Tag: Baroness Suttie

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current procedures for processing official documents of homeless people wishing to return to their country of origin, and whether they have plans to improve those procedures.

Lord Bates

Immigration Enforcement works closely with homeless charities conducting activity across the country often encountering EU or foreign nationals who are homeless. Any individual that wishes to return home can be assisted either by the charity or Immigration Enforcement to obtain a travel document, liaising with embassies and high commissions if necessary to obtain a document quickly. Immigration Enforcement can also issue a European Union letter if an individual wishes to travel to their home country within the EU.

In addition, the Home Office Voluntary Departures Service provides support to those with identified vulnerability who wish to make a voluntary return. The support available depends on the unique circumstances of each individual but may include help with travel, transfers, medical support and help to reintegrate in the country of return.

The Department is constantly reviewing its processes to further improve its engagement with partners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings they have had recently with the government of Tunisia to discuss the current travel advice for UK citizens intending to travel to Tunisia; and whether they have any plans to amend that advice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Tunisian authorities, including on the matter of Travel Advice. The most recent discussions were in February 2016 when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the Tunisian Ambassador in London, and the Chargé d’ Affairs in Tunis met the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Interior.

We keep our travel advice for Tunisia under constant review, taking into account the current terrorist threat and the Tunisian capacity to deter and respond to that threat. The safety of British nationals abroad remains our priority.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are funding training for the Tunisian tourism industry in order to improve their security arrangements, and if so, by how much.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Following the terrorist attacks in Sousse the British Government made a commitment to help the Tunisian government improve its security arrangements. This includes helping them improve their counter-terrorism capacity and ability to protect tourists, including British nationals. The UK continues to lead on providing expertise and mentoring for protective security with support from international partners. We do not release details of specific counter-terrorism activities for operational and security reasons.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of Libyan refugees currently residing in Tunisia.

Baroness Verma

Since 2014, UNHCR has co-ordinated inter-agency efforts to prepare for a possible influx of refugees and asylum-seekers from Libya, at the request of the Tunisian government and in close cooperation with UN agencies and partners. Its most recent assessment reported that there were 928 people of concern residing in Tunisia, mostly from Syria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-05-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about the case of Ilga Mammadov.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have raised the case of Ilgar Mammadov on a number of occasions since his arrest in February 2013. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), raised it bilaterally with the Government of Azerbaijan during their visits to Baku in December 2013 and November 2014 respectively. The UK issued a press statement in March 2014, expressing concern about the length of the sentence and the conduct of the trial. In the Council of Europe the UK has repeatedly called for the Government of Azerbaijan to fully implement the European Court of Human Rights judgement and release Mr Mammadov.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that the Eastern Europe region remains the only region in the UN system yet to produce a Secretary-General, and the fact that seven of the declared candidates for the position are from Eastern Europe, whether, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/286 of 9 October 2006 on Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly, they are fully committed to giving due regard to regional rotation” in the selection of the UN Secretary-General.”

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have actively campaigned to reform the selection process for a UN Secretary-General. We want greater transparency, a structured process and a gender diverse field. These efforts are designed to ensure we get the best person for the job. We do not subscribe to the notion of regional rotation, but are looking for a candidate with integrity, a proven track record, first class communication skills, suitable and relevant experience and unimpeachable character. They should be committed to transparency and accountability, have strong leadership skills, a bold vision for an activist UN at the heart of the rules-based system, and be committed to cost-effective management and reform.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 11 May (HL8207), what representations they have made about the conditions under which political prisoners are held in Azerbaijan, particularly in the light of the reported assault of Ilgar Mammadov by prison guards in October 2015, and the June 2016 judgment by the European Court of Human Rights that the Azerbaijani authorities failed to provide adequate medical care to Leila and Arif Yunus during their imprisonment on political grounds.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK raises concerns about the conditions under which political prisoners are held in Azerbaijan at every appropriate opportunity. Our Embassy in Baku has requested to visit a number of prisoners, but the authorities have not yet granted permission. In the Council of Europe, we regularly call for more information on Ilgar Mammadov’s condition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the new members of staff appointed to work in the Department for Exiting the European Union have been recruited from outside the civil service; and what proportion of those staff are consultants on fixed-term contracts.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Department for Exiting the European Union used the services of a number of consulting firms to help with departmental set-up and planning. A small number of individuals are also on secondment from consultancy firms and external organisations. The Department will make further use of external support and recruitment as appropriate to ensure it has the right expertise.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new members of staff appointed to work in the Department for International Trade have been recruited from outside the civil service; and what proportion of those staff are consultants on fixed-term contracts.

Lord Price

Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF) and Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes. The transfer of functions order (No 2016/ 992) laid on 19 October 2016 will come into effect on 9 November 2016.

As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total anticipated cost of salaries for new members of staff recruited to work in the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for International Trade for 2016–17 and 2017–18.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

The budget required to fulfil both the Department for International Trade’s and the Department for Exiting the EU’s set-up and responsibilities, including staffing budget, will be presented to the House of Commons and approved as part of the supplementary estimates in the New Year, as is standard practice.