Tag: Daniel Kawczynski

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.

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 promote provision of international support to the Government of National Accord in Libya in (a) governing effectively, (b) managing that country’s security situation, (c) achieving political unity and (d) achieving international recognition.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has been at the forefront of international support to Libya; promoting political participation, strengthening security, and supporting economic growth. We have allocated up to £14 million in the new financial year to support Libya and to tackle some of the challenges emanating from that country, such as migration and the terrorist threat.

We hosted a meeting with the UN in London in October 2015 to create the international community support plan. Representatives of 40 countries, UN agencies, and international bodies, as well as a number of independent Libyan experts attended. We co-hosted with the UN a follow-up meeting in Tunis on 12 April, with Government of National Accord representatives in attendance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescriptions for paracetamol were issued in England and Wales in the 2014-15 financial year.

David Mowat

The number of paracetamol prescription items dispensed in the community in England in the last two financial years is provided in the table. This includes for prescriptions written by doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists.

Year	Number of paracetamol prescription items (000s)
2014/15	23,326.6
2015/16	22,664.4

Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system provided by NHS Digital

Prescribing information relating to Wales is a matter for my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which areas of the Spratly Islands archipelago the Government recognises as part of the territory of (a) the Philippines, (b) Vietnam, (c) Malaysia and (d) Brunei.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UK takes no position on the sovereignty of the Spratly Islands or other disputed features in the South China Sea.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on stakeholders of the proposed changes to the Transactions in Securities rules.

Mr David Gauke

At Autumn Statement 2015, the Government announced a consultation on aspects of the Transaction in Securities rules, and published draft legislation shortly afterwards. A tax information and impact note setting out expected impacts was published on 9^th December, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporation-tax-income-tax-and-capital-gains-tax-company-distributions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s policy is on whether gross or net figures for rental income should be used in the calculation for the income threshold under spousal visa rules.

James Brokenshire

Under paragraph 20(c) and (cc) of Appendix FM-SE to the Immigration Rules, the gross income from property rental may be counted towards meeting the minimum income threshold for sponsoring a non-EEA national spouse or partner under the family Immigration Rules, provided that the evidential requirements of Appendix FM-SE are met.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-10-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what long-term plans he has to secure the future of the oil and gas industry in the North Sea.

Jane Ellison

The long-term success of the sector is dependent on a tripartite approach between industry, government and a dedicated regulator, as set out in Sir Ian Wood’s review.

The Government has provided substantial support to the oil and gas sector over the past two years, through measures worth £2.3 billion. This includes significant cuts to tax rates, the introduction of the Investment and Cluster Area Allowances and funding for seismic surveys to support exploration. The UK now has one of the most competitive fiscal regimes in the world for oil and gas.

On 1 October 2016, the Oil and Gas Authority was formally established as a strong, independent regulator for the sector. Its new powers will allow it to act with greater speed and flexibility to attract investment, support jobs and further the UK’s competitive edge.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if his Department will work with the Welsh Government to ensure that the views of people in England affected by Welsh rail franchises are considered during the next franchise sale process.

Alun Cairns

We have an agreement in principle with the Welsh Government that executive franchising functions will be transferred to Welsh Ministers to enable them to lead on the procurement, management and enforcement of the next Wales and Borders franchise. To ensure proper accountability for passengers in England, it is expected that services primarily serving English markets will be remapped into other Department for Transport franchises and we will consult on specific proposals in due course.

My officials, along with those from the Department for Transport, are working closely with the Welsh Government to reach final agreement on these matters to ensure that the interests of rail passengers on both sides of the border are fully protected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on stakeholders of the proposed changes to entrepreneurial tax relief.

Mr David Gauke

The Government announced at Autumn Statement 2015 that it will consider bringing forward legislation to amend the changes made by Finance Act 2015 to entrepreneurs’ relief, in order to support businesses by ensuring that the relief is available on certain genuine commercial transactions. Changes to taxation are announced by the Chancellor at the Budget and the effect of changes are published in a Tax Information and Impact Note.