The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Prime Minister, what definition he uses of the term the most extreme circumstances of self-defence; if he will provide examples of situations which would meet that definition; and whether a (a) pre-emptive and (b) retaliatory nuclear attack on another state would be covered by that definition.
Mr David Cameron
I have nothing further to add.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what requests were made in his letter of 17 August 2015 to his Ethiopian counterpart on the detention of Andargachew Tsege.
James Duddridge
The Government remains deeply concerned by the continued detention of Mr Andargachew Tsege. Extensive Ministerial lobbying resulted in Mr Tsege’s transfer to a normal federal prison in July. The Prime Minister wrote to the Ethiopian Prime Minister on 17 August welcoming this move, emphasising that this should allow regular consular access, and visits by Mr Tsege’s family. The release of video footage of Mr Tsege in July 2014 and January 2015 was not raised in the letter. We continue to press the Ethiopian government for regular consular access, for improvements to Mr Tsege’s welfare and to provide a legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention, including its consistency with domestic and international law. My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP), Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has raised this case on 17 separate occasions with the Ethiopians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what concerns he raised in his letter of 17 August 2015 to his Ethiopian counterpart on the release of videos of Andargachew Tsege in custody.
James Duddridge
The Government remains deeply concerned by the continued detention of Mr Andargachew Tsege. Extensive Ministerial lobbying resulted in Mr Tsege’s transfer to a normal federal prison in July. The Prime Minister wrote to the Ethiopian Prime Minister on 17 August welcoming this move, emphasising that this should allow regular consular access, and visits by Mr Tsege’s family. The release of video footage of Mr Tsege in July 2014 and January 2015 was not raised in the letter. We continue to press the Ethiopian government for regular consular access, for improvements to Mr Tsege’s welfare and to provide a legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention, including its consistency with domestic and international law. My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP), Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has raised this case on 17 separate occasions with the Ethiopians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the consistency with domestic Ethiopian and international law on the right to a fair trial of the sentences imposed on Andargachew Tsege by the Ethiopian authorities in 2009 and 2011.
James Duddridge
The Government remains deeply concerned by the continued detention of Mr Andargachew Tsege. Extensive Ministerial lobbying resulted in Mr Tsege’s transfer to a normal federal prison in July. The Prime Minister wrote to the Ethiopian Prime Minister on 17 August welcoming this move, emphasising that this should allow regular consular access, and visits by Mr Tsege’s family. The release of video footage of Mr Tsege in July 2014 and January 2015 was not raised in the letter. We continue to press the Ethiopian government for regular consular access, for improvements to Mr Tsege’s welfare and to provide a legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention, including its consistency with domestic and international law. My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP), Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has raised this case on 17 separate occasions with the Ethiopians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will take steps to enable the Government to direct the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland to investigate a complaint from a former police officer where matters giving rise to the complaint took place more than 12 months ago and there are exceptional circumstances which justify such an investigation being held.
Mr Ben Wallace
The RUC (Complaints etc) Regulations 2001 allow the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland to investigate complaints into matters which took place more than 12 months ago in exceptional circumstances, for example when new evidence has come to light which was not reasonably available at the time of an original complaint.
The Police Ombudsman is accountable to the Northern Ireland Assembly, through the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 13 of the report commissioned by her Department on Paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, published 19 October 2015, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the IRA’s Provisional Army Council oversees the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy.
Mr Ben Wallace
Further analysis of intelligence and actions relating as a consequence of the recent report is a matter for the Security Services and the Police. Ministers do not interfere with such operational decisions nor is it the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to comment publicly on such intelligence matters.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.
Mr Ben Wallace
My Department does not hold records on the number of staff who are members of a trades union as this is a matter for the individual.
Facilities time is made available to the union representatives in the Northern Ireland Office. During the last quarter for which figures are available they used a total of two hours for meetings at a cost to the Department of approximately £37.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to pay a daily rate or fee to members of the review committee he has proposed on securing the decisive role of the Commons on financial matters and secondary legislation; and what rate he plans to set for that work.
John Penrose
The Government has asked Lord Strathclyde to lead a review to examine how to secure the decisive role of the elected House of Commons in relation to (i) its primacy on financial matters; and (ii) secondary legislation. Lord Strathclyde will be supported by a panel of experts and further details will be announced in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Leader of the House, how many civil servants in his Office are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Office.
Chris Grayling
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matt Hancock) on 4 November 2015, to Question UIN 13734.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the decision in R (Nicolson) v Tottenham Magistrates’ Court to declare the applicant’s liability order unlawful, what steps HM Courts and Tribunals Service has taken to ensure that magistrates satisfy themselves that the amount claimed by way of costs by local authorities in any individual case summonsed for late or non-payment of council tax is no more than that reasonably incurred by the authority.
Mike Penning
The decision as to whether to award costs in applications for liability orders and in what amount is a matter of judicial discretion in each individual case.