Tag: Alan Brown

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will call for an end to the extraction of natural resources from Western Sahara through agreements that disregard the interests and wishes of the indigenous Saharawi people.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

UK policy on commercial activity in Western Sahara is clear and longstanding and follows the legal opinion sought by the UN in 2002: that such activity is not in itself in violation of international legal principles unless it proceeds without respect to the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara. We continue to urge any commercial entity considering investing in Western Sahara to follow this advice and seek their own legal advice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse to date is of defending legal action against HM Government in all courts on the expulsion and right of resettlement for the population of the Chagos Islands.

Sir Alan Duncan

The costs paid by the Government for defending these legal actions to date are approximately £2,660,000.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 13632, on what dates in August 2015 he met (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other ministers in HM Treasury to discuss the potential effects in Scotland of a carbon price support exemption scheme.

David Mundell

As indicated in my previous answers on this issue, I have had a number of meetings and discussions this year, both formal and informal, on the important issue of opencast restoration and in particular the proposal for a carbon price support exemption. These have included discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Scottish Government and Local Authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of how many barrels of oil Daesh sell on a daily basis; and which countries are involved in the purchase of that oil.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We estimate that Daesh generates around $1.5 million a day in revenue from oil sales, equating to a daily crude production of between 34000 and 40000 barrels. The oil comes primarily from fields in Northern Syria. The vast majority is consumed by Daesh, sold within the territory it controls, or smuggled into regional black markets. The only Government we have evidence of being involved in purchasing oil from Daesh is the Assad regime.

Individuals involved in brokering oil deals between Daesh and the Assad regime have been sanctioned by the EU. The UK has also led efforts at the UN to make it illegal for any state, company or individual to trade in oil or oil products with Daesh, including co-sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution 2199 in February 2015. We work closely and continually with allies, particularly in the region, to ensure Resolution 2199 is implemented, sanctions are enforced and all smuggling is stopped.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-01-12.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the letter of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on making tax digital, dated 11 January 2016, for what reasons the increased revenue from a more accurate digital tax return system has been estimated at £600 million per annum given that the current tax gap due to errors made by small businesses has been estimated in that letter at £6.5 billion.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs remains committed to narrowing the overall tax gap. The policy costings for Making Tax Digital can be found in the publication Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015: policy costings.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/480565/SRAS2015_policy_costings_amended_page_25.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11023, whether discussions are ongoing with EDF about proposals for two reactors at Sizewell and Bradwell; and whether she plans to include those propospals in the process for the signing off of the proposed contract for Hinkley Point C.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government routinely speaks to developers about proposed new nuclear projects. There is no commitment in the documentation for Hinkley Point C in relation to the proposed reactors at Sizewell C or Bradwell. The strike price for Hinkley Point C is £92.50/MWh, which if Sizewell goes ahead will be reduced to £89.50/MWh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on recognition of the Polisario Front as the representative of the people of Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Government officials engage with the Polisario Front regularly, most recently on 16 March in London. We regard the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute, but not all Sahrawis consider it to be their representative. Therefore the UK Government does not regard the Polisario Front as representing all Sahrawis. Because of this, Ministers do not meet Polisario Front members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) Saharawi and (b) Moroccan people are employed by MINURSO in Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds no information on the ethnicity or origin of United Nations staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 13632, on what dates in May 2015 he met (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other ministers in HM Treasury to discuss the potential effects in Scotland of a carbon price support exemption scheme.

David Mundell

As indicated in my previous answers on this issue, I have had a number of meetings and discussions this year, both formal and informal, on the important issue of opencast restoration and in particular the proposal for a carbon price support exemption. These have included discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Scottish Government and Local Authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Syrians are temporarily displaced within Syria; and how many such people are displaced from (a) Daesh controlled areas, (b) Syrian government controlled areas and (c) other areas of conflict.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US.

The UN estimates that there are now 6.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Syria.

We are unable to assess the exact numbers of people displaced from areas controlled by different parties to the conflict. Estimations of internal displacement are complicated by shifting front lines and the fact that most Syrian IDPs have been displaced multiple times.