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  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to meet the UK’s international obligations to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria, other than by supporting countries in that region.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Prime Minister’s consistent focus has been on providing a comprehensive solution to the refugee crisis. He has reiterated the need for the EU to deal with the root causes of the crisis, not just respond to the consequences. The UK has committed more than £1.1 bn – the largest ever UK response to a humanitarian crisis. This goes to those in need inside Syria and the region. The Prime Minister announced on 8 September that the UK would resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. This will build on an existing scheme for Syrians designed to support refugees based on their vulnerability. The UK has provided financial assistance (£3.6 million/€5 million per year for two years) to fund a project aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people in the migrant camps in Calais. We continue to provide practical support to frontline Member States (particularly Greece), including to support them in securing the EU external border. The Department for International Development announced a £5 million package to the Start Network, a group of humanitarian organisations, to provide emergency relief supplies for refugees and migrants in Greece, Serbia and Macedonia. Overall funding to the Europe wide response, which is not allocated to specific countries is £6,050,000. Of this £550,000 is allocated to International Federation of Red Cross and £500,000 to the Civil Protection Mechanism.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to address the political dimensions of the situation in Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) participated in US-led talks in Vienna on 30 October. We hope that this meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012. Despite the clear differences between the meeting participants, progress was made in a number of areas, most importantly that diplomatic efforts to end the war must accelerate and that the UN will be asked to launch a new political process between the Syrian parties. The UK is also a staunch supporter of the Syrian National Coalition of Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, and we will continue to work with them in pursuit of a political solution to the conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I met the President of the civilian opposition National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, in London 4 November. We discussed the political process and the importance of the National Coalition continuing its important work to reach out to other moderate political and armed groups in Syria in order to develop a common platform for engaging in negotiations.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the elections to the Mexican Supreme Court.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are following developments in the appointment of new judges to the Mexican Supreme Court closely, and note the commentary on the need for well qualified, independent candidates to be put forward to the Senate.

  • 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 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will (a) discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK and (b) instruct the British Ambassador in Rabat to investigate reports of intimidation, harassment and kidnapping of human rights defenders in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara coinciding with the visit of King Mohamed VI.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I discussed Western Sahara on my recent visit to Morocco on 11 November.

    We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Western Sahara and raise any concerns with the Moroccan Government.

  • 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 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received about the threatened demolition of the village of Khan Al Ahmer in the West Bank and the effects of Israeli settlement activity in the vicinity.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    An official from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem visited the village of Khan Al Ahmer on 9 September and held discussions with community leaders. I also visited the village last year. We remain deeply concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate Bedouin population from the E1 area. Officials at our Consulate-General in Jerusalem are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate our concern by regularly visiting the Bedouin communities.

    The UK’s position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution. We will continue to raise our objections to settlements with the Israeli Government. On 10 September, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UK, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary raised with him our concerns about Israel’s approach to a number of issues, including settlement building and the need for a two state solution.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effect on consumer demand of increases in the price of milk.

    George Eustice

    The National Statistics publication, Family Food 2011, presents estimates of how demand for different types of food (including dairy products) varies with changing food prices and different levels of total expenditure on food.

    These estimates are known as price elasticities and are based on Family Food Survey data from 2001 to 2011. The report notes that foods where demand is less sensitive to changes in price are fish and ‘dairy and eggs’. On average, those paying a one per cent higher price buy 0.4 per cent less.

    A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to implement a strategy to tackle invasive non-native species at the European level; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The United Kingdom has been instrumental in calling for an EU-wide strategy to tackle invasive non-native species. We support the new EU Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction of invasive alien species, which came into force on 1 January 2015. Since that time we have been working with the European Commission and other Member States to agree the first list of species that will be subject to the Regulation, and to put the required measures in place to tackle those species as required by the Regulation.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage more retailers to sell milk brands that best support the domestic dairy industry.

    George Eustice

    The Secretary of State has written to all major supermarkets asking them to consider what more they might be able to do to increase their sourcing of UK dairy products and I am holding discussions with individual retailers, to encourage them to do more, particularly on processed dairy products.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase the level of competition among milk processors.

    George Eustice

    The Government is committed to championing a thriving and competitive British food and farming sector. We worked closely with the dairy industry to produce the ‘Leading the Way’ Growth Plan, which aims to improve long-term efficiency and competitiveness, and encourage processors to invest.

    We are taking forward a series of measures to help farming businesses grow and thrive. Based on 2012 data, there are approximately 400 dairy processors in the UK, including farmer co-operatives, private dairy companies and public limited companies, with considerable variety and diversity, particularly in the cheese sector.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which regulations her Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations her Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, Miss Anna Soubry, on 11 November 2015, PQ 15037.