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  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to assist the government of Afghanistan in preventing any illegal trade in lapis lazuli and other minerals.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK supports the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) including through strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to detect and report illegal activity such as the illegal trade in Lapis Lazuli and other minerals.

    However, because most of this illegal activity occurs in insecure areas where there is little or no government control, the UK is supporting Afghanistan’s long term security and stability; including through providing additional troops to assist the Afghan Forces boost security in the country, and providing £178m aid per year to 2017 to support Afghanistan’s economic growth and development.

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to support the government of Afghanistan in strengthening its capacity to control the exports and supply chains of the extractive industries in accordance with OECD due diligence guidelines.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is supporting the Afghan government to responsibly develop its mineral wealth in accordance with OECD guidelines.

    Through the Extractives Sector Support Programme (ESSP), the UK supports the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) to review the legal framework governing extractives and to build a transparent and disciplined fiscal regime. Through the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) the UK is supporting the transparent development of the sector, including through supporting Afghan civil society to bring clarity to the informal mining sector.

    The UK is supporting President Ghani’s anti-corruption initiatives, including his commitment that the beneficial ownership of mining companies will be disclosed as part of Afghanistan’s implementation of the EITI. The UK is also helping the Afghan government implement and enforce these policies through supporting the MoMP to develop its capacity in contract management and inspectorate functions.

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the National Solidarity Programme in Afghanistan receives adequate support and delivers the necessary assistance to the most deprived rural areas.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK supports the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). The UK is one of the largest donors to the ARTF which supports the Afghan government to deliver basic services across the country. UK officials will continue to meet regularly with the World Bank, who are the ARTF administrators, and the Afghan Ministry for Rural Rehabilitation and Development, who manage the NSP, to discuss the delivery of these important programmes and ensure that they reach the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the total immigration figures for each of the last five years from (1) the EU, and (2) outside the EU; and of which nationalities were immigrants from outside the EU in each of those years.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what monitoring the Foreign and Commonwealth Office carries out to assess the progress in implementing the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative in relation to international commitments.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is delivering on its international commitments through a mix of lobbying, programme delivery and the deployment of its team of experts. Project work is monitored on a quarterly basis and, in consultation with our overseas posts, adjusted where improvements are necessary. We also hold regular working level meetings with both non-governmental organisations and like-minded donors. Both serve to ensure the Government’s commitments remain relevant and deliver real impact where it is most needed. An ambitious campaign launched this year seeks to deepen this collaborative work in tackling the stigma associated with sexual violence, improve evidence gathering, enable more prosecutions and reduce the risks posed to civilians in over 13 focus countries. Updates to Parliament and other interested parties are currently via the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security as well as the annual Human Rights report which give an overview of progress made against international commitments.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to complete the training review, publication and roll-out of training programmes on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, for training delivered (1) in the UK to military officers from overseas, and (2) to foreign military forces.

    Earl Howe

    Our Armed Forces already undertake high quality training on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) but a training needs analysis (TNA), which will report shortly, is assessing the level of future WPS/PSVI training required for UK and overseas militaries. Every year around 150 military officers from more than 50 countries attend UK Defence Academy courses that include lectures on WPS; and students on the Advanced Command and Staff Course are offered an additional two week ‘elective’ on "Gender, War, and Armed Forces", which some of the overseas officers choose to attend.

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is also delivering WPS and PSVI in-country training to foreign militaries through the deployment of short term training teams and deployable experts, and via our overseas training establishments. The MOD is developing a standardised core syllabus for the training on WPS and PSVI delivered to foreign forces, which is expected to be finalised in January 2017. Building on the core syllabus, the training is then theatre-specific and tailored to the needs of troops being deployed, based on the level of training they have already received.

    The MOD does not routinely publish its training materials but, as part of an accreditation process, it will share course materials with allies in NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many changes to green belt boundaries have been made in the past five years.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Between 2010/11 and 2014/15, 24 local authorities adopted new boundaries for the designated Green Belt.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the British pound in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The UK does not have an exchange rate target. The UK’s monetary policy framework gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC has the primary objective of maintaining price stability, defined as an inflation target of 2 per cent as measured by the twelve month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. Under the Government’s macroeconomic framework, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.

    Action by the government and the Bank of England over the last six years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. The contingency plans that the Treasury, Bank and Financial Conduct Authority put in place prior to the referendum have proved effective to date, and we will continue to monitor financial markets closely.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk that leaving the EU could negatively affect the growth of startup companies in the UK.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There will be no immediate changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU, in the way goods can move or services can be sold.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK leaving the EU on the level and availability of European funding for UK clean energy projects and other big infrastructure schemes.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    As the Prime Minister has made clear, while the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU funding arrangements continue unchanged. It will be for the government under the new Prime Minister to begin the negotiation to exit the EU and set out the arrangements they will put in place for recipients of EU funding.