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  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that Burundi implements the recommendations of the Arusha Accords.

    James Duddridge

    The continued violence in Burundi shows that the principles of inclusion set out in the Arusha Accords are needed now more than ever and we continue to urge all in Burundi to uphold them.

    It is essential that the talks on 21 May are based on the Arusha Accord, but, as I stated in the adjournment debate on Human Rights in Burundi on 5 May 2016, there is flexibility about the details of how they take place. The UK will support former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa when he agrees a strategy for the talks.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on progress in the Eastern African mediation process in relation to the crisis in Burundi; and if he will make a statement.

    James Duddridge

    As I stated in the adjournment debate on Human Rights in Burundi on 5 May 2016, I spoke to former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa on 4 May. We agreed that the only route to a lasting solution lies in an inclusive political process. I gave him the UK’s full support in his role as the facilitator of the dialogue established by the East African Community. I am encouraged by indications that talks will begin on 21 May. President Mkapa is using the intervening period to bring more people to the table and to have more bilateral discussions before the talks themselves happen. I will keep the house updated.

    It is essential that all parties, including those who have now left Burundi, are part of the engagement and peace process. I intend to phone and write to the Burundian Foreign Minister before 21 May to call on the Government of Burundi to come together with all participants and to allow them to come to Arusha so that the talks can commence.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the imposition of sanctions on the Burundian government.

    James Duddridge

    The UK has led efforts to put into place sanctions against four human rights offenders in Burundi . Should Burundi continue to refuse to engage in dialogue and the political and security situation continue to deteriorate, we will push for further international sanctions against those blocking progress towards peace.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the enactment of UN Security Council Resolution 2248 on Burundi, passed on 12 November 2015.

    James Duddridge

    Under the UK’s Presidency the UN Security Council approved Resolution 2248 which provided for the deployment of a UN team to Burundi. We are now working with our partners on the UN Security Council to agree a deployment of UN police to Burundi. The force will be tasked with monitoring the situation, promoting respect for human rights and advancing the rule of law – all with the aim of creating conditions that will allow a political dialogue to go forward. We want the UN police to work closely with the African Union’s deployment of 200 military and human rights observers.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to formally encourage the Burundian government to play a greater role in the truth and reconciliation process in that country.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government believes that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, guided by the Arusha Accord, has an important role in ensuring long-term reconciliation. During my visit to Burundi in December 2015, and through my continued engagement with Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe, I have made clear that only a genuine and inclusive dialogue, based on the respect of the Arusha Accord, will enable the Burundian stakeholders to find a consensual solution to the crisis facing their country, a necessary precondition for a lasting truth and reconciliation process. The continued violence shows that the principles of inclusion set out in the Arusha Accord are needed now more than ever and I continue to urge all in Burundi to uphold them

    Under the UK’s Presidency the UN Security Council approved Resolution 2248 which stresses the utmost importance of respecting the letter and the spirit of the Arusha Accord. It calls upon the Government of Burundi to adhere to the rule of law and undertake transparent accountability for acts of violence. These points were reiterated in UN Security Council Resolution 2279, agreed on 1 April.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent atrocities, such as the Gatumba massacre, from taking place in Burundi.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is playing a leading role in trying to build a strong and coherent international response to the crisis in Burundi. I visited Burundi in December 2015 and have consistently urged the Government of Burundi, in the strongest terms, to end the violence and engage in inclusive dialogue. Through the conflict, stability and security fund, we will be increasing our efforts on the ground which will include deploying a Burundi coordinator to Bujumbura.

    DFID offices in Kigali and Dar Es Salaam have stepped up their analysis and coverage of the crisis to ensure they can respond to an evolving situation and increasing humanitarian assistance as necessary. My Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Nick Hurd MP, has visited the Burundi refugee camps in Tanzania and DFID has provided £14.25 million in Tanzania and £6.9million in Rwanda to support refugees.

    In March I addressed the UN Security Council and regional leaders of the Great Lakes, highlighting the need for urgent action in Burundi. British Ambassadors and High Commissioners across the region continue to lobby their host Governments on the importance of taking action to resolve the situation in Burundi.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total (a) cost of monitoring and (b) number of full-time equivalent officials of her Department supporting the emergency authorisation period for neonicotinoid pesticides which expired on 20 November 2015.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not made any such estimates.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the financial value of pollinators to the economy; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 18 January 2016, PQ UIN 22302.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on British farming of the Plan for Public Procurement, published in July 2014.

    George Eustice

    Total spend on public sector food and catering services is around £2.4 billion. The Plan for Public Procurement launched a new approach to the way the Government and its catering providers buy food. It provides a transparent set of criteria that allow contracting parties to reach agreement about the quality and value of products and services. British farmers are well placed to meet these standards and to compete for a further £400 million of business that the Plan opens up.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative particulate pollution created by (a) diesel and (b) electric cars.

    Rory Stewart

    The UK’s main air quality concerns relate to ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, in particular close to busy roads, with diesel vehicles being the major source. Electric vehicles have zero exhaust emissions and offer a clear benefit in tackling this ongoing air quality challenge.

    On pollution from particulate matter, evidence is limited. Recent research suggests that battery electric vehicles have similar total emissions of particulate matter to petrol and diesel vehicles, due to their higher mass causing increased non-exhaust particulate matter. The UK Automotive Council has identified vehicle lightweighting as a strategic technology priority, and recent Government research and development funding of £38 million will support a number of projects in this area.