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  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the continued exclusion of borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority from the definition of risk management authorities in Section 6(13) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

    Dan Rogerson

    All local authorities are risk management authorities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. No local authorities are excluded from the definition of a risk management authority in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

    A ‘borough council’ will either be a unitary authority or a district council. As a unitary authority it will be a ‘lead local flood authority’, which in turn makes it a ‘risk management authority’ in its own right (the same applies to county councils). Where it is not a unitary authority it is a district council, whether known as borough council or city council, and so is also a risk management authority.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will name the lead local flood authority or authorities for the area of the Tonbridge and Malling constituency.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Lead Local Flood Authority is Kent County Council. This is defined under section 6(7) of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to make borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority eligible to apply for flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

    Dan Rogerson

    Borough Councils are already able to bring forward proposals working with the Environment Agency and/or the Lead Local Flood Authorities, should they wish to seek flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

  • Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lindsay Roy on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

    Hugh Robertson

    Egypt has been going through a difficult political transition for over three years. In July 2013, the interim Egyptian Government set out a new roadmap towards Presidential and Parliamentary elections. A referendum on a new constitution was held in January 2014 and was an important milestone. We welcomed the provisions in the new constitution for the protection of the rights of minorities and women and the transition to democracy in Egypt. However, we were concerned by the closure of political space for opposition groups in the run-up to the referendum and the arrest and sentencing of human rights activists. Egypt is now preparing for Presidential elections to be held from 26 – 27 May, which will be observed by an EU Election Observation Mission. Parliamentary elections are due to take place later in the year and are an important step.

    We continue to monitor closely political developments in Egypt. We are concerned about the Protest Law; the prison sentences handed down to three democracy and human rights activists; restrictions on freedom of the press; and the sentencing to death of a large number of people without proper legal process in an Egyptian court in Minya. These cases undermine international confidence in the progress towards reform and democratisation in Egypt. We are also concerned at the rising number of terrorist attacks in Egypt. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed and wounded and all those affected.

    The UK continues to believe that the only sustainable way for Egypt to address its current challenges is through an inclusive political process which allows all Egyptians a voice in the country’s future. The UK stands ready to support the Egyptian people in achieving this.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2012, Official Report, column 260W, on China: animal welfare, whether his Department has made representations to the Chinese government on standards of animal welfare in fur farms in China.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have not made specific representations on animal welfare in fur farms. However the UK is supportive of international efforts to protect animal welfare. We hosted a high level international conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in London in February 2014 where the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt hon, Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) spoke to highlight the importance of action on this issue.

    Over 40 countries, including China participated in the conference, during which, we secured significant commitments, including on the ivory trade, on government procurement of wildlife products, and on treating international wildlife trafficking as a serious organised crime. We are following up with China and other participating countries on this issue.

    Following the conference, Chinese authorities have passed a new law making the consumption of rare wild animals an offence punishable by ten-years in prison.

  • Edward Leigh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Edward Leigh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Leigh on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received advice on the legality of the removal from power of President Yanukovich, pursuant to Article 111 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is not in a position to comment on the legal system in Ukraine. On 21 February, agreement was reached between the then opposition leaders and the then President, Viktor Yanukovych to resolve the political crisis afflicting Ukraine by: signing a new law within 48 hours to reinstate the 2004 Constitution; holding pre-term presidential elections in 2014; and conducting a comprehensive constitutional reform. However, later that day Yanukovych fled Kyiv, abandoning his office as Head of State and was therefore not in a position to fulfill the obligation he undertook to sign the law reinstating the 2004 constitution.

    As the Ukrainian Government had already been dissolved by Yanukovych, Parliament was the only legitimate state body remaining. In view of Yanukovych’s action to effectively remove himself from office, Parliament approved a bill to remove Yanukovych from power, appoint an acting president and, in line with the constitution, to hold presidential elections within 90 days. The bill was approved by an overwhelming majority, including by representatives of Yanukovych’s Party of the Regions which remains the largest faction in the Rada.

  • Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lindsay Roy on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what arrangements his Department plans to leave in place in Afghanistan to protect education for female children.

    Justine Greening

    The UK Government supports girls’ education in Afghanistan through DFID’s Girls’ Education Challenge programmes and our financial support to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund – a multi-donor fund that supports the provision of primary education across Afghanistan. We are committed to Afghanistan for the long term, including supporting education for girls.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on developing international frameworks and forums to provide refugees from climate-induced displacement with legal protection, including legally-worded definitions for such cases.

    Mark Simmonds

    The Government supports work to establish how existing international institutions and frameworks can be used to address climate change induced migration. Refugee status under existing international and EU legislation is based on the risk of persecution, and it is government policy to avoid developing separate frameworks that could duplicate or contradict this. The Government is also committed to securing an ambitious and legally-binding climate agreement next year at Paris COP 21 to limit the damage caused by anthropogenic climate change.

  • Michael Ellis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Michael Ellis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Ellis on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library an inventory of the property of the Government destroyed by rioters in HM Embassy in Tehran in 2011.

    Hugh Robertson

    The British Embassy in Tehran was overrun by a mob on 29 November 2011, resulting in the withdrawal of all Embassy staff. I am placing a list of the property damaged in the Library of the House.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account his Department takes of previous performance on government contracts when assessing bids for new contracts.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department has implemented the Government’s best practice for assessing past performance in its contracts and takes past performance into account as part of a legal and commercial compliance test for any contracts which are greater than £20 million in value. This is in line with the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note, Action Note 09/12, issued on 8 November 2012.