UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Lord Jones of Cheltenham

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ report Cayman Turtle Farm: A Continued Case for Change”; and what measures they are taking to protect flora and fauna in all British Overseas Territories including the Cayman Islands.”

    Lord De Mauley

    The Cayman Islands Government has constitutional responsibility for a large measure of self-government, including for decisions relating to the Cayman Turtle Farm. The recommendations in the publication are therefore the responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government. However, we note that the report contains inaccuracies about UK engagement in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, Mark Simmonds, is writing to the World Society for the Protection of Animals to bring these inaccuracies to its attention.

    The UK Government’s ambition is for the natural environments of the Overseas Territories (OTs) to be protected and managed to the highest international standards, as set out in our 2012 White Paper, “The Overseas Territories Security, Success and Sustainability”. OT Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments and the UK Government works in partnership with them to identify where our support can be most effective. On 12 May 2014, the Government published an update to the Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which provides detail of the Government’s activities on biodiversity in the OTs.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in negotiations to provide air services to St Helena once the new airport is completed in February 2016; and what steps they are taking to develop the local tourism industry there, including the provision of suitable tourist accommodation.

    Baroness Northover

    St Helena Government (SHG) issued the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) for the air service procurement in June 2014. The PQQ is the first stage of the air service procurement and will allow interested airlines to register their intent to bid for the air service.

    Enterprise St Helena (ESH), St Helena’s Economic Development Agency, is leading St Helena’s plans to develop its tourism industry and its accommodation. In parallel, ESH is working with local businesses to ensure that the island’s tourist attractions are developed and accredited to international standards.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their stated intention of building more houses, what is their assessment of the availability of skilled personnel to carry out the building work necessary; and what measures they are taking to train sufficient numbers to ensure the success of the house building programme.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    There has been no specific assessment of the availability of skilled personnel for the home building sector. The Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) latest Construction Skills Network Report forecasts an annual recruitment requirement for the construction sector, including home building, of 36,400 a year for the 2013 – 2018 period.

    Under the auspices of the Construction Leadership Council, the house building industry is developing an action plan to address two immediate priorities: improving the image of house building and attracting back experienced workers who left during the recession, and other workers with relevant skills. More widely, the Government is making a number of reforms to the skills system to improve skills supply, putting employers in the driving seat and making providers more responsive to their needs.

    The Government is also currently undertaking a triennial review of the way the CITB operates and challenging it on the service it delivers to the sector.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their stated intention of building more houses, what is their assessment of the ability of the United Kingdom building supplies industry to provide bricks, timber and other materials; and what measures they are taking to encourage growth in the building supplies industry to provide sufficient materials to ensure the success of the house building programme.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    The Government has noted advice from the Construction Products Association that there is no general lack of capacity in UK products manufacturers. The Association advises that only 19 per cent of companies producing heavy building materials are currently operating at near capacity. As the products sector adjusts to the return to growth it expects that capacity will increase further in response to demand.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the delay by the British Embassy in Doha in issuing new passports to children born to United Kingdom parents in Qatar; and whether they have held discussions with the local authorities over the law in Qatar under which fines may be imposed on foreign nationals who are not in possession of a passport by the age of two months.

    Baroness Warsi

    The British Embassy in Doha no longer issues passports. We have raised with the Qatari authorities the issue of fines imposed on British nationals without a passport, and are working to find an agreed solution. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working closely with Her Majesty’s Passport Office to overcome any problems that result from a delay in the issuing of British passports. In line with the recent statement on 12 June by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right Hon Friend the Member for Maidenhead, South East (Theresa May), any British nationals facing a problem should consult the Embassy to discuss this – including the alternatives for urgent travel to the UK without a full passport.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect they expect that the recently announced St Helena hotel investment initiative by a British consortium will have on the Tourism Economic Development Plan of the St Helena Government.

    Lord Bates

    The UK Government expects tourism to be a driver of growth on St Helena once the airport opens in 2016. Any hotel investment which improves the quality and quantity of visitor accommodation is expected to have a positive impact on tourism and, over time, on St Helena’s economic development.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent conference in London, what support they are providing to the government of Botswana in preparing for the follow-up conference in early 2015 on the illegal wildlife trade.

