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Tag: 2016

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from charities, local authorities and policy experts on potential ways to reduce homelessness.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Ministers meet with representatives of local authorities, voluntary and charity sector organisations, policy experts and other partners on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues including potential ways to reduce homelessness.

    The government publishes a list of all ministerial meetings with external bodies on departmental business on a quarterly basis. This is available at www.gov.uk.

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  • 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 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) length and (b) number of public byways open to all traffic in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department does not hold centrally any information on the length and number of byways open to all traffic in the United Kingdom. In 2005 it was estimated that there was over 4,000 km of byways open to all traffic in England.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many refugee applications from migrants living in the Sovereign Base Areas started before 1 December 2008 had not been determined on 8 August 2014; how many such applications were determined as failed following the enactment of the Refugees (Amendment) Ordinance 2014; and how many migrants have been removed from the Sovereign Base Areas as a consequence of the enactment of that ordinance.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Thirty-eight refugee applications from migrants living in the Sovereign Base Areas before 1 December 2008 had been open but not determined on 8 August 2014. Delays in processing asylum applications were due to the migrants refusing to co-operate with case workers handling their claims. In 2003, an MOU was agreed with the Republic of Cyprus on the handling of illegal migrants in the Sovereign Base Areas. Under the terms of that agreement, all applications for asylum from migrants present in the Sovereign Base Areas at that time were considered by the Republic on behalf of the Sovereign Base Areas Administration by specialist staff of the Republic of Cyprus Asylum Service.

    The 38 migrants were informed they were failed asylum seekers following their prolonged unwillingness to engage with Republic of Cyprus asylum case workers. The intent of the Refugees (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 was to regularise the residency status of failed asylum seekers residing in the Sovereign Base Areas, so as to grant them temporary residence until they could be returned to their country of origin or a third country. No persons amongst this group have yet been removed from the Sovereign Base Areas as a consequence of this ordinance. They remain liable for return.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how long in advance of the date of the closure will HM Revenue and Customs staff in each office earmarked for closure be informed of their future employment options.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has already commenced a discussion process with staff in offices identified for closure. HMRC has given a commitment to staff that they will have a one-to-one meeting with their manager to discuss their options at least one year ahead of their office closure.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent any person convicted of animal abuse from owning an animal.

    George Eustice

    The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already allows courts to make a disqualification order in respect of someone who has been found guilty of causing any unnecessary suffering to an animal. It is for the courts to decide whether to make such an order and, if so, for how long based on the individual circumstances of the case. If a court decides not to impose such an order, it must give its reasons in open court. I consider, therefore, that the courts have the necessary powers to impose appropriate penalties in relation to acts of animal cruelty

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the detention and expulsion of BBC journalists from North Korea.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The detention and expulsion of a BBC journalist in Pyongyang is of concern. This is yet another example of the North Korean regime’s attempts to restrict and control the free flow of information and limit freedom of speech. We will continue to raise human rights issues, such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression, directly with the regime and in international fora as part of our policy of critical engagement.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been invested in facilities at Barrow-in-Furness to support the Trident renewal programme in 2015-16.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The infrastructure and facilities investments being made at the Barrow-in-Furness and Faslane sites are for all our submarines not just the Successor programme. I am withholding internal Ministry of Defence forecasts on future programme expenditure as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice on-going commercial negotiations.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote animal welfare in the Government’s foreign policy.

    Alok Sharma

    The Government has a manifesto commitment “to push for high animal welfare standards to be incorporated into international trade agreements” and we are working with colleagues across Whitehall and with the European Commission, who represents EU Member States in the associated negotiations, to deliver this.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the report from Open Doors, Freedom of Religion and the Persecution of Christians; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief around the world, and to being a strong voice internationally in defence of this fundamental right. We value our close working relationship with organisations such as Open Doors and their insights from practical work around the world. We welcomed their recent report, which Baroness Anelay of St Johns, FCO Minister for Human Rights, was pleased to discuss with Open Doors on 13 January.

    Our new strategic approach to human rights refocuses our work around three themes: democratic values and the rule of law; strengthening the rules-based international system; and human rights for a stable world. Our work on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is integral to all three of these themes.

    We have an active programme of religious literacy training amongst staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and across Whitehall, including through our new Diplomatic Academy.

    Multilaterally, we are working through the UN General Assembly to establish an internationally agreed set of principles for promoting tolerance through education. We also carry out project work in a range of countries, working with non-governmental organisations on issues such as promoting better understanding between faiths, bridging sectarian divides, promoting dialogue between faith groups and government and offering technical advice on amending discriminatory laws. Earlier in January, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced an uplift to £10.6 million for the 2016/17 programme, named the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. We are encouraging strong bids for projects focused on promoting freedom of religion or belief, and promoting FoRB as one way of tackling the root causes of extremism.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of whether China has met all of the technical Market Economy Status criteria as set by the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    According to the latest assessment by the European Commission China has not met all of the technical criteria for awarding Market Economy Status. However, these criteria were designed to inform decisions in the event that the EU decided to seek to award China MES before the end of the 15 year transition period specified by China’s protocol of accession to the WTO. As the transition period ends in December, the question facing the European Commission now is a legal one about the interpretation of article 15 of China’s protocol of accession to the WTO and whether it requires that China must now be granted MES.