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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which African countries her Department regards as unsafe to return political opposition supporters to.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In accordance with our international obligations, the UK is required to consider asylum and human rights applications carefully on their individual merits. The Government takes its international responsibilities seriously and will grant protection to those in genuine need.

    Each individual assessment of an asylum claim is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw. The country of origin information is based on evidence taken from a range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

    The Home Office’s country of origin information, used in the asylum decision making process, is published on the gov.uk website. It is kept under constant review and updated periodically.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the construction of solar farms in the West Bank on settlement land, and the protection for Palestinians’ solar installations.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not made any representations on this issue to the Israeli authorities, the UK’s position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and all construction within, is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution.

    On the issue of Palestinian solar installations, we continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

  • Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many operational frontline staff are employed at the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau; and how many of those employees were employed on (a) 1 May 2015 and (b) 1 November 2014.

    Mike Penning

    With regards to the number of call-handling staff employed by the Action Fraud helpline:

    • As of December 2015 there were69.78 FTEs

    • As of May 2015 there were 81.92 FTEs

    • As of November 2014 there were 84.67 FTEs

    With regards to the number of frontline staff employed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB): The NFIB is overseen by the City of London Police, it is not a public facing part of the Force, so does not employ any frontline staff.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the measures that are in place to ensure that asylum seekers in refugee camps in Calais have access to the Family Reunification system.

    Lord Bates

    All migrants, including families and children, in Calais who wish to seek asylum should do so in France and provide information to the French asylum authorities about any family members in other Member States, including the UK. We will consider any request made to us by the French asylum authorities to take responsibility for an asylum applicant in France because they have close family who are legally in the UK in accordance with the terms of the Dublin Regulation concerning the principle of family unity and the best interests of the child.

    If not claiming asylum, individual migrants in France, as in any other country, are entitled to apply under the Family Reunion provisions to join relatives in the UK by making the appropriate visa application.

    Under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK has increased the frequency of communications campaigns involving British officials, French authorities and NGOs speaking to migrants in Calais to inform migrants of the reality of life in the UK, and their rights to claim asylum in France. The UK is also helping to fund dedicated facilities away from Calais to allow migrants to reflect on next steps and to consider an asylum claim.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of agency doctors and nurses on duty in hospitals (1) during the week, and (2) at the weekend.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    This information is not collected centrally.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Sudan on behalf of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour, arrested on 13 and 21 December 2015 respectively; and what information his Department holds on their (a) location and (b) physical and mental condition.

    James Duddridge

    Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum are in close contact with their legal team. The legal team have informed us that both men are currently being held at a National Intelligence and Security Service’s facility in Khartoum. Mr Talahon’s family has been able to meet him once while Rev. Hassan has not been granted visitors. Rev. Hassan’s family is particularly concerned about his physical health given his history of stomach ulcers. We will continue to scrutinise these cases closely.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will put safeguards in place to ensure that (a) out of country entry clearance applications are rigorously checked, (b) all supporting documents for such applications are fairly considered and (c) applicants’ details are not confused with other cases.

    James Brokenshire

    All out of country entry clearance applications are subject to an extensive range of mandatory and discretionary checks. These include, but are not limited to, biographic and biometric identity checks against national and international police records and against previous immigration history, as well as document verification.

    Applications are submitted at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) and are individually bundled. The bundles are sent to Decision Making Centres to be assessed by an Entry Clearance Officer, before being returned to the VAC. The application remains in individual bundles throughout the process to prevent applicants’ details being confused with other cases.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to move more UK officials to Calais and Northern France to work full-time on identifying, screening and processing potential transfers under the Dublin III regulations, and to make special provision for cases where further evidence of family links is needed.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively. To assist the handling of such cases the two governments have established a permanent official contact group, agreed single points of contact within respective Dublin Units and the UK seconded an asylum expert to the French administration to facilitate the improvement of all stages of the process of identifying, protecting and transferring relevant cases to the UK. The Home Office will review the existing arrangements as part of the work to implement the relevant provisions of the Immigration Act 2016.

    To assist with the identification of potential victims of trafficking and exploitation (including unaccompanied children) in Calais the UK has funded a project run by a French non-governmental organisation which aims to identify and direct these vulnerable people to the appropriate support services in France.

    The UK and France are running regular joint communication campaigns in northern France which informs individuals (including unaccompanied children) of their rights to claim asylum in France and gives them information on family reunification. The frequency of these campaigns has been increased in line with the Joint Declaration signed in August 2015.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to First Vice-President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan to encourage their political dialogue.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Whilst we have not been able to be in direct contact with President Salva Kiir or First Vice President Riek Machar since the escalation in fighting on 10 July, we have in the past made repeated representations to both, urging them to abide by the terms of the peace agreement they signed up to in August 2015. The further fighting that has broken out is therefore deeply disappointing and we are working with regional and international partners to ensure a clear message on the necessity for a lasting ceasefire and condemnation of violence from all sides.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to address the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Her Majesty’s Government is committed to addressing humanitarian crises in Africa through a number of means, including working bilaterally with African countries and through supporting multilateral bodies such as the European Union, United Nations, the International Financial Institutions and the African Union. The UK is also a leading donor in responding to crisis in the region; last year the Department for International Development spent £522m on humanitarian assistance across Africa, including South Sudan, Nigeria and in response to El Nino effects in Ethiopia and Southern Africa.

    We also remain an active partner of the African Union, supporting the organisation to deliver its responsibility for peace and security on the continent, and in its role as the first responder to crisis. In addition,

    Ministerial colleagues and I undertake regular visits to the region where prevention and responses to humanitarian crises are frequently discussed.