Tag: Andrew Smith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions UK Government officials have prepared briefings or provided information to representatives of British overseas territories and Crown dependencies to assist in their dealings with the European Commission in the most recent period for which information is available.

James Duddridge

The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Overseas Territories, which have a specific status within the European Union Treaties. The Overseas Association Decision is the instrument which sets out the relationship between the European Union and the Overseas Territories of the Member States. In 2015 I attended the annual Forum bringing together Territory leaders, senior representatives from the European Commission and the Member States. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials meet approximately six times a year with the Territories and the Commission to take forward cooperation under the Overseas Association Decision. Other government departments provide officials when required if the subject matter falls within their area of competence.

The United Kingdom is also responsible for the international relations of the Crown Dependencies which have a special relationship with the European Union under Protocol 3 to the United Kingdom’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community.

United Kingdom Government officials meet regularly with Crown Dependency and Overseas Territory representatives to discuss forthcoming business; information sharing is a matter of routine. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories make their own preparations for meetings with the European Commission but Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials assist when asked to do so. Support is also available from other government departments and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union should it be required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the security situation in Juba, South Sudan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have been kept regularly updated on the security situation in Juba. Senior officials and the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), have been in touch with leaders in the region and joined the United Nations and the African Union in calling on President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to immediately end all violence and protect all South Sudanese civilians. The ceasefire announced on 11 July is currently holding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve the reliability and collection of data on nutrition in countries in Asia and Africa.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID has been taking a range of steps to improve the reliability and collection of data on nutrition. These include organising an informal expert consultation on nutrition data gaps in June this year; working with the European Commission to establish National Information Platforms for Nutrition; developing innovative metrics and methods for agriculture for nutrition; continuing to fund the Global Nutrition Report, which gives particular focus to data quality and availability and continues to undertake analysis to identify priority areas for investment; funding the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) programme; and continuing to work with other donors to coordinate our funding on nutrition.

In addition, the UK and US jointly announced that they will partner with the GODAN Secretariat to organise a 2016 GODAN Summit. We will also commission research in early 2016 to test innovative and feasible approaches to collect data, with sufficient frequency in more fragile settings, which should enable better management of malnutrition when shocks and disasters arise.

The UK will continue to provide strong leadership to maintain global momentum on nutrition and will continue to work hard to deliver its promises to scale up its work on nutrition between now and 2020.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with the US administration on the siting of a US drone operation centre at (a) RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk and (b) other UK locations.

Penny Mordaunt

The UK and US have routine discussions on all aspects of US visiting forces in the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to public funds was of transport to London for people on temporary admission in Oxfordshire for mandatory reporting in each of the last four quarters.

James Brokenshire

Immigration Enforcement retains a record of tickets that are issued to people on temporary admission for the purpose of travel to report at an Immigration Reporting Centre.

Immigration Enforcement does not keep a record of the area from which those individuals have travelled. We are required to provide a travel ticket if the subject resides more than 3 miles away from the reporting centre and is in receipt of Asylum Support. We do not routinely provide travel tickets for anyone else who reports unless they reside over 25 miles away and there is an exceptional reason to do so. Each case is assessed and considered on its own merit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions Government officials have accompanied representatives of British overseas territories or Crown dependencies to meetings with the European Commission in the last five years.

James Duddridge

The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Overseas Territories, which have a specific status within the European Union Treaties. The Overseas Association Decision is the instrument which sets out the relationship between the European Union and the Overseas Territories of the Member States. In 2015 I attended the annual Forum bringing together Territory leaders, senior representatives from the European Commission and the Member States. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials meet approximately six times a year with the Territories and the Commission to take forward cooperation under the Overseas Association Decision. Other government departments provide officials when required if the subject matter falls within their area of competence.

The United Kingdom is also responsible for the international relations of the Crown Dependencies which have a special relationship with the European Union under Protocol 3 to the United Kingdom’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community.

United Kingdom Government officials meet regularly with Crown Dependency and Overseas Territory representatives to discuss forthcoming business; information sharing is a matter of routine. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories make their own preparations for meetings with the European Commission but Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials assist when asked to do so. Support is also available from other government departments and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union should it be required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the security situation in Juba, South Sudan, on UN operations in that region.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The recent deterioration in the security situation in South Sudan has made UN operations – including protecting civilians and facilitating the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance – more difficult. In the UN Security Council on 13 July, we urged the Council and regional countries to unite in demanding the South Sudanese authorities allow UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan to have freedom of movement and all the equipment it needs in country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Waging Peace on the use of rape as a weapon of war in the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

James Duddridge

We remain acutely concerned by the use of sexual violence in Darfur as set out in this and other reports. It reinforces our policy approach of strong support for the presence of the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Mission operation in Darfur(UNAMID) and the need for the mission to have a strong mandate centred around protection of civilians. As a result, the UK led this year’s renewal of the operation’s Mandate to ensure it continues to operate across all the Darfuri states. We will continue to work with the mission, press for robust patrolling and encourage it to engage at the community level. We will also continue to urge the Government of Sudan to cooperate with the operation, and have consistently made clear to them that conditions on the ground must considerably improve before any moves towards the mission’s eventual exit can be made.

At the same time, we continue – both bilaterally and through the UN’s Security and Human Rights Councils – to call on all armed actors to address sexual and gender-based violence in Darfur. The UK played a significant role in the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2242 reflecting the importance of Women, Peace and Security-related issues for the UN family. Bilaterally, we have provided support to over 150 survivors of rape in Darfur and contributed to the successful prosecution of members of the police and armed forces. We will remain active on these issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with troika partners Norway and the US to try to bring an end to atrocities against civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan.

James Duddridge

The UK is deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict in Darfur on the civilian population and the recent escalation of violence in Jebel Mara. With our Troika partners, the US and Norway, we are continuing to support the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel’s efforts to bring an end to the violence in Darfur and secure a political settlement.

The UK also actively supports the United Nations/African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). During the last mandate renewal we led efforts to ensure UNAMID remained in all five states of Darfur and also strengthened its mandate to better protect civilians.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on temporary admission living in Oxfordshire are required to report at Eaton House, Hounslow.

James Brokenshire

Immigration Enforcement retains a record of tickets that are issued to people on temporary admission for the purpose of travel to report at an Immigration Reporting Centre.

Immigration Enforcement does not keep a record of the area from which those individuals have travelled. We are required to provide a travel ticket if the subject resides more than 3 miles away from the reporting centre and is in receipt of Asylum Support. We do not routinely provide travel tickets for anyone else who reports unless they reside over 25 miles away and there is an exceptional reason to do so. Each case is assessed and considered on its own merit.