Tag: Nigel Dodds

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the NI Executive, (b) business leaders, (c) third sector representatives on the potential effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

I meet regularly with NI Executive Ministers, business leaders and third sector representatives to discuss a range of issues and will continue to do so.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive and (b) airport operators in Northern Ireland and Great Britain on the Airports Commission: Final Report, published in July 2015.

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 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been provided to tackle terrorism in Northern Ireland under the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

The PSNI will receive Additional Security Funding totalling £160m over this parliament. Over the next 5 years £2.5 billion will also be invested in the Security and Intelligence Agencies to create a bigger more capable global security and intelligence network. This is significant funding. It matches the severity of the terrorist threat, it demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the brave men and women in the police and intelligence agencies, and it is helping to keep people safe.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted asylum in the UK on the grounds of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of religion in each year since 2010.

Mr Robert Goodwill

When an individual makes an asylum claim on religious grounds it is recorded in the interview records and any written representations they provide. Data on asylum claims on religious grounds is not systematically recorded on the Casework Information Database (CID) and therefore it is not possible to provide a breakdown of information in this way without individual analysis of thousands of casework files at disproportionate cost.

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