Category: Speeches

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the international aid budget has been spent on India in the last five years.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The table below provides details of total UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to India as a percentage of total UK ODA.

    Year

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Percent of Bilateral ODA to Total ODA

    6%

    5%

    3%

    3%

    2%

    2%
  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received concerning the welfare of refugees and migrants removed from Greece to Turkey, in the light of reports that some are being detained in camps at Düziçi and elsewhere, without access to legal advice or medical services.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government takes very seriously any allegations of the inappropriate treatment of migrants or refugees, and we would urge any evidence substantiating the allegations to be made available to us and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We note Turkey’s strong assurances about the treatment of migrants and refugees in its camps and removal centres. And also note the recent agreements reached betweenTurkey, the European Commission and the UNHCR, providing them with access to the Düziçi Camp and Kirklareli Removal Centre, and the UNHCR’s positive view following its initial visit. We will be following the outcome of future visits closely.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to First Vice-President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan to encourage their political dialogue.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Whilst we have not been able to be in direct contact with President Salva Kiir or First Vice President Riek Machar since the escalation in fighting on 10 July, we have in the past made repeated representations to both, urging them to abide by the terms of the peace agreement they signed up to in August 2015. The further fighting that has broken out is therefore deeply disappointing and we are working with regional and international partners to ensure a clear message on the necessity for a lasting ceasefire and condemnation of violence from all sides.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the international coalition is making in its work to defeat Daesh.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​As recent progress in Qayyarah in Iraq and Manbij in Syria demonstrates, our strategy of supporting local forces, including with airstrikes is working. The Coalition assesses that Daesh has been driven out of around half the territory it once occupied in Iraq and over 20 per cent in Syria. Thousands of people have been freed from Daesh’s rule and many of those who have escaped have now been able to return to their homes. The next major challenges are driving Daesh out of Raqqa and Mosul.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen its border security with Liberia.

    James Duddridge

    Through our commitment to the UN Peacekeeping Budget, the UK contributed £23 million to the UN Operation in Côte D’Ivoire (UNOCI) and £19.5m to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in financial year 2014/2015, both of which help secure the Côte D’Ivoire-Liberia border. The UK has supported UN Security Council Resolutions 2226 and 2239 extending the mandates of both Missions into 2016.

    Despite incidents early in 2015, neither UN commander has reported any recent security concerns along the border region. We welcome the improved security situation and greater stability in Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire. We expect both governments to assume increased responsibility for the security of their shared border as the two UN missions begin to draw down.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with internet service providers on preventing sexual abuse, cyber bullying and social media abuse of young people on the internet; and whether that industry adheres to a code of good practice on such matters.

    Edward Timpson

    I co-chair the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), along with from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Internet Safety and Security. UKCCIS is a group of more than 200 organisations drawn from across government, industry, law, academia, and charity sectors that work in partnership to help keep children safe online. The four main internet service providers are executive members of the UKCCIS Board and the Board regularly discuss the best ways to prevent all forms of online abuse.

    Under the UKCCIS, the UK’s Communications regulator, Ofcom, is leading a working group to develop best practice guidance for providers of social media for emerging social media platforms to encourage responsible practice from industry, and ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way. This guidance will be delivered shortly. All the key players are round the table in this important collaborative project, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft.

    The government will continue to work closely with social media companies to make sure they are committed to protecting children who use their platforms.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received on the interpretation and implementation of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide in relation to the killings by Daesh of Christians and other minorities in Syria and Iraq; what response he has made to such representations; what steps he is taking to establish an international consensus on that issue; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Adama Dieng was appointed UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on 17 July 2012. His role is to: raise awareness of the causes and dynamics of genocide; to alert relevant actors where there is a risk of genocide; and to advocate and mobilise for appropriate action. The Office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect has made a number of statements in relation to the situation in Iraq and Syria. These statements can be found on the UN website, and cover a range of issues including: incitement to violence in Syria on religious grounds; expressing concern about the on-going threat to the safety of minority groups in Syria; and expressing alarm at reports of the abduction of 1,500 Yezidi, Christian and Shabak women and girls.

    Any judgement on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) physical state, (b) mass quantity and (c) total radiological quantity in Becquerels was of Defence Nuclear Materials transported or carried by fixed wing aircraft or helicopter in the last five years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    In the last five years, 23 flights carrying Defence Nuclear Materials (DNM) were undertaken. All flights were between the UK and the United States on fixed wing aircraft under the control of UK Armed Forces. No such flights passed over Scotland, or involved the use of helicopters.

    I am withholding details of the physical state, mass and radiological quantity of DNM transported as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security.

    The transport of DNM is carried out to the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations. In over 50 years of transporting DNM in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or to the environment.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for how long Saxton Bampfylde Ltd has acted as an employment adviser to his Department.

    Anna Soubry

    Saxton Bampfylde does not act as an “employment adviser” to the Department. When recruiting for some senior positions Ministers may choose to engage an executive search agency to ensure a strong and diverse field of candidates. A procurement exercise is undertaken to contract with a suitable executive search firm for each specific recruitment campaign.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the measures in place in each EU member state to tackle nationality-based pay discrimination against seafarers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In 2015 my officials contacted all of the EU member states with a maritime sector to determine how they approached this issue. The responses we received suggested that the general approach harmonised closely with our own.

    To seek information from a broader base, as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (currently being undertaken by my department) social partners have been surveyed about any evidence they may have which would indicate that nationality-based pay discrimination is prohibited in other member states. This review is due for publication in summer 2016.