Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with police and crime commissioners on the relative allocation of resources for public order and security to urban and surburban areas.

Mike Penning

The allocation of resources is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners, in consultation with their respective Chief Constables. Overall police spending is protected in real terms over the next Spending Review period, once local precept is taken into account. There is no question that the police have the resources to do their important work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are for listing specific days in mandatory flag flying days in the list published by his Department on the gov.uk website.

David Evennett

The designated days for flying the Union Flag on Government buildings have been set specifically to mark special occasions by command of Her Majesty the Queen and on the advice of Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic resources he is providing to the peace talks between the Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK is providing diplomatic and financial support to the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in convening UN-facilitated talks between relevant Yemeni parties. We welcome the cessation of hostilities that began on 10 April and strongly encourage all parties to respect it, and engage constructively in forthcoming peace talks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to what extent the Royal Navy plans to increase naval patrols in the Mediterranean to respond to the increase in attempted illegal crossings by migrants from North Africa.

Penny Mordaunt

We are encouraging the EU counter-migration mission, Operation SOPHIA, to increase its role in tackling irregular migration across the Central Mediterranean. Indeed, earlier this week the EU Foreign Affairs Council agreed on the need to evaluate options for increasing SOPHIA’s impact on human trafficking networks. This may include broader security support to the legitimate Libyan authorities, for example through potential capacity building. The UK currently has HMS ENTERPRISE deployed in support of Operation SOPHIA, and although we have no immediate plans to increase naval patrols in the Mediterranean, we are keeping our contribution under review as the operation’s requirements change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle political instability in east Africa.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministry of Defence does not directly tackle political instability. As part of the United Kingdom’s policy of countering shared threats in the region, supporting democratic and accountable governments, and promoting sustainable development, the Department works with other parts of Her Majesty’s Government in assisting the countries of East Africa, as well as the United Nations and the African Union, to maintain security and to conduct peace support operations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to encourage other countries to accept unaccompanied refugee children in Europe.

James Brokenshire

The government is at the forefront of assisting and protecting vulnerable children, wherever they are. Children in Europe are mostly already able to access support from countries that have similar legal obligations to our own.

The UK has been playing its full part in supporting European neighbours to provide support to those who have arrived. We have provided nearly £46 million of funding to the Europe wide response to help the most vulnerable, including children and infants.

In addition the £10 million the Department for International Development fund announced on 28 January will support UNHCR, Save the Children and International Rescue Committee to work with host authorities to care and assist unaccompanied or separated children.

This is in addition to resettling those from conflict regions through our Syrian Resettlement Programme and Children at Risk Resettlement Scheme. The UK is playing a leading role in the resettlement of the most vulnerable and supports other EU Member States in establishing and developing their resettlement schemes, through bilateral and multinational discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Kenyan counterparts on the proposed demolition of the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in that country; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of those proposed demolitions on future migration flows across the Mediterranean.

James Duddridge

During his visit to Kenya on 3 June, the Foreign Secretary raised the announced closure of Dadaab refugee camp with the Kenyan Government, including President Kenyatta. We recognise the significant burden that Kenya faces in housing a large number of refugees. The Government of Kenya assured the Foreign Secretary that refugees would be treated in line with their international obligations.

We are committed to working with Kenya and other members of the international community to ensure refugees are kept safe and that progress is made on the Tripartite Agreement, including safe and dignified refugee return. Our view, shared with the Kenyan Government, is that durable solutions for refugees are needed so that they will not be driven to undertaking the dangerous journeys, including across the Mediterranean.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of overall repair costs of an F35 during its operational lifetime.

Mr Philip Dunne

The UK Lightning Force will be able to conduct all necessary maintenance of the F-35 aircraft at RAF Marham, including electronic equipment, following aircraft arrival in 2018. When components cannot be repaired on the front line and need to be returned to industry, this will be done via a global network of depots. The global repair network will be adopted by all of the F-35 partners and offers significant benefits in terms of economies of scale and operational availability. It does not mean that components specifically have to go back to the US for repair.

The UK has a through life cost for the F-35, which includes repair costs. I am withholding this information as it has the potential to undermine the UK’s commercial position when negotiating contracts with industry.

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 recent discussions his Department has had with officials from (a) the EU and (b) the UN on obtaining compensation for UK victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government takes the needs of UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored terrorism very seriously and is sympathetic to their attempts to seek redress. We have raised this with the Libyan authorities, making it clear that resolution remains a priority for us, though current instability has delayed progress on this issue. The UK Government is not currently involved in negotiations on securing compensation payments with the EU or UN, though the FCO does provide facilitation support to campaign groups, where it has been requested. The EU and UN have made clear that when sanctions are lifted, frozen assets must be made available to and for the benefit of the people of Libya.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to promote trade between the UK and (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand.

Greg Hands

The department has identified opportunities and resourced campaigns to access high value sectors including defence, consumer & retail and financial services across the region.