Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether cases before the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh have been conducted in accordance with international fair trial standards.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    This Government has made clear its support for Bangladesh’s efforts to bring to justice those accused of atrocities committed during the 1971 War of Independence. However, this must be done in a way that meets appropriate international legal standards. Non-governmental organisations continue to raise concerns about the process and we urged the Bangladeshi government to ensure compliance with these standards during Bangladesh’s second Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2013. We continue to emphasise these points in our discussions with the Bangladeshi authorities.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts and (b) other stakeholders on proposed changes to the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (2004/37/EC); and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP Ministers have not held such discussions. However there have been extensive discussions at official level with EU counterparts and with a wide range of stakeholders on the proposed changes.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representation he is making to the Turkish government about the suspension of judges, civil servants and education workers and a travel ban on academies following the attempted coup.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The UK Government has strongly condemned the attempted coup on 15 July. As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons on 18 July, Britain stands firmly in support of Turkey’s democratically elected government and institutions.

    I visited Turkey on 20-21 July to reiterate our support for democracy in Turkey. In meetings with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, amongst others, I stressed the need for Turkey to respect human rights and the rule of law. The Turkish Government have assured us that they recognise the importance of this. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government at all levels on these issues, and to monitor the situation closely.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the staff employed by her Department are non-UK nationals.

    Rory Stewart

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

    Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

    More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. But there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to use the criteria for identifying human rights countries of concern first published in the 2012 annual human rights and democracy report in the next edition of that report.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    For the 2015 Annual Human Rights Report, the FCO is applying the following criteria in identifying human rights priority countries:
    • the human rights situation in the country
    • evidence of a trajectory of change
    • the extent of the FCO’s work on human rights in that country.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timescale for reviewing the formula that assesses a local authority’s needs against the costs that it incurs in addressing such needs.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    By the end of this Parliament, local authorities will fund local services from local taxes, including £26 billion raised from business rates. This is a real opportunity to reshape the role of local government and a major step forward in our plans to boost growth and give local people more control over how their money is spent.

    We have announced that we will conduct a review of what the needs assessment formula should be in a world in which all local government spending is funded by local resources not central grant, and use it to determine the transition to 100 per cent business rates retention. We will develop this approach in partnership with local government.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department plans to provide to refugees from Burundi.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    HMG is concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Burundi, and its humanitarian consequences. DFID has provided over £21 million since April 2015 to support Burundian refugees in Tanzania and Rwanda. We continue to monitor the situation and will consider further support if need arises.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what efficiency savings his Department expects to make from the closure of its Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place.

    Joseph Johnson

    The proposed closure of the Sheffield office is one part of a larger programme to deliver a new business model and reduce operating spending by £350m by 2020. Non-cashable efficiency savings would be realised through closer working, more collaborative and flexible teams. Cashable savings will be realised from reduced travel, rents and overnight accommodation. Further cashable savings would be achieved through reduction in headcount, but such reductions have yet to be decided pending the conclusion of the consultation.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to simplifying the Governance for Railway Investment Projects process.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to simplify the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) process.

    GRIP underwent a full review and subsequent update by Network Rail in 2015, and has been designed in alignment with PRINCE2 which is recognised as best practice framework for project management globally.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to devolve agricultural subsidies to the devolved administrations once Britain exits the Common Agricultural Policy.

    George Eustice

    Across the UK, agriculture will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under the Common Agricultural Policy until at least the end of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework in 2020, even if the UK leaves the EU before this point.

    The UK Government will be working closely with the devolved administrations as we work on future agriculture policy.