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  • Craig Willia – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Craig Willia – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Willia on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government’s objectives are for the Syria Donors Conference on 4 February 2016.

    Justine Greening

    We want the Conference to raise significant new funding to help those affected by the crisis, both to support immediate and longer term humanitarian needs but also jobs and getting Syrian refugee children into school. The Conference also aims to reaffirm the international community’s commitment to protect civilians from harm and the need for unfettered, impartial humanitarian access inside Syria.

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian support the Government is providing for refugee children.

    Justine Greening

    Syria is the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion and is meeting emergency needs of children and supporting them to stay closer to home. At tomorrow’s Syria Conference I expect leaders will agree a new goal that all refugee children from Syria and affected host country children are in education in 2016/17. Last week, my Department also announced a new £10 million fund to help meet the needs of refugee children in Europe and the Balkans.

  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the implications for aid of the 1955 tax treaty between the UK and Malawi.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Secretary of State for International Development has had no discussions on the 1955 tax treaty between the UK and Malawi with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Issues relating to tax treaties are a matter for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to develop agriculture education links with countries that would benefit from UK expertise.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The Department for International Development has supported Partnership Projects covering agriculture and veterinary sciences, across 17 developing countries linking UK Universities and developing country institutions. We have funded research programmes for collaborative projects between UK researchers and partners in Africa and Asia at postgraduate level.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of the Probate Registry and the yield from fee income.

    Lord Faulks

    The cost of the Probate Registry in 2014/15 was £42.5m and the yield from fee income (after remission) was £41.5m.

    The costs relate to probate for “non-contentious” cases, that is where the Will is not in dispute.

  • Baroness Benjamin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Benjamin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Benjamin on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of spending by Arts Council England that goes to supporting children’s participation in the arts.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    A large number of arts and cultural organisations funded by Arts Council England work to ensure that all children get the opportunity to visit, experience and participate in arts and cultural activities. In 2012 –15, 65% of National Portfolio Organisations offered work for, by or with children and young people. During 2015-18 this number will increase to 82%.

    In addition to this, the Arts Council provide £10 million a year to fund a network of Bridge organisations and recently launched the Cultural Education Challenge. Both of these initiatives aim to link up the cultural and education sectors, to give children and young people access to great arts and cultural opportunities.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to operate from the UK Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft belonging to (1) the US Navy, or (2) other allied nations, with British crews prior to the first UK P-8s entering service.

    Earl Howe

    Although a number of options are under consideration to deliver early capability, there are no current plans to operate US Navy P-8A, or those of other Allied nations, from the UK with British crews.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK service personnel embedded with allied nations maritime patrol capabilities under the Seedcorn Initiative are flying the Boeing P-8 Poseidon; and what are the relevant allied nations in each instance.

    Earl Howe

    There are currently 20 RAF personnel in the Seedcorn programme operating P-8A, three pilots and 17 mission crew. All are based in the United States.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Eurostar about child trafficking.

    Lord Bates

    The UK Government takes child trafficking extremely seriously. All Border Force officers at the Eurostar ports in the UK France and Belgium have received training in keeping children safe and all operational processes involving children comply with requirements as set out in the Children and Young Persons Act. Border Force and Eurostar have daily contact on operational matters. When passengers are identified by Border Force officers as potential victims of trafficking, immediate action is taken to safeguard the individual by following Home Office guidance on the treatment of the victims of trafficking. Border Force collects data on these cases in order to notify the Human Trafficking Centre. Contact is also made with Camden Social Services Safeguarding Team as soon as possible in order to establish safe care of the child. Eurostar has its own policy on unaccompanied children travelling on its services which can be found on the internet at: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/accessibility#unaccompanied_children

    Border Force has not provided training to French border officials on UK child trafficking patterns. All cases of suspected trafficking detected by the French border officials at St Pancras are handed to the BTP to action. In France and Belgium any concerns Border Force officers have about vulnerable children attempting to travel to the UK would be referred to the French and Belgian frontier control authorities. The Home Office has not had any discussions with Patina Rail about a proposed new routing between St Pancras and Ashford.

  • Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Doocey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Patina Rail, the owners of Eurostar, about human trafficking and the creation of a commuter route between St Pancras and Ashford that mirrors the so-called Lille loophole.

    Lord Bates

    The UK Government takes child trafficking extremely seriously. All Border Force officers at the Eurostar ports in the UK France and Belgium have received training in keeping children safe and all operational processes involving children comply with requirements as set out in the Children and Young Persons Act. Border Force and Eurostar have daily contact on operational matters. When passengers are identified by Border Force officers as potential victims of trafficking, immediate action is taken to safeguard the individual by following Home Office guidance on the treatment of the victims of trafficking. Border Force collects data on these cases in order to notify the Human Trafficking Centre. Contact is also made with Camden Social Services Safeguarding Team as soon as possible in order to establish safe care of the child. Eurostar has its own policy on unaccompanied children travelling on its services which can be found on its website.

    Border Force has not provided training to French border officials on UK child trafficking patterns. All cases of suspected trafficking detected by the French border officials at St Pancras are handed to the BTP to action. In France and Belgium any concerns Border Force officers have about vulnerable children attempting to travel to the UK would be referred to the French and Belgian frontier control authorities. The Home Office has not had any discussions with Patina Rail about a proposed new routing between St Pancras and Ashford.