Alex Sobel MP: written questions
280 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Electronic Travel AuthorisationsHome OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether dual citizens with British or Irish nationality are required to apply for electronic travel authorisation to travel to the UK in instances where their British or Irish passport has expired.
Answer: We recommend that all dual nationals travel on a valid British or Irish citizen passport (or Irish passport card) or with a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode to minimise any potential delay during their journey; or at ...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Travel AuthorisationsHome OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on whether transport carriers can accept (a) an expired British passport and (b) other evidence of British citizenship as proof of exemption from the electronic
Answer: We recommend that all dual nationals travel on a valid British or Irish citizen passport (or Irish passport card) or with a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode to minimise any potential delay during their journey; or at ...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordKenya: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much overseas aid funding his Department disbursed to (a) the Kenyan government and (b) Kenyan civil society organisations in financial year (i) 2022-2023 and (ii) 2023-2
Answer: In 2022 and 2023, Kenya featured within the top ten recipient countries for UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2022/23 we spent £45 million of bilateral ODA in Kenya. In 2023/24, this figure increased to £48 million of bilateral ODA. O...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDietetics: ApprenticesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of dietetic apprenticeships.
Answer: We will refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan next summer, to ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need, when they need it. This will include how we ensure that...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: SubsidiesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, If he will delay announcing subsidy decisions on Drax until after he has received Ofgem’s report on the compliance of Drax with sustainability rules during the last financial year.
Answer: The Government only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with our criteria. The results of Ofgem’s investigation into Drax’s compliance with biomass sustainability criteria was published in August 20...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPrize Money: ResearchDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18602More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish the research that her Department has commissioned London Economics to undertake on the online prize draws and competitions market.
Answer: The Department is still considering the findings of the independent research, which looked at the size and nature of the prize draw market, as well as possible gambling harm associated with these products. This research is informing our policy considerati...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPrize MoneyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18388More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to bring forward secondary legislation to regulate large-scale commercial prize draws.
Answer: Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPrize MoneyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18387More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published on 27 April 2023, when she plans to introduce consumer protections for players
Answer: Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPrize MoneyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18386More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to limit the value of prizes offered by large-scale commercial Prize Draws.
Answer: Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSanctions: EnforcementForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18176More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to increase resources for enforcement agencies to (a) investigate and (b) prosecute complex sanctions evasion schemes.
Answer: A range of Departments have responsibility for the enforcement of UK sanctions, including the Home Office, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Transport and HM Treasury. Resourcing is decided by those Departments and their agencies in conjun...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18175More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating confiscated proceeds from (a) sanctions breaches and (b) penalties for (i) human rights and (ii) humanitar
Answer: His Majesty's Government is committed to clamping down on sanctions offenders and takes action in all cases where it is appropriate to do so. Fines issued for breaching sanctions are absorbed into HMG's overall budget. The Government assesses that it is f...
Answered 13 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: Translation ServicesHome OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure translators used by police forces are impartial.
Answer: Police are operationally independent so this is not a matter for the Home Office.The National Police Language Services (NPLS) team oversees the procurement and provision of language and interpretation services for police forces across the UK .National Pol...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHuman Rights and OppressionHome OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a (a) hotline for reporting and (b) focus group on (i) politically motivated assaults and (ii) transnational repression.
Answer: Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact their local police in the first instance. In the event that a person believes they are subject to an imminent threat, they should call 999.The National Security Act 2023 strengt...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: SponsorshipHome OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure sponsor licenses are processed within the service standards timeframes.
Answer: All fully completed, straightforward sponsor licence applications are currently being considered within the service standard timeframes.Only a small number of applications remain outside the service level agreement in cases where further information is re...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAutism: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training the NHS offers on pathological demand avoidance.
Answer: Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is most often understood as a characteristic experienced by or observed, or both, in some autistic people, but professional consensus on its status is still required. PDA is not a recognised and stand-alone diagnosis wi...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: AutismDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17218More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting schools to train staff to support (a) autistic students and (b) students with pathological demand avoidance.
Answer: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordKenya: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations on allegations of (a) corruption, (b) police killings, (c) disappearances, (d) torture and (e) attempts to suppress the right to protest i
Answer: The Foreign Secretary engages the Kenya Government on the importance of tackling corruption. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 2024, the Foreign Secretary and Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary discussed the Open Government Partnersh...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSub-Saharan Africa: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) help ensure and (b) verify that funding provided to governments in (i) Uganda, (ii) Kenya and (iii) other countries in sub-Saharan
Answer: The FCDO has a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, fraud, and misuse of UK development funding. We continually assess the impact of our ODA programming to ensure that it is delivered in a transparent manner with funding used for its intended purpo...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordKenya: JudiciaryForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had (a) meetings and (b) other discussions with (i) The Good Law Project and (ii) other campaigning groups on judicial independence and the rule of law in Keny
Answer: Whilst we have not held discussions with the Good Law Project, the FCDO has engaged with various groups to discuss judicial independence and the rule of law in Kenya. As part of this the British High Commission Nairobi has had regular engagements with the...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordKenya: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent (a) meetings or (b) other discussions with human rights NGOs on reports of human rights abuses in Kenya following protests in that country.
Answer: The British High Commission Nairobi regularly engages with human rights organisations in Kenya. In November 2024, the High Commissioner attended the 2024 UN Human Rights Defenders Awards alongside the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Kenya and...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: TrainingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training her Department requires call handlers to complete.
Answer: All directorates within DWP receive Telephony learning. This begins with new joiners receiving induction and mandatory learning which covers topics such as communicating effectively, delivering excellent customer service, keeping safe, and how to support ...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: FraudDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a service standard timeframe for criminal investigations by her Department into fraud.
Answer: There is no Service Level Agreement for criminal fraud investigations. Each case presents unique complexities, depending on the offence type and individual circumstances. Cases are often operationally challenging due to the complexity of the work required...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: FraudDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17211More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many decision makers in her Department are working on cases of benefits fraud.
Answer: As of the 31st October 2024, Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) Directorate has the following Full Time Equivalent (FTE) assigned to decision making:CFCD Internal Decision MakersAdministrative OfficerExecutive Officer Total181.2148.6329.8 *This c...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordOppressionHome OfficeTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a reporting system for transnational repression.
Answer: Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact their local police in the first instance. In the event that a person believes they are subject to an imminent threat, they should call 999.The National Security Act 2023 strengt...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: Hong KongDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 17013More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on how many (a) students studying at UK universities hold British National (Overseas) visas and (b) such students are from Hong Kong.
Answer: The department does not hold data on the number of students studying at UK universities who hold British National (Overseas) (BNO) visas, including those from Hong Kong. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publi...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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