Tag: Lord Patten

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect on relations between the UK and Turkey of the closure of media outlets in Turkey following the attempted coup of 15 July.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Following the failed coup on 15 July the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan), travelled to Ankara on 20 and 21 July to express the Government’s support for Turkey’s democratically elected government. He also emphasised to senior politicians the need for Turkey to adhere to international human rights obligations in the aftermath of the coup and during the imposition of a state of emergency, including press freedom and the rule of law. The Government continues to follow events there closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to announce plans before 2020 to replace the single track railway lines between Salisbury and Exeter with double track railway lines in order to further promote economic growth in that region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

In August 2015 Network Rail published the outcome of the Wessex and Western Route Studies undertaken by the rail industry. This includes a review of the future demand on the line between London, Salisbury and Exeter.

The Government expects to set out in July 2017 its investment plan for the railways during 2019 to 2024 and will take account of the industry proposals in developing this plan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their representatives in any UK embassies are banned from making representations concerning capital punishment in any country or countries.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

No such bans exist. On the contrary, the pursuit of the abolition of the death penalty is part of what the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has called the “every day work” of our missions in countries which continue to implement the death penalty.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which areas of Turkey are safe for British travellers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The areas of Turkey to which we advise against travel are clearly set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s travel advice. The FCO advise against all travel to within 10 km of the border with Syria and to the city of Diyarbakir. The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the remaining areas of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Kilis and Hatay provinces; and to Siirt, Tunceli and Hakkari.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-05-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 11 May (HL8205), whether they hold information on the number of single line tracks on passenger lines in their records; and if not, why not.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department for Transport does not hold detailed records of track layouts. These records are held by the Infrastructure Operators. The information is provided to the Department on request and is also available in commercial map publications at specialist railway bookshops.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect on UK–Turkish financial services transactions of the reported collection by the Turkish government of client research carried out by Turkish brokerage houses following the attempted coup of 15 July.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government is aware of news reporting of Turkish brokerage houses’ research being sought by the Turkish authorities, but the impact on UK-Turkish financial services transactions is as yet unclear. It is not unusual for governments to refer to research undertaken by independent researchers and analysts. We have and continue to emphasise that the Turkish Government’s response to the coup attempt must be demonstrably lawful and proportionate. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government on its response to the coup attempt and monitor the situation closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when ministers last met representatives of the Investment Association to discuss fund management industry matters.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Ministers’ Quarterly Transparency Returns provide details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business and are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the Government’s website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Turkey’s application to accede to the European Union, what assessment they have made of (1) freedom of the press and media, and (2) freedom of the judiciary, in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

As part of their EU accession process, we encourage Turkey to continue to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, including the principles of freedom of expression, the separation of powers and an impartial judiciary. We welcome progress made thus far, and as the EU Commission has highlighted, further sustained work is needed to meet EU standards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the welfare of Iraqi Christians fleeing that country; and how many have been granted refugee status in the United Kingdom in each year since 2010.

Lord Bates

Our country information and guidance recognises that, in general, religious minorities including Christians, are particularly vulnerable and are likely to be at risk of persecution in parts of Iraq. Each claim is considered on its individual merits, taking into account up to date country information.

In the 5 years since 2010, we have granted refugee status to 20 Iraqi’s with a claimed Christian religion however we are unable to confirm that the reason for the grant of status was on the basis of their Christianity.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Syrian Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart on the BBC Radio Four programme Sunday that European countries taking in Syrian refugees are harming Syria.

Lord Bates

The Government has been leading the way for a comprehensive and sustainable response to the conflict in Syria. The Government believes that the best way to help the majority of the many displaced Syrians across the globe is through practical and political action within affected regions. That is why the Government has prioritised humanitarian assistance in crisis regions and supports regional protection programmes which will improve the conditions for refugees seeking protection in their region of origin until they are able to return to their homes.

The Government recognises, however, that not all displaced Syrians can be supported effectively in the region and that is why we have committed to granting protection to 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees under our Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme over the course of this Parliament.

The Government shares Archbishop Jean-Clement’s view that we must actively seek an end to the conflict as it is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for Syrian refugees, as opposed to larger scale relocation or resettlement.