Tag: Andrew Rosindell

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times Russian military (a) aircraft and (b) ships have entered British territory in the last 12 months; what the average response time was for the armed forces on each of those occasions; and what the type and model was of the aircraft or ship on each of those occasions.

Penny Mordaunt

I can confirm that there have been no unauthorised incursions by Russian military aircraft into UK sovereign airspace in the last twelve months.

There have been three authorised Treaty inspection flights by Russian military An-30b aircraft in UK airspace under the auspices of the multi-national Open Skies Treaty. On each occasion the UK received advance notice of the aircraft’s arrival and it was hosted for the duration of its mission at RAF Brize Norton.

For information on Russian naval assets entering UK territorial waters I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March 2015 by the previous Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Francois) to Question number 218391.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military operations the UK has undertaken against (a) Daesh and (b) al-Qaeda in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt

In the last 12 months, the UK has been continuing Operation SHADER against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. There have been no UK military operations against Al Qaeda in the same period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of migrants expected to attempt to enter the EU from Syria and other conflict zones during the period May to September 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have not made an independent estimate. The Government uses the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration data and analysis on migrant and refugee flows. The objective of the EU-Turkey deal is to stop irregular migration from Turkey and focus support on the majority of migrants and refugees who remain in the region near their homes. This is where we target a significant amount of UK support. We have pledged more than £2.3 billion in response to the Syrian conflict.

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of tax refunds to large businesses as a result of decisions from the European Court of Justice in the last 10 years.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs holds data about tax repayments to business, but does not record whether repayments are linked to CJEU decisions.

The amount repayable is often the result of decisions in both the UK courts and CJEU and it would be impossible to accurately disaggregate how much was linked to the decisions of an individual court.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the discovery by the US Navy of an Iranian ship bound for Yemen containing a significant cache of weapons is a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2216; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

UNSCR 2216 states that all Member States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the named individuals and entities designated by the Yemen Sanctions Committee. We continue to urge Iran to desist any transfer of weapons particularly those that breach any UN Security Council Resolution and instead to play a constructive role in the region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the anti-trust implications of the proposed merger between the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Börse.

Harriett Baldwin

Once formally notified of the proposed merger, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (as supervisors of the London Stock Exchange Group’s UK-authorised subsidiaries) must assess the proposal from a regulatory standpoint.

In addition the proposed merger must be approved by competition authorities and is subject to a range of other assessments including those of overseas regulators and shareholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to reduce UK reliance on fossil fuels from Eastern Europe.

Andrea Leadsom

Fossil fuels are widely traded internationally, and the UK imports fossil fuels from a variety of different countries to supplement our domestic production. This diversity of supply reduces our reliance on fossil fuels from any single region, including Eastern Europe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage more businesses to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Ministry of Defence recognises the value of open, mutually beneficial relationships with employers, which is why we have introduced professionalised employer engagement at the national and regional level.

The relationships we are building show that supporting the Armed Forces community is not only the right thing for employers to do, but can also yield tangible business benefits. Showing support by signing the Armed Forces Covenant can enhance the reputation of a company and attract the interest of Reservists and Service leavers; highly skilled, well-trained professionals who can add real value to a business.

Since 2014 the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) has provided visible recognition to those employers which support Defence and is inspiring others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to Defence and the Armed Forces community. Publicity around the ERS and the Armed Forces Covenant is valuable to both Defence and the employers involved. Ministers regularly attend Armed Forces Covenant signing events, most recently with ISS UK.

Our approach is delivering benefit; almost 1,000 employers have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and research shows that overall awareness of the Covenant has increased significantly over the last year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the threats to the Tristan albatross and Gough bunting from invasive plants and mice; and if his Department will support the proposed initiative by the Tristan da Cunha council to protect those birds through mouse and invasive plant eradication projects.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government is aware of the threat to the seabirds of Gough Island posed by invasive mice and plants. We are reviewing the options for addressing this problem and will take necessary actions to ensure the protection of these rare and endangered species and to protect the World Heritage Site status of Gough Island.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure stability in the housing market and increase the confidence of property developers since the EU referendum of 23 June 2016.

Greg Hands

Ministers have met with house builders and industry leaders since the Referendum result to ensure stability.

Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong. Markets have been volatile, but they have continued to function effectively. The Treasury, the Bank of England and the FCA are watching markets, including the housing market, extremely closely.

Action by the government over the last seven years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. Capital requirements for the largest banks are now ten times higher than before the crisis. Yesterday (5^th July) the Chancellor announced that the Bank of England will use the new powers given to them by Government to help boost the lending capacity of the banks to our economy. UK’s main lenders have agreed to make this extra capital available to support lending to UK businesses and households in this challenging time.

Government remains committed to boosting housing supply, including by delivering the most ambitious affordable house building programme since the 1970’s.