Tag: Dan Jarvis

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) whether the Saudi-led coalition warships off the Red Sea port of Hodeidah are continuing to prevent commercial vessels from docking and (b) the effect of continued restrictions to limit commercial and humanitarian supplies from entering Yemen on its people.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met his counterpart, Adel Al Jubeir, during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 28 October where they discussed humanitarian and commercial access in Yemen. The Foreign Secretary welcomed the recent progress on shipping access, and emphasised the importance of this needing to be maintained and increased in the future. The UK supports the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) which is now being established to address commercial shipping needs and we urge for this to be implemented as soon as possible. Given Yemen’s high dependence on imports for essential food, fuel and medical supplies, it is vital that all of Yemen’s ports – operate at full capacity to ensure these vital supplies can enter the country, and commercial importers have the confidence to continue activities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that UK weapons are not used in strikes that constitute serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All defence and dual-use exports are required to meet the UK’s strict export control legislation and adhere to the UK international commitments, including international treaties and obligations. We do not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and we take account of any risk that the goods might be diverted to undesirable end-users or end-use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the parties to the conflict in Yemen on their complying with obligations under international humanitarian law and on ending the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports on alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) by all sides to the conflict in Yemen, and take them very seriously. We have raised our concerns over alleged IHL violations with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the Coalition, and in return have received repeated assurances of their compliance. We have also raised our concerns over alleged IHL and international human rights law violations by the Houthis, and again stressed the importance of compliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure members of the armed forces helping with the Ebola outbreak have adequate protection against the disease.

Mr Mark Francois

We take the protection of military personnel exceptionally seriously: it is our highest priority.

The key element of this protection is the training and briefing which is conducted prior to deployment, and which is tailored to their role in Sierra Leone, including the use/operation of the personal protective equipment issued. This training is supplemented on arrival in Sierra Leone and updated thereafter in line with the prevailing situation.

All personnel returning from Sierra Leone will be screened for Ebola in line with current guidance from Public Health England. This is part of a much wider monitoring and screening process, which will run throughout an individual’s deployment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2014 to Question 216388, if he will provide funding for Normandy Veterans to return to sites of Remembrance they choose rather than to sites chosen by the Royal British Legion as part of the D-Day Return scheme.

Anna Soubry

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not fund visits by veterans to return to sites of Remembrance. The long standing MOD policy on official commemorations is that only certain specific anniversaries of events of major importance receive MOD sponsorship at public expense.

Funding is still available from the Big Lottery fund, Heroes Return 2 scheme, as long as veterans travel before 31 December 2015 and haven’t benefited from this scheme since 1 January 2013. This scheme allows veterans to return to the theatre in which they saw action, so travel is not limited to Normandy.

In addition, and as advised by my hon. Friend the Treasury Minister (David Gauke) in his response to Question 216388, the Royal British Legion (RBL) has been chosen to run the D-Day return scheme on the Government’s behalf. As detailed on the RBL website, the D-Day return scheme will not fund independent travel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2014 to Question 216388, if he will permit Normandy Veterans to apply for funding for independent travel to Normandy as part of the D-Day Return scheme.

Anna Soubry

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not fund visits by veterans to return to sites of Remembrance. The long standing MOD policy on official commemorations is that only certain specific anniversaries of events of major importance receive MOD sponsorship at public expense.

Funding is still available from the Big Lottery fund, Heroes Return 2 scheme, as long as veterans travel before 31 December 2015 and haven’t benefited from this scheme since 1 January 2013. This scheme allows veterans to return to the theatre in which they saw action, so travel is not limited to Normandy.

In addition, and as advised by my hon. Friend the Treasury Minister (David Gauke) in his response to Question 216388, the Royal British Legion (RBL) has been chosen to run the D-Day return scheme on the Government’s behalf. As detailed on the RBL website, the D-Day return scheme will not fund independent travel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to support forces opposed to Islamic State.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports of a small number of British citizens fighting against ISIL in Syria and Iraq, but are not able to estimate accurately the total number. The UK advises against all travel to Syria and against travel to much of Iraq. Anyone who does travel to these areas, for whatever reason, is putting themselves in considerable danger. The Syrian National Coalition, which we recognise as the sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people, have made clear that they do not want foreign fighters to come to their country. The best way for the British public to help the people of Syria and Iraq is to support UK registered charities that are providing humanitarian relief to those affected by the conflict.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which are supported by the Scotch whisky industry in (a) Barnsley and (b) each nation and region of the UK.

Priti Patel

A report produced by the Scotch Whiskey Association in January 2015 outlines that the industry contributes £5bn to total UK GDP and directly and indirectly supports 43,000 jobs in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total annual economic contribution of the Scotch whisky industry to the economy.

Priti Patel

A report produced by the Scotch Whiskey Association in January 2015 outlines that the industry contributes £5bn to total UK GDP and directly and indirectly supports 43,000 jobs in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remote sites for giving evidence in court are open in each region of England and Wales.

Mr Shailesh Vara

We must do everything we can to support vulnerable witnesses and help them give their best possible evidence to bring offenders to justice. That’s why we are trialling pre recorded cross-examination to allow young and vulnerable witnesses to give evidence away from what can be an aggressive court room atmosphere. This is on top of a range of measures to help reduce the anxiety of attending court, including giving evidence behind a screen. We will continue to explore ways we can use remote links and new technology to help witnesses give evidence from outside the court building.

The list below sets out the number of courthouses in each of the seven HMCTS Regions in England & Wales. These facilities enable any victim or witness to appear by video link from a different court location to that of the trial court; it is also possible for third party users to access the court system through a secure bridge.