Tag: Caroline Lucas

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Wilson Doctrine has been consistently applied to the communications of the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion; and whether she has been subject to surveillance.

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been (a) allowed to continue on full duties, (b) placed on restricted duties and (c) suspended with figures following a death in custody and during an investigation for gross misconduct in each year since 2010.

Mike Penning

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of police officers allowed to continue on full duties, placed on restricted duties or suspended following a death in police custody or during an investigation for gross misconduct. The issue of deaths and serious incidents in police custody has long been a priority issue for the Home Office and on 23 July 2015, the Home Secretary announced the launch of an independent review of this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons are for the time taken to change regulations to allow mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates; what timetable is in place for that change to be made; whether she has made an assessment of the feasibility of allowing that change to be phased in as marriage registers are replaced; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is working with all interested parties to confirm the most efficient and effective way to enable mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates.

Achieving this is likely to require additional funding and changes to legislation, IT systems and administrative processes.

The Government will confirm a timetable for the introduction of the changes in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the potential (a) total and (b) average cost per register of allowing mothers names to be recorded on marriage certificates.

James Brokenshire

The cost of replacing the registers is being assessed in conjunction with our work to determine the most efficient and effective way to enable mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the briefing notes issued by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dated 20 June 2014, on the legislative amendment before the Israeli Knesset relating to force-feeding and medical treatment of prisoners on hunger strike, what steps he is taking to ensure that international human rights and international humanitarian law human rights are upheld by all parties.

Hugh Robertson

Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met with an official from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on 17 June and expressed our concern over the bill. We are continuing to monitor developments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where people from Brighton and Hove are being asked to travel to in order to have face-to-face personal independence payment (PIP) interviews; what assessment he has made of the range of challenges faced by people going for assessment for PIP payments who are asked to travel to another town for a face-to-face interview; if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of taxis for people from Brighton and Hove who cannot use public transport to get to PIP assessments up to 90 minutes away from their homes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Harper

There are currently two assessment centres situated in the BN21 and BN41 postcode area. A third assessment centre based in the BN3 postcode will be opening shortly.

PIP assessment providers must ensure that claimants do not have to travel for more than 90 minutes by public transport (single journey) for a consultation. This limit is an absolute maximum and we expect that only a small minority of claimants will have to make a journey approaching this duration. In the exceptional circumstance where a claimant is unable to make a journey within 90 minutes via public transport the assessment provider will offer either a home visit or the ability to use a taxi.

We are encouraging assessment providers to identify consultation venues that are as local and convenient as possible.

Payment of claimant expenses including taxi fares is the responsibility of the PIP assessment provider, the Department does not meet these costs.

This information is therefore not available within the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, column 201W, on the Central African Republic, how much funding the UK will allocate to the deployment of the team of experts to the Central African Republic to investigate sexual violence abuses; how many specialists will be deployed from the UK; when the team of experts will be deployed; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds

The UK is providing £279,000 to the African Union (AU) to support the deployment of a multidisciplinary team of African experts, including medical doctors, psychologists, lawyers and police officers. The programme will be managed by the AU Mission in the Central African Republic, MISCA, through Medecins D’Afrique, a Pan-African NGO with expertise in emergency response. The programme is designed to build African capacity to tackle conflict-related sexual violence, and the UK is not providing any experts as part of the deployment. The team will track and report on allegations of sexual violence, for further action by the AU Commission and African governments. We expect the team to deploy shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his Department’s Research Paper No. 235, on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantages, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the economy of women forced out of work on account of their pregnancy or maternity leave.

Nick Boles

The paper referred to provides interim research results on potential pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, in collaboration with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is undertaking further analysis, to be published later this year, which may include some financial information, where estimates are possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the release of Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha’ar and Naftali Frenkel, who were abducted in the West Bank on 12 June 2014.

Hugh Robertson

As of 30 June, we have received no reports that the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers have been released.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate the Government has made of the average cost to a claimant, including tribunal fees, time spent on case, travel and communication, and advice and representation, of pursuing an employment tribunal claim for pregnancy-related detriment or dismissal.

Nick Boles

The Government does not have a breakdown of average costs to a claimant of taking an employment tribunal claim for pregnancy-related detriment or dismissal.