Tag: Douglas Carswell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 13 of the report commissioned by her Department on Paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, published 19 October 2015, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the IRA’s Provisional Army Council oversees the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy.

Mr Ben Wallace

Further analysis of intelligence and actions relating as a consequence of the recent report is a matter for the Security Services and the Police. Ministers do not interfere with such operational decisions nor is it the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to comment publicly on such intelligence matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account his Department took when preparing the Charter for Budget Responsibility, of the effect of (a) the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and (b) future EU treaty change in respect of that Treaty.

Harriett Baldwin

The UK is not a signatory of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, which is also known as the ‘Fiscal Compact.’ The signatories of the Fiscal Compact have committed to incorporate it into the main EU treaties, within five years of it entering into force. However, it would be premature to speculate on the conclusions of future treaty change negotiations in respect of the Fiscal Compact, which will require unanimous agreement amongst all other Member States, including the UK.

However, the UK does participate in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, which sets rules on Member States’ debt and deficits, although, unlike other Member States the UK cannot face any sanction under this process.

The updated Charter for Budget Responsibility, which sets out the government’s fiscal and debt management objectives and the fiscal mandate, states the government must explain in each Budget Report how all significant fiscal policy measures introduced by the government since the last Budget maintain the path of the public finances in a position consistent with the government’s European commitments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants of personal independence payments at the time of the introduction of the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments system have been subsequently taken off those payments; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of current claimants of that payment who will be taken off over the next six months.

Justin Tomlinson

The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments delivers Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claimants. They do not carry out assessments of Personal Independence Payment claimants which are delivered by Atos Healthcare and Capita.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Attorney General, what planning his Department has undertaken in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU.

Jeremy Wright

At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

Anna Soubry

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance note on public sector pay and terms published by his Department on 5 February 2016, whether he plans to place that guidance on a statutory footing; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands

There are no current plans to place the guidance note on public sector pay and terms on a statutory footing.

The note is a reminder of the rules that are in place and the Government’s expectations on public sector employers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of her Department’s programmes in the eight districts of the Central Region of Uganda in preventing the spread of malaria.

Mr Nick Hurd

DFID works with UNICEF in the Central Region of Uganda on a programme to prevent the spread of malaria. As part of this, the Integrated Community Case Management programme is improving access to testing and treatment for children under five with high fever. This is an important intervention in preventing the spread of malaria and reducing deaths related to malaria and other treatable diseases.

Results from the 2014-15 internationally recognised Malaria Indicator Survey showed that the prevalence of malaria in children in the central region where the eight districts are located had reduced from 39.1% in 2009 to 10.5%. This is largely as a result of targeted interventions including the programme funded by DFID and implemented by UNICEF.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has made to the World Trade Organisation to request that anti-dumping measures are taken against the People’s Republic of China.

Anna Soubry

The World Trade Organisation does not have a role in conducting anti-dumping investigations. Responsibility for anti-dumping investigations and imposing anti-dumping measures against imports into the EU and the UK lies with the European Commission. These investigations are driven by requests from EU producers.

The Government makes regular representations to the Commission concerning allegations of dumping of steel. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister pressed for more action on dumping of steel at European Council on 17 and 18 March. The government judges each anti-dumping case on its merits, based on the evidence presented by the Commission and on representations from interested parties, including producers, users and importers, but is strongly in favour of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices where justified. We have voted in favour of anti-dumping measures on several steel products since July, including the imposition of provisional anti-dumping measures on reinforcing bar in January, an investigation for which we lobbied the Commission successfully, and on cold-rolled flat steel products in February.

We have supported industry calls for higher duties on specific cases where this is justified by the evidence. For example, in the reinforcing bar case we have raised the steel industry’s concerns that the provisional duties were too low with the Commission. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills spoke with Trade Commissioner Malmström about this and received assurances that the Commission will reconsider this during the definitive stage of the investigation, if industry can provide the necessary evidence.

We also welcomed the opening of four new anti-dumping investigations involving steel products earlier this year.

The Government continues to push the Commission for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel. This was one of the conclusions of the Extraordinary Competitiveness Council on Steel in November, a meeting which my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills was instrumental in convening. In advance of the Commission’s energy-intensive industry stakeholder’s summit on 15 February – another key action from the Competitiveness Council – the government and several other EU Member States sent a joint letter to the Commission, pressing it to make full and timely use of all trade defence instruments to tackle unfair trade. I played an active role at this summit. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has also raised these issues in discussions with Commissioner Malmström, most recently at the OECD conference on the challenges facing the steel industry on 18 April. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) (Intellectual Property) reiterated the need for faster and more effective action on dumping at the Competitiveness Council held on 29 February and the Presidency conclusions of that Council reflected this message. I did likewise at the European Steel Day on 21 April. Officials also have regular discussions about anti-dumping cases with Commission officials and officials from other EU Member States.

The Government is also supporting a robust discussion of the issue of overcapacity through the EU’s ongoing dialogue with the Chinese and other governments, including at the OECD conference. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has discussed this issue directly with President Xi and was told that China will take steps to reduce its overcapacity. My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer also raised it during his visit to China in February and my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills raised it with his counterpart in February. Similarly, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised it during his visit to China in April.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her policy to renegotiate with EDF the strike price for Hinkley Point C power station.

Andrea Leadsom

Hinkley Point C is a good deal for consumers – it will provide reliable energy at an affordable cost, powering nearly six million homes for around 60 years and creating more than 25,000 jobs.

Today nuclear provides around 16% of our electricity but these ageing plants won’t go on forever. Therefore the Government is committed to our policy of building new nuclear in the interest of energy security, decarbonisation and keeping costs down for the consumer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the benefits cap applies to Syrian migrants.

Justin Tomlinson

Syrians entering the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme are able to work and have access to some benefits on arrival. Like other claimants they will be subject to the benefit cap.