Campaign reply - Will you help close the barracks?

 Thank you for contacting me about asylum accommodation conditions.

 

I know that the Government takes the welfare of people in Home Office care extremely seriously and is fulfilling statutory duties to ensure decent, safe and humane conditions. As you will be aware, the Home Office is required by law to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation, paid for by the taxpayer.

 

Home Office providers have different types of accommodation: self contained accommodation and house in multiple occupation (HMO). The former is usually occupied by families who will have sole use of kitchen and bathroom facilities, whereas the latter is usually occupied by single people, couples without children, and/or single parents with specific requirements around access to bathroom and kitchen facilities per occupant. 

 

After looking into this, I have been reassured that those accommodated at these sites have access to appropriate medical care and have access to the 24/7 Migrant Help helpline to raise any issues. Property inspections are also in place to make sure the accommodation is suitable and safe. The accommodation provider is required to inspect the accommodation at least once a month to identify and fix any defects.

 

I will continue to monitor the situation very closely. I welcome the action taken by the Government to ensure the UK continues to meet its obligations and commitments to the most vulnerable people.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please sign EDM 153 condemning Israel's racist 'flag march' through Jerusalem

Thank you for contacting me about the situation in Jerusalem and EDM 153.

My ministerial colleagues and I are committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and to promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Indeed, promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. 

Jerusalem is a holy city to so many, and the UK remains firmly of the belief that maintaining the historic Status Quo is the only means of ensuring freedom of worship. All religious sites should be treated with utmost respect in line with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/258.

Indeed, the position of the UK Government on this matter has remained constant since April 1950, when the UK extended de jure recognition to the State of Israel, but withheld recognition of sovereignty over Jerusalem pending a final determination of its status. The UK recognises Israel’s de facto authority over West Jerusalem but regards East Jerusalem as under Israeli occupation.

 

Let me also assure you that the UK is committed to the protection of media freedom around the world, including the safety of journalists when carrying out their critical work. HM Government continues to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, as well as repeatedly calling for restraint in the use of force. Because of this, I do not believe it is necessary to sign EDM 153 at this time, however, I join ministers in London and officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, British Consulate in Jerusalem and at the UN in calling for calm. 

 

HM Government did so most recently at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on 19 April.

It is crucial that all parties take urgent steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation. The UK is committed to playing its part in this regard and our officials have been engaging with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to support them to this end.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - GMOs

Thank you for contacting me about gene editing and animal welfare.

 

The Government is working to encourage agricultural and scientific innovation in the UK. The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill will enable the development and marketing of precision bred plants and animals, which will drive economic growth and position the UK as the leading country in which to invest in agri-food research and innovation.

 

Ministers recognise that there is a need to safeguard animal welfare and that is why the Government is taking a step-by-step approach with creating enabling legislation for precision bred plants first and then animals. I am assured that no changes will be made to the regulation of animals under the genetically modified organism (GMO) regime until the regulatory system outlined in the Bill is developed to safeguard animal welfare.

 

Further, I am aware that before marketing precision bred animals, developers will need to provide assurances to confirm that the welfare of the animal (and its offspring) will not be adversely affected by any trait resulting from precision breeding. This will be in the form of an animal welfare declaration, with accompanying evidence. The Environment Secretary will need to be satisfied with the declaration before issuing a precision bred (PB) animal marketing authorisation, after which point a PB animal can be marketed. This process will also involve an independent scientific assessment of the declaration.  

 

Finally, all animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for its welfare.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Urge the BHA to finally ban the whip in racing

Thank you for contacting me about the use of the whip in horseracing.

I would like to assure you that the Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare, including the welfare of racehorses. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses and works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.

The racing industry’s independent Horse Welfare Board (HWB) was formed in 2019 and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. I am aware that the HWB recommended that the penalties for the improper use of the whip should be increased in its 2020 publication ‘A Life Well Lived’.

The irresponsible use of the whip is unacceptable and I understand from the BHA that if the rules on the use of the whip in horseracing are breached, then stewards will review the ride and, if required, hand out penalties which are strict in order to act as a deterrent. In 2021, the BHA launched an open consultation on the use of the whip in British racing and I look forward to reading the conclusions of this consultation.

More broadly, I know that officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that both the welfare of racehorses and reducing fatalities and injuries that result from racing remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes. Defra will be monitoring closely how the industry responds to the Board’s recommendations so that the welfare needs of racehorses are met both during and after their racing lives.

Finally, I would encourage anyone with evidence that a racehorse has suffered unnecessarily from being whipped to report it to the local authorities.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Ms Mackrory, please will you come to this important event?

