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Tag: 2015

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of developments in the human rights situation in China since March 2015.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and report on it regularly through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The latest update was published on 15 July and outlines a range of developments from January to June this year.

    Whilst we recognise the improvements China has made to social and economic rights, we continue to have concerns about a range of restrictions to civil and political rights. The operating space for civil society groups is shrinking, and over 200 lawyers have been detained or questioned since July. We regularly raise our concerns with China, both through the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue and through bilateral meetings, and will continue to do so. We also work through international fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council, to highlight our concerns.

  • Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries in the Middle East and North Africa her Department has assessed as able to provide safe refuge and access to essential services to refugees from Syria; and what estimate she has made of how many such refugees each of those countries could accommodate.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The countries in the Middle East assessed as able to provide safety and access to essential services are those where we currently support the host Governments to provide refuge: Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The UK is also monitoring the treatment of Syrian refugees who have arrived in small numbers in Egypt and other part of North Africa.

    The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Of this, we have allocated £559 million to support refugees in the region, including £304 million in Lebanon, £193 million in Jordan and the remainder across the region.

  • Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Howarth on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans for his Department’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund to be used to support efforts to reduce still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies.

    Ben Gummer

    There are no specific plans for the Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development (IESD) fund to support efforts to reduce still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies. The IESD fund provides for funding for voluntary sector projects that are able to demonstrate a clear focus on supporting and driving forward new ideas, excellence or the undertaking of strategic developments in voluntary sector capacity and capability in health and care.

    The fund does not have a particular focus on reducing still births and neonatal deaths in multiple pregnancies, but aims to support projects with the potential to have national significance in any area of health and care, particularly where statutory services can be complemented and high quality health and care outcomes achieved.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which non-governmental groups and individuals her Department consulted on its Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015.

    Karen Bradley

    We have engaged widely with partners, including across government, academia, faith groups and communities to develop our strategy.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the overseas security and justice assistance guidance that was issued before the Government entered into the contract to provide training needs analysis to the Saudi penal system.

    Andrew Selous

    I refer the hon member to the Secretary of State’s statement of 13 October 2015. We have no plans to publish the overseas security and justice assistance (OSJA) guidance in relation to the bid to provide a training needs analysis to the Saudi Arabian prison service. No contract was entered into and the bid was withdrawn before the contract with the Saudi Government was signed.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans for the electrification of the Great Western Mainline to be completed.

    Claire Perry

    The Secretary of State announced in June that Sir Peter Hendy, the new Chair of Network Rail, would develop proposals for how the rail upgrade programme, including the Great Western Mainline, will be carried out. He will report to the Secretary of State later in the autumn and it would be premature to speculate on his conclusions.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress the Government is making on meeting the UK’s international obligations to refugees fleeing Syria.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the Syrian crisis. To date, we have committed over £1.1 billion. This makes us the second largest bilateral after the US and means we have done more than any other European country.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the action plan sent to the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum following the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s report in 2014 on asylum on grounds of sexual orientation has now been agreed and implemented in full.

    Lord Bates

    Following publication of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s report last year and in consultation with key partners, UKVI produced and agreed an LGBTI ‘Action Plan’ to facilitate further improvements in the handling and management of asylum claims brought on the basis of sexual identity issues and to improve the training and guidance given to staff.

    The key inspection recommendations have been reflected in this plan, specifically improving training and guidance to decision makers, improving claim recording mechanisms, ensuring policy compliance, and ensuring a consistent approach to explicit material and dealing with sexually explicit questioning. We continue to work with our partners in developing these strategies to ensure full implementation of the Chief Inspector’s recommendations.

  • Lord Allen of Kensington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Allen of Kensington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Allen of Kensington on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the European Commission’s recommendation that spectrum should be harmonised and allocated across all 28 member states as part of the Digital Single Market.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is currently assessing the risks and benefits of such harmonisation to inform its response to the public consultation and subsequent proposals.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether insurers are increasing their premiums year on year due to the automatic renewal of policies without customers’ explicit consent.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.

    The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.