Tag: Craig Whittaker

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage local authorities to adopt proactive enforcement policies to help combat fly-tipping.

Rory Stewart

We are committed to tackling fly-tipping, and as set out in the Government’s manifesto we have given local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small-scale fly-tipping. These new enforcement tools provide local authorities with an alternative to prosecutions and will assist them to take a proportionate enforcement response.

This builds on other Government action to tackle fly-tipping, which has included: working with the Sentencing Council on its guideline for sentencing for environmental offences, which came into force on 1 July 2014; making it easier for vehicles suspected of being involved in waste crime to be stopped, searched and seized; and continuing our work with the Defra-chaired National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to promote and disseminate good practice in the prevention, reporting, investigation and clearance of fly-tipped waste.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will work with (a) Oman and (b) other Middle Eastern countries to broker a deal to end the current conflict in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), met his Saudi, Emirates and US counterparts on 19 July in London to review the situation in Yemen. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability and end the conflict. We welcome and fully support the UN led talks in Kuwait: now is the time to reach an agreement. We will continue to work closely with the UN and partners in the Middle East, including Oman, to encourage both sides to engage constructively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on producing a long-term industrial strategy for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Mr Nick Hurd

On 2 August, my right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired the first meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Economy and Industrial Strategy, which brings together Secretaries of State of Departments across Whitehall to help to drive forward an Industrial Strategy that will aim to deliver the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘an economy that works for all’ and put the United Kingdom in a strong position for the future, promoting a diversity of industrial sectors and ensuring the benefits of growth are shared across cities and regions up and down the country, including Yorkshire and Humber.

Overall responsibility for developing and implementing an industrial strategy sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We will be working closely across Government and with a range of organisations – including regional representatives, businesses, trade bodies, universities, and trade unions – to deliver this, to help ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, and to support the UK’s global competitiveness.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve the UK’s economic ties with developing African economies.

Harriett Baldwin

Supporting Africa’s economic development is central to the government’s international agenda. This is highlighted in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 which states that:

Over the next five years, we aim to deepen the UK’s relationships with African countries significantly. To enable this, we will deliver a more strategic and coordinated government approach to Africa… We will continue to make substantial investments to promote greater economic growth and poverty reduction.

In parallel, the Department for International Development (DFID) has previously committed to spend around £1.8 billion of their budget on economic development by the end of the 2015/2016 fiscal year: almost double the level of two years ago. DFID is also working with business and new partners, including new partners in the UK, to support innovative and profitable solutions to Africa’s development challenges. For example, the recently launched Energy Access initiative aims to expand solar energy access across sub-Saharan Africa, by increasing investment in off-grid energy firms, promoting innovation and removing regulatory barriers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Atos assessments are carried out effectively for personal independence payment applications.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department has a number of mechanisms available to monitor and challenge Atos performance in carrying out assessments for Personal Independence Payment. These include a range of Management Information to inform performance against contractual Service Level Agreements relating to, for example, time taken to process claims and the quality of the assessment reports produced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from Calderdale Council since 2010 on the level of the Revenue Support Grant.

Mr Marcus Jones

Calderdale Council have submitted a representation each year since 2010 as part of the annual consultation on the local government finance settlement.

The annual local government finance settlement sets out details of central government funding for local authorities, including Revenue Support Grant, as well as considering councils’ locally raised funds, and represents the main funding source for local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Saudi Arabian government on tackling the spread of Daesh in the Middle East.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly hold discussions with Saudi Arabia about the threat from Daesh. Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of international efforts to defeat Daesh and was one of the first countries to participate in air strikes against Daesh in Syria. The King and the religious establishment continue clearly and publicly to condemn Daesh and its poisonous ideology, and to emphasise that Daesh do not in any way represent the teachings of Islamic faith.

The Saudi Arabian Government is working to reduce the threat that religious extremists pose in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. It has a comprehensive set of laws in place to prevent terrorist financing, which it enforces vigorously. We welcome the recent announcement of the creation of the Islamic Military Coalition which, among other things, aims to help Islamic countries to counter the threat from terrorism. Regional and Arab countries are best placed to tackle extremism and confront Daesh on the ground.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the British armed forces are currently stationed in each of the UK’s overseas territories.

Penny Mordaunt

There are 2,570 British Service personnel permanently based in British Overseas Territories. This figure includes those based in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, Gibraltar, the South Atlantic Islands and British Indian Ocean Territory (including Diego Garcia). It excludes those deployed on operations. The breakdown of these figures is shown below. The Ministry of Defence regularly publishes the location figures for both military and civilian personnel, which can be accessed on the GOV.UK website.

UK Overseas Territory	Number of Armed Forces Personnel Stationed
Cyprus (SBA)	2,290
Gibraltar	160
South Atlantic Islands	80
British Indian Ocean Territory (including Diego Garcia)	40
TOTAL	2,570

(Location of UK regular service and civilian personnel quarterly statistics – 1 January 2016)

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage Sudan and South Sudan to engage in dialogue to overcome disputes relating to the border between the two countries.

James Duddridge

I am concerned at the recent increase in tensions between Sudan and South Sudan. As part of our ongoing discussions with the governments of both countries, we have consistently stressed that dialogue is the only means of resolving the border-related disputes. We have also raised our concerns about recent tensions in the UN Security Council and continue to support the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel to encourage both sides to re-engage in negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage recycling by local authorities.

Rory Stewart

I refer the hon Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 8 June 2016, PQ UIN 38978.