Tag: Andrew Rosindell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to promote British business in (a) Australia, (b) Canada and (c) New Zealand.

Anna Soubry

We are taking forward our manifesto commitment to strengthen relationships with Australia and New Zealand and bilateral trade plays an important part of this. Our trade campaigns are focussed on the strongest growing sectors that match UK business strengths. Australia continues to offer particularly good opportunities for UK firms in transport infrastructure witha Laing O’Rourke led consortium winning a £2.1bn highway upgrade project earlier in the year. Other sectors of opportunity include: defence, urban regeneration & construction, airports, rail, ICT & software, food & beverage. The changing dynamics in the world economy have reduced demand for UK oil & gas expertise but we are continuing to explore opportunities in renewable energy.

We are also using the GREAT Campaign to provide platforms for UK firms to network through business events around Rugby World Cup, Bond, the Clipper Yacht Race, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Melbourne and a broader Culture is GREAT campaign in Victoria. Trade missions from London, Northern Ireland and a sports infrastructure themed mission organised by Major Events International have all visited Australia in 2015. We are also supporting the launching of EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement talks and we maintain a strong flow of ministerial and high-level official contacts in support of the bilateral relationship including on trade and investment.

In New Zealand particularly good opportunities continue for UK firms in transport infrastructure, defence,construction, airports, rail, and food & beverage. Our campaigns have exposed senior New Zealand infrastructure leaders to UK infrastructure best practice which has helped eight UK companies win contracts totalling over £28m this financial year.

We are using the GREAT Campaign here to provide platforms for UK firms to network through business events around Rugby World Cup, Bond and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Wellington. Trade missions from London and companies from Northern Ireland visited in 2015. We also strongly support the launch of negotiations on an EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and we will continue to use ministerial engagement in 2016 to further trade and business objectives.

In Canada, our efforts are focussed on those sectors with the highest potential for British business and where the UK has competitive advantage. These include: energy, infrastructure, transport, financial services, creative industries and defence and security. Activities in the past three months to deliver this include: a Northern Ireland Minister led trade mission to Montreal & Toronto; securing business for UK film producers at the Toronto International Film Festival; deliver a 12 day programme of GREAT activity in Toronto and supporting low carbon technology at the opening of Shell’s Carbon Capture and Storage facility in Alberta.

In 2016 we will promote the Canada EU comprehensive economic and trade agreement which will deliver substantial benefit for UK business. This will include publication of a report to highlight specific opportunities for UK business afforded by CETA and a roadshow of profile raising UK events targeted at businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on the UK economy of the 0.3 per cent reduction in eurozone economic growth in quarter 3 2015.

Harriett Baldwin

Euro area GDP grew by 0.3% (quarter-on-quarter) in the third quarter of 2015. The UK is one of the most open economies in the world, with significant trade and financial links with other countries. UK export performance is highly dependent on the economic performance of the euro area, the UK’s largest trading partner. The global economic recovery remains uneven and the risks from the world economy, not least from within the euro area, demonstrate the need to continue to fix the economy to ensure the UK can deal with risks from abroad.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to introduce stricter UK border controls similar to those introduced by the French government following the recent Paris attacks.

James Brokenshire

The UK is not part of the Schengen border-free arrangements that France and other European counterparts take part in. We have always and will continue to operate our borders securely and enforce our immigration laws. This includes carrying out full checks on all arriving passengers in order to identify any criminal, security and immigration concerns. Following the tragic events on Friday 13 November in Paris, Border Force has intensified checks on people, goods and vehicles entering the UK from the near continent and elsewhere, undertaking additional and targeted security checks against passengers and vehicles travelling to France via both maritime and rail ports and a number of airports across the country. We will be maintaining increased levels of security at our borders and people will see an increased presence of police and Border Force at all ports.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the Government has taken to resolve the migration situation at Calais.

Mrs Theresa May

The UK Government recognises the exceptional pressures on the French Government and its citizens caused by the migrant situation in the Calais region.

