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  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26859, if she will update her Department’s response to e-petition 104867, on legalisation of medicinal cannabis, in respect of the information on availability of the drug Sativex.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government’s position is unchanged. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has issued a marketing authorisation and the Home Office has amended the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to enable Sativex to be available to patients via health care practitioners.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23729, what the Government’s policy is on the confiscation of the belongings of Syrian refugees over a certain value to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government does not confiscate the belongings of Syrian refugees or refugees of any other nationality to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to counter people trafficking.

    Karen Bradley

    We are committed to tackling people trafficking and all forms of modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle modern slavery, ensures that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences up to life imprisonment, enhances support and protection for victims and places a duty on large businesses to report on what they are doing to stop modern slavery occurring in their global supply chains. We have successfully lobbied for the establishment of the first ever UN Sustainable Development Goal to end modern slavery and are working with a range of international partners to tackle slavery and its causes. We are also piloting a new approach to identifying and supporting potential victims of slavery through the National Referral Mechanism and we have appointed an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to spread best practice in the UK and overseas.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account the police takes of mental health conditions when deciding whether to prosecute people under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

    Mike Penning

    The police and Crown Prosecution Service work together to take decisions on whether to pursue a prosecution under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, applying the evidential and public interest tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The Code provides that prosecutors should have regard to whether the suspect is, or was at the time of the offence, suffering from any mental or ill health as, in some circumstances, this may mean that it is less likely that a prosecution is required.

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase aid to Jordan in order to help that country cope with the inflow of Syrian refugees.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This funding will support those in need inside Syria and in the surrounding region which is dealing with the impact of the crisis, including Jordan. Final country allocations are still being decided but it is clear that aid from the UK in Jordan will rise compared to previous years.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will issue a response to EDM 1011, Fire at Mzuzu University, Malawi.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK recognises the terrible loss for Mzuzu University and academia in Malawi caused by the fire in December 2015 which destroyed the university library and its stock of 45,000 books.

    We commend the Scotland Malawi Partnership for coordinating efforts in Scotland to appeal for donations for the restocking and rebuilding of the library. Officials have met with the Scotland Malawi Partnership and the Mzuzu University Vice Chancellor to discuss possible funding opportunities. It is encouraging that Scottish Universities are again demonstrating Scotland’s unique people to people approach to supporting Malawi at a time when the country is also facing a humanitarian crisis and funding priorities are in strong competition.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has made to reallocate UK aid funding from cross-EU funds and programmes in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. The civil service works to support the government’s position.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of the change in the OECD definition of foreign aid to include some military spending on the effectiveness of aid spend on reducing poverty.

    Justine Greening

    We welcome the outcome of the recent High Level Meeting of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which agreed how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) rules should be updated to better tackle the pressing global development issues of the 21st century. The updates to the ODA rules both better recognise the detrimental impact that conflict, fragility and insecurity have on efforts to tackle poverty and reflect the importance of private sector investment for development.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Government will contribute emergency aid to Fiji and its surrounding islands following the recent cyclone.

    Justine Greening

    The UK is assisting Fiji in response to Tropical Cyclone Winston. The UK makes core contributions to the UN Agencies, CERF, ECHO and the Red Cross, all of whom may contribute to the response. We are also contributing technical support to strengthen UNICEF’s capacity and are ready to consider further requests for humanitarian experts should it be required. DFID has also offered to provide support to the UN Disaster & Coordination team and will remain in contact with Agencies in the region.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2016 to Question 26161, how will the funds raised as result of the Supporting Syria Conference be used to create sustainable jobs in Levantine states with high youth unemployment.

    Justine Greening

    As set out in the Co-hosts’ Declaration from the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference (available at https://www.supportingsyria2016.com/media/) donor funding will support plans set out in detailed Statements of Intent by refugee-hosting governments aimed at improving the investment climate and creating jobs for host communities and refugees from Syria.

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