Tag: 2016

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding from the public purse the UK will contribute to the Better Migration Management programme.

    Rory Stewart

    The €46 million ‘Better Migration Management’ programme is part of the EU’s joint work on addressing unmanaged flows from Africa under the Horn of Africa component of the €1.9 billion EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. The UK has made no direct financial contribution to this programme. However, we have committed to a contribution of €3 million to the Horn of Africa component of the Trust Fund overall. That is in addition to the UK’s underlying contribution to the Trust Fund, which amounts to approximately 15% of the EU’s total €1.8 billion contribution, predominantly drawn from the European Development Fund.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make representations to the French government to ensure that the removal of 2,000 refugees from the Calais refugee camp into government-built shelters is co-ordinated with NGOs and volunteers; and that those refugees are (a) well-informed, (b) safely moved, (c) able to retain their possessions and (d) have their human rights respected.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK Government recognises the exceptional pressures on the French Government and its citizens caused by the migrant situation in the Calais region. Both Governments are clear that the right course of action is, as far as possible, to move migrants away from Calais and for genuine refugees, to be offered protection within the French asylum system. This is why the UK has committed to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help provide support and facilities elsewhere in France.

    The UK is in regular contact with France on all matters related to Calais and the migrant situation. However, operational decisions relating to the management of the camps are the responsibility of the French Government.

  • Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Scully on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma on the detention of Niranjan Rasalingam.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The British Embassy in Rangoon has provided consular assistance to Mr Rasalingam Niranjan since 1 December 2014 when it was established that Mr Niranjan had been detained. That same month we raised the late notification of Mr Niranjan’s arrest in a Note Verbale and reminded the then Burmese government of their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. In May 2015 the Ambassador re-stated our interest in the case, raised concerns about Mr Niranjan’s health and the progress of his legal cases. A further Note Verbale was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2016 re-stating our interest in the case and concern about its progress.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government has taken to help enforce the recently agreed ceasefire in Syria.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As a member of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the UK has been closely engaged with the cessation of hostilities and supported UN Security Council Resolution 2268, which endorsed its terms. The UK supports a range of organisations on the ground in Syria who are reporting violations, and we are working with the UN and ISSG co-chairs in Geneva to support their monitoring and verification efforts.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason exemptions were granted from the sugar levy for 100 per cent fruit juice and milk; and if he will publish the evidence on which that decision was taken.

    Mr David Gauke

    Pure fruit juices and milk-based drinks have other health benefits and we do not want to discourage their consumption.

    Pure fruit juices are part of the 5-a-day message and have intrinsic nutrients such as containing certain vitamins.

    Milk and milk-products are a good source of protein and calcium, which have health benefits such as aiding bone formation. The government wants to encourage the consumption of milk to help children consume the required amounts of these nutrients.

  • Baroness Nye – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Nye – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Nye on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the new government in Burma about the opening of a UNHCR office in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees already maintain an office in Rangoon, Burma, we have long called for the Burmese government to work with the UN over the opening of a full country office for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This was a prominent recommendation of the Burma Resolution at the UN’s March Human Rights Council, which we co-sponsored. We will continue to encourage the new administration in Burma to follow through on that recommendation.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the amount of funding they give to develop hospital infrastructure in South Sudan.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is the lead for a multi-donor Health Pooled Fund in South Sudan which has provided over £18 million between 2013 and 2016 to support hospital infrastructure in eight county level hospitals, four state level hospitals and seven faith-based hospitals. A further £6million has been allocated for 2016 to 2018.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to enable communities with neighbourhood plans that are (a) complete and (b) being developed to appeal against planning decisions that conflict with that plan.

    Gavin Barwell

    The Neighbourhood Planning Bill will strengthen neighbourhood planning, by requiring local planning authorities and others who decide planning applications to have regard to neighbourhood plans that have been independently examined, once the decision has been taken to put the plan to a referendum.The Bill would also ensure plans have full legal weight at an earlier stage of the process, as soon as the outcome of the referendum is announced, and make it easier to ensure plans can be kept up to date.

    These measures are in addition to existing safeguards that ensure neighbourhood plans are given proper consideration, including existing powers for communities to request that the Secretary of State ‘calls-in’ planning applications for his own determination, and new requirements introduced in the Housing and Planning Act, that will require any conflict with a made neighbourhood plan to be set out in the committee report that will inform a planning committee decision.

    Furthermore, national planning policy is clear that where a planning application conflicts with a neighbourhood plan that has been brought into force, planning permission should not normally be granted, and that decision-makers may give weight to policies in emerging neighbourhood plans according to the stage of preparation of the plan, the extent of unresolved objections, and the degree of consistency with the National Planning Policy Framework.

    In the light of these safeguards, the government does not support a right of appeal for those opposed to a decision to grant planning permission, which would delay the building of the new homes we need.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of (a) the scale of the recent changes on the cost of care homes for self-funding elderly people and (b) the effect of those changes on the number of care home closures in the UK.

    David Mowat

    The Department continues to monitor the market of care providers.

    There has been no significant change in capacity in care homes in the last three years. The total number of beds for older people and those with dementia in England has remained stable at around 410,000.

    Figures from Christie & Co show a differential between fee rises for self-funders & those paid by local authorities, but we are not aware of this driving changes in provision.

    The Department continues to monitor the whole of the market of care providers and engage with the sector to better understand the challenges they face and support local authorities who purchase services.

    The Department recognises that social care has a key role to play in reducing delayed transfers of care from hospital.

    The National Health Service takes Delayed Transfer of Care seriously. As well as funding the NHS’ own plan for the future with £10 billion, we are giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion extra a year for adult social care.

    The Department works closely with the NHS, local government and the independent care sector to help improve transfers out of hospital, share good practice and minimise delays.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress her Department has made on cross-border policing arrangements.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Following the Fresh Start Agreement I attended a tri-lateral cross-border Ministerial meeting along with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government on 21 December. At the meeting, and in accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, we agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement co-operation aimed at tackling organised crime and criminality, including that linked to paramilitarism. In a concerted effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime, a Joint Agency Task Force has been announced by the United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government and the NI Executive.