In particular, the French police face a difficult challenge in dealing with the increasingly violent migrants, who are damaging property and vehicles and attacking officers around the juxtaposed ports in their attempts to reach the UK illegally.

The UK welcomes the continued efforts by the French Government to address the situation, in particular the significant commitment of additional French police officers deployed in Calais.

We also welcome the progress made by the French to move migrants away from Calais to suitable facilities in alternative sites in France, and to increase the number of migrants claiming asylum in the country.

These French efforts, combined with the additional British personnel at the ports, the priority fencing and enhancements to security infrastructure, and the work to tackle organised crime that our two countries have progressed jointly over recent months, sends a clear message: we will continue to work together to keep our borders secure; migrants should not head to Calais, and those in Calais intending to seek asylum should do so in France.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18970, what measures are being taken to prevent Daesh from receiving donations from individuals or other actors.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has led efforts to create and enforce an international sanctions regime to cut off financial support for Daesh, underpinned by UN Security Council Resolutions (such as 1267, 2170 and 2199). As members of the Global Coalition’s Counter ISIL Finance Group, we are actively involved in identifying companies and individuals that breach the sanctions regime. UK law enforcement agencies have a well established and sophisticated system for investigating and shutting off sources of finance for terrorists, including Daesh, working with the finance sector to stop funds going from individuals to Daesh through the banking system. We are also working to close down Daesh’s ability to trade outside the formal financial system, cutting their access to black market trading and alternative international flows of money. The UK Government has robust processes in place, working closely with the charity sector to ensure that illegal charities do not fund Daesh and that NGO’s do not inadvertently do so, and also cooperating with the private sector to stop terrorist-related money laundering.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of her Department’s employment of interpreters for immigration purposes in 2014-15; and what the roles and responsibilities were of those interpreters, beyond assisting with the processing of refugee applications.

James Brokenshire

The total spend on interpreters in 2014-15 was £749,746 for Border Force, £1,455,375 for Immigration Enforcement and £5,366,622 for UK Visas and Immigration (Asylum) for translation in asylum claims.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to enabling a full and accurate two way interpretation service whilst not impeding the progress of any formal interviews or encounters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to encourage an increase in migration to the UK from Australia to the levels of such migration prior to 2008.

James Brokenshire

We value our close links with Australia and are committed to further strengthening our ties. Across all visa categories, total visas issued to Australian nationals grew by 10% in the year ending September 2015.

However, the Government is committed to reducing net migration to sustainable levels. We have capped the level of skilled economic migration from outside the EU, and have asked the Migration Advisory Committee to advise on restricting Tier 2 of the Points Based System for immigration to genuine skills shortages and highly specialist experts to ensure that we only grant visas to those who have the skills we really need in our economy. We have no plans to introduce specific targets for Australian migration to the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who have applied for asylum in the UK have failed criminal background checks or have been found to have links with extremist organisations since January 2015.

James Brokenshire

All asylum claims are the subject of rigorous checks to confirm identity, ensure security and minimise abuse of the system. To fully answer this question would require a physical check of every electronic case record and therefore to provide a complete answer would incur a disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many websites encouraging recruitment to Daesh or al Qaeda her Department has helped close down in the last six months.

Mr John Hayes

Extremist and terrorist organisations are exploiting the internet to disseminate propaganda and recruit individuals to their groups or to support their aims. Some vulnerable individuals, including young people are being misled by this damaging propaganda through its use of social media sites.

Since 2010, over 130,000 pieces of terrorist-related material have been removed by industry from various online platforms at the request of the dedicated police Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). Approximately 31,000 removals were made in the last 6 months alone. Removal requests are now at over 1,000 a week and approximately 70% of CTIRU’s caseload is Daesh related.

The Counter Extremism Strategy, published in October 2015, sets out further work to uplift efforts to outmatch the scale and pace of terrorist and extremist use of the internet. As part of this we are pressing industry to take a lead in tackling the abuse of their services by terrorist and extremist groups.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the proposed outcomes of the renegotiation of the UK’s membership of the EU would require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.

Mr David Lidington

An agreement reached by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, reflecting the outcomes of the renegotiation, would not require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.