Tag: Daniel Kawczynski

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 assessment his Department has made of the implications for future Government policy of the suspension of the Temporary Financial Mechanism on Libyan assets following the 2011 revolution in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Temporary Financial Mechanism (TFM), established by the Contact Group in Doha in 2011, was a temporary response to the urgent financial needs of the new Libyan National Transitional Council, intended to be used until the new Libyan administration was able to take control of Libyan state assets and revenues. The TFM was used to provide a range of critical financial support, including the import of refined fuel, the treatment of injured Libyans, and family support payments to Libyans who had depended on government welfare payments.

Our focus now is on supporting the expected signature of the Libyan Political Agreement and the establishment of a Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). In addition to restoring stability and dealing with the threat of terrorism in Libya, a priority for the new GNA will be returning oil and gas production to pre-crisis levels to sustain stability and growth to the benefit of all Libyans.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is available for judges and barristers to assist them when questioning child witnesses in cases involving sexual offences.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Judicial training is a judicial matter and fulfilled by the Judicial College, which reports to the Lord Chief Justice. Training for barristers is a matter for their own professional bodies.

The Judicial College have advised me that a workshop on the cross examination of vulnerable witnesses is incorporated into their Serious Sexual Offences Seminar. This is mandatory training for all judges who have been authorised to hear cases involving serious sexual offences.

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 through its membership of the UN Security Council to achieve (a) democratic sustainability, (b) economic viability and (c) physical security in Libya.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK continues to play an active role in the UN Security Council in supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) as the only legitimate government in Libya, endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council Resolution 2259 (2015). That resolution, drafted by the UK, highlighted the importance of the Libyan State financial institutions, including the National Oil Corporation, the Central Bank of Libya, and the Libyan Investment Authority, continuing to function for the benefit of all Libyans, and stressed the need for the GNA to exercise sole and effective oversight over them as a matter of urgency.

The UK also worked in the UN Security Council for the adoption of Resolution 2278 (2016) on 31 March, which renewed measures against illicit oil exports from Libya, extended the mandate of the Expert Panel assisting the UN Libya Sanctions Committee, and affirmed the Security Council’s readiness to consider changes, when appropriate, to the UN asset freeze at the request of the GNA.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role Ofsted has in its (a) reports and (b) other work in monitoring the level of integration of asylum seekers and refugees in schools.

Nick Gibb

Ofsted’s role is to inspect and report on the education provided by a school for all pupils, including all groups of pupils. Where asylum seekers make up part of the cohort, this will be included in the contextual information about the school.

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 assessment his Department made of the potential effect on Libya of the suspension of the Temporary Financial Mechanism before that suspension occurred.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK led thinking on the Temporary Financial Mechanism (TFM), established by the Contact Group in Doha in 2011 as a temporary response to the urgent financial needs of the new Libyan National Transitional Council, intended to be used until the new Libyan administration was able to take control of Libyan state assets and revenues that supported Qadhafi’s regime. The UK provided the funding to prepare the TFM and to establish operating procedures that would provide confidence that there was transparent and independent oversight of the funds, and that they would be used in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

After National Transitional Forces (NTC) forces took control of Tripoli on 22 August 2011, the UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2009. This established the UN Support Mission in Libya to support stabilisation in Libya, modified the asset freeze on four key listed state entities, provided for a new exemption to unfreeze their assets and mandated the Sanctions Committee to lift the remaining freeze as soon as practical (in consultation with the Libyan authorities). The TFM was used to provide a range of critical financial support, including the import of refined fuel, the treatment of injured Libyans, and family support payments to Libyans who had depended on government welfare payments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the Russian government to return the 2010 Polish presidential air plane wreck to Poland.

Mr David Lidington

Immediately after the Smolensk tragedy, the UK Government extended our deepest condolences to the Polish government and people for the loss of their President, his wife and 94 others. The conduct of the investigation into the crash and the return of the wreckage is a matter for Poland and Russia, and we have received no requests to intervene.

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 assistance his Department is giving to Libya to help the country diversify its economy so that it is not so dependent on revenue from oil.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

In the long run, economic diversification away from oil will help Libya restore fiscal balance and sustainability. In the short run, the UK, and our international partners, believe that the proper functioning and independence of the Central Bank of Libya, National Oil Corporation, and other key financial institutions, are crucial to efforts to rebuild the Libyan economy. Furthermore, effective public financial management will be crucial in helping the GNA achieve real impact on the ground and gain economic credibility. It is why we have committed £3 million over the next two years to provide technical assistance and economic governance expertise to Libya.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department took to publicise its consultation on the West Coast Mainline franchise.

Paul Maynard

The public consultation for the next InterCity West Coast (ICWC) rail franchise was launched on 10 May and enabled passengers to have their say on rail services. We want to make sure that passengers’ views are taken into consideration in developing the specification for the future franchise.

The consultation was widely publicised through a range of channels including posters, leaflets, websites, social media and key stakeholder communication channels. There was also coverage in the regional and trade press. My predecessor also wrote to all MPs, MSPs and AMs with constituencies on the ICWC route and the Scottish and Welsh Government Transport Secretaries to ensure they were informed of the consultation which serves their parts of the UK. The consultation document and associated material was published in English and Welsh both on the web and in hard copy.

We also organised a series of events for the public and stakeholders in Scotland, Wales and England for people to come along to speak to the project team about the consultation and ask any questions to help inform their response.

The consultation closed on 2 August and we are now reviewing and analysing the information. A summary of the responses will be published in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Chinese government on the sovereignty of the Spratly Islands archipelago; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), expressed our concerns about the situation in the South China Sea most recently during his visit to Beijing on 5 January. He stressed the need to avoid raising tensions and underlined the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation.
I set out the UK’s position during the Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Luxembourg on 5-6 November 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to assist vulnerable Syrian minorities register with the UNHCR who have not done so due to fear of persecution.

Mr Desmond Swayne

At the "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference on 4 February more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict. This is the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total more than £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees. Any person claiming refugee status is able to avail themselves of UNHCR’s global protection mandate where UNHCR has a presence. They can directly approach UNHCR and register with them, or be referred to UNHCR by a third organisation, or UNHCR can ask them to register. The UK has allocated £115 million to UNHCR’s operations in Syria and the surrounding region, of which a proportion is used for registration.

Over time, many previously unregistered refugees have sought UNHCR’s assistance and protection services as their resources have dwindled and coping mechanisms become stretched. Some minority groups may not see a need to register either due to their own resources or due to reliance on community/social networks.

DFID continues to work with the UN and the international community to ensure all minorities’ rights are protected and our aid reaches those in greatest need.