Tag: Hilary Benn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether there are any restrictions on the business activities that can be carried out by foreign diplomats based in the UK.

Mr Philip Hammond

Article 42 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations (VCDR) states that ‘a diplomatic agent shall not in the receiving State practise for personal profit any professional or commercial activity’. The UK expects foreign diplomats to abide by the Articles of the VCDR.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals work at administrator grade staff level in the European Parliament; and what proportion of the total number of that parliament’s employees they represent.

Mr Philip Hammond

The European Parliament does not publish statistics on numbers of permanent staff by nationality. As of April 2015, our records show there were 144 British citizens working in the European Parliament at administrator grade level, including UK secondees. This represents 2.4% of approximately 6000 total staff employed by the European Parliament in 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with US Secretary of State on the killing of Yazidis by Daesh.

Mr Philip Hammond

I frequently discuss Daesh with US Secretary of State Kerry, including their appalling brutality towards both Muslims and minorities, such as the Yazidis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of injured children trying to leave Syria being turned away at the Jordanian border.

Mr Philip Hammond

We are aware that there are large numbers of refugees being denied access to Jordan at the Jordan/Syria border. Whilst recognising their legitimate security concerns and the need for proper vetting, we have discussed with the Government of Jordan the necessity of prioritising admittance for the sick and injured, including children. Jordan has shown remarkable generosity as host to over 630,000 registered refugees from the Syria conflict. The UK is firmly committed to supporting Jordan. We have contributed over £330 million to help Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis. As co-hosts of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference held in London this year we helped secure over $12 billion of commitments of further support for those inside Syria and Syria’s neighbours Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey which are bearing the humanitarian weight of the crisis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in countries on the UN Security Council on referring crimes by Daesh to the International Criminal Court.

Mr Philip Hammond

I frequently discuss Daesh, including the atrocities it has committed, with my international counterparts from countries who are on the UN Security Council. The Government is committed to working with our partners on the Security Council in the wider international community to ensure that Daesh is held to account for its appalling crimes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 27 April 2016 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, when he expects the government of Saudi Arabia to publish its inquiry into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond

Saudi Arabia is conducting a number of investigations into specific allegations of breaches of International Humanitarian Law. On 31 January Saudi Arabia held a press conference where they announced the result of the investigation into the MSF hospital incident on 26 October in Sa’ada. They also announced more detail of how they investigate allegations of IHL breaches and apply lessons learnt from these investigations. It is important that these investigations are thorough and conclusive. We would encourage them to publish their findings where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of people unlawfully executed in Libya by Daesh.

Mr Philip Hammond

It is clear from reports and testimonies from local residents that Daesh have carried out many savage executions and brutal punishments in Libya against innocent civilians and those who have had the courage to oppose their vile oppression. We utterly condemn their barbaric acts of terror inside Libya, including the targeting of others because of their faith. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that ICC jurisdiction over Libya prima facie extends to such crimes.

We are engaging with the new Libyan government and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff his Department (a) employs and (b) plans to employ in the next 12 months; and how many such staff will be located in (i) London, (ii) Brussels and (iii) elsewhere.

Mr David Jones

The new Department for Exiting the European Union will be made up of staff and officials from various departments across Government. The Department has already started drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments where there is specific relevant knowledge.

The overall size and scope of the Department, including staffing and budget, are now under consideration. The Department now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is still growing rapidly with first class support from other government departments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2016 to Question 45944, on Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff, how many offers of pro bono support from consultancy firms his Department has (a) been offered and (b) taken up.

Mr Robin Walker

The Department for Exiting the European Union has received a significant number of offers of support from individuals and businesses. To date, the department has utilised the services of seven consultancy firms on a pro bono or nominal (£1) basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the percentage change in (a) trade, (b) foreign direct investment and (c) the level of productivity in the UK in the event of the UK leaving the EU without securing any preferential trade agreements and reverting to standard World Trade Organisation rules from current trading relationships.

Mr David Gauke

As the Prime Minister has said, we want the best outcome for Britain. That means pursuing a bespoke arrangement which gives British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market, and enables us to decide for ourselves how we control immigration.