Tag: Andrew Rosindell

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.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support refugee camps near the Syrian border in order to tackle the root causes of migration to Europe.

Justine Greening

DFID works to give Syrians hope and opportunities, so they will not have to risk their lives fleeing the region. The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. To date, we have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis. Beyond addressing immediate needs, the UK is working with host countries to support their long-term resilience and expand opportunities for refugees, for example through funding to Lebanese and Jordanian municipalities for the running of essential public services.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt; and what plans his Department has to ensure that similar anniversaries are appropriately commemorated in the future.

Tracey Crouch

In the March 2015 budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that £1millionmwould be allocated for the commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt.The fund is administered by the Agincourt 600 charity,providing grants for events and Agincourt related educational projects. DCMS officials have been working closely with Agincourt 600 in the run up to this important anniversary.

TheGovernment and the Heritage Lottery Fundmade the decision towilldeliver a £10million mcontestable fund to ensure that similarhistoricanniversaries are appropriately commemorated.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the recent announcement by President Putin of a Russia-led Central Asia taskforce, what assessment he has made of the security implications for (a) NATO and (b) the conflict against the Taliban.

Michael Fallon

We are aware of this statement. The Russians have not released any details of such a task force.