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1608508

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to mark Gypsy, Roma, Traveller history month in June 2023.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member for Strangford to the answer of 19 January 2023 to Question <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-01-12/122193" target="_blank">122193</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/04/2023 16:58:40 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608509

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Biometrics: Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to provide support to people who are required to visit a third country for biometric checks to apply for a UK visa.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>An individual must, in most circumstances, provide their biometrics, in the form of a facial image and fingerprints, when applying for a visa or a biometric immigration document before they come to the UK. This is to ensure we can confirm their identity and fix them to it, and to conduct background security checks to establish whether they pose a threat to public safety.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office contracts two commercial partners, VFS and TLS Contact, to operate its global network of Visa Application Centres (VACs) who provide application centres in over 230 locations across 138 countries. It is not economically viable for UKVI to have VACs in every city or country across the world and it may not be sustainable to open new locations where volumes are lower.</p><p> </p><p>Individuals who are unable to travel to a VAC should not normally make an application until they are able to do so. We have a robust escalation process in place for very exceptional cases where a customer has a compelling reason why they are unable to travel to a VAC.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 21/04/2023 13:41:48 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608510

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
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	Algeria: Churches
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 he has made of the implications for his policies of the closure of churches in Algeria.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in Algeria. We engage regularly with groups from different faiths to understand their circumstances and any challenges they may face. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, raised the ability of religious minorities to freely practice their faith with the Algerian authorities during her visit to Algiers in September 2022. The Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised church closures when he met the Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs in June 2022 and also with the Algerian Ambassador to the UK in March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 17/04/2023 08:35:08 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608511

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
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	Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the re-imprisonment of Fariba Kamalbadi and Mahvash Sabet in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176585
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>The UK unequivocally condemns the persecution of religious minorities in Iran. Reports of increased detentions, expropriation of land and destruction of homes indicate the regime intensified its repression of the Baha'i community in 2022. On 20 December 2022, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce, expressed the UK's condemnation of the sentencing of Baha'i leaders Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi to a further decade of imprisonment. We continue to work closely with our international partners to hold Iran to account for its dire human rights record, and to raise these issues with the regime at all appropriate opportunities.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 17/04/2023 10:07:01 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608513

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Avanti West Coast: Contracts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of renewing the contract with Avanti West Coast on operational performance on that line.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	176708
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Avanti West Coast has put in place a recovery plan which has already seen positive results, with more trains running for passengers and fewer Avanti West Coast caused cancellations. Weekday services have risen from 180 to 264 trains per day, the highest level in over two years. Cancellation rates have fallen from around 25% to 4.2%, the lowest level in 12 months. In addition, over 100 additional drivers have been recruited to reduce reliance on union-controlled overtime working.</p><p>Avanti West Coast is expected to continue to adhere to the plan and drive further improvement following the decision to grant a short-term contract extension. Officials will continue to use all contractual levers to drive the best outcomes for passengers. Performance will be closely monitored ahead of any decision on the longer-term operation of the contract.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Huw Merriman question first answered 21/04/2023 10:09:18 answering member 4442 label Biography information for Huw Merriman
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1608514

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
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	Housing: Sales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the trends in the number of house sales in the housing market in the last six months; and what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of property sales.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	176709
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Information about property sales in the UK is published every month by HM Revenue and Customs and can be found <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fmonthly-property-transactions-completed-in-the-uk-with-value-40000-or-above&amp;data=05%7C01%7CParliamentary%40levellingup.gov.uk%7Caaf417b5acec4c6eb4a208db4188bb1b%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C638175827718842915%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=f6CX6s9we6tzUHFDZuAVoZsQ6k298%2BiXsEPKi0yvbe0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>. We committed to improving the home buying and selling process in the Levelling Up White Paper, by working with industry to ensure that potential buyers have access to critical information in an accurate and timely digital format.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 21/04/2023 11:07:13 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1608515

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
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	Nigeria: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Nigeria on recent elections and potential steps to avoid outbreaks of violence.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>Nigeria's recent elections marked a significant moment in the country's democratic progress. I [Andrew Mitchell] met the leading presidential candidates ahead of the voting to urge for peaceful and free elections and hope to continue this engagement with the incoming administration at and after the inauguration. UK Government officials have worked with a range of counterparts throughout the process, including to encourage the Nigerian electoral commission to address issues identified and by pressing parties to reach a peaceful resolution to their disputes through the courts. We look forward to working with the new administration to support a more prosperous and secure Nigeria.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 17/04/2023 15:47:50 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608516

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Tidal Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to increase the UK's tidal energy capacity.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Tidal stream companies are eligible to apply for the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, the UK’s main mechanism for supporting low-carbon generation.</p><p> </p><p>Tidal stream projects are also eligible for a suite of research funding programmes including the UK Research and Innovation matched Horizon funding.</p><p> </p><p>Tidal stream and tidal range are included in the scope of the draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for Energy published in March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 21/04/2023 10:04:44 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608517

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates: Sentencing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the extended sentencing powers for Magistrates.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	176589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2023 answer text <p>The Government has always been clear that we needed flexibility to vary Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers, and that is why it took the power to do so last year in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022.</p><p>Since extending Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers in May 2022, we have been monitoring data to identify the impacts of the policy change, including increases in election and appeal rates.</p><p>We are currently experiencing downstream pressures in the criminal justice system, as manifested in Operation Safeguard, and it is important that the government ensures a cohesive cross-system response to this growing pressure. Whilst the increase to magistrates’ court sentencing powers is not the only factor behind this pressure, and our data on the impact is still limited, we believe it is safest to temporarily reduce magistrates’ court sentencing powers to 6 months so that the Crown Court retains power over decisions in respect of longer sentences.</p><p>It is nearly one year on from the implementation of the extended powers, and this pause gives us time to review the measure, taking into account how it is being used and assessing relevant data across the criminal justice system, with a view to reinstating the powers should this be supported by the evidence.</p><p>This change is no reflection on the magistracy or their use of the extended powers: the Government places immense value on the continuing and outstanding contribution of Magistrates to the justice system.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 176590 question first answered 19/04/2023 07:49:18 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1608518

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates: Sentencing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of giving extended sentencing powers for magistrates on a permanent basis.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	176590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2023 answer text <p>The Government has always been clear that we needed flexibility to vary Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers, and that is why it took the power to do so last year in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022.</p><p>Since extending Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers in May 2022, we have been monitoring data to identify the impacts of the policy change, including increases in election and appeal rates.</p><p>We are currently experiencing downstream pressures in the criminal justice system, as manifested in Operation Safeguard, and it is important that the government ensures a cohesive cross-system response to this growing pressure. Whilst the increase to magistrates’ court sentencing powers is not the only factor behind this pressure, and our data on the impact is still limited, we believe it is safest to temporarily reduce magistrates’ court sentencing powers to 6 months so that the Crown Court retains power over decisions in respect of longer sentences.</p><p>It is nearly one year on from the implementation of the extended powers, and this pause gives us time to review the measure, taking into account how it is being used and assessing relevant data across the criminal justice system, with a view to reinstating the powers should this be supported by the evidence.</p><p>This change is no reflection on the magistracy or their use of the extended powers: the Government places immense value on the continuing and outstanding contribution of Magistrates to the justice system.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 176589 question first answered 19/04/2023 07:49:18 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa