Tag: Deidre Brock

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy that the UK will continue after the UK leaves the EU to recognise the professional qualifications of all people with professional qualifications from other European Economic Area member states whose qualifications are currently recognised and who are currently registered to provide professional services in the UK.

Jesse Norman

The Department is working with industry organisations and interests across Government. This input will inform the Government’s approach as we shape our future relationship with Europe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that unaccompanied refugee children in Europe with an existing family connection in the UK have their asylum under the Dublin Regulation processed without undue delay.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is fully committed to the efficient and timely operation of the Dublin Regulation and we are working closely with EU partners, including the French, Greek and Italian authorities to identify, assess and transfer children to the UK under the Dublin family reunion process.

We have seconded a UK official to Greece; we have a long-standing secondee working in Italy and we have seconded another official to the French Interior Ministry to support these efforts. We have established a dedicated team in the Home Office Dublin Unit to lead on family reunion cases for unaccompanied children.

Between 1 January and 1 October 2016 over 140 unaccompanied children were accepted for transfer, compared to around 20 children in the whole of 2015.Transfer requests from Member States involving children under the Dublin Regulation are now generally processed within 10 days. Children can then be transferred within weeks and are now arriving in the UK on an almost weekly basis.The Home Secretary made clear on the 10th October that we will transfer as many minors as possible to the UK, who are eligible under the Dublin Regulation before the camp clearance starts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens currently resident elsewhere in the EU his Department expects to return to the UK in the event of a vote to leave the EU.

Mr David Lidington

Estimates suggest that more than 1.2 million UK citizens are living permanently elsewhere in the EU. These estimates do not include people who reside for part of the year in another Member State or British citizens travelling in the EU.

British citizens living in the EU currently enjoy a range of rights to live, to work and to access pensions, health care and public services that are guaranteed through EU law. There would be no requirement under EU law for these rights to be maintained if the UK left the EU. Should an agreement be reached to maintain these rights, the expectation must be that this would have to be reciprocated for EU citizens in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence Police officers are employed in safeguarding the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Mark Lancaster

I am withholding the numbers of Ministry of Defence Police officers deployed to protect the Trident nuclear deterrent for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to protect the access of UK farmers to European markets.

George Eustice

Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, food and drink and our environment remain in place.

We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship, liaising closely with other key departments on future support for farmers, the food and drink industry and the environment. The Government will work with industry and the public to develop these new arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on the Government continuing to recognise professional qualifications obtained by citizens and residents of member states of the European Economic Area and members of their families from institutions (a) in other European Economic Area countries and (b) outside the European Economic Area under the same terms as now obtained when the UK leaves the EU.

Jesse Norman

The Department is working with industry organisations and interests across Government. This input will inform the Government’s approach as we shape our future relationship with Europe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to remove or reduce the fee incurred when paying vehicle excise duty via credit card.

Andrew Jones

The fee charged when paying vehicle excise duty (VED) by credit card is to meet the costs of processing credit card payments. The fee is provided for in the Road Vehicles (Payment of Duty by Credit Card) (Prescribed Fee) Regulations 2005. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) must comply with HM Treasury’s “Managing Public Money” guidance and recover costs from those who use its services.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) regularly reviews all the fees and charges it makes for the services it provides, including the fee incurred when paying vehicle excise duty (VED) using a credit card. Paying VED using a debit card is free of charge. Customers can also pay for VED by cash, cheque or debit card at a Post Office® and direct debit is now offered as an additional way for people to pay their VED.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to safeguard the existing rights under EU treaties of non-UK EU citizens living in the UK in the event of a vote to leave the EU.

James Brokenshire

Article 50 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union deals with the process of exiting the EU.

More detail is set out in the Government’s White Paper: ‘The process for withdrawing from the European Union’, published on 29 February. The White Paper is available on the GOV.UK website, using the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-process-for-withdrawing-from-the-european-union

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to review the role of the Ministry of Defence Police in safeguarding the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Mark Lancaster

As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are reviewing a series of options that may change the way we provide our policing and guarding at some sites. Further work is required to assess the feasibility and implementation of these options and, at the appropriate time, we will initiate formal consultation with the Ministry of Defence Police staff associations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to devolve to Scotland the areas of law and policy on the environment formerly dealt with by the EU after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

George Eustice

Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra officials will be working with the new Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future support for the environment. The Government will work very closely with the Devolved Administrations, Parliament, and a wide range of other interested parties on this approach.