    Lord De Mauley

    The Government welcomes the announcement made by the Government of Botswana that it will host a follow up conference on the illegal wildlife trade in early 2015. This meeting will be vital in helping to ensure that the commitments made at the London Conference in February 2014 are fully implemented.

    The Government has offered its full support to Botswana in preparing the meeting. This may include continuing to convene the group of senior officials that prepared the London Conference, offering the support of the UK’s diplomatic network in maintaining high level political engagement on the issue with existing and new partner countries and a possible contribution to the cost of the conference.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect they expect that the recently announced Elephant Protection Initiative will have on the illegal wildlife trade; and what support they are giving to the Initiative.

    Lord De Mauley

    The Government warmly welcomes the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), launched at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014 by the Presidents of Botswana, Chad, Gabon and Tanzania, and the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia.

    Through the EPI, these Governments are committing to:

    · observing an extended moratorium on consideration of future international ivory trade

    · closing domestic ivory markets

    · putting all ivory stockpiles (both seized ‘illegal’ and ‘legal’ ivory accrued from elephant mortality) beyond economic use.

    In response to these bold commitments, the EPI is intended to provide participating Governments with access to a fund to support the implementation of the measures contained in the Africa Elephant Action Plan. The UK Government has committed to supporting this fund, in the first instance by matching the first tranche of private sector funding amounting to around £1m.

    The text of the Elephant Protection Initiative can be accessed through the following link: www.gov.uk/government/news/decisive-action-agreed-on-illegal-wildlife-trade.

    “

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-04-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to encourage the governments of China and Vietnam to cease the trade in ivory.

    Lord De Mauley

    The Governments of both China and Vietnam participated at Ministerial level in the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade on 12 and 13 February 2014. They joined the other participating countries in agreeing to the London Conference Declaration. In this, Governments have committed to support the existing CITES commercial prohibition on international trade in elephant ivory until the survival of elephants in the wild is no longer threatened by poaching. They have also committed to taking a wide range of actions to reduce the demand for wildlife products, including ivory, and to agreeing for the first time to renounce the use of any products from species threatened with extinction. We very much welcome this strong signal by China and Vietnam of their commitment to join the rest of the international community in tackling the scourge of the illegal trade in ivory and other wildlife products.

    In the margins of the Conference I had constructive meetings with both Forestry Vice Minister Jianlong Zhang of China and Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Ha Cong Tuan of Vietnam to discuss the impacts of the illegal wildlife trade and the action needed to tackle the problem. I hope to visit Vietnam in the near future to continue this constructive dialogue.

    We will also fund two projects in Vietnam which applied through the 2013-2014 Darwin Initiative Funding Round, at a total cost of just over £0.5m. These will be supported from the £10m of new funding for tackling the illegal wildlife trade, announced on 23 December 2013 by the Secretaries of State for Environment and International Development. One project is focused on combating wildlife trafficking by cutting out the ‘middle man’. The other will support action to reduce demand for rhino horn.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current policy on granting visas for musical ensembles from Russia; why there was a delay in issuing visas recently for the Lyra Ensemble from St Petersburg which led to the cancellation of concerts on their proposed United Kingdom tour; and what steps they will take to avoid such situations in the future.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    Due to its obligations under the Data Protection Act, UK Visas and Immigration is unable to comment openly on individual cases. There is insufficient detail in the question to enable us to identify these visa applications but if Lord Jones of Cheltenham wishes to provide specific details of the visa applicants, UK Visas and Immigration will provide him with an in confidence letter regarding this incident.

    There has been no change in visa policy for those coming from Russia to give musical performances in the UK. Applicants must meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We advise Russian visa applicants to apply for their visas as early as possible in advance of their
    date of travel. In Russia, applicants can apply up to six months in advance of travel and a ‘submission without passport’ service is available for those who want to hold on to their passport whilst their application is processed.