Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will support a claim by (a) petroleum suppliers who supply home heating oil and (b) other petroleum suppliers for a derogation from the EU rules on the amount of weekly rest required by such suppliers’ drivers; and what stage that application for a derogation has reached.

Andrew Jones

In December 2015 the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers sent the Department for Transport an application for the UK to submit a request to the European Commission, under Article 14(1) of Regulation (EC) 561/2006, for a derogation on the weekly rest requirement in the EU drivers’ hours rules for drivers of tankers delivering domestic fuel. This application is being considered and a decision on whether to support it and apply to the Commission will be made in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the maximum permitted spending by each campaign will be during the final weeks of campaigning on the referendum on EU membership; and what steps the Electoral Commission plans to take to ensure that spending by each campaign is subject to the same limit.

Mr Gary Streeter

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) sets out the spending limits that apply during the regulated referendum period at UK-wide referendums. The duration of the referendum period for the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union will be set out in secondary legislation.

PPERA does not set total spending limits for each of the referendum outcomes; rather it applies spending limits to individual campaigners that take part in the debate.

The Commission is already monitoring the campaigning activities of potential referendum campaigners so that it can identify any emerging issues and offer advice and guidance to those that intend to campaign at the referendum. Once the rules come into force, the Commission’s campaign monitoring will inform the use, if necessary and appropriate, of its enforcement and sanctioning powers where the rules are not followed.

For the EU Referendum, Parliament increased the limits set out in PPERA to take account of inflation. The limits for political parties that register to campaign in support of a particular outcome are allocated according to the party’s share of the vote at the last UK Parliamentary general election. Campaigners that do not register with the Commission are limited to spending £10,000. The new limits are set out in the table below:

	EU Referendum Bill spending limits for a referendum held before 31 December 2017	2015 UK general election vote share
Limits for designated lead campaigners	£7,000,000	–
Limits for political parties with:
>30% share of the vote	£7,000,000	Conservative (36.8%)
>20-30% share of the vote	£5,500,000	Labour (29%[1])
>10-20% share of the vote	£4,000,000	UKIP (12.6%)
>5-10% share of the vote	£3,000,000	Liberal Democrat (7.9%)
	£700,000	SNP (4.7%) Green (3.8%) DUP (0.6%) Plaid Cymru (0.6%) Sinn Fein (0.6%) SDLP (0.3%) UUP (0.4%) Plus all other parties that stood at least one candidate at 2015 UKPGE
Limits for other registered campaigners	£700,000	–

[1] Labour Party share of the vote is adjusted because votes cast for joint candidates are divided by the number of parties the candidate is standing for i.e. Labour / Co-op candidates (PPERA Sch14, para 1(4))

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in dealing with the migrants who arrived (a) in October 1998 and (b) on 21 October 2015 in the RAF Dhekelia and RAF Akrotiri Soverign Base Areas in Cyprus.

Penny Mordaunt

The remaining migrants, both recognised refugees and failed asylum seekers, from those who arrived in the Soveriegn Base Areas (SBA) in 1998, are currently living in former Service Family accommodation close to the British Forces Garrison in Dhekelia. For those whose claims for asylum have not been accepted and who are unable to return to their country of origin, we continue efforts to identify a third country willing to accept them.

The majority of those migrants who arrived in the SBA on 21 October 2015 have transferred into the Republic of Cyprus asylum system and are housed in a facility in the Republic. Of those who remain in the Transit Facility in Dhekelia, all have either claimed asylum or are seeking voluntarily to return to their point of origin. Their asylum claims are being considered by the Sovereign Base Area Administration, with assistance from Republic of Cyprus immigration officials.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which serving ambassadors or high commissioners accredited to the Court of St James also hold UK citizenship or nationality; and what policy on the accreditation of such UK citizens or dual citizens as envoys of Commonwealth or foreign states.

James Duddridge

Details of serving Ambassadors or High Commissioners accredited to the Court of St James who may hold UK citizenship or nationality as well as the citizenship or nationality of their sending States are protected under the Data Protection Act. Dual nationals may not hold positions as heads of diplomatic missions in the UK unless they are High Commissioners or the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland. The Diplomatic Privileges (British Nationals) Order 1999 (1999 No 670) allows High Commissioners and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland, who may also simultaneously hold UK citizenship, to enjoy privileges and immunities as if they were nationals only of their sending State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish the listed dates for flights to Sharm el Sheikh airport on which his Department advised against all travel to the region.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The advice against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el-Sheikh was issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 4 November 2015, and flights by UK carriers were suspended on the same day. Repatriation flights took place between 6–17 November 2015, supported by additional security measures.

The Government is working closely with the Egyptian authorities with a view to a resumption of flights as soon as possible, whereupon scheduling of such flights would be a matter for the airlines concerned.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions the Government has had with the governments of Australia and New Zealand on the proposed introduction of an annual change to Australian and New Zealand citizens for use of the NHS.

Alistair Burt

On 6 April 2015 the United Kingdom introduced an immigration health surcharge for non-European Economic Area nationals who come to the UK to temporarily reside for a period of over six months. At the time Australian and New Zealand nationals were granted a temporary exemption and we entered into a series of discussions with both the Australian and New Zealand Government on the introduction of the surcharge for its nationals. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to both the Australian Minister for Health and New Zealand High Commissioner confirming introduction of the surcharge on 17 December 2015. Introduction of the surcharge for Australian and New Zealand nationals was publicly announced by the Home Office on 4 February 2016 and subject to Parliamentary approval, it will come into effect from 6 April 2016.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli.

David Evennett

The two national events that marked the centenary of the battle of Gallipoli on 24th and 25th Apri 2015, were key commemorative events in the centenary programme.

The first, a UK-led Commonwealth and Ireland Ceremony was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Helles Memorial in Turkey on 24 April 2015, the eve of the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. This event was attended by The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince Harry, senior representatives of the nations involved in the Gallipoi Campaign and descendants. The Prince of Wales met with descendants on board the Royal Navy’s ship HMS Bulwark.

The second, on Anzac Day, was held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. This National Service of Commemoration event was attended by Her Majesty The Queen, senior representatives of the participant nations, and around 2500 descendants, included wreath-laying and a march past the Cenotaph led by military personnel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with (a) members of the public and (b) law professionals on proposed changes to the system of probate fees charged to activate a will.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The Government published a consultation on proposals to reform fees for applications for a grant of probate on 18 February. The consultation will run for six weeks, closing on 1 April. It is open to all members of the public, law professionals or other persons to respond.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school places in Romford.

Edward Timpson

Supporting local authorities in their responsibility to ensure sufficient school places in their area is one of this Government’s top priorities. That’s why we’ve committed to spending £7 billion on new school places up to 2021, which, along with our investment in the free schools programme, we expect to create 600,000 new places.

Havering local authority, which is responsible for school places in Romford, received £23 million of basic need funding between 2011 and 2015, which helped to create 2,583 new primary places and 1,960 new secondary places between 2010 and 2015.

Havering has also been allocated a further £58 million to create the places required by the 2019/20 academic year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Wales of measures announced in the Budget 2016.

Alun Cairns

Last month’s Budget demonstrated the scale of this Government’s ambition for Wales, delivering a historic City Deal for Cardiff and a commitment to Swansea Bay, cutting tax for 1.4 million Welsh men and women, as well as opening the door for a growth deal for North Wales.