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  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether conditions regarding respect for human rights are attached to aid funds provided to the government of Nepal.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID Nepal has signed an overarching Development Partnership Arrangement with the Government of Nepal that enshrines the partnership principles, one of which is respect for human rights. At the programme level, our Memorandum of Understandings with the Government also include a specific clause that state conditions regarding respect for human rights attached to financial aid funds.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department plans to ensure that data is collected on stateless children so that such children can be taken into account in measuring progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has played a key role in creating a set of Global Goals that are universal and inclusive; underpinned by a commitment to leave no one behind. Goal 17 target 18 concerns the need for high-quality, timely and reliable disaggregated data. It will be essential to have this data to ensure we leave no one behind, including data on stateless children. DFID is currently undertaking a bilateral aid review to address priorities for this parliament and this will address how we will support better data to ensure the Prime Ministers Leave No One Behind promise is delivered.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her is taking to monitor the effectiveness of her Department’s aid spending in Nepal.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Across our portfolio in Nepal, monitoring plans are in place for every programme. Our strong focus on results delivery ensures we are well placed to monitor the effectiveness of our programmes in delivering planned development outcomes. Regular monitoring activities include staff undertaking field visits on a mandatory basis to verify progress on the ground, with robust annual review processes in place. We also undertake monitoring approaches that involve the beneficiaries of our programmes having the opportunity to provide feedback on programmes, including public audits and participatory monitoring approaches.

    Since the earthquake, DFID Nepal has set up a regional office in Gorkha district to increase oversight of humanitarian and reconstruction programmes. The Risk Management Office also provides effective on-the-ground monitoring directly from the districts where our programmes are implemented.

    At the bilateral level, DFID Nepal is a core member of the Nepal Portfolio Performance Review led by the government with development partners on an annual and trimester basis.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to ensure that the additional £40 million of aid her Department allocated in June 2015 to Yemen benefits its intended recipients.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    To ensure UK aid reaches its intended recipients, we work with trusted and impartial actors such as UN agencies and NGOs who have a strong track record of prioritising assistance to those most in need, and delivering and monitoring assistance in difficult and dangerous places. We operate a zero tolerance approach to fraud and corruption and have an independent monitoring programme to provide assurance on what we are delivering.

    Since the start of the crisis in Yemen, UK aid has assisted at least 700,000 people directly affected by the conflict including vulnerable host communities, internally displaced people and migrants. We have provided critical support for healthcare, malnutrition, water and sanitation, protection and shelter. We have also continued to strengthen and protect local capacity and community assets from further shocks by providing agricultural and other livelihoods assistance.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 14607, what the evidential basis is for the assertion on page 8 of the consultation document, Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, published in October 2015, that there has been a shift from abuses of employment regulation.

    Karen Bradley

    The relevant text in the consultation document is based on Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority’s operational information.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timetable she plans to set for ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

    Karen Bradley

    The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012. We will only commit to ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles but primary legislation is required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provision set out in Article 44 of the Convention. We are liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including the further legislative steps required.

    We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls. End Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the final file concerning the Metropolitan Police Service investigation known as Operation Lydd has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

    Mike Penning

    This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 15363, what assessments she has made of the capacity of traffic police to enforce fixed-penalty notices for the traffic offences relating to use of mobile telephones.

    Mike Penning

    Data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued by the police for using a handheld mobile phone while driving in England and Wales in the last five years is set out below.

    The enforcement of this offence is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police and decisions on the size and composition of a force’s workforce are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.

    Number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by police in England and Wales (1) for using a handheld mobile phone while driving, 2010 (2) to 2014:

    Number (thousands) England and Wales

    Offence

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Use of handheld mobile phone while driving

    124.7

    123.1

    92.7

    52.4

    29.7

    Source: Police Powers and Procedures, year ending March 2015, Home Office

    Notes

    1. Excludes British Transport Police

    2. Data for 2010 is not directly comparable with data from 2011 onwards due to the introduction of the PentiP system which records FPNs in England and Wales. Data from 2011 onwards is slightly lower that comparative data from the previous system.
  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether there are any police investigations into the involvement of the (a) UK intelligence and security agencies and (b) Government in the alleged rendition and torture of detainees.

    Mr John Hayes

    There are a number of ongoing police investigations in respect of allegations regarding HMG involvement in mistreatment of detainees held by other countries in the aftermath of 9/11. The details of these are a matter for the respective investigating police forces.

    In respect of information already in the public domain on specific investigations, I would direct my Rt Hon Friend to the joint Crown Prosecution Service/Metropolitan Police Service statement that was made on 12 January 2012. The full statement can be found here: http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/latest_news/joint_statement_by_the_director_of_public_prosecutions_and_the_metropolitan_police_service/

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on the introduction of a 10 year firearms licence.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office has received representations from one organisation on the introduction of a 10 year firearms licence.