Tag: Imran Hussain

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-02-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to renegotiate tax treaties with developing countries.

Mr David Gauke

Tax treaties are negotiated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials, reporting to Treasury Ministers.

The UK has a large number of tax treaties which includes treaties with developing countries. Some of those treaties require updating and HMRC officials actively seek engagement with developing countries to that end. For example, there are ongoing negotiations with Ghana, prospective negotiations with Nepal and negotiations with Lesotho and Malawi are close to conclusion.

HMRC publishes the programme of tax treaty negotiations and news of signed treaties at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/double-taxation-agreements-developments-and-planned-negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of dengue fever on the development of developing countries.

Mr Nick Hurd

Dengue is estimated to place a heavy socio-economic burden on households, health care systems and governments, particularly during outbreaks; however, country-specific reliable estimates of burden of disease and cost data are limited.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to ensure that the global risk platform to be debated at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 meets the needs of people affected by natural and social disasters.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK is part of the discussions on the Global Risk Register and is helping to ensure they review how the national and international systems address the needs of affected populations quickly and effectively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of an escalation of border clashes between Eritrea and Ethiopia on refugees in that region.

Mr Nick Hurd

We are concerned over recent reports of fighting between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces along the border near Tsorena. My colleague the Minister for Africa, Mr Duddridge, has called on both countries to exercise restraint and said that they should engage in meaningful political discourse to seek a resolution to the ongoing border issues.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has confirmed to DFID that the recent border clashes between Eritrea and Ethiopia have had no discernible impact on refugees in the border region. Services for refugees in the camps in Tigray region (which borders Eritrea) have not been disrupted by the clashes.

Refugees have continued to cross from Eritrea to Ethiopia at a rate of around 2,000-3,000 per month in 2016 and there has been no change to this pattern.

According to its global policy, UNHCR sites refugee camps ‘at a reasonable distance’ from international borders. The closest refugee camp to the Eritrean border is around 25 km away. Others are further away from the border.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Dental Contract Reform: Prototypes pilot in (a) improving the quality of dental care and (b) improving access to dental care.

David Mowat

The Government is committed to replacing the current National Health Service dental contract with one that better rewards dentists for improving the oral health of their patients in addition to providing treatment where needed.

The dental pilots which ran from 2011-16 tested a new way of delivering care focussed on prevention. Based on the learning from that scheme, 79 high street practices are continuing to test the prevention based clinical pathway with the addition of testing a possible new remuneration system.

The prototype scheme evaluation is expected during 2017-18. The evaluation will be overseen by an evidence and learning group, which includes clinical and stakeholder representation. If successful the new system could start to be rolled out nationally from 2018-19.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the freedom of elections in Burma in November 2015 and the fairness of the outcome of that election as reflected in the distribution of seats in that country’s parliament.

Mr Hugo Swire

It is for the people of Burma, and their political representatives, to decide whether they are satisfied with the outcome of the elections. Preliminary reports from international observers, including the EU, note that while there were shortcomings, the elections in Burma on 8 November were largely peaceful, orderly and well-run. Although the final results have not yet been officially announced, the National League for Democracy has already achieved enough votes to have won a mandate to form the next government, and the government has said it will accept the result. The UK stands ready to support the people of Burma, including those who were unable to vote, as the country moves to the next stage of its transition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance his Department provides to local authorities and housing associations for English language courses following the withdrawal of ESOL Plus Mandation funding.

Mr Marcus Jones

DCLG provides £8 million funding for the community-based English language programme that supports six projects delivering English courses to adults with the lowest levels of English – with the aim of supporting integrated communities. Delivery is over three years (2013-16) and will reach over 33,500 adults – largely Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali women. In addition, jobseekers on work-related benefits with poor spoken English can continue to access fully funded English Language training through BIS’s Adult Skills Budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects her Department sponsors in Kashmir; and how much her Department spent in Kashmir since May 2010.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Kashmir benefits from national programmes in Pakistan and India to promote economic growth and improve education and health services across each country.

DFID does not routinely measure total expenditure directed to sub-national geographies outside our focal states or provinces. We focus our work on the states of India and provinces of Pakistan where we can have the largest impact and where the need is greatest. Currently, these areas do not include Kashmir.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that Government (a) departments and (b) contractors do not make use of tax havens.

Matthew Hancock

Procurement Policy Note 03/14 sets out the scope, background and detailed guidance for the policy of using the procurement process to promote tax compliance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0314-promoting-tax-compliance

The 2015 Public Contract Regulations introduced a new obligation for public bodies to exclude suppliers from a procurement where the supplier has been found guilty of breaching its obligations in relation to payment of taxes and this has been established by a judicial or administrative decision having final effect within the relevant jurisdiction.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to address the issue of funding for child protection interventions in humanitarian contexts at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The World Humanitarian Summit presents a major opportunity to reflect on the international humanitarian system, including how it delivers for the most vulnerable, such as children. The UK recognises the critical importance of protecting children in times of crisis and expects this issue to be raised at the Summit, where the UK will be launching new commitments on funding and delivering education in emergencies.