Tag: Nigel Dodds

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work his Department has undertaken with the devolved administrations on communicating to the public changes to the new state pension.

Justin Tomlinson

Northern Ireland is the only devolved administration for pensions. We have worked closely with officials from the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency and have shared our new State Pension advertising materials for customised use in Northern Ireland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken at UK border ports to tackle the illegal smuggling of puppies and other animals into the UK.

George Eustice

Enforcement of the rules governing the importation of animals is the responsibility of Local Authorities. Effective enforcement relies on close co-operation between a number of different agencies and should be intelligence led. As regards the illegal smuggling of puppies, Local Authorities and other agencies carry out targeted interventions at the border. To help build on this, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are considering what steps can be taken to improve enforcement and is being assisted by the Dogs Trust and RSCPA in this work.

Defra is also working closely with Border Force to agree a framework for co-operation to ensure the effective enforcement of legislation governing the import of animals, including puppies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been allocated to Northern Ireland in (a) EU Structural Funds and (b) special initiatives in each year since 2010.

Anna Soubry

The indicative EU Structural Funds and Peace Initiative allocations for Northern Ireland can be found on the Northern Ireland administration’s Department of Finance and Personnel’s website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what preliminary work her Department has carried out in preparation for the possibility of a vote to leave the EU.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government believes that the UK is stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU.

The Northern Ireland Office has not undertaken any work in preparation for the possibility of a vote to leave the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the counter extremism strategy.

Sarah Newton

The Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland agreed prior to publication of the Counter-Extremism Strategy (October 2015) that the strategy would not extend to Northern Ireland at this stage.

Home Office officials have engaged colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Office, including during visits to Belfast. We remain keen to maintain this engagement to share ideas and discuss all aspects of the strategy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-10-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implementation of the recommendations on money laundering and terrorism financing of the G7 Financial Action Task Force.

Harriett Baldwin

The international standards for anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing are set by the Financial Action Task Force of which the UK is a leading member. The UK has a comprehensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime, and we are committed to ensuring our financial system is a hostile environment for criminal finances. The UK was last assessed by the FATF in 2007 and our high level of compliance with the standards exempted us from the detailed follow-up most countries must complete. The UK will next be evaluated beginning in 2017 and the Treasury and Home Office are already making the necessary preparations for this assessment.

To this end, the Government recently published the UK’s first National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing which is a requirement of the FATF standards. We are now preparing an Action Plan to address the findings of the NRA. The Action Plan will be a core component of our preparations for our FATF evaluation.

The FATF has now completed fourth round evaluations of Spain, Belgium, Norway, Australia, and Malaysia to assess both technical compliance and effectiveness. These reports, and those of the previous rounds, are publicly available on the FATF website (www.fatf-gafi.org).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland.

Mike Penning

Since 20 May 2015, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has been operating with full powers in Northern Ireland. As the NCA reported to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on 01 October 2015, the scope of NCA’s crime-fighting capability within the jurisdiction has increased. During the period April-June 2015, the NCA recorded 26 disruptions against organised crime groups and high priority threats operating in Northern Ireland. The NCA has worked in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the support that the NCA provides law enforcement partners, particularly the PSNI has been enhanced.

The NCA is committed to playing its role in tackling serious and organised crime in Northern Ireland. The NCA will be fully engaged in delivering the commitment outlined in ‘A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ to undertake a concerted and enhanced effort to combat serious and organised and cross border crime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the level of co-ordination with other governmental agencies and departments to prevent the trade of puppies through UK ports.

James Brokenshire

Border Force works with and supports the lead department – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – which is responsible for imports of live animals, including puppies. Border Force meets regularly with Defra to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for increased cooperation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what representations she has received on the effect on Northern Ireland of proposals for new runway capacity in the London area.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

I have discussed the importance of air connectivity between Northern Ireland and London and the work of the Airports Commission with Ministers in the Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and airport operators.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with her Irish Republic counterpart on security co-operation since the latest published security assessment of the threat posed by Irish republican terrorists.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

I am in regular contact with Irish ministers on security and other matters. Political and operational co-operation is strong and the Irish authorities are having considerable success disrupting the activities of dissident republican terrorists and bringing them to justice.

I commend the PSNI and AGS for their work on tackling the terrorist threat and their efforts to keep people safe on both sides of the border. The establishment of the Joint Agency Task Force on organised crime adds another important dimension to this already effective co-operation.