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  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their assessment of the UNHCR claim that the United Kingdom is legally obliged to resettle 114 Syrian refugees who have arrived by boat at the British military base in Cyprus.

    Lord Bates

    Those migrants who seek asylum will have their claims considered by the Cypriot authorities on behalf of the Sovereign Base Authorities (SBA). There is no obligation to allow those recognised as refugees to take up residence in the UK.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their response to calls from UNICEF for the United Kingdom to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas in countries of origin and transit at United Kingdom embassies.

    Lord Bates

    There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to extend the Immigration Rules to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas at any UK embassies.

    We are focusing our efforts on resettling vulnerable people in need of international protection from the region, including 20,000 Syrians by the end of the Parliament. This provides refugees with a direct and safe route to the UK and uses established UNHCR processes. This is of course in addition to the £1.12 billion in humanitarian aid provided by the UK for those most in need in the region – more than any other country in the world except the United States.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering allowing refugee children to join relatives, such as grandparents, in the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bates

    Our refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of a person in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status – that is a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18, who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin – to reunite with them in the UK. We have no plans to extend these provisions.

    Where a family reunion application is rejected under the Immigration Rules, such as in the case of refugee child applying to join extended relatives, the Entry Clearance Officer must consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their response to the report by Amnesty International in June that the government of Burma has created a climate of fear by pursuing policies of surveillance, harassment and intimidation.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are increasingly concerned by limits to freedom of expression and assembly in Burma, and a tightening of the democratic space as the November elections approach. These issues have been well documented by Amnesty International and others. We have expressed our concerns to the Burmese authorities a number of times, including during the visit to Burma in July by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), and most recently, when Mr Swire met the Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in New York in September.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers increases the role and powers of Special Advisers; and, if so, whether they plan to bring forward regulations under section 2(5) of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 so that consultant lobbyists would need to register communications made personally to a Special Adviser.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    It is usual practice to publish an updated Code of Conduct for Special Advisers after an election. The updated Code, published on 15 October, does not change the role and powers of special advisers.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new wording in the Ministerial Code, issued in October, alters the legal obligations or duty of ministers to comply with international law and treaties.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lady to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048, which I have attached for ease of reference.

    The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.

    Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.

  • Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 July (HL1498), whether they plan to bring forward regulations regarding rickshaws in London in order to protect tourists from excessive charges.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government is continuing to consider the Law Commission’s recommendations for reforming taxi and private hire legislation, including the proposal that rickshaws in London are brought within the regulatory regime for taxis and private hire vehicles.

    We are already engaged with the Mayor of London in discussing the implementation of the recommendations from the Law Commission.

    The Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions once this scrutiny is completed.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans the Government has to limit the sale of fireworks (a) geographically and (b) seasonally.

    Anna Soubry

    There are already seasonal limitations on the sale of fireworks. The Fireworks Regulations 2004 restrict their sale to the traditional fireworks periods of 5th November, Diwali, New Year’s Eve and the Chinese New Year. It is possible to buy fireworks at other times of the year, but strict conditions are imposed on retailers wishing to sell them outside the traditional periods.

    There are no geographical restrictions on the sale of fireworks, and currently no plans to introduce them, although further restrictions on their sale exist in Northern Ireland where a licence is required for home displays.

    The Fireworks Regulations 2004 contain provisions to minimise the risk of fireworks harming people, property and animals, and Government-sponsored advice and guidance on the safe and considerate use of fireworks is freely available on the Safer Fireworks website.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information the Government holds on the number of (a) domestic and (b) forest or woodland fires caused by the use of fireworks in each of the last five years.

    Greg Clark

    The figures in the table show that almost 750 fires attended by fire crews were recorded as having fireworks as the cause of ignition in either dwellings, other residential or forest/woodland fires over the past five years. However, the Department collects information on the source of ignition for primary fires only. Primary fires include all fires in buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures or any fire involving casualties, rescues or fires attended by five or more appliances. The definition also includes “woodland/forest/crops” but other similar land types (eg “grassland, pasture, grazing etc”) are considered secondary fires for which this information is not gathered.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to provide adequate fire service on bonfire night.

    Greg Clark

    The Government is grateful to all firefighters who continually demonstrate their commitment to protecting their communities, particularly at this busy time of year.

    It is for each local fire and rescue authority to ensure the adequacy of its fire and rescue service provision on bonfire night and throughout the year. Each will have in place an Integrated Risk Management Plan, identifying and assessing the risks facing its communities and determining its priorities in relation to prevention, protection and response.