Blog

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what safeguards he plans to put in place to ensure that the proposed £22 billion NHS efficiency savings do not adversely affect the quality of services to people with Parkinson’s disease.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has committed to invest an additional £10 billion in the National Health Service over this Parliament. Efficiency and high quality care go hand-in-hand; cutting waste and safer care are integral to ensuring better outcomes at a lower cost. The efficiencies the NHS needs to find are linked to the challenge of continued improvements in care across all services, including for people with Parkinson’s disease.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the agreements reached at the 2015 Valetta Summit on migration on the flow of refugees and asylum seekers from Eritrea.

    James Duddridge

    At the Valetta Summit, EU and African leaders made clear their shared determination to provide a comprehensive solution to irregular migration. They agreed an Action Plan that sets out a clear strategy to deal with the root causes of irregular migration and respond to its consequences. The UK will now use our chairmanship of the EU-AU “Khartoum Process” on migration to drive forward delivery of that Plan in the Horn of Africa. The EU launched a £1.3billion Trust Fund at Valetta to improve stability in Africa and tackle the drivers of migration. Over £400 million of that funding will be spent in the Horn of Africa, including Eritrea. This, and other EU and bilateral funding, will be used to build the region’s capacity to fight organised immigration crime, and to help create jobs, security, better living standards and better governance. The UK has been clear to the government of Eritrea that poor respect for human rights is also a driver of migration. At the UN Human Rights Council and in bilateral discussions we have set out to the government of Eritrea steps we believe it needs to take to improve its human rights record, including fulfilling its commitment to limit National Service to 18 months.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on indefinite national service continuing to be practised in Eritrea.

    James Duddridge

    The British Government continues to have concerns about indefinite national service in Eritrea. We welcomed the Government of Eritrea’s pledge earlier this year to limit national service to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. However, we have been clear to the government in Asmara that it must now follow through on this commitment and that the change must be publicised widely in Eritrea itself. We have also been clear that the 18 month limit should apply to all conscripts not just those who have been enlisted recently.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18326, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the territory held by Daesh and affiliated groups across Libya; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are extremely concerned about the growing threat from extremist groups in Libya, including Daesh and groups affiliated with it. These groups pose a threat to the stability of Libya and the region, and potentially to the UK and our interests and citizens overseas. We are working closely with international partners to deepen our understanding of Daesh’s presence in Libya, including in Sirte, and to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat it. This includes working closely with Libya’s neighbours to enhance their ability to protect themselves from terrorists in Libya. We are supporting UN-led efforts to establish a Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, which will be crucial in the long term to tackling the Daesh threat present in that country and across the region.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 18323, what assessment his Department has made of progress on establishing a government of national accord in Libya; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We urgently need to see a conclusion to the UN-led political process and the formation of a Government of National Accord in Libya. The Libyan Political Agreement announced at Skhirat in October is the only basis for peace and security in Libya, and only a Government of National Accord can begin the difficult work of establishing effective, legitimate governance, restoring stability and tackling the threat posed by Daesh. The Rome Conference co-chaired by Italy, the US, and the UN on 13 December will be an opportunity to demonstrate the determination of the international community on the way forward. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to coordinate international support for a unity Government.

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what non-military steps he is taking to prevent Daesh from selling oil; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent Daesh raising capital to finance their activities by other means.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We hold regular bilateral and multilateral discussions on Daesh funding, including within the Global Coalition’s Counter ISIL Finance Group, which is co-chaired by the US, Saudi Arabia and Italy. Daesh has three main sources of funding: extortion from communities living in territory under its control; selling oil and antiquities; and donations from individuals. The UK has led efforts to create and enforce an international sanctions regime to cut off financial support for Daesh and other terrorist groups. We work with allies, particularly in the region, to ensure sanctions are enforced and that measures are being taken to stop the Daesh trade in oil and hydrocarbon products. Examples of this work include training local customs officials in the region to prevent oil smuggling. We are also focused on ensuring that individuals involved in brokering oil deals between Daesh and the Assad regime have been or will be sanctioned by the EU.

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress he has made in his renegotiation with the EU on achieving migration restrictions without requiring treaty change.

    Mr David Lidington

    Tackling abuses of the right to free movement and reducing the draw that our welfare system can exert across Europe are key elements of the renegotiation agenda. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has been clear in his discussions with other leaders that the reforms we are seeking must be legally binding and irreversible and that in some areas that will mean treaty change. We look forward to further substantive discussions on this issue at the December European Council.

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s plans are for making progress on the UK’s renegotiation with the EU before the next EU summit.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), The Chancellor of the Excheque (Mr Osborne), my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton and I have continued to meet our counterparts to discuss the UK’s renegotiation since September and we will continue to do so. There will be a substantive discussion at the December European Council as planned.

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team has made on prosecuting and eliminating corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the last 12 months.

    James Duddridge

    The Special Investigation and Prosecution Team has completed its investigations following the findings of Sir Robin Auld’s Commission of Inquiry that there was a high probability of systemic corruption in government and the legislature and among public officers in the Turks and Caicos Islands. As a result of those investigations, the trial of a number of individuals, including former Premier Michael Misick and several of his Cabinet Ministers, is expected to start this week.

  • 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 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the budget of the Turks and Caicos Islands has been allocated to the funding of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) and associated legal costs; and if he will take steps to offset the cost of SIPT for the Turks and Caicos Islands government to enable the necessary investment in other projects on those islands.

    James Duddridge

    In 2015/2016, expenditure on the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team represents approximately 1.34 per cent of Turks and Caicos Islands Government expenditure. Legal aid and security costs are 2.2 per cent and 0.98 per cent respectively. The Governor has committed to provide a full and transparent breakdown of Special Investigation and Prosecution Team costs, with as much detail as possible, once the trial has concluded. The implementation of good governance reforms alongside increased tourist arrivals means that Turks and Caicos Islands Government is projected to show a budget surplus of around $40 million in 2015/2016. This has also been supported by a loan guarantee from the Department for International Development to Turks and Caicos Islands Government of up to $260 million. Turks and Caicos Islands Government is therefore well placed to invest in projects without intervention from the UK.