Tag: Deidre Brock

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to offer freedom of movement for EEA citizens into the UK during the negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU.

Mr David Jones

The Prime Minister has been clear that free movement cannot continue as it has in the past. The precise way in which the government will control the movement of EU nationals to Britain after Brexit is yet to be determined.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the health condition of Kamal Foroughi in Iran; and what assessment he has made of the level of Mr Foroughi’s access to appropriate medical care.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have raised our concerns about Mr Foroughi’s health with the Iranian Government and continue to lobby them at the highest level at every opportunity, requesting consular access for officials, access to lawyers and appropriate access to medical treatment. Most recently, on 18 May, I raised our concerns for Mr Foroughi’s health with the Iranian Charge d’affaires. We continue to ask for his early release on humanitarian grounds given his age and medical history.

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

To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will make an assessment of the effect of austerity on communities in the most deprived areas as measured by the English Indices of Deprivation 2015.

Mrs Caroline Spelman

The Church Commissioners have no plans to undertake such an assessment.

Through its network of parishes and dioceses the Church of England is present in all the communities of England. The clergy and people of the Church of England are well placed to hear, articulate and respond to the needs and concerns of local communities. This plays an important role in informing the public engagement of the Church on social policy matters especially at local level.

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, whether it is her policy to continue to require protection of habitats and species under the same or similar terms to those of current EU law.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for our environment remain in place.

Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

The Government will wish to consider the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including for protected species, the UK’s Natura 2000 and other protected sites. We have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment. We all now have an opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment following the referendum vote.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to maintain air pollution targets set out in the ambient air quality directive following UK withdrawal from the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Air quality has improved significantly in recent decades; we are working at local, national and international levels and will continue to do more.

The UK has a long commitment to improving the environment even before the EU – the Clean Air Act was introduced in 1956 – and our strong commitment to environmental issues will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

Defra will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship with the EU, 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 2016-09-12.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what response the Electoral Commission has made to paragraphs 214 to 226 of the Report entitled, Securing the ballot, Report of Sir Eric Pickles’ review into electoral fraud, published in August 2016.

Mr Gary Streeter

The Electoral Commission welcomed the publication of Sir Eric Pickles’ review into electoral fraud and is now carefully considering the detail of its recommendations. The Commission has noted that the review supports a number of its own longstanding recommendations, including its call for voter ID, first put forward in 2014.

The Commission is an independent statutory body which reports and is accountable to the UK and Scottish Parliaments. It will publish a full response to Sir Eric’s review in due course and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what legal status UK citizens currently resident elsewhere in the EU will have in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Lidington

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, what changes his Department plans to make to the size of the workforce of the Ministry of Defence Police.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Department plans to recruit around 260 new police officers to the Ministry of Defence Police during the course of 2016-17 to offset anticipated attrition rates and maintain sufficient resource to the level of tasking required.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy to continue to require environmental impact assessment for projects under the same or similar terms to those of current EU law after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Gavin Barwell

Until we leave, the UK will remain a full member of the EU, with all of the rights and obligations. The Department for Exiting the EU will be working on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship, liaising closely with other key departments on future support for the environment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to monitor the effect of the change from disability living allowance to personal independence payments on the standard of living of the recipients of those payments.

Penny Mordaunt

Both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are designed to contribute towards the extra cost of having a disability. PIP is a modern benefit that maintains the key principles of DLA; it is a non-means-tested, non-taxable cash benefit available to people in and out of work. In addition, it takes proper account of mental health conditions and targets resources on those who need support. Most people will continue to receive support under PIP and, in fact, a greater proportion of claimants are receiving the highest rates of the benefit than in DLA – 23 per cent compared to 15 per cent on DLA.