The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason he included previously excluded expenditure such as war pensions in the latest UK response to NATO’s defence spending requirement.
Michael Fallon
From time to time we update our Defence spending calculations, to ensure that we are fully reflecting the NATO guidelines
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the (a) Palestinian Authority and (b) Israeli government on recent violent attacks in that region.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by the recent violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. We strongly condemn all acts of violence and all incitement to commit acts of violence.
Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions.
The most recent discussion with the Palestinian Authority was on 9 October when the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to President Abbas about the violence. On 8 October, our Consul General in Jerusalem raised our concerns in his meetings with President Abbas’ political adviser, Majdi Khaldi; Palestinian chief negotiator and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Sa’eb Erekat; and the Palestinian Chief of Police, Hazem Attallah.
The most recent discussion with the Israeli government was on 19 October when Her Majesty’s Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised our concerns with Israel Cabinet Secretary, Avichai Mandleblit. On 16 October, the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser, Mark Lyall Grant, spoke to Israel’s National Security Adviser, Yossi Cohen, and reiterated the need for both sides to do everything in their power to calm the situation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward plans to suspend UK membership of the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of UK military operations.
Dominic Raab
The Government will legislate for a Bill of Rights to protect our fundamental rights, prevent abuse of the system and restore some common sense to our human rights laws
The Prime Minister has told the House that, “The plans that were set out in our manifesto do not involve us leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, but let us be absolutely clear about our position if we cannot achieve what we need… I rule out absolutely nothing…”
The Government will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation for a Bill of Rights. We will set out our proposals in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve the quality of roads on the motorway network.
Andrew Jones
In 2014 we announced how we were investing £15.2bn capital between 2015 and 2021 to enhance, renew and transform the strategic network, with around £6 billion to help maintain and improve the condition of the strategic road network in England, including resurfacing around 80% of the network.
Highways England are required to keep the motorway network in good condition as one of their key performance indicators.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the government of Iran on alleged Iranian support to the Houthi rebels in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are concerned by Iranian support to the Houthis, including reports that Iran has transferred weapons to Yemen, which would be contrary to UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and the Security Council’s embargo on the export of weapons by Iran. We encourage Iran to show it can be a constructive part of the solution through promoting stability and showing commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. We have raised our concerns with the Iranian government, including with President Rouhani. The newly opened Embassy in Tehran is an opportunity to discuss a range of issues with Iranian counterparts, including regional issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to provide to home-buyers after the end of the mortgage guarantee scheme in 2016.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government is committed to addressing the affordability of housing and making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. At Budget 2014, the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme was extended to 2020 and the Government also intends to support younger buyers through delivering 200,000 Starter Homes by 2020, to be sold at a 20% discount for first time buyers under 40. These measures will also be supported by the launch of a Help to Buy: ISA through which the Government will top up mortgage deposit savings for first time buyers by 25% up to a maximum of £3,000.
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to fully implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK is committed to implementing fully the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Following ‘Adoption Day’ on 18 October, FCO officials attended the inaugural meeting of the Joint Commission, the body established to monitor implementation of the JCPOA. They will continue to work closely with their E3+3, EU and Iranian counterparts as we move towards Implementation Day to ensure that implementation of the JCPOA gives the international community confidence that Iran’s nuclear programme is, and will remain, exclusively peaceful.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) his ministerial colleagues and (b) external organisations on the future of the mortgage guarantee scheme of the Help to Buy policy; and if he will make a statement.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government is committed to addressing the affordability of housing and making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. At Budget 2014, the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme was extended to 2020 and the Government also intends to support younger buyers through delivering 200,000 Starter Homes by 2020, to be sold at a 20% discount for first time buyers under 40. These measures will also be supported by the launch of a Help to Buy: ISA through which the Government will top up mortgage deposit savings for first time buyers by 25% up to a maximum of £3,000.
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterparts on the case of Karl Andree.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Ministers and senior officials have raised Mr Andree’s case with the Saudi Government repeatedly since he completed his sentence in August 2015. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised this case at the highest levels on 29 September. I spoke to the Saudi Arabian Ambassador on 17 September and wrote to him about the case on 24 September. I had a meeting with Mr Andree’s two sons and Margot James MP on 15 September 2015 to discuss their concerns. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) also wrote a letter to the Saudi Government on 13 October. Officials at our Embassy in Riyadh have also raised the case with the Saudi authorities on numerous occasions. We are actively seeking his release as soon as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to transfer powers over the raising and spending of public finances from the government of Anguilla to the Government.
James Duddridge
There are no plans to remove the power of the Government of Anguilla to tax and spend. In circumstances where an Overseas Territory is in breach of its legal limits for debt, or where the UK taxpayer may be called upon to provide support, it is the established convention that reasonable assurance measures are put in place so that financial obligations continue to be met and public finances remain sustainable. The Government of Anguilla faces considerable challenges in maintaining sound public finances along with support for economic growth and the financial sector. We look forward to receiving the Government of Anguilla’s robust and credible plans, and to discussing these with them. The UK Government will continue to work in partnership with the Government of Anguilla to help ensure the long term financial security of the people of Anguilla. We also continue to keep open our offer to provide further technical assistance.