Author: admin

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Malaysian government regarding (a) the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, (b) Malaysia’s sodomy laws and (c) sedition laws.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The hon. Member will be aware of my statement of 10 February, the day the judgement was announced. In this I expressed deep concern at the Malaysian Federal Court’s decision to uphold Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction for sodomy. I had previously raised concerns about the case on 4 December when I met the Malaysian High Commissioner. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised this issue when he met Malaysia’s Foreign Minister on 9 December.

    Our High Commission in Malaysia has discussed the matter with Malaysian ministers and officials on several occasions, and officials from the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur observed the trial alongside other local diplomatic missions.

    Wider representations on Malaysia’s sodomy laws have been confined to Anwar Ibrahim’s case as charges have been extremely rare.

    We have lobbied for the repeal of the Sedition Act over many years. We are aware of the recent comments by Prime Minister Najib concerning plans to strengthen the Act rather than repeal it. We await more information about the scope of the proposed amendments. Until we know what these entail, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the conviction and imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    As I said in my statement on 10 February, the day he was convicted and sentenced, Anwar Ibrahim’s case raises worrying questions about the independence of the judiciary and rule of law in Malaysia. As such, we have consistently raised concerns with the Malaysian government.

    Malaysia is an important partner and friend to the UK. We continue to believe that the integrity of the rule of law is a key part of its success, as are the values of modeation and tolerance. We encourage Malaysia to recognise the importance of international confidence in its judicial system and to restore trust in its commitment to human rights.

  • Peter Luff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Peter Luff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the UK establishing diplomatic relations with Nepal.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are keen to commemorate the establishment of relations with Nepal, given the historic and warm relationship between our two countries, and the outstanding service rendered by the UK by the Gurkhas. The UK is working closely with the government of Nepal on the plans for the bicentenary which will culminate in March 2016 to mark the ratification of the Treaty of Segauli signed in March 1816. Plans are underway to mark this important anniversary in both the UK and Nepal, including through a series of cultural and educational events with senior level engagement.

    Separately, the bicentenary of the commencement of Gurkha recruitment – ‘Gurkha 200’ – will be marked between March and June 2015. More information can be found on: http://www.gurkha200.co.uk/.

    “

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Chinese authorities on religious freedoms in Zhejiang province.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    As stated in my response of 16 October 2014 (PQ 209774), we have concerns about all restrictions placed on freedom of religion or belief in China, including those placed on Christians in Zhejiang Province. We are particularly concerned by reports that a number of churches have had their crosses removed, been demolished, or forced to close. We regularly raise our concerns with Chinese counterparts and highlight them through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. We last raised the issue of religious freedom in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage respect for freedoms of religion, association and speech in Niger.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief continue to be important human rights priorities for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

    We were concerned by recent attacks on churches and other buildings in Niger following protests against the publication of the Charlie Hebdo magazine. FCO officials recently met religious groups to discuss these incidents.

    We will continue to monitor the situation in Niger closely, both bilaterally and through our international partners such as the European Union and the United Nations.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three financial years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The average number of hours staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have spent participating in learning and development, during the last three financial years were:

    2013/14 – 51.7 hours per person
    2012/13 – 43.6 hours per person
    2011/12 – 43.7 hours per person

    We record participation in hours because the length of learning and development varies considerably. This data refers to UK Based Staff development activities only. We do not hold data centrally on the learning and development undertaken by Local Staff employed overseas. To obtain this would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Like all organisations we invest in training and developing staff. It helps us to provide the best service to the UK and deliver value for the taxpayer. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold central records for all Learning and Development spend. Individual Directorates and overseas Posts each have a devolved budget for learning and development. Amounts vary. To obtain a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated to learning and development will incur disproportionate cost. Based on the records we do hold, the total amount allocated to learning and development during the past 3 years were: 2011-12: £18,931,475 2012-13: £17,722,379 2013-14: £17,805,262 These figures cover the costs of all courses, including language training. It also includes the associated running costs (including salaries) to deliver learning and development in the UK and our 270 overseas posts. The data for 2014/15 is unavailable.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Like all organisations we invest in training and developing staff. It helps us to provide the best service to the UK and deliver value for the taxpayer. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold central records for all Learning and Development spend. Individual Directorates and overseas Posts each have a devolved budget for learning and development. Amounts vary. To obtain a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated to learning and development will incur disproportionate cost. Based on the records we do hold, the total amount allocated to learning and development during the past 3 years were: 2011-12: £18,931,475 2012-13: £17,722,379 2013-14: £17,805,262 These figures cover the costs of all courses, including language training. It also includes the associated running costs (including salaries) to deliver learning and development in the UK and our 270 overseas posts. The data for 2014/15 is unavailable.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The total spend on staff learning and development in the last three financial years, combining both central spend by the learning and development section of Human Resources (HR) and by local directorates, is presented in the table below. The figures in the table below include payments for Civil Service HR expert services which in turn includes Civil Service Learning fees.

    Financial Year

    Annual Learning and Development Expenditure £

    2011-12

    976,527

    2012-13

    1,037,196

    2013-14

    779,461

    1 April 2014 – 31 January 2015

    644,335

    The information in the above tables does not include costs incurred for programme-funded training, or training for non-permanent workers within the Department.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of cataract surgery procedures that were carried out by West Midlands NHS trusts in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    The sum of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) with a main or secondary procedure of; (a) IVF cycle procedures, (b) cataract surgery procedures, (c) hip replacement operations, (d) knee replacement operations, (e) varicose vein surgery procedures and (f) breast reduction operations carried out by West Midlands NHS Trusts in 2013-14 is shown in the attached table.