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  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli government on the eviction of the Ghaith-Sub Laban family from their home in East Jerusalem.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are concerned about the imminent threat of eviction to the Ghaith-Sub Laban family and about the forcible displacement of protected persons. An official from our Consulate General in Jerusalem attended the court hearing on 31 May. Our Consul-General to Jerusalem raised this issue with the Mayor of Jerusalem on 28 October. Most recently our Consulate General in Jerusalem expressed our concern publicly on 18 November via Twitter, calling for the eviction to be halted.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Saudi Arabia on the reaffirmation in UN Security Council Resolution 2199 (2015) of 12 February 2015 of its Resolution 1373 (2001) on matters including the prevention and suppression of financing of terrorist acts.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    All UN Member States, including Saudi Arabia, are subject to the terms of UN Security Council Resolutions 2199 and 1373 and the UK consistently calls on all nations to fully implement these in multilateral and bilateral meetings. Saudi Arabia is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force which conducts evaluations of its members to assess compliance with the international standard. A Financial Action Task Force report on terrorist financing published on 16 November 2015 noted that since 2010, Saudi Arabia had achieved the highest number of terrorist financing convictions out of the 33 jurisdictions who had achieved a conviction.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Gardiner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are engaged on work related to climate change in (a) posts around the world and (b) London.

    James Duddridge

    a) As of 1 August 2015 (last available figures for overseas posts) 85.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff resource was spent on climate change/low carbon economy/energy security issues in 16 priority posts overseas supported by an additional 17 FTE staff in seven other G7 and multilateral posts.
    b) As at 20 November 2015 16 FTE staff in London work directly on climate change issues.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on the reported disappearance of Gui Haiming and other employees of Sage Communications in Hong Kong.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are following this issue closely along with EU partners. The UK takes seriously any threats to press freedom. We monitor this constantly including through the Foreign Secretary’s Six-Monthly Reports to Parliament. We have welcomed previous statements that the Hong Kong SAR Government remains committed to protecting the freedom of the press. We hope they and the Chinese authorities will also continue to make every effort to ensure that the environment in which the media, and publishers operate in the Hong Kong SAR is conducive to full and frank reporting.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations against Rohingya people in Burma.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 November 2015 (PQ14884), which can be located at: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/.

  • Rebecca Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rebecca Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Harris on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to encourage the take-up of liquid petroleum gas conversions by taxis and vans.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport (DfT), working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

    As part of DfT’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads.

    There may be the opportunity to support further conversions if government launches further retrofit programmes in future years.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from rural community councils on their role in sustaining rural villages and communities.

    Rory Stewart

    In January 2015 the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Network, covering the 38 Rural Community Councils in England, called on Defra not to withdraw funding. Defra provided ACRE with £2,312,000 for 2015-16 to distribute amongst Rural Community Councils, allowing them to continue their role in sustaining rural villages and communities. We continue to work closely with ACRE to make sure Defra’s funding delivers the maximum benefit.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which government agency has overall responsibility for the control and monitoring of the movement of horses and their importation and exportation.

    George Eustice

    The Tri-Partite Agreement (TPA) implements a derogation from the animal health conditions that normally apply when horses are moved between EU member states. In recognition of an increased, but still low risk of disease being spread through such movements, a new TPA with France and Ireland came into effect on 18 May 2014. The TPA does not apply to horses moving directly for slaughter, these are subject to harmonised EU certification. It also does not affect the requirement to comply with welfare legislation.

    For movements between the United Kingdom and France, only horses with a higher health status can benefit from the derogation. All such movements must be pre-notified on the European Commission’s TRACES system and be accompanied by a commercial document (DOCOM) produced by an approved TPA body as well as an official identification document. The TPA is generally restricted to thoroughbreds and non-thoroughbreds involved in racing, training and breeding plus horses participating in events regulated by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).

    As part of the conditions of their approval, TPA bodies have had to demonstrate to Defra that they can deliver good traceability and that they comply with the relevant welfare legislation as part of their normal governance arrangements.

    The Chief Veterinary Officer has met several times with his French and Irish counterparts and with representatives of the equine sector to review the operation of the new TPA. This has included discussions on the arrangements for auditing the agreement to ensure that there is a consistent approach between the three countries. The TPA will be audited by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Great Britain.

    Local authorities are designated as enforcement bodies under the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011, the Horse Passport Regulations 2009 and the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and corresponding legislation in Wales and Scotland.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the tri-partite agreement between the UK, the Republic of Ireland and France on the importation and exportation of horses is achieving its aims; and if she will establish a comprehensive audit trail of movements to protect (a) consumers from exposure to illegal horse meat and (b) animals from cruelty.

    George Eustice

    The Tri-Partite Agreement (TPA) implements a derogation from the animal health conditions that normally apply when horses are moved between EU member states. In recognition of an increased, but still low risk of disease being spread through such movements, a new TPA with France and Ireland came into effect on 18 May 2014. The TPA does not apply to horses moving directly for slaughter, these are subject to harmonised EU certification. It also does not affect the requirement to comply with welfare legislation.

    For movements between the United Kingdom and France, only horses with a higher health status can benefit from the derogation. All such movements must be pre-notified on the European Commission’s TRACES system and be accompanied by a commercial document (DOCOM) produced by an approved TPA body as well as an official identification document. The TPA is generally restricted to thoroughbreds and non-thoroughbreds involved in racing, training and breeding plus horses participating in events regulated by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).

    As part of the conditions of their approval, TPA bodies have had to demonstrate to Defra that they can deliver good traceability and that they comply with the relevant welfare legislation as part of their normal governance arrangements.

    The Chief Veterinary Officer has met several times with his French and Irish counterparts and with representatives of the equine sector to review the operation of the new TPA. This has included discussions on the arrangements for auditing the agreement to ensure that there is a consistent approach between the three countries. The TPA will be audited by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Great Britain.

    Local authorities are designated as enforcement bodies under the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011, the Horse Passport Regulations 2009 and the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and corresponding legislation in Wales and Scotland.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to meet the requirements of the Equine Identification Regulations in anticipation of requirements arising from EU regulation to monitor the importation and exportation of horses by 1 January 2016.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 23 November 2015 to PQ UINs 16593, 16594 and 16595.