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  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, whether he has sought assurances that Saudi Arabia’s internal procedures for investigations are being used to investigate (a) attacks on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospitals and mobile clinic and (b) the airstrike on the Oxfam warehouse.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The results of the investigation into the October Médecins Sans Frontières incident were announced at a Saudi Arabian press conference on 31 January, as was the intention to investigate all allegations of concern. The UK has been using diplomatic and military channels to engage with Saudi Arabia on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance. I have spoken to the Saudi Ambassador and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has engaged with his counterpart on the importance of compliance with IHL.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30642, what representations the Government made to military leaders in the Democratic Unity Party on patterns of behaviour suggesting that Kurdish forces are coordinating with the Assad regime and Russia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has stated his concerns publicly regarding the actions of Kurdish forces in North West Syria. We continue to work with our international partners and to use our contacts with Kurdish groups to influence their policy, including to express concerns over links with the Asad regime and attacks on the moderate Syrian opposition. We are working through the International Syria Support Group to ensure robust implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria and to focus the peace negotiations currently underway in Geneva on political transition away from Asad, to a government in Damascus that can represent the interests of all Syrians.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for the UK of the introduction of citizenship by investment schemes by EU member states; and what steps she has taken to increase transparency in that area.

    James Brokenshire

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 9 March to Question 29833 from the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Andy Slaughter) and to Question 29873 from the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Kelly Tolhurst).

  • Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Charles Walker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the 4th EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment he has made of which of his Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.

    Mr David Lidington

    Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. This would include some senior civil servants, such as ambassadors and chargés d’affaires. The Government’s view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. The Government will be setting out this view in a consultation which will be published shortly.

    The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. The Treasury regularly raises these issues with financial institutions and the regulator, and we encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.”

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to tackle human trafficking into the UK at source.

    Karen Bradley

    We are committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, including human trafficking. The Government has secured commitment from other governments and institutions, including the UN, the Commonwealth and the EU, to tackle modern slavery. We have successfully lobbied for the establishment of the first ever UN Sustainable Development Goal to end modern slavery. We are also working bilaterally with priority countries to deepen law enforcement cooperation.

    The Work in Freedom programme is helping to prevent trafficking of girls and women from South Asia. We have also supported the work of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, who has visited source countries and identified further opportunities for prevention activity. Our world-leading Transparency in Supply Chains provision in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 will encourage business to eradicate slavery from global supply chains.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the conduct of the election in Uganda on 18 February 2016.

    James Duddridge

    I commend the people of Uganda for turning out in large numbers to cast their vote on 18 February 2016 and for their determination to participate in the electoral process. However, the British Government has raised a series of concerns with the Government of Uganda about the conduct of the elections and the post-election environment. These include serious delays to the opening of polling stations, restrictions on social media access and the continuing harassment and intimidation of members of the opposition and journalists by the Uganda Police Force.

    These issues were also reflected in the EU and Commonwealth Election Observation Missions’ preliminary statements of 20 February which we fully endorse. I urge the Government of Uganda to comprehensively address all the issues raised in the Election Observation Missions’ reports.

    With international partners we continue to urge all sides to show restraint in the post election period, to abide by the rule of law and to settle election related disputes through the proper legal channels. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the introduction of citizenship by investment schemes by EU member states.

    James Brokenshire

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 9 March to Question 29833 from the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Andy Slaughter) and to Question 29873 from the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Kelly Tolhurst).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of migrants expected to attempt to enter the EU from Syria and other conflict zones during the period May to September 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have not made an independent estimate. The Government uses the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration data and analysis on migrant and refugee flows. The objective of the EU-Turkey deal is to stop irregular migration from Turkey and focus support on the majority of migrants and refugees who remain in the region near their homes. This is where we target a significant amount of UK support. We have pledged more than £2.3 billion in response to the Syrian conflict.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government is providing to ensure the completion of new security infrastructure and measures along the border between Lebanon and Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK has contributed £34 million to support the Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) ability to defend the border and contain spillover from the Syria conflict. The UK funded Land Border Regiments are successfully protecting the integrity of the Lebanese border for the first time in the country’s history.

    The UK is committed to continue its support to the LAF and bring the Lebanese borders under the authority of the state and has announced £6.7m additional support to the establishment of the 4th Land Border Regiment starting April 2016.

  • Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Government spending on Syria has been spent on (a) military action and (b) the provision of humanitarian aid.

    Penny Mordaunt

    It is not possible to separately identify the costs of military action in Syria. However, from August 2014, the net additional costs of counter-Daesh activity in Iraq and Syria have been £280 million. Since February 2012, the UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.