Tag: Fabian Hamilton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps UK diplomatic posts in China have taken under his Department’s 2010-2015 Strategy for the Abolition of the Death Penalty.

Mr Hugo Swire

We have continued to urge the Chinese authorities to reduce their use of the death penalty, and did so during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April. Through our network of diplomatic posts, the UK is working with Chinese legal experts and the Chinese judiciary to support legislative and judicial reforms to limit the use of the death penalty. We have supported a number of specific projects with the purpose of encouraging debate on the death penalty, providing information about global trends, and proposing alternatives in penal policy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of freedom of religion or belief in the Tibet autonomous region.

Mr Hugo Swire

We consider freedom of religion or belief to be a fundamental human right and support its protection and promotion around the world. We have concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and the wider treatment of ethnic minorities in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. I made clear a range of our concerns during a Westminster Hall Debate on Tibet on 18 June. We continue to raise our related concerns in detail with the Chinese authorities, for example during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue. We have highlighted a range of our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy (www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk). We will continue to raise our concerns as part of our wider relationship with China.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Chinese nationals currently have refugee status.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office does not hold figures on the total number of people with refugee status.

The Home Office publishes annual and quarterly statistics on grants of asylum and other forms of protection, and those resettled under the Gateway Protection Programme, Mandate and Vulnerable Persons Relocation Schemes.

These statistics are published quarterly in tables as_01 and as_19_q of the Immigration Statistics release, which is available online via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2015/asylum#data-tables

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is responsible for the oversight of US armed forces bases on UK soil.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministry of Defence retains oversight of those UK military bases on UK territory which are made available for use by the US.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on Gendun Choeki Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama; and whether his Department has requested documentation and photographs to support the Chinese government’s statement that he is leading a normal life.

Mr Hugo Swire

As I stated during a Westminster Hall Debate on Tibet on 18 June, we continue to raise the issue of the Panchen Lama with the Chinese authorities. We have urged them to ensure that the restrictions on his freedom of movement and communication are lifted, so that he may select the career, education or religious life of his choosing, wherever he is. We have also supported calls by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the relevant authorities to facilitate a meeting between the Panchen Lama and independent international observers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on the death in custody of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.

Mr Hugo Swire

I raised the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche during Westminster Hall Debates on Tibet on both 18 June and in December last year. I urged the Chinese authorities to consider him for release on medical parole. We were saddened by reports that Tenzin died in detention on 12 July.

We supported and encouraged the EU statement of 15 July, which said the EU expected the Chinese authorities to investigate and make public the circumstances surrounding Tenzin’s death. We will continue to raise our related concerns at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, through the EU, and as part of our wider relationship with China.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements his Department has made with the US administration on control of the base at NSA Menwith Hill.

Mr Mark Francois

RAF Menwith Hill is made available to the United States under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement. The Ministry of Defence retains ownership of the base and operations are carried out with the full knowledge and consent of the UK Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the use of drones originating at (a) USAF Croughton, (b) RAF Marham, (c) NSA Menwith Hill and (d) RAF Waddington; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Mark Francois

The UK’s Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) are remotely operated from RAF Waddington. The US does not operate RPAS from the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the new Single Operating Model for investigating mental health homicides for the NHS in England will become operational.

Norman Lamb

The NHS Serious Incident Framework issued by NHS England in March 2013 updated the National Framework for reporting and learning from serious incidents requiring investigation. It explains the responsibilities for actions and investigations following serious incidents, these include incidents where there may have been shortcomings in NHS-funded care prior to homicides committed by those receiving mental health care services.

The NHS Serious Incident Framework is currently under review, to improve alignment and consistency of serious incident management and to provide further clarity to the NHS about principles, processes and expectations in response to serious incidents. As part of this work, NHS England is keen to develop systems to ensure that investigations are managed in a robust and transparent way. This includes ensuring that the carers and family members of both victims and perpetrators are supported from the onset, including being fully involved in the investigation process and the subsequent action planning and response.

The framework will be published in autumn 2014 and will be implemented by spring 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will extend victims’ rights to victims of mentally disordered offenders to be more comparable with those rights afforded to victims in the criminal justice system.

Mike Penning

The Government’s new Victims’ Code, which came into force on 10 December 2013, strengthens the rights of victims of crime, including where the offender is mentally disordered. The Code provides victims with clearer entitlements and better tailors services to individual need. Under the Code, criminal justice agencies must provide enhanced services to victims of the most serious crime; persistently targeted victims; and vulnerable and intimidated victims.

Since 2001, victims of specified sexual and violent offences where the offender receives a sentence of twelve months or more have been offered the Probation Victim Contact Scheme, which enables them to make representations about which licence conditions a prisoner should be subject to on release, and to be informed about key stages of sentence such as release on temporary licence and full release.

The Victim Contact Scheme was extended by legislation to victims of mentally disordered offenders with restrictions in July 2005, and to victims of mentally disordered offenders without restrictions in November 2008.

Since April 2014, there has been a presumption that victims of restricted mentally disordered offenders will be told if they are granted permission for escorted or unescorted leave from hospital for rehabilitative purposes.