The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to grant right of abode in this country to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.
James Brokenshire
I have agreed to undertake a thorough assessment of the request that this group are offered right of abode in the United Kingdom, based on their employment in Hong Kong. This is under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase aid to Jordan in order to help that country cope with the inflow of Syrian refugees.
Mr Desmond Swayne
At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This funding will support those in need inside Syria and in the surrounding region which is dealing with the impact of the crisis, including Jordan. Final country allocations are still being decided but it is clear that aid from the UK in Jordan will rise compared to previous years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to increase the UK’s energy storage capacity for excess energy from renewables; and what financial support she is making available to increase the capacity of pumped hydro systems.
Andrea Leadsom
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory barriers but also considering whether more needs to be done to stimulate investment in energy storage. DECC plans to issue a call for evidence in spring 2016 on this area.
DECC has provided more than £18m of innovation support since 2012 to develop and demonstrate a range of energy storage technologies. This support has included a grant to a UK pumped hydro storage company to analyse the potential for wider deployment of new pumped hydro storage facilities in novel sites around Great Britain – for example, in disused quarries or other brownfield sites or using drinking water reservoirs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to (a) ensure effective consultation with the Muslim community on the provision of the proposed Counter-Extremism and Safeguarding Bill and (b) respond to any concerns of that community on those provisions during proceedings on that Bill.
Sarah Newton
As announced in the Queen’s Speech debates we will consult widely on all the provisions of the Counter Extremism and Safeguarding Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech before legislation is introduced.
We want to hear the views of a wide range of groups, including the Muslim community, and will make sure they have sufficient time to properly consider the proposals and that full consideration is given to all views expressed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people in the UK who have been trafficked.
Sarah Newton
The Home Office and Ministry of Justice jointly fund the Adult Victims of Modern Slavery Care and Coordination Contract in England and Wales. Since July 2011, The Salvation Army has been delivering this service. The total Government funding over this period has been:
|
Year |
Funding |
|
2011-2012 |
|
|
(July-June) |
£2.3 million |
|
2012-2013 |
|
|
(Jul-Jun) |
£3.8 million |
|
2013-2014 |
|
|
(July-June) |
£3.9 million |
|
2014-2015 |
|
|
(July -March) |
£4 million |
|
2015-2016 |
|
|
(April -March) |
£9 million |
The Home Office estimates that in 2013 there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK.
In 2015 there were 3,266 of victims of human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the UK’s framework for referring and supporting victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
In addition, 427 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in England and Wales via the “duty to notify” requirement which requires specified public bodies to report to the Government all potential adult victims of modern slavery encountered in England and Wales who do not wish to be referred to the NRM. Similar provisions will shortly be in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects to publish the outcomes of his Department’s BBC Charter Review consultation.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government’s BBC Charter Review Public Consultation closed in October. Over 190,000 people responded to the consultation – the second largest response to any Government consultation. We are in the process of reading and analysing all the responses, and will publish the results once this exercise is completed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Prime Minister will issue a response to (a) Early Day Motion 722, Right of abode for former British-Hong Kong servicemen and (b) petitions on this subject presented at 10 Downing Street on 5 November 2014.
James Brokenshire
I have agreed to undertake a thorough assessment of the request that this group are offered right of abode in the United Kingdom, based on their employment in Hong Kong. This is under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the implications of a decision to leave the EU on provisions in the Scotland Act 1988 requiring compliance with EU law.
David Mundell
At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he is making to (a) the UN and (b) his Thailand counterpart on the detention of Pakistani Christians fleeing religious persecution in Thailand despite being UN-registered asylum seekers.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are concerned about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand. We continue to work with the UNHCR in Thailand on a wide range of refugee issues. However, Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. Once any form of legal immigration status expires, refugees and asylum claimants may be deemed to be in Thailand illegally even if they have registered with the UNHCR. Nonetheless, we have pressed the Thai authorities to apply international humanitarian norms and standards when handling these vulnerable groups. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations her Department has received on the future of the school milk subsidy scheme since the outcome of the EU referendum.
George Eustice
Following the outcome of the EU Referendum we continue to receive views across the range of the Department’s responsibilities. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and current EU funding arrangements will continue unchanged. The UK currently claims around £3.5 million a year under the current EU milk scheme, compared with the much larger nursery milk scheme for children under 5 which is funded by UK Health and Education departments, and is worth £67m a year.