Tag: Kate Green

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Sudan on behalf of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour, arrested on 13 and 21 December 2015 respectively; and what information his Department holds on their (a) location and (b) physical and mental condition.

James Duddridge

Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum are in close contact with their legal team. The legal team have informed us that both men are currently being held at a National Intelligence and Security Service’s facility in Khartoum. Mr Talahon’s family has been able to meet him once while Rev. Hassan has not been granted visitors. Rev. Hassan’s family is particularly concerned about his physical health given his history of stomach ulcers. We will continue to scrutinise these cases closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of withdrawal from the EU on the UK’s role in global affairs.

Mr Philip Hammond

The UK referendum made a decision to leave the EU, not to turn our backs on Europe, let alone the world. Throughout the referendum debate, campaigns on both sides rejected any notion that a “Leave” vote would signal any kind of retreat from the world. The UK will remain a major player, fully engaged in world affairs, including through our membership of multilateral organisations. We are a Permanent member of the UN Security Council; the second largest contributor to NATO; a key member of the Commonwealth, of the G7 and the G20. We also remain committed to renewing the nuclear deterrent. Our voice will always be prominent – but we will perhaps have to work a little bit harder to ensure that our voice carries the same authority it did before.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps she has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance.

The guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

The Family Test is also being integrated within the Department’s impact assessment process to ensure it is consistently addressed. Recognising that all Government policies will impact on families in some way, the Government’s guidance on the Family Test is clear that policies should pass a threshold of proportionality before the Family Test is applied in full. New Home Office policies in the current Parliament have not met the threshold for applying the Family Test. The Family Test, when applied, will be published as part of the relevant impact assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents have received a sanction for failure to comply with conditions for receipt of benefits because suitable childcare was not available to enable them to comply.

Priti Patel

The information as requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30739, what information he holds on (a) the legal status of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour and (b) whether their legal team has been granted access to them.

James Duddridge

Telahoon Rata and Rev Hassan Taour are being held in detention by the National Intelligence and Security Services under powers granted to them by the National Security Act 2010. They have not been granted access to their lawyers.

Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people.

Andrew Jones

The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for disabled people and is committed to making transport more inclusive.

Since its launch in 2006, the £390m Access for All rail programme (which was further extended with £160m in 2014) has delivered accessible routes at over 150 stations. There are also 68 further projects at various stages of construction or development.

We also recognise that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to disabled people’s experience of taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger.

In addition, the Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.

The Government intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this important agenda.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government is offering to families of British people killed or injured during the 2015 Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

No British nationals were killed or injured in the Hajj crush in Mina on 24 September 2015. However, three British nationals died in a separate incident prior to the Hajj when a crane collapsed in the Grand Mosque in Mecca on 11 September. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided consular assistance to all British nationals affected.