Thank you for contacting me about support for people with arthritis who are waiting for hip and knee replacement surgery. 

 

Unfortunately, due to urgent parliamentary business, I was unable to attend this debate. However, I can assure you that reducing waiting times for operations required by people with arthritis - including hip and knee replacement surgery - is an urgent priority for the Government. 

 

To date, £5.4 billion of funding has been committed to reduce the backlog of operations, including hip and knee replacements. In addition to this, the number of surgical hubs will be increased to deliver more hip and knee replacements in a COVID-secure environment.   

 

NHS England and Improvement has published a plan for the recovery of elective care in England and launched the My Planned Care platform to ensure that people waiting for treatment have access to information and support in the meantime. 

It is important that local NHS bodies clearly communicate with people with arthritis on waiting lists for surgery about when they can expect to be treated, and signpost to information and support available from charities like Versus Arthritis. 

To this end, I am aware that my colleague Ed Argar MP (the former Minister for Health) recently met with Versus Arthritis to discuss their ideas around the recovery of elective treatment and better understand the issues faced by people with arthritis on waiting lists.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - Israel’s illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip

Thank you for contacting me about the situation in Gaza.

Gaza’s humanitarian situation remains deeply concerning.

I am assured that the UK regularly raises with the Government of Israel the urgent need to ease all access and movement restrictions on Gaza, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Ministers and officials continue to stress the damage that these restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel's long-term interests. The UK also regularly raises the issuance of medical permits, which is vital for healthcare for Gazans, with the Israeli authorities.

Restrictions on movement impact infrastructure development, the delivery of vital humanitarian services and limit the professional development of health and humanitarian workers. The UK provided £800,000 in 2020/21 to the Access Coordination Unit (ACU) and the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism to ensure humanitarian access to UN, INGO and NGO workers and allow the entry of building materials into Gaza for the purposes of reconstruction. The ACU has played an important role in facilitating movement of humanitarian personnel and goods during the Covid-19 crisis.

More widely, the UK is a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides core services, including healthcare to Palestinian refugees in Gaza.

Regarding your point about arms, HM Government takes its export control responsibilities extremely seriously and operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are rigorously assessed in accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

 

Licence decisions take account of prevailing circumstances at the time of application and include human rights and international humanitarian law considerations. Export licenses are not issued where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria, including where there is a clear risk that the items might be used for internal repression.

I am assured by my ministerial colleagues that HMG continues to monitor the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories closely, and will take action to suspend, refuse or revoke licences if circumstances require.

 

Ultimately, there needs to be a just, fair, agreed, and realistic solution to the Palestinian refugee question as part of a negotiated peace agreement. The UK is firmly committed to a two-state solution to provide the long-term answer for Palestinian refugees and continues to work closely with international partners, strongly advocating for a two-state solution and encouraging a return to meaningful negotiations in the region.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Campaign reply - protecting journalism

Thank you for contacting me about national security and protecting journalism.

The threat from hostile states is a growing, diversifying and evolving one, manifesting itself in several different forms. Our espionage laws date back to 1911 and I know my ministerial colleagues are concerned that they do not account for how threats to our national security have changed over time.

The UK’s espionage legislation is contained within the Official Secrets Act 1911, 1920 and 1939. While the Government has already strengthened our ability to deter, withstand and respond to hostile state activity, (including through Schedule 3 to the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 which grants an examining officer at UK ports and the border area several powers when a person appears to be involved in espionage on behalf of a foreign government), more can be done to update our laws for the 21st century.

Through the new National Security Bill, the Government aims to deter, detect and disrupt state actors who seek to harm the UK. The Bill seeks to reform existing espionage legislation to tackle modern threats and bring in new offences to address state-backed sabotage, interference, the theft of trade secrets and assisting a foreign intelligence service. Crucially, it will also make it an offence to be an undeclared foreign spy working in the UK.

Furthermore, a Foreign Influence Registration Scheme will be introduced, requiring individuals to register certain arrangements with foreign governments to deter and disrupt state threats activity in the UK. This sits alongside new civil measures that could be used as a tool of last resort where prosecution of a hostile actor is not possible.

I would like to underline that the freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I am committed to protecting the rights and values we all hold dear. Reports that the legislation will treat journalists like spies are incorrect; the media will continue to be free to hold Ministers to account. I simply would not support legislation that limits or erodes press freedom.

 

The new National Security Bill will keep pace with the changing threat and will keep our country safe by making the UK an even harder target for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.