate Agents Act 1979 to ensure that the security of the paper based system for the conveyancing of properties is retained.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	155081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2023 answer text <p>Last year we signalled our intention in the Levelling Up White Paper to work with industry to improve the home buying and selling process. We are currently developing a detailed plan to take this work forward, including digitalisation of the residential property sector and improving the quality of upfront information.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 08/03/2023 14:07:24 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord