Category: Speeches

  • Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Avebury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Avebury on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have investigated claims by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that weapons supplied by the UK, such as Paveway IV missiles, have been used by Saudi Arabia to attack civilian targets in Yemen; and whether they have taken legal advice about the UK’s responsibility for such attacks under international humanitarian law.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Ministry Of Defence monitors incidents of alleged international humanitarian law (IHL) violations using available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. We consider a range of evidence from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations. We are aware of reports, including from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, of alleged violations of IHL by the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition. We have received repeated assurances from the coalition that they are complying with IHL and we continue to engage with them on those assurances. The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and we encourage them to be open and transparent in this. The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent export control regimes in the world. All exports of arms and controlled military goods are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application which include consideration of the risk of the goods being used to commit violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has conducted a comparative assessment of the loss of life as a result of an aircraft crashing on approach or arrival at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 11th January 2016 (UIN 20996) http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=QuestionsWithAnswersOnly&house=commons%2clords&uin=20996.

    “

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the Indian authorities on the use of section 7 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the last 12 months.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Power Act, 1990, has not been raised in bilateral discussions within the past 12 months. We are aware of concerns on the use of section 7 of the Act regarding immunity from prosecution. Any allegations of human rights abuses must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the UK is intending to take steps to ensure that effective benchmarks for extractive-sector governance are included on the agenda for the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016 will consider progress against the Self Reliance through the Mutual Accountability Framework agreed between the National Unity Government and the international community in September 2015. This Framework includes an objective to improve the investment climate and a commitment on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

    Responsible development of the extractives sector is a UK priority. We are supporting the Government to strengthen legal frameworks, contract management and fiscal regimes, and to implement the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative.

  • 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 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to end arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued for any country, including Saudi Arabia, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria.

    The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the level of resources provided to enable those detained to meet the current test for release.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is not able to disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

    Supporting IPP prisoners in progressing towards release once they have completed their tariff is a priority. In particular, there is considerable focus on getting IPP prisoners access to any accredited programmes and other interventions designed to help them reduce their risk of harm.

    In December 2014, NOMS established a Progression Regime in closed conditions for IPP and life sentence prisoners who are not eligible for open conditions. This provides such prisoners with an alternative way to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of Sustainability and Transformation Plans have been submitted to his Department; and what the deadline is for such plans to be submitted.

    George Freeman

    No Sustainability and Transformation Plans have been submitted yet. Draft submissions will be made to the national arm’s length bodies and are due on 30 June 2016. These documents will be discussed with footprints in July 2016.

    Plans will have no status until they are agreed. Footprints are at different starting points, and so the degree of detail that will be provided by 30 June 2016 will vary. Therefore, rather than expecting to have one ‘sign-off’ moment for all 44 plans, it is anticipated that this will occur in a series of waves over the coming weeks and months, with those areas who are more advanced achieving earlier sign off than those who will require more work.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel in each of the armed forces were affected by the increase in the qualifying age for an armed forces pension.

    Mark Lancaster

    Just over 90% (155,511) of all Armed Forces personnel transferred to the new Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 on 1 April 2015 and were therefore affected by the change in the qualifying age. For those who had to move to the new pension scheme it was agreed that those pension benefits already earned in existing schemes, up to the implementation date of the new scheme would be retained. The numbers of affected personnel, by Service, are provided below:

    Royal Navy

    31,101

    Army

    92,588

    Royal Air Force

    31,822

    The change of qualifying age was set out in detailed communications materiel published in the run up to, and following, the introduction of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015. This change followed a review carried out by Lord Hutton in 2011 which concluded that all public sector workforces should change their pension ages for new schemes to reflect that people are living longer. The Armed Forces, along with other uniformed public sector schemes, gained agreement that this should be set at age 60.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what correspondence she has received from legal counsel for the independent investigation into child sexual abuse relating to the conduct of (a) Dame Lowell Goddard and (b) Ben Emmerson QC between the date of their appointment to the inquiry and the dates of their departure.

    Sarah Newton

    The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was established under the Inquiries Act 2005 on 12 March 2015. Dame Lowell resigned as chair of the Inquiry on 4 August 2016. Ben Emmerson QC resigned as counsel to the Inquiry on 29 September 2016.

    The Home Secretary has received no correspondence from Counsel to the Inquiry relating to the conduct of either Dame Lowell or Mr Emmerson between the dates of their appointment to the Inquiry and the dates of their departure.

  • Jason McCartney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jason McCartney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jason McCartney on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to respond to recommendation 2015/105 from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in its 2/2015 Investigation Report, on adoption of the Boat Safety Scheme by the Lake District National Park Authority.

    Rory Stewart

    The National Park and the Broads Authorities are independent bodies operating within the local government framework and therefore it is for the Lake District National Park Authority to decide whether to adopt the recommendation to implement the Boat Safety Scheme. I understand the National Park Authority will shortly be seeking its members’ views on the recommendation.