Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on the detainment of Mohammed al-Qeeq in Israel.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are concerned about Mr Muhammed al Qiq’s case. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received written parliamentary questions from the other place about this case. We have also received a number of letters from Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents, as well as letters and e-mails from Non-Governmental Organisations and members of the public.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of China’s record in observing the agreements made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During his meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on 5 January and in London on 4 February, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), stressed the importance of respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all residents of Hong Kong. He also made clear our expectations that the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law for Hong Kong should be respected. During those meetings, China reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.

    During the visit to London by Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung on 15 and 16 October 2015, the Foreign Secretary and I also discussed with him the importance of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the need to preserve the rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Joint Declaration.

    The Foreign Secretary’s most recent six-monthly report to the House, published on 11 February (covering the period 1 July–31 December 2015), urged “the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments to reassure the people of Hong Kong that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents will continue to be fully protected, and respected by all, in accordance with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law.” The report also stated that “while we assess that during the reporting period ‘One Country, Two Systems’ has, in very many areas, continued to function well, there have been some areas which have given grounds for concern. These revolve principally around the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, including academic freedom and the freedom of the press.” We will continue to raise such issues with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.

    We aim to provide consular assistance to all British citizens, and to dual nationals in their country of other nationality in exceptional circumstances, in line with our consular guidance. We acknowledge that some countries do not accept dual nationality.

    In the case of British citizen Mr Lee Po, the Government continues to call at the highest level on the Chinese Government for his
    immediate return to Hong Kong. Despite formal requests which we continue to make, we have not been granted consular access to Mr Lee. We also stand ready to provide consular assistance to Mr Lee’s family.

    The Government will continue to monitor rights and freedoms in Hong Kong through the Foreign Secretary’s six-monthly reports.

    The full report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-july-to-december-2015

    “

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response the Government has made to the recent announcement from the government of Argentina on a UN report on the extent of Argentinian rights over the continental shelf in South Atlantic.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) has no jurisdiction to consider areas subject to competing claims and therefore has no locus to make recommendations in relation to the Falkland Islands. The UN itself has acknowledged that the CLCS could not consider those parts of the original Argentine submission of 2009 that were subject to dispute. This would include the Falkland Islands.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the number of pregnant women who have been detained for immigration purposes since central recording statistics on such cases began and the outcomes of their detention.

    Karen Bradley

    The detention of pregnant women under Immigration Act powers occurs only in very limited situations, either where there is a clear prospect of early removal or in very exceptional circumstances. Very few pregnant women are detained. Central recording of the number of detained women who have disclosed their pregnancy started in August 2015. Options for the collection of wider data on pregnant women is being considered as part of the Immigration Act 2016 implementation.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the removal of nursing bursaries on the living costs of nursing students who live outside their parental home.

    Ben Gummer

    A preliminary Economic Impact Assessment and Equality Analysis was published alongside the public consultation launched on 7 April 2016. These documents address the proportion of repayment expected, the impact on students with different characteristics, including those who live outside the parental home and the benefit that extra support will have for those on low incomes and from disadvantaged backgrounds.

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total value was of all reclaimed equity loans in UK residential property where the holder was a government department in each of the last five years.

    Gavin Barwell

    The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) operates and administers a number of current and past equity loan and equity share schemes for the Department for Communities and Local Government.

    The HCA has received the following funds in redemption of equity loans in each of the last five years:

    2011-12 £4.020 million

    2012-13 £12.141 million

    2013-14 £34.731 million

    2014-15 £70.952 million

    2015-16 £182.916 million

    They include loans from several schemes: Help to Buy: Equity Loan, FirstBuy, HomeBuy Direct and First-Time Buyers’ Initiative.

    The Ministry of Defence operated a scheme: Affordable Homes Ownership scheme (AFHOS) until March 2014. AFHOS receipts to date are:

    Receipts during period 2011-15: £1.457 million

    Receipts during financial year 2015-16: £1.896 million

    The Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive also operate equity loan and equity share schemes for home ownership, on which they can provide information.

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support is being provided to refugees currently on the island of Lesbos.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has so far provided around £4.5 million to partners working in Greece, many of which are active on Lesbos. This includes supporting the Red Cross for assistance and emergency first aid to refugees and migrants arriving on the beaches. We are also providing assistance to the IOM and UNHCR who are delivering essential coordination, reception and registration support, as well as direct physical assistance.

    It is right that the vast majority of our support goes to the region, our support is helping to build long term stability and resilience to help refugees build a life in neighbouring countries and prevent them falling prey to people smugglers and traffickers. For this reason, the UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US and have done more than any other European country.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Ebola medal takes precedence over jubilee medals in the order of wear.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Jubilee Medals come ahead of the Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa in the current Order of Wear.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the (a) Egyptian Ambassador and (b) Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on resuming flights to Sharm El Sheikh.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is working closely with the Egyptian authorities with a view to a resumption of flights as soon as possible. Ministers are keeping the position under close review. There have also been regular contacts between the Government and the Egyptian Ambassador to the UK to discuss the situation.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of public health budgets are allocated to services related to diabetes in 2015-16.

    Jane Ellison

    There is no specific allocation for public health services related to diabetes. Local authorities receive a grant which must be spent on public health, but are best placed to assess local needs, prioritise and deploy available resources accordingly. The NHS Health Check is a national programme that seeks to offer preventative checks for all those in the population aged between 40-74 to assess their risk of vascular disease, including diabetes. NHS England commissions the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme but does not receive a specific allocation for this service.