Tag: Mark Pritchard

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his (a) EU and (b) African Union counterparts the creation of an International Constitutional Court to be used for settling disputes concerning (i) presidential term limits and (ii) constitutional matters that may give rise to civil or military conflicts.

James Duddridge

We are not aware of any discussions with or between African Union or EU counterparts about an International Constitutional Court. The “Africa Court of Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR)” based in Arusha already has a mandate to make judgements on African Union Member States’ compliance with the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. It is for national constitutional courts first to make judgements on constitutional affairs in their own countries, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, though the ACHPR will also form judgements where requested by African Union Member States, as recently happened in the case of Burundi.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indian counterpart on (a) the treatment of and (b) the use of bullhooks on Asian elephants in the tourism and logging industry.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are aware of reports that some elephants in use in the tourist industry in India have been captured as calves and then beaten and mistreated. This practice is illegal in India. Officials have had discussions on this issue with Save The Asian Elephant (STAE), an organisation that hopes to stop this cruel procedure.

The United Kingdom is committed to conserving Asian elephants and recognises the growing threats to their populations, particularly from poaching and cross-border, illegal trade in live animals to feed the demand by the tourist and entertainment industries. The United Kingdom has been working internationally through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in discussion with elephant range states, including India, to increase protection for Asian elephants. We secured agreement in 2014 for elephant range states to put in place measures to prevent illegal trade in live elephants.

Although it is not for the Government to make British citizens aware of this practice, we will continue to work together with the Indian authorities, as well as STAE and other non-governmental organisations, on protecting elephants.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to work with his Iranian government counterpart to share best practice in drug rehabilitation programmes.

Jane Ellison

The late Hamid Ghodse, Professor of Psychiatry and Addictive Behaviour at St George’s University of London, was an Iranian citizen, and helped promote links between British addiction experts and their counterparts in the Islamic Republic of Iran for the sharing of clinical expertise in the treatment of drug dependence. Such links between United Kingdom and Iranian experts continue and best practice is also shared in meetings organised by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of poor player behaviour and discipline by Premier League football players on the field on the reputation of UK sport; and if he will hold talks with the Professional Footballers’ Association and FA to discuss improving that behaviour and discipline.

Tracey Crouch

Government believes that professional footballers have a responsibility to set a good example, especially to children in terms of acceptable behaviour. This is something I have discussed with both the chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association when we met recently, and with the FA as part of our regular discussions on a range of football matters.

More generally The PFA works in partnership with the FA and the professional Leagues to implement key areas within football’s inclusion and anti-discrimination plan. Through the plan, a new code of conduct has being introduced from the start of this season, as part of a series of measures to address on-field behaviour in English football. The new code sets out the standards required and consequences for non-compliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what collaboration is taking place between universities, space companies and the European Space Agency on developing nuclear engine technology for future spacecraft.

Joseph Johnson

European Space Agency has no active nuclear engine programme and we are not aware of any activities taking place with regards to such technology in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the labelling of goods produced in Israeli settlements with World Trade Organisation law.

Anna Soubry

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK observes its obligations under the WTO Agreements. The UK’s laws and practices on designations of origin for products produced in Israeli settlements are compatible with those obligations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consult on implementing no smoking zones outside government buildings for people employed in those buildings.

Jane Ellison

The Government has no current plans to extend smokefree legislation to outside public areas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to extend the BBFC’s voluntary pilot project for the rating of online music videos to other online platforms, UK music labels and publishers and non-UK music labels; and what plans he has to review the voluntary nature of that scheme.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Independent evaluation of the pilot shows that 78% of parents value age ratings for online music videos and 86% of parents would choose online channels with clear age ratings for their children’s viewing. We were pleased therefore to announce recently that the industry and the BBFC were putting their online music videos ratings scheme on a permanent footing and extending it to include videos produced in the UK by independent labels, as well as by major UK labels.

We welcome this voluntary action by industry and will now be looking at how the lessons learned in the UK could help international partners adopt a similar approach.Government is committed to working with labels and platforms towards seeing age rating on all online music videos.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps with his EU partners and the US Department of Defense to improve the traceability and tracking of small arms and light weapons provided to the Kurdish Regional government for use in fighting against ISIS.

Michael Fallon

All military equipment exported from the UK, including the gifting of small arms to the Kurdistan Regional Government is subject to stringent assessment against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This includes assessment of the end-use and likelihood of the equipment being diverted. As part of the provision of small arms to the Kurdistan Regional Government, the UK also requested and received assurances on handling, secure storage and useage from the Ministry of Peshmerga as the responsible Government authority in charge of end-use.

The Government is committed to the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). This is a core international instrument for tackling these issues and the Government is committed to its full implementation. The Government also supports the work carried out by the EU as part of its Small Arms and Light Weapons Strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Palestinian Authority on introducing legislation to abolish the death penalty.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Government opposes all use of the death penalty as a matter of principle, including sentences imposed by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. I have asked that my officials in Jerusalem raise the issue of the death penalty with the Palestinian Authority in due course.