Category: Speeches

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will undertake an urgent and comprehensive review into British arms export licences to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government is satisfied that export licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licencing criteria. The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government routinely keeps factors relevant to the licensing of arms exports under active review, and Ministers are consulted in the event of any significant changes in the circumstances relating to UK-licensed exports to ensure that licences comply with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Since the outset of the conflict in Yemen the Government has kept all extant licences and new licensing to Saudi Arabia under continuous review, and has exercised special caution and vigilance in granting new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia, handling each on a case-by-case basis. The conflict in Yemen is being monitored closely, and that monitoring is taken into account as part of the careful risk assessment for exports to Saudi Arabia.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater diplomatic co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is crucial for the security and prosperity of both countries. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runneymede and Weybridge, visited Afghanistan and Pakistan last month and urged their leaders to work closely together, including on the reconciliation process.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the causes of political and social instability in North Africa and the Middle East.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is central to the commitments of the National Security Council, Strategic Defence and Security Review, and the UK Aid Strategy. DFID works towards stability and security in the region through a joined up approach across HMG, prioritising efforts on what we can affect, exerting international influence and building resilience to prevent further failure. Our mission is to assist progress towards stability, preventing extremism and managing migration. The majority of our resources are targeted at a protracted humanitarian response and support stability through a focus on economic reform, education, jobs and local good governance. Since February 2012 and up to the end of financial year 2015/2016 we have spent nearly £1 billion. We will spend £510m in the region this year through the UK Syria crisis response, which will support humanitarian and non-humanitarian projects in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, benefiting people affected by the conflict.

    An important aspect of the cross HMG response to build stability in the region is the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) under the direction of the National Security Council. CSSF brings together HMG effort on conflict, stability, security and peacekeeping and responds to emerging crises in states where the United Kingdom has key interests. In 2016/17 the CSSF will commit £189m in MENA. The CSSF provides funding to a range of programmes that target the underlying drivers of conflict and instability, from security and justice to peacebuilding (political settlements and transition, community-level dispute resolution and conflict management), human rights protection and governance reform.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) staff and (b) external stakeholders were consulted on the proposal to close the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions policy unit in his Department.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department leads the health and care system in England, working closely with a range of organisations on whose expertise it draws, including the nursing and midwifery expertise in NHS England and Public Health England. The Department’s approach to ensuring that nurses are consulted about future policies is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arms-length bodies, regulators, stakeholders and professional bodies.

    The Department’s policy teams will establish new networks and relationships with stakeholders and partners and collaborate with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to ensure systems are in place to secure advice when developing evidence based policy. These changes do not affect the role of the CNO, who as CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing and midwifery issues.

    The Department is changing the way it works to deliver its essential work for the Government while achieving efficiency savings. All of the changes we are making through the resulting DH2020 programme are being done transparently and communicated to staff.


  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 25 July (HL1110), whether they are at variance with the government of the Republic of Cyprus regarding its unilateral call for an end to current trade and economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU; and what assessment they have made of whether that call casts doubts on the Republic of Cyprus’ sincerity and dependability in other areas of common interest, including the Talks Process.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    On 1 July 2016, the European Council unanimously agreed to prolong economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until 31 January 2017. The EU remains united in its strategy of resolving the Ukraine crisis through diplomacy underpinned by robust sanctions pressure. All EU Member States have agreed that the duration of the sanctions is linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.

    The UK has a strong relationship with the Republic of Cyprus. With respect to the Cyprus settlement talks, we commend the courageous leadership of President Anastasiasdes and Mr Akıncı. As The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan) made clear during his visit to Cyprus on 6-8 September, the UK will continue to support the efforts of both communities to reunite Cyprus.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken towards securing international agreement for the elimination of nuclear weapons in line with the Non-Proliferation Treaty; and what plans he has for further steps towards such agreement in the next 12 months.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    As stated in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the UK is working with our international partners to tackle proliferation and to make progress on multilateral nuclear disarmament. The UK plays a leading role on disarmament verification with the US and Norway. In February 2016 the UK proposed a Programme of Work at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva with the aim of reinvigorating the Conference’s work. The P5 Process, initiated by the UK, brings together nuclear weapons states to build trust and confidence to help create the conditions which would enable disarmament. Over the coming year we will continue to press for key steps towards multilateral disarmament, including the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and successful negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament.

    The Government continues to work to deliver the Strategic Defence and Security Review commitment to reduce our stockpile of nuclear weapons to no more than 180 warheads by the mid 2020s.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees whether any staff of the House of Lords are paid less than the recommended Living Wage for London, and if so, how many and in which departments they work.

    Lord Laming

    The House of Lords Administration was accredited as a London Living Wage employer in November 2013. We have kept in line with changes to the Living Wage since. No staff employed by the House Administration are paid below the London Living Wage.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14443, what sources of funding which are not from the Government are available for the resettlement of Chagossians in the Chagos Archipelago.

    James Duddridge

    Following the conclusion of a 12 week public consultation on the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory on 27 October, the Government is now considering the responses. As part of that work we are aware of the existence of options including EU and private sector funding to reduce any potential upfront cost to the UK taxpayer of any resettlement. No decision has yet been made about whether to allow a resettlement, and because of that, no discussions have yet been had with any external funding organisations. In any decision, it is important we take into account the high cost associated with resettlement but also the open-ended liabilities it could incur and the need for the military facility on Diego Garcia to continue to operate unhindered.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the two emergency authorisations covering the use of two neonicotinoid pesticides on a small proportion of the UK oilseed rape crop to expire; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    Both emergency authorisations expired on 20 November 2015.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what preparatory work his Department has undertaken on the administration of differential rates of child benefit across EU member states.

    Damian Hinds

    Details of the proposals for child benefit are subject to ongoing negotiation.