Tag: Andrew Rosindell

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 Israeli counterparts on recent outbreaks of violence in Israel and Palestine.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are deeply concerned by the recent spate of attacks and clashes across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv discuss the situation frequently with Israeli officials. Most recently, on 12 October, the UK Charge d’Affaires raised our concerns with Israel’s Deputy Defence Minister, making clear that it is imperative that both sides actively de-escalate the tensions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Syrian refugees coming to Britain do not have criminal records or connections to extremist groups.

James Brokenshire

We take security extremely seriously in cases referred to us for resettlement, working closely with the UNHCR who have their own robust identification processes in place. When potential cases are submitted by the UNHCR for our consideration they are screened and considered by the Home Office for suitability for entry to the UK: we retain the right to reject individuals on security, war crimes or other grounds. For reasons of national security, we cannot provide further on the details of the screening process itself.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many regular soldiers he plans to maintain in each of the next three years.

Mark Lancaster

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Reserves (Mr Brazier) on 20 July 2015 to Question number 7353 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones).

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 assessment he has made of the effects of recent political instability in Turkey.

Mr David Lidington

The government continues to monitor closely developments in Turkey. We acknowledge Turkey’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, whoever the perpetrator. We welcome reports of a PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) ceasefire and hope that peace talks will resume soon. It is vital that the parliamentary elections on 1 November pass without further incident.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to help Syrian refugees assimilate into British society.

Richard Harrington

The Home Office is working closely with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government to plan for the integration of Syrian refugees.

We are carefully considering issues such as access to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), how access to employment can best be supported and how to draw on the support offered from the voluntary sector, including refugee and disapora organisations as well as faith organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his (a) Russian and (b) US counterparts on the extension of British airstrikes to Syria.

Michael Fallon

I have not held discussions with my Russian counterpart.

I have regular conversations with my US counterpart on a range of subjects, including the campaign against ISIL, and most recently met him on 9 October 2015. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, there is a strong case to do more against ISIL in Syria, but the UK will not join Coalition air strikes against ISIL in Syria without the endorsement of Parliament.

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 assessment he has made of the current level of representation of the British Overseas Territories at Westminster; and whether his Department plans to increase such representation and adopt a model similar to that used in (a) France and (b) the Netherlands.

Grant Shapps

The constitutional status of the Territories was reviewed prior to the publication of the 2012 White Paper: Security, Success and Sustainability. We believe that the fundamental structure of our constitutional relationship is the right one, with powers devolved to the elected governments of the Territories to the maximum extent possible consistent with the UK retaining those powers necessary to discharge its sovereign responsibilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to amend the US-UK extradition treaty to make the legal requirements for extradition the same for US and UK citizens.

James Brokenshire

Under the UK-US Treaty there is no practical difference in the treatment of UK and US nationals, or indeed the nationals of any other country. This was also the conclusion of the independent Review of the UK’s Extradition Arrangements which the Home Secretary asked Sir Scott Baker to conduct, which stated “We have concluded that the United States/United Kingdom Treaty does not operate in an unbalanced manner” and that “there is no practical difference between the information submitted to and from the United States”. Changes were made to the operation of the Treaty in the last Parliament, such as the introduction of the ‘forum bar’ under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Government believes that the Treaty is operating fairly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that service personnel are effectively reintegrated into society following active service duty.

Anna Soubry

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has robust measures in place to prepare our Service personnel for civilian life. As Lord Ashcroft highlighted in his recent review of transition arrangements, the vast majority of Service leavers make a successful transition.

All Service leavers are entitled to resettlement assistance from the Ministry of Defence funded Career Transition Partnership (CTP). We work with all industry sectors to offer Service leavers a range of employment options through the creation of partnerships with major organisations such as BAE Systems, Jaguar, Siemens and Google. The CTP helped 85% of Service leavers find sustainable employment within six months of leaving the Armed Forces in 2013-14.

The MOD supports a range of schemes to help Service leavers secure appropriate accommodation, and provides briefings on housing and finance. The £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme began on 1 April 2014, meaning that Servicemen and women can now borrow up to 50% of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000, interest free, providing a boost to those needing to find a deposit to buy their own home. In February 2014, LIBOR funding of £40 million was announced to support charities which assist veterans with housing needs. Projects are expected to include hostels and half-way houses for veterans, supported housing for the wounded, injured and sick, and long-term care homes.

The Veterans UK Helpline can provide advice on a wide range of issues, including healthcare, accommodation, training and benefits. The helpline can be reached on 0808 1914 218.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect civil liberties whilst tackling Islamic extremism across the UK.

James Brokenshire

The government is committed to disrupting extremism and we use the full force of the law to do so, including proscribing groups concerned in terrorism, prosecuting the perpetrators of hate crime and excluding preachers of hate from the UK. We also remain committed to protecting fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of speech. That is why it is vital that we challenge those extremist ideas that also form part of a terrorist ideology, and threaten these freedoms. Central to this is challenging those behaviours and views which run counter to our shared values, which include freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law, equality of opportunity and treatment, and the rights of all men and women to live free from persecution of any kind.