The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the immigration status is of Tareque Rahman, Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
James Brokenshire
For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely
comment on individual cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK’s relationship with Bangladesh of the activities in the UK of Tareque Rahman, Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Hugh Robertson
The UK enjoys a broad and wide ranging relationship with Bangladesh which is built on engagement with the government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh political parties, business and cultural exchanges between our people. We work on a range of bilateral and global issues that include Bangladesh’s recent endorsement of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. We are not aware of any activities by Mr Rahman that have had an impact on our bilateral relationship.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Garnier on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 346W, on private investigations, when the terms and conditions for private investigator licences will be published.
Karen Bradley
The terms and conditions for licences to conduct private investigations will be
issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) – the regulator of the private
security industry – before the implementation of the new statutory licensing
requirement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Sultan of Brunei or (b) his representatives on the introduction of sharia criminal law in Brunei.
Mr Hugo Swire
We remain concerned about the introduction of sharia criminal law in Brunei and have raised the matter with Brunei on several occasions. I raised the issue with Foreign Minister, Pehin Lim in October 2013. Senior Minister of State, my Rt Hon Noble Friend Lady Warsi, visited Brunei and raised our concerns with HM The Sultan, Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed, the Attorney General and State Mufti on 19 April. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, my hon Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), discussed the implementation of sharia with Brunei’s Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting on 6 May. We set out our concerns at the Universal Periodic Review of Brunei at the Human Rights Council on 2 May. We will continue to raise this issue with the Bruneian authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Vietnamese counterpart on preventing child trafficking from that country to the UK.
Mr Hugo Swire
The UK has a highly cooperative relationship with the Vietnamese authorities to tackle human trafficking, including of minors, from Vietnam to the UK.
Our Embassy staff in Hanoi engage regularly with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, to facilitate visits to the UK to showcase the mechanisms we have in place. Later this month high level officials from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will be visiting the UK Human Trafficking Centre of the National Crime Agency, the Home Office’s Modern Slavery Unit and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (NSPCC’s) Child Trafficking Advice Centre and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve their understanding of the UK’s approach when working with victims of trafficking.
Equally the Embassy has worked together with local authorities to open Compassion House in June 2013, a UK funded shelter in Lao Cai on the Chinese border for girls who have been trafficked.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provides to non-governmental organisations working in Vietnam to combat child trafficking and to help repatriated victims of trafficking.
Mr Hugo Swire
We currently fund a range of projects in Vietnam targeted at raising awareness of and combating modern slavery and human trafficking through victim reintegration programmes. There is a focus on alternative job creation for victims, and potential victims of trafficking.
In particular, our British Ambassador opened Compassion House in June 2013, a UK funded shelter in Lao Cai on the Chinese border for girls who have been trafficked. It is operated by the local government authorities in conjunction with a local non-govermental organisations, Pacific Links Foundation to provide life skills and vocational training.
Our Embassy also funds the ‘Capacity Building Activities for Victims of Gender-Based Violence’ project which provides support for women and children in Vietnam who have suffered from gender-based violence and the effects of human trafficking.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contribution her Department made towards the cost of the staging of the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
Sport is a devolved matter therefore there is no provision for the Northern Ireland Office to contribute to the funding of the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia.
The Giro d’Italia is supported by Northern Ireland Tourist Board and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.
My officials have, at the request of the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, engaged with the Home Office and several of our Embassies over the past fortnight, to help facilitate the granting of visas to some of the elite riders and help deal with queries that they have raised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings she has had with the (a) Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, (b) Northern Ireland Parades Commission and (c) Equality Commission for Northern Ireland since 1 January 2014.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
I have held no meetings with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland since 1 January 2014. I am however due to meet both the Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission in the coming weeks. In relation to the Equality Commission, the Rt hon Gentleman may wish to note that although appointments are made to the Commission by the Northern Ireland Office, sponsorship responsibility lies with the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s policies to combat the glorification of terrorism in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 makes the encouragement, including glorification of terrorism, a criminal offence. Any investigations into allegations of encouraging, including the glorification of terrorism, are of course entirely matters for the police, while decisions on prosecution of such offences are the responsibility of the Public Prosecution Service.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what consultation there has been with charities in Northern Ireland on the Electoral Commission’s guidance on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.
Mr Gary Streeter
The Electoral Commission informs me that since Royal Assent to the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 it has held four roundtable discussions across the UK, and has used an online survey to listen carefully to the needs of campaigners and explain its plans for guidance. One round table event was held in Northern Ireland and was hosted by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA). 24 organisations were invited to attend; 11 organisations – including umbrella bodies – were represented.
The Electoral Commission is also providing a series of campaigner updates, giving information on what the Act will mean for charities and other campaigners. These updates are available on the Commission’s website and have also been promoted by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
The Commission will publish its full guidance on the new rules, which will include joint guidance with the charity regulators, in the summer. This will ensure that campaigners have guidance available to them in advance of the regulated period which begins on 19 September 2014. Meanwhile, the Commission will continue to offer charities and others bespoke advice as usual, both before and after the guidance is published and the regulated period begins.