Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implementation of the recent economic slowdown in China on his Department’s policy on bilateral trade and investment with that country.

Harriett Baldwin

The Treasury continuously monitors global economic developments, including those in China, and their impact on the UK as part of the normal process of policy development.

The Chancellor has warned that “last year was the worst for global growth since the crash and this year opens with a dangerous cocktail of new threats from around the world.” As one of the most open trading economies in the world with a large financial sector, we have to recognise that the UK is not immune to the continued problems being experienced in the world economy.

We should not let this put us off engaging with China. As the Chancellor said while leading the UK’s Economic and Financial Dialogue with China in September 2015, both countries: “have a shared commitment to laying the foundations for stronger, more productive economies that can weather periods of uncertainty. At the same time, we need to continue to pursue the longer-term reform challenges that both our governments are pursuing.”

The UK’s exports to China have grown rapidly; since 2010, exports of UK goods to China have grown by over 90%. Even if China’s GDP growth slows to 5%, it will still add an economy the size of France to global GDP by 2020. This is well below the central scenario: the IMF forecasts China’s GDP growth to average 6.2% over the next 5 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on recent illegal entry into Gibraltarean waters by Spanish vessels.

Mr David Lidington

The Government continues to make diplomatic protests to Spain with respect to all incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). Since the agreement of August 2015 to prioritise safety at sea and to step up law enforcement cooperation, there have been fewer incursions that have raised safety concerns and work on improving cooperation between law enforcement agencies is ongoing. Neither I nor the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond ), have therefore had cause to raise incursions into BGTW with our Spanish counterparts since my response to Written Question 11709 on 22 October 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure the interests of small-scale farmers are fully represented in her Department’s involvement in the New Alliance initiative.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Smallholder farmers are represented in the New Alliance coordination structures, through the civil society representation at the Leadership Council, and also through the non-state actors’ coalition of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

In addition, our work on responsible investment in land led to a due diligence framework for agricultural investments which we developed jointly with the African Union, other donors, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. This inclusive new tool has been approved and is now being piloted, including through our support for innovative investment approaches developed by smallholders and their organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement in the letter by the President of European Council on his proposal for a new settlement for the UK within the EU that the UK is not committed to further political integration, what mechanisms are included in that proposed agreement to prevent the UK being so committed without its consent.

Mr David Lidington

The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, concerning a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union, section C, paragraph 1, recognises that the United Kingdom is “not committed to further political integration into the European Union”. This will be incorporated into the Treaties at the time of their next revision “so as to make it clear that the references to ever closer union do not apply to the United Kingdom”.

In addition, the Decision states that “the references in the Treaties and their preambles to the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe do not offer a legal basis for extending the scope of any provision of the Treaties or of EU secondary legislation. They should not be used either to support an extensive interpretation of the competences of the Union or of the powers of its institutions as set out in the Treaties. . . The Treaties allow an evolution towards a deeper degree of integration among the Member States that share such a vision of their common future, without this applying to other Member States.”

More widely, the European Union Act 2011 ensures that if a change to the EU Treaties is proposed that would transfer a power from the UK to the EU, the consent of the British people in a referendum would be required before such a transfer could be agreed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to increase public awareness of personal health budgets.

Alistair Burt

NHS England provides a comprehensive programme of training and support for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to help them to develop and publish a local offer of personal health budgets by April 2016. CCGs are now also required to include their personal health budget offer in their Health and Wellbeing Strategies, which are published in the public domain. To increase public awareness further, NHS England funds a national network of people with lived experiences of personal health budgets who champion their use both nationally and locally.

NHS England has made it clear that CCGs have a duty to inform people who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare that they have the right to have a personal health budget, for example including information in the letter that informs individuals they are eligible. NHS England is currently consulting on the new CCG Improvement and Assessment framework, which will ask CCGs to submit the number of personal health budgets in their local area. The results of this will be used to inform the public of how many personal health budgets have been given locally and how their area compares with the rest of the country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government expects to accrue to the public purse from the planned annual charge on Australian and New Zealand citizens for use of the NHS.

James Brokenshire

The Impact Assessment published on 4 February 2016, alongside the draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2016, estimates that a net additional £41 million could be raised for the NHS in present value, over 5 years, in 2016-17 prices, by applying the health charge to Australian and New Zealand nationals and reducing the annual health charge for Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicants from £200 to £150.

The Impact Assessment can be viewed at the link below and is also available in the Vote Office (Commons): http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111143278/impacts

These changes are subject to affirmative resolution and will be debated in the House of Commons and House of Lords. If they are approved by Parliament, the Government plans to implement the changes from 6 April.

The Government think it only fair that Australian and New Zealand nationals contribute to the UK’s health service in the same way as other non-EEA nationals. The changes will only apply to Australian and New Zealand nationals who plan to enter the UK for a temporary period of more than six months; visitors will not need to pay the charge and Australians and New Zealanders will continue to benefit from our reciprocal healthcare agreements.

Further, the Government has in recognition of the close and important links between our countries, agreed during discussions with the Australian and New Zealand Governments, to reduce the health charge that applies to the Youth Mobility Scheme from £200 to £150 in line with students. This is the category used by more than half of Australian and New Zealand nationals granted visa’s to the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of apprenticeships created in 2015 were taken up by British citizens.

Nick Boles

The Department collects self-reported data on the ethnicity of apprentices, but not nationality. Skills Funding Agency funding can only be used for apprentices whose main employment or normal place of work is in England. In addition employers are responsible for checking that their apprentices have the right to work in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for the UK of the introduction of citizenship by investment schemes by EU member states; and what steps she has taken to increase transparency in that area.

James Brokenshire

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 9 March to Question 29833 from the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Andy Slaughter) and to Question 29873 from the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Kelly Tolhurst).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what input officials of his Department had on the commissioning of the research study on tobacco taxation and tobacco industry pricing by the Department of Health to the University of Bath awarded in September 2014.

George Freeman

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research funds the Public Health Research (PHR) programme to generate evidence to inform the delivery of non-National Health Service interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The programme has two workstreams: commissioned and researcher-led. The PHR commissioned workstream welcomes outline proposals in response to specific research questions prioritised for their public health importance. The application for the study ‘Understanding the impact of tobacco tax increases and tobacco industry pricing on smoking behaviours and inequalities’ was received through the researcher-led workstream and therefore did not go through a tender process via the commissioned workstream. Details of the PHR application process are available on the PHR website:

www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/phr/application-process

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with his Pakistan counterparts about attacks on Christians in Lahore; and what steps he is taking to press for greater protection of Christians in Pakistan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

I reiterate the condemnation of the appaling attack in Lahore on Easter Sunday. My thoughts are with the Government and people of Pakistan, including the families and friends of the victims, and those recovering from injuries. The explosion was a sad reminder of the terrorist threat confronting individuals regardless of age, gender, religious belief or ethnicity.

The UK continues to stand with Pakistan in tackling the shared threat from terrorism and extremism. We are partnering Pakistan to increase its capacity to confront the terrorist threat, reform the judiciary so those responsible for attacks are held to account and address the root causes of extremism and terrorism.

The Government deplores violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to speak up for religious minorities wherever their rights are denied. The Government regularly raises its concerns about religious minorities with the Government of Pakistan and urge it to honour its international human rights commitments.