Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote EU member states only sending animals to slaughterhouses which meet the standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

George Eustice

The Government is committed to pressing for all EU Member States to ensure that animals are only sent to slaughterhouses that meet high welfare standards. To this end, we will continue working with the European Commission to build on the success of their workshop in the Lebanon in March, in raising awareness of the requisite slaughter standards within the region and further afield. We will also continue to make a significant contribution to the work of OIE and development of global standards on animal welfare at slaughter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12154, for what reasons he did not refer to any legal basis in domestic law during (a) his oral statement of 4 September 2015, Official Report, column 23 and (b) the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 9571; and if he will describe the legal basis in domestic law used for the targeted killing of British citizens outside declared war zones; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Cameron

I have nothing further to add.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8501, on the Wilson Doctrine, what responsibilities he has in relation to the operation of the Wilson Doctrine; what responsibilities the Home Secretary has in relation to that Doctrine; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Cameron

I refer the hon. Member to the position on the Wilson Doctrine set out by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) during the debate on 19 October 2015, Official Report, column 700.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2015 to Question 9704, whether current staffing levels for (a) torture prevention and (b) death penalty projects will be maintained in 2015-16.

Mr David Lidington

The staff levels in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as in all Departments, will be dependent on the outcomes of the Spending Review. The FCO’s work on the prevention of tortue and the death penalty will remain central to our human rights work overseas in 2015-16.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11059, whether officials in her Department have discussed with representatives of Malta the chairing of environment sessions during the Maltese Presidency of the European Union in 2017.

Rory Stewart

Officials from Defra, along with officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, have held preliminary discussions with representatives from Malta on support for chairing meetings during the Maltese Presidency of the European Union. These discussions are ongoing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2015 to Question 9704, whether his Department plans to renew its 2011 to 2015 Strategy for the Prevention of Torture.

Mr David Lidington

The Government remains committed to torture prevention work globally as evidenced by the launch of the new edition of the Torture Reporting Handbook on 24 September 15 and our ongoing support for torture prevention work through the UN and other multilateral institutions. The Government continues to pursue the 2011-2015 Strategy for the Prevention of Torture.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in Malta on the chairing of the environment sessions when Malta takes up European Presidency in 2017.

Rory Stewart

There have not, as yet, been any discussions at ministerial level with Malta on the chairing of environment sessions during the Maltese Presidency of the European Union in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will amend the terms of reference of the Pitchford inquiry into undercover policing to include operations by UK undercover officers that took place outside of the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mike Penning

The terms of reference for the Statutory Inquiry into Undercover Policing, which were published on 16 July 2015, require the Inquiry to “inquire into and report on undercover police operations conducted by English and Welsh police forces in England and Wales since 1968”. There are no plans to amend the terms of reference.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on surveillance of hon. Members’ communications; and if she will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes

The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.

As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.

The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference, when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.

It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.