Tag: Daniel Kawczynski

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Serbian counterpart on the financial consequences of the EU sanctions on Russia on Serbia.

Mr David Lidington

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Eastern Ukraine. Serbia has not currently imposed sanctions on Russia. No assessment on the financial consequences of EU sanctons on Russia has been made.

Neither I, nor the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), have had any disucssions with our Serbian counterparts on the financial consequences to Serbia of EU sanctions on Russia, but the UK Government has regularly encouraged Serbia, as an accession country, to align itself fully with EU foreign policy. The UK Government has not received any represenations from the Serbian government about the impact of EU sanctions on Russia on the Serbian economy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has taken legal advice on whether the European Communities Act 1972 can be repealed by Royal Prerogative.

Sir Alan Duncan

The process for leaving the EU and determining our future relationship with the EU, including changes to domestic legislation, is likely to be a long and complex one. We now need to work on the detailed arrangements to support that process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect Libya from further infiltration by Daesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are extremely concerned about the growing threat from extremist groups in Libya, including Daesh and groups affiliated with it. These groups pose a threat to the stability of Libya and the region, and potentially to the UK and our interests and citizens overseas. We are working closely with international partners to deepen our understanding of Daesh’s presence in North Africa, including in Libya, and to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat it. This includes working closely with Libya’s neighbours to enhance their ability to protect themselves against threats from terrorists in Libya, and prevent fighters and weapons being smuggled across the region. We are supporting UN-led efforts to establish a Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, which will be crucial in the long term to tackling the Daesh threat present in that country and across the region.

I joined international and regional Ministers at the Rome Conference on 13 December to underline our firm commitment to providing the new GNA with full political backing and technical, economic, security and counter-terrorism assistance, as requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to support children giving evidence in court in cases of a physical or sexual nature.

Mike Penning

Measures include the use of intermediaries to help communication, allowing witnesses to give evidence by way of pre-recorded video and /or live video links from outside the courtroom, screening the witness from the accused, removing people from the public gallery whilst the witness gives evidence and the removal of gowns and wigs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the Government of National Accord in securing the (a) maritime and (b) land borders of Libya.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Helping the Government of National Accord (GNA) to secure its borders will be crucial to achieve our objectives on counter-Daesh and counter-migration in Libya. That is why we and international partners stand ready to respond to requests for support from the GNA to help them restore stability in Libya.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-07-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support infrastructure development in the West Midlands.

Mr David Gauke

There are 40 schemes in the West Midlands in the infrastructure pipeline, with a total value of £7.6 billion. These include the £18m Midland Metro tram extension to Wolverhampton, due to open in 2019. Over 300 infrastructure schemes have been delivered in the West Midlands since 2010. HS2 Phase 1, due to open in 2026, will cut journey times between London and Birmingham by 35 minutes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the inadvertent use of Libyan financial assets for the funding of militias in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Funding of militias by the Libyan Government dates from the immediate aftermath of the 2011 revolution. The ongoing conflict has made it difficult for subsequent governments to regularise the situation. We welcome the announcement that the Libyan political dialogue members are expected to sign the Libyan Political Agreement. A ceasefire will be essential in order for a Government of National Accord (GNA) to operate. It will be crucial for the new GNA to quickly integrate supportive militias into a regularised national budgetary and security framework.

As underlined at the Rome Conference on 13 December, the United Kingdom stands ready with our international partners in supporting a new Government of National Accord in restoring stability, including economic, technical and security assistance, as requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the House of Representatives in Libya, Tobruk and General Haftar to take over the running of the state of Libya.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK strongly supports the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed at Skhirat on 17 December by the majority of the Libyan delegates to the UN facilitated political dialogue, and by a wide range of representatives of Libyan society, municipal leaders and political parties. The Agreement paves the way for a Government of National Accord (GNA) and was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2259. The House of Representatives, which endorsed the agreement with some reservations on 25 January, has a key role under the LPA. To ensure a lasting peace in Libya, we urge all parties to quickly take the necessary steps outlined in the Agreement, including the agreement of key leadership positions, to create a Government of National Accord based in Tripoli. Only a unified national government can begin the difficult work of establishing effective, legitimate governance, restoring stability and tackling the threat posed by Daesh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on supporting proposals for a new Libyan government involving restoration of a monarchy and a return to the 1951 Libyan Constitution.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK, along with our international partners, is focused on working closely with the Government of National Accord (GNA) as the only legitimate government in Libya. It is clear the GNA, agreed after more than a year of political talks between a range of Libyan parties, enjoys clear majority support as the institution to govern the country.

It is for the Libyan people to decide whether they want to pursue proposals for the restoration of the monarchy and return to the 1951 Libyan Constitution. There is no strong evidence that these proposals have broad support at this time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual funding from the public purse is for English Speakers of Other Languages schemes.

Robert Halfon

Funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages is not ring-fenced but forms part of the Adult Education Budget (AEB). Providers will use their AEB allocation to put on appropriate provision based on their judgement of the economic and social needs of their local area. We expect that this will include ESOL where there is significant demand.

In addition, the Government has pledged up to £10 million over five years for a jointly funded DfE and Home Office programme to enable Syrian refugees across the UK to access language tuition and integrate into British society.