The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to deter Russian forces from targeting non-IS targets in Syria.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We continue to urge Russia, both in public and through diplomatic channels, to focus its efforts on ISIL targets. The EU Foreign Affairs Council on 12 October also called on Russia immediately to cease targeting the moderate opposition.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage other nations in the Levant and Arabian peninsula to accept refugees from Syria.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have been at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria, having committed over £1.1bn, which includes funding for regional countries to assist arriving refugees.
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), recently visited Lebanon and Jordan, where he paid tribute to the efforts of these countries in hosting Syrian refugees. Syria’s neighbours have been incredibly generous in welcoming huge numbers of refugees. There are now over four million Syrian refugees in the region, including over one million who fled Syria in 2014 alone. Turkey hosts the highest number of refugees, at over 2 million, followed by Lebanon at over 1 million and Jordan at over 628,000. The UK has allocated £559 million to support refugees in the region and vulnerable host communities to date, including £304 million in Lebanon and £193 million in Jordan. The Gulf States continue to contribute generously to humanitarian support for the Syria crisis, and there are large numbers of Syrians already in the Gulf.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the most recent Global Financial Stability Report from the IMF.
Harriett Baldwin
The IMF’s report concludes that risks to global financial stability from emerging markets remain elevated, amid falling risk appetite and increasing market liquidity risks.
The UK Government is alive to any implications of these risks for UK financial stability. The Government established the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) to identify and manage these types of risk to the UK financial system.
The Bank of England’s forthcoming 2015 stress test of the UK banking system will assess its resilience to a deterioration in global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets.
Furthermore, the UK’s financial regulatory bodies are continuing to work at an international level on risks relating to global financial market liquidity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on the targeting of non-IS targets by Russian forces in Syria.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond) discussed Russia’s military build-up in Syria with Secretary of State John Kerry at the UN General Assembly last month. Government ministers and officials discuss Syria with their American counterparts on a regular basis, and have shared concerns over Russia’s strikes on non-ISIL targets in Syria. The UK and US, together with France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, issued a statement on 2 October expressing concern about Russian strikes in Syria, calling on Russia to stop attacking the Syrian opposition and civilians, and to focus on fighting ISIL.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what policy aims his Department achieved at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.
Grant Shapps
As a cornerstone of the international rules-based system, the UN is a universally recognised platform for countries to reach agreement on the global issues that affect us all. The opening session of the UN General Assembly brings together political leaders from across the world in a way that sets the multilateral agenda for the year ahead. Since the opening of the General Assembly’s 69th session in September 2014, notable achievements in support of UK policy aims include: a new set of global development goals to help eradicate extreme poverty within the next 15 years; support for the Secretary General to develop a comprehensive Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism; a General Assembly resolution on the Arms Trade Treaty which maintained momentum towards the Treaty’s entry into force in 2014; strong human rights resolutions on Syria and the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea; and $220m (£145m) in savings on peacekeeping mission costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the reasons are for the timing of his Department’s sale of the remaining £2 billion of Lloyds’ shares.
Harriett Baldwin
The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated his intention to return Lloyds Banking Group to the private sector over the coming year in his Mansion House speech of June 2015. The proposal to launch a retail sale in Spring 2016 is consistent with this commitment.
The Government is determined to build a share-owning democracy and to continue to reduce the national debt by making Lloyds shares available to the public. Final decisions around the timing of a sale are dependent on market conditions, among other factors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent ISIL from destroying valuable historical sites in Palmyra and elsewhere.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK strongly condemns ISIL’s wanton destruction of cultural heritage in Syria and Iraq, including in Palmyra. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office helped secure UN Security Council Resolution 2199 which obliges all UN Member States to prevent the trade in Iraqi and Syrian cultural property that has been illegally removed from those countries.
But strong words and legal frameworks are not enough. As a key player in the Global Counter ISIL Coalition, the UK is committed to degrading and defeating ISIL, including through military action. By checking ISIL’s advance, the Coalition’s air campaign and support for partner military forces in Iraq and Syria has had the effect of protecting key historical sites in both countries. However, there is inevitably a limit to what we can do. The only way of safeguarding all historic sites from ISIL is by defeating them politically and militarily. That requires continued effort by the Global Coalition, as well as a more inclusive political settlement in Iraq, and an end to the conflict in Syria.
On 28 October I will be co-hosting a summit with the Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove Maldon (Mr WhittingdaleJavid) on Cultural Heritage Protection.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on incursions into Gibraltarian waters by Spanish ships in recent months.
Mr David Lidington
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond ) raised unlawful incursions with the Spanish government when he visited Spain in February. The Government has raised a number of serious unlawful incursions directly with the Spanish government at a senior level in recent months. I did this most recently on 12 September during a meeting with the Spanish Minister for Europe, Fernando Eguidazu Palacios.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve Britain’s economic ties with China.
Harriett Baldwin
In 2014, UK goods exports to China were worth £15.5bn, making China our 6th largest goods export partner. The government wants to improve this relationship, with a target for China to be the 2nd largest recipient of UK exports within a decade.
The Government warmly welcomes the State Visit of President Xi and Madame Peng, an important milestone that should lay the foundations for a golden age in the bilateral relationship. The Visit will build upon the sustained engagement by the Chancellor and other Ministers to deepen UK-China economic cooperation, including via the annual, Chancellor-led Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD).
At the most recent EFD in September 2015, both sides agreed a package of measure to strengthen their long-term collaboration, including on capital markets, bond markets, green finance, asset management and insurance. Further detail can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/462412/EFD_factsheet.pdf
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Australian counterpart on the effect of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull coming into office on Australian-UK relations.
Mr Hugo Swire
The UK and Australia continue to enjoy a close and productive partnership. At the heart of this are regular dialogues between Ministers on important policy issues. Our shared values and interests mean that dialogues continue even as counterparts change. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) most recently spoke to Malcolm Turnbull on 8 October. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) is also in regular contact with his Australian counterpart.