Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the possible diplomatic benefits of recommissioning HM Yacht Britannia.

Alok Sharma

The Government is determined to make a success of our global role in the world, but re-commissioning the Royal Yacht Britannia is not on our agenda, nor is commissioning a new yacht. There was a debate in Westminster Hall about this very topic on 11 October which aired a range of issues including feasibility and cost. My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson MP), the Foreign Secretary, also told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on 13 October that he hoped a consortium of philanthropists would come forward to finance the cost of a new yacht.

The former Royal Yacht was used on just 37 occasions for trade promotion and signing trade deals during the last seven years of its commission (1989-1997) and only 27 trips were made overseas – four times per year. There is no evidence that the yacht made a difference to the trade deals secured in these years and this level of use would not represent a good return on investment.

The Government does not have potential costs for the reintroduction of the Royal Yacht Britannia or building of a new royal yacht because neither a feasibility study nor a review has been carried out since the decommissioning of the Britannia in 1997.

We shall continue to make full use of the FCO global network of nearly 270 embassies, high commissions and consulates to promote UK interests overseas. We shall also continue to make full use of existing Royal Navy ships for promotional purposes when they are in foreign ports.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to review the level of limited diplomatic representations of the UK in Central America.

Sir Alan Duncan

The UK Government’s links with the Central American region are strong and were enhanced in 2012 following the then Government’s decision to reopen our Embassy in El Salvador. We have Embassies located in five of the seven Central American countries – Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. We also have Honorary Counsuls in Nicaragua and Honduras.

Our Ambassadors to Guatemala and Costa Rica are non-resident Ambassadors to Honduras and Nicaragua respectively. They and their staff in Guatemala City and San José visit Honduras and Nicaragua regularly and engage across the full range of our interests in the region. While we keep our diplomatic network under review, there are currently no plans to change the UK’s diplomatic footprint in Central America.

I look forward to meeting my counterparts from across Central America at the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Foreign Ministers meeting in the Dominican Republic on 25-26 October.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to assist Middle East countries in learning lessons from Tunisia in overcoming political instability.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As Tunisia continues to demonstrate, long-term stability can only be achieved through peaceful dialogue and building legitimate and inclusive institutions. We are using our diplomatic influence, practical programming assistance, training and capacity building to support other countries in the region to do this. Through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), we are working to tackle conflict and support reforms to build more open and inclusive government. Middle East and North Africa’s £136m allocation (for FY 15-16) supports projects in areas such as conflict management, security sector reform and civil society capacity building. Our £6m (for FY 15-16) Arab Partnership Fund for Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia supports the development of legitimate and inclusive institutions, including civil society, parliaments, media and judiciaries. The UK also works with international partners through the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy and the Deauville Partnership to support political and economic development programmes in Arab Countries in Transition, aimed at fostering longer term prosperity and stability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to promote the UK’s ties with Taiwan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UK continues to enjoy a strong relationship with Taiwan in the fields of trade, investment, education and culture. A number of ministerial visits were made during the last Parliament which developed this relationship. We are looking to develop our commercial and cultural ties further, for instance in the fields of green energy and financial services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the implications for his Department’s advice on travel to Egypt are of the accidental killing of foreign tourists in that country on 13 September 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As stated in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Advice for Egypt, in September 2015 Egyptian security forces mistakenly killed 12 members of a tour group, including 8 Mexicans, in the Western Desert area of Al-Wahat.

Before the incident, FCO Travel Advice already advised against all but essential travel to this area of the country. After the incident, we made a factual update to the Travel Advice in order to make British Nationals aware of the incident, so they are able to make an informed decision on travel to the area.

We keep our travel advice under constant review, based on robust and up to date information and analysis from our experts in country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to meet with his Argentinian counterpart following the recent presidential election in that country; and if he will reaffirm to the new Argentinian administration British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Mr Hugo Swire

As my hon.Friend will be aware, Argentina held an inconclusive first round of Presidential elections on Sunday. A second round is due to take place on 22 November. The Government would prefer a more constructive bilateral relationship with Argentina, however, we shall not renege on our commitment to the self-determination of the Falkland Islanders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the introduction of the National Living Wage does not have a detrimental effect on small businesses.

Nick Boles

The Government is reducing Corporation Tax to 19% from 2017-18 and then to 18% from 2020-21; setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000; and increasing the Employment Allowance by £1,000 to £3,000 from 2016-17. The increase in the employment allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Israeli/Palestine peace process of Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the United Nations on 30 September 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

President Abbas’ speech at the 2015 UN General Assembly underlines the urgent need for progress towards a two state solution. We urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work together to meet their obligations under the Oslo Accords. We also encourage Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue with their existing security cooperation. I was encouraged to hear that President Abbas reiterated his commitment to this cooperation when he spoke, on 9 October, to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that employers use the correct pension classification code and pay their due amount as contributions.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes detailed guidance for employers on the GOV.UK website about National Insurance Contributions category letters.

https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters

All employers with an occupational pension scheme receive a reference number (Employer Contracted-Out Number) from HMRC. This allows the employer to use specific category letters which indicate that they are paying contracted-out contributions when they make their Real Time Information returns to HMRC. There are also automated checks in place to identify if an incorrect category letters has been used and these are then followed-up with the employer.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on food prices in the UK.

Anna Soubry

An independent assessment of the potential economic impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on the UK was carried out for the Government by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). This assessment demonstrated that TTIP offers an enormous economic benefit: in growth, exports, high quality jobs and reduced prices, worth up to £10 billion a year to the UK economy.

The CEPR study did not look at food prices specifically but it projects that output in our agricultural sector will be largely unaffected by TTIP.