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  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will investigate the compliance of professional advisers to Retail Acquisitions with know-your-customer and money-laundering regulations.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    A regulatory framework is in place to deal with non-compliance with know-your-customer and money-laundering regulations. However, this is not the focus of the current investigation by the Insolvency Service into BHS.

    If, during the course of the current Insolvency Service investigation into BHS, it appears that there is good reason to widen the scope of its enquires, the Insolvency Service has powers under the Companies Act 1985 to initiate confidential enquiries.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 26 April (HL7583 and HL7584), what assessment they have made of whether the same collateral could be used to support risk at both LCH and Eurex.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    I refer the noble Lord to my previous answers of 26 April (HL7583 and HL7780) which noted that, once notified of the merger, the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority would assess the proposal from a regulatory standpoint, and that it would also be subject to assessments and approvals by the competition authorities, overseas regulators, and shareholders.

    My previous answers further noted that any inter central counterparty links would need to be assessed against the relevant parts of European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) by the Bank of England, as supervisor of LCH.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy that the ultimate holding company for the London Stock Exchange remains incorporated in the UK.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    I refer the noble Lord to my previous answers of 26 April (HL7583 and HL7780) which noted that, once notified of the merger, the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority would assess the proposal from a regulatory standpoint, and that it would also be subject to assessments and approvals by the competition authorities, overseas regulators, and shareholders.

    My previous answers further noted that any inter central counterparty links would need to be assessed against the relevant parts of European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) by the Bank of England, as supervisor of LCH.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 28 April (HL7905), whether the Pensions Regulator has taken any action in the case of the BHS pension scheme in order to fulfil its statutory duty to reduce the risk of situations that may lead to claims for compensation from the Pension Protection Fund, and what assessment they have made of whether the Pensions Act 2004 provides adequate protection to pension scheme members.

    Baroness Altmann

    The investigation into the BHS pension schemes and any associated action is a matter for the independent Pensions Regulator.

    Once the Regulator has completed its investigation, any subsequent determination will be published on its website.

    The Government considers that the Pensions Act 2004 provides the Regulator with a sufficient range of measures to protect pension scheme members and the Pension Protection Fund, including anti-avoidance powers to enable it to act where corporate transactions are aimed at avoiding debts to the pension scheme. The powers of the Regulator are kept under review.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the use of the roof of the Hebron Emergency Health Centre as a military base and the closure of its entrance to Palestinian patients.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the destruction by Israeli forces of the Bedouin village of Khirbet Taha in the northern West Bank district of Nablus.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. We have supported Bedouin communities in Area C facing demolition or eviction through our support to Rabbis for Human Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the ban on the import of cement into Gaza for the private sector since 3 April.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise the need to make progress towards a durable solution for Gaza, and press for practical steps to advance reconstruction and economic development with both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

    We are concerned about recent reports of diversion of cement entering Gaza through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism. While we understand Israeli security concerns, new restrictions on the import of cement have resulted in a delay in reconstruction activity and will have a significant impact on employment. The Department for International Development’s support to the Material Monitoring Unit helps to identify such cases of diversion and ensure that appropriate action is taken.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 18 April (HL7718), what action they will now take to protect land designated as a future Palestinian state.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to robustly raise our concerns over Israel’s expropriation of land in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Such steps damage the prospects for a two state solution. The UK has consistently called for an end to settlement expansion, which is illegal under international law. If the Israeli government is committed to a two-state solution then it will reverse its policy.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 18 April (HL7720), what representations they now intend to make to the government of Israel to ensure an adequate power supply to Gaza.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We regularly raise Gaza’s energy needs, which are essential to permit recovery and allow the economy to grow, with the Israeli authorities. A long-term strategy for gas provision needs to be established. In the interim, we are focussing on provision of diesel to run the Gazan power plant, and expanded electricity provision from medium-voltage feeder lines into Gaza from Israel.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding reports of gunfire by Israeli forces at farmers trying to access their land near the border east of Khan Younes.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this specific issue, we have an ongoing dialogue with the Israeli authorities about the Israeli Defence Forces use of live fire.