As I said in my statement to the House on 30 October 2012, Official Report, column 160, the preliminary report from the international election observers indicates a number of shortcomings the way in which the elections were conducted. We hope that in the remaining stages of the electoral process, in any appeals that follow, and, crucially, in how the Ukrainian Government conduct themselves after the elections, we will not see the wholesale democratic backsliding that we fear and that would set back Ukraine's relationship with Europe.

The UK remains a strong supporter of Ukraine's European aspirations. We will urge the new Ukrainian Government, when it is formed, to address what needs to be done to bring new vigour to the process of building and sustaining healthy and robust democratic institutions.

The Secretary of State has consented to a police request for a ban on all marches in Waltham Forest and three neighbouring boroughs for 30 days from 27 October 2012. This decision was based on the statutory tests set out in section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 and was necessary to manage the risk of serious disorder.

The measure introducing a reduction from housing benefit for working age social sector tenants who under occupy their home comes into force from 1 April 2013, both for those already receiving benefit and those making a new claim.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I discussed human rights with the Crown Prince of Bahrain on 12 October. We support the reforms already under way and are offering our assistance but we are clear that more rapid progress needs to be made.

We have issued new statutory social housing allocations guidance for councils which highlights the importance of ensuring that under-occupying tenants are given appropriate priority for a transfer, and which encourages councils to identify and remove or revise any provisions in their allocation policy which might make it more difficult for tenants to downsize.

If tenants wish to move to a smaller property, provisions in the Localism Act—which remove transferring tenants who are not in housing need from the allocation rules—together with the introduction of “HomeSwap” Direct, will make it easier for them to do so.

This Department has allocated £13 million over four years (2011-15) to help councils support under-occupying tenants who wish to move, as well as funding an action team within the Chartered Institute of Housing to work with all social landlords to help them promote moves.

The policing of marches and demonstrations is an operational matter for chief officers. The Association of Chief Police Officers' guidance "Manual of Guidance on Keeping the Peace" (2010) makes clear that police forces should engage with all key stakeholders and affected communities to build trust and confidence in the policing plan.

Since May 2010, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has visited Brazil and Panama. In addition to this, the former and current Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) and my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), have visited the following countries: Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Costa Rica.

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect data or make estimates or assessments on the economic effects or the effects on community cohesion of marches and rallies. Managing protest activity is the responsibility of local partners and we trust them to put in place suitable measures to minimise the impact on their communities.

To help local partners do this we have recently provided £200,000 to Luton borough council and Blackburn with Darwen borough council for them to jointly establish and lead a national Special Interest Group on the far right to tackle and challenge extremism. This will help local areas share their best ideas and come up with innovative solutions—including those that will help minimise the economic effects and the effects on community cohesion of marches and rallies.

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect data or make estimates or assessments on the economic effects or the effects on community cohesion of marches and rallies. Managing protest activity is the responsibility of local partners and we trust them to put in place suitable measures to minimise the impact on their communities.

To help local partners do this we have recently provided £200,000 to Luton borough council and Blackburn with Darwen borough council for them to jointly establish and lead a national Special Interest Group on the far right to tackle and challenge extremism. This will help local areas share their best ideas and come up with innovative solutions—including those that will help minimise the economic effects and the effects on community cohesion of marches and rallies.

We have not received an application from South Yorkshire Police Authority for assistance with the cost of policing the recent English Defence League march and rally in Rotherham. As such, we do not have this information.

The Rotherham Central Free School proposal's approval to proceed was withdrawn in February 2012. No funding has been given to the proposers at any point.

The criteria for considering nominations that the FCO uses in all its honours committees are achievement and service to the United Kingdom. The decision to recommend an award is based on merit

in order to reward excellence in achievement and service and these would have been the criteria used in the consideration of the award for Bernard Arnault. Due to the confidential nature of the honours process, we do not comment on why or how a decision to recommend any particular individual for an honour is made.

The Department has no current plans to develop or fund dual carriageway proposals between Newcastle and the border with Scotland within this spending review period.

In preparing for future investment decisions, the Department will be considering the current and future forecast performance of the strategic road network to identify and prioritise the scale of identified problems.

10 members of the Inter-Department Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking are undertaking a range of activities, on or around Anti-Slavery Day, to commemorate this important occasion.

The right hon. Gentleman may wish to talk to his local police and crime commissioner when that person is elected in a month’s time. I will leave it up to the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice to decide whether he wishes to meet the right hon. Gentleman. Where criminal activity is taking place it should be prevented, but I would not wish people’s ability to express their views to be restricted, however unpleasant those views may be for many Members of this House.

[holding answer 6 September 2012]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has not written to the Russian authorities about the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

The Home Office is currently finalising a range of co-ordinated activities for members of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on human trafficking to mark Anti-Slavery Day and to raise awareness.

[holding answer 6 September 2012]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has sent no information to the Russian authorities about any individual who may or may not be connected to the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

We have concerns about the Magnitsky case and continue to make those concerns clear to Russia at the highest levels, noting the strong parliamentary and media interest in the case.

In a meeting with the Russian ambassador on 3 September, I raised the continuing lack of progress in the investigation into Magnitsky's death and urged the Russian authorities to press forward with their investigation, and hold those responsible to account. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised the lack of

progress in bringing those responsible to justice with Foreign Minister Lavrov when he visited Moscow at the end of May. The Prime Minister raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Russia with President Putin when they met in Downing street in August.