Tag: Nigel Dodds

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what rules apply to the entry into the UK of diplomatic personnel from countries identified by the Government on countries of concern in relation to human rights violations and corruption.

James Brokenshire

Diplomats posted to an Embassy or High Commission in the UK or who are in transit through the UK to their diplomatic posting are exempt from immigration control. This means that any checks are limited to verifying the person’s nationality and identity, that they are exempt from immigration control and they are the rightful holder of the document presented.

People holding diplomatic passports coming to the UK for any other reason are assessed against the Immigration Rules. In certain cases individuals are subject to international travel bans, imposed by the EU or UN. These are imposed for a number of factors and human rights violations and corruption could be a factor in this decision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet the Religious Liberty Commission to discuss placing respect for religious freedoms at the heart of development policy.

Mr David Lidington

Freedom of religion or belief is a priority for this government. We are keen to do all we can to advance it, working in co-operation with non-governmental organistions and the international community. My Noble Friend, The Right Hon. Baroness Anelay of St. Johns would be happy to meet with the Religious Liberty Commission, in the same way as we regularly meet the organisations from which its membership is formed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UN World Food Programme in Syria in ensuring that food parcels reach their intended recipients.

Justine Greening

DFID has applied a rigorous process of due diligence to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) as we do with all our partners in Syria and DFID staff in the region are in regular contact with WFP staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the use and development of nuclear weapons by North Korea; and what assessment he has made of the recent missile tests in the Gongwan Province.

Mr Hugo Swire

We remain extremely concerned by the continued development of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear and ballistic missile programme, and by its refusal to abide by UN Security Council resolutions. We continue to work closely with partners to press for implementation of the UN’s sanctions regime, to control the DPRK’s access to proliferation sensitive material and to prevent them from exporting arms and technology.

In the last few weeks the DPRK has undertaken a series of launches of short-range ballistic missiles, mainly of the SCUD class. No prior notice was given in advance of any of these launches. While it is likely that the DPRK is conducting these launches for training and development purposes, it is without doubt also using them to demonstrate its capability, and timing them to maximise political effect. We strongly condemn these, and we urge the DPRK to comply with all of its obligations under relevant UNSCRs and to refrain from any further provocations that cannot help but destabilise the peninsula and the wider region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent changes in Japan’s constitution and its defence doctrine.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UK welcomes a more active role for Japan on international peace and security. These reforms, based on a reinterpretation of Japan’s constitution, will allow it to make a greater contribution to international peace and security, including through exercising its right under the UN Charter to collective self-defence. We have worked well with Japan in difficult security environments overseas and we welcome the prospect of greater practical cooperation in these areas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo is not misused or misappropriated.

Justine Greening

DFID takes seriously tackling the misuse or misappropriation of UK Aid, and has a range of robust controls and measures in place to safeguard the UK taxpayers’ money.

In the DRC this includes regular rigorous risk assessments of the fiduciary environment to determine the way in which UK Aid is provided. Currently this means DFID funds in DRC are channelled through United Nations agencies and NGOs, rather than provided directly to the government. All partners selected are subject to pre-funding due diligence checks and regular scrutiny during implementation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-07-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the success of steps taken to encourage and facilitate first time buyers and young people to get onto the property ladder.

Andrea Leadsom

The Help to Buy scheme is helping hardworking people realise their home-owning aspirations across the UK. Over 27,000 households have bought a new home through Help to Buy so far, and 85 per cent of these have been first-time buyers. Between 2011/12 and 2013/14 11,000 first time buyers were helped through the FirstBuy scheme

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contribution her Department made towards the cost of the staging of the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Sport is a devolved matter therefore there is no provision for the Northern Ireland Office to contribute to the funding of the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia.

The Giro d’Italia is supported by Northern Ireland Tourist Board and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

My officials have, at the request of the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, engaged with the Home Office and several of our Embassies over the past fortnight, to help facilitate the granting of visas to some of the elite riders and help deal with queries that they have raised.