Tag: Andy Slaughter

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evidence his Department has received in support of allegations that the Bahrain Ombudsman’s investigation into Mohammad Ramadan’s has not met international minimum standards for a torture investigation; and what assessment he has made of that evidence.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The United Nations Convention Against Torture requires all states to conduct prompt and impartial investigations into allegations of torture within their jurisdiction. We therefore welcome the Ombudsman’s decision to conduct an investigation into the complaints regarding Mohammad Ramadan, and await the outcome of the investigation. Since the announcement of the Ombudsman’s investigation, we have received non-governmental organisation representations regarding these allegations, and are aware of similar representations made to the Ombudsman. We take all such allegations seriously. It is therefore important that investigations into allegations of torture are prompt and impartial, and we are encouraging the Ombudsman to carry out a swift investigation.

The Bahraini Ombudsman is an independent oversight institution, and we will continue to follow and support its work. I raised the case of Mohammad Ramadan with the Bahraini Ambassador on 8 March, and our Embassy Manama officials have raised the progress of the investigation several times directly with the Ombudsman’s office, the most recent being 4 August.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times Medway Secure Training Centre has contacted an external teaching agency to request a teacher since it was awarded the contract.

Andrew Selous

G4S, which holds the current contract for Medway Secure Training Centre, has once used an external teaching agency to recruit one member of teaching staff.

Prior to 2010 education at Medway was provided by Manchester College. Information on this provider’s use of agency staff is not held centrally.

All STC staff, both temporary and permanent, must undergo background checks and be approved by the Youth Justice Board prior to appointment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12217, when more discussions on judicial co-operation are planned to take place.

Dominic Raab

Discussions are ongoing and are being taken forward by the British Embassy in Riyadh. No work has yet been undertaken by the Ministry of Justice as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will direct the College of Policing to disclose the amounts paid by the Saudi Arabian government for training it has provided to Saudi police officers.

Mike Penning

The College of Policing in common with other organisations, does not routinely publish details of commercial agreements and has no plans to do so. The Home Secretary has no plans to direct the College of Policing to disclose this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the closure of Just Solutions International and termination of all contracts and bids with Saudi Arabia breaks any agreement in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Mr Shailesh Vara

No. The Memorandum of Understanding and the bids submitted by JSi are entirely separate and there is no link between the two.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will direct the College of Policing to disclose the content of each of the training courses it has provided to Saudi police officers.

Mike Penning

The College of Policing in common with other organisations, does not routinely publish details of commercial agreements and has no plans to do so. The Home Secretary has no plans to direct the College of Policing to disclose this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax HM Revenue and Customs collected as a result of insolvency litigation in each year from 2010.

Mr David Gauke

HMRC does not hold any statistical data relating to tax collected resulting from insolvency litigation

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Written Statement by the Minister for the Courts and Legal Aid of 15 October 2015, HCWS 237, on HM Courts & Tribunal Service, if it is his policy for staff of that service to remain civil servants.

Mr Shailesh Vara

As I stated in my Written Ministerial Statement of 15 October, the department has withdrawn the procurement for an external provider for compliance and enforcement services. Therefore permanent members of staff employed by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service in compliance and enforcement roles will remain as civil servants.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how much revenue will be collected annually by HM Revenue and Customs through insolvency litigation funded by third-party funding.

Dominic Raab

The Ministry of Justice has not made such an estimate. We are currently considering the way forward for the application of the no win no fee reforms in Part 2 of the LASPO Act 2012 for insolvency litigation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of legal fees in the case of Bondada, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 2661 (Admin) (15 October 2015).

James Brokenshire

Costs incurred are £48, 575.35, including applicant’s costs of £31, 118.79.