Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to achieve a local ceasefire around the Yarmouk Camp in south Damascus so that UNWRA can deliver food to the population in the Camp.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yarmouk camp in Syria, where intensified fighting between Daesh and Al- Nusra Front in recent weeks has exacerbated the suffering of approximately 6,000 civilians there, who are besieged by Syrian regime forces.

    The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Yarmouk camp, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, through the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) the UK will continue to support the resumption of a nationwide Cessation of Hostilities as a step towards an inclusive, Syrian-owned political transition.

    The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in need inside Syria wherever they are. As part of the ISSG we agreed with other members on 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas, including Yarmouk, as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered 21 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to 19,000 people in Yalda, Babella, Beit-Sahm, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk. We welcome UNRWA’s efforts in protecting and assisting vulnerable Palestinian refugees. To date, the UK has allocated over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region.

  • Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the liability is under the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order for the size and deployability requirements of the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army’s war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK’s capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

    The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King’s Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

    As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many financial penalties have been imposed to date on respondent employers for aggravated breach of employment law under section 16 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013; and how many such penalties (a) have been paid and (b) remain unpaid.

    Margot James

    Between 6 April 2014 and the end of August 2016, Employment Tribunals have imposed 16 financial penalties on respondent employers for aggravated breaches under section 16 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. Ten have been paid so far and five remain outstanding. One company has been dissolved.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) training and (b) specific operational advice has been provided to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on (i) political authorisation of military operations, (ii) targeting of aerial operations and (iii) after-action reviews on operations in Yemen in the last 12 months.

    Sir Michael Fallon

    As part of our ongoing Defence engagement with Saudi Arabia the UK has provided training to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) both in the UK and in Saudi Arabia, including International Targeting courses for RSAF personnel, to improve their targeting processes and to support International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance.

    The UK has supported the development of the coalition Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) and delivered two training sessions in Saudi Arabia on the process for investigating alleged IHL violations. The UK has not been directly involved in investigations undertaken by the JIAT, has not provided any specific operational advice to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for operations in Yemen and has not provided training on political authorisation of military operations.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support the sustainable management of forests outside the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Protecting forests delivers substantial climate, development, biodiversity and ecosystem outcomes. Stopping deforestation offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a globally significant scale, while protecting the vital services, such as regulating rainfall patterns, on which the world economy depends for agricultural productivity and sustainable economic growth.

    Addressing deforestation and supporting the sustainable management of forests is a priority for the UK’s £3.87 billion International Climate Fund (ICF), and the Prime Minister announced in September that this will rise to £5.8bn over the next Spending review period. To date, over £700m has been programmed, including initiatives that: incentivise action to reduce deforestation and forest degradation; support forest management, governance and market reforms; curb illegal and unsustainable use of forest resources; and promote investments in sustainable forestry, agriculture and land management.

    The UK also plays an active leadership role in international fora, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biodiversity, and the United Nations Forum on Forests. Last year, we played a key role in the negotiation of the New York Declaration on Forests, which set ambitious targets for halving (by 2020) and halting (by 2030) the loss of natural forests, eliminating deforestation from the production of key agricultural commodities by 2020, and accelerating restoration efforts.

  • Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to limit spending in particular constituencies during a general election campaign to prevent any imbalance in the funding available to candidates unduly affecting election outcomes.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Existing electoral law limits spending.The Representation of the People Act 1983 sets limits for spending by candidates, and for those campaigning for or against a candidate, at a General Election. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 sets constituency limits for spending by third party campaigners at General Elections.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the relative economic case for expansion of Gatwick and Heathrow Airports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

    The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including the economic cases, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to reduce the administrative burden placed on fishing boats under 10 metres.

    George Eustice

    I am keen to ensure that administrative burdens on the small-scale fleet are kept to the minimum possible, while still allowing for effective management of the fishery. Improvements to the services offered to fishermen by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) include:

    • Simplification of the application process under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund scheme;
    • The introduction of exemptions under the Landings Obligation so that industry does not have to bear a disproportionate cost of disposing of unwanted fish;
    • Streamlining application forms to reduce size and make them easier to understand; and,
    • Moving to permanent vessel licences, eliminating the need to replace them every five years.

    Defra and the MMO will continue to engage with individuals within the ten metres and under fishing community in order to identify additional areas where administrative burdens might be reduced, or where other improvements could be made.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130, how many and which organisations applied for funding for community projects to tackle female genital mutilation through schemes operated by (a) her Department and (b) the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2014-15; and which such applications were (i) accepted and (ii) rejected.

    Karen Bradley

    In 2014-15, the Government provided over £380,000 to community organisations through the Home Office’s female genital mutilation (FGM) Community Engagement Initiative and the Department for Communities and Local Government’s FGM and forced marriage prevention projects.

    A total of 179 applications were received, and 29 of these applications were funded. The Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130 provides a list of the organisations whose applications were successful. The Government did not provide specific funding for FGM community engagement projects in 2013-14 or 2015-16.

    We know that changing attitudes within communities is key to ending FGM and we will continue to work with community organisations and survivors through the FGM Unit’s stakeholder group and ongoing outreach programme to drive this work forward.

  • Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hain on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 19 April (HL Deb, col 614), whether they will write to the Welsh Government Minister for Public Services setting out in full their argument that those sections of the Trade Union Bill applying only to devolved public services in Wales are nevertheless reserved matters, and if so, whether they will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the noble Lord.