Tag: Parliamentary Question

Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of human rights workers being (a) summoned for questioning, (b) banned from travelling and (c) subject to attempts to freeze their personal funds and family assets by the Egyptian authorities.

Mr Philip Hammond

We are concerned about the decreasing space for civil society to operate in Egypt, including for Non Government Organisations (NGOs). Human rights defenders have been subject to measures including questioning, travel bans and judicial applications for asset freezing against individuals and their families. I refer you to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Sate for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) on 22 March. UK officials have raised our concerns with representatives from the Egyptian Government in both Cairo and London.

January 1, 2023
Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 6.7 of the UK national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing, published in October 2015, how many money laundering cases investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had funds initially moved through (a) banks, (b) money service businesses and (c) each other item on HMRC’s database in each year since 2009-10.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs does not record data on its money laundering investigations in this way.

January 1, 2023
Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England’s consultation on a proposed method to support investment decisions in specialised commissioning, launched on 12 April 2016, if NHS England will issue a consultation on arrangements for commissioning treatments recommended through NICE’s highly specialised technology programme.

George Freeman

As part of the work to develop NHS England’s strategic framework for specialised services, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will be working together closely to improve the adoption of highly specialised technologies. Further detail will be set out in the coming months in light of the conclusions of the Accelerated Access Review.

January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of direct long-haul air links with a hub airport when opening trade discussions around the world.

Mr John Hayes

Evidence on the links between long-haul air connections and international trade was presented by the Airports Commission in its Final Report and supporting documents. The Government is considering all of this evidence very carefully.

January 1, 2023

Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) missions flown and (b) air strikes the armed forces have conducted within Iraqi territory in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning

From 1 October 2015 to 25 October 2016 the UK conducted 1,991 combat missions over Iraq. Broken down by month these are:

	Typhoon FGR4	Tornado GR4	Reaper MQ9
2015
October	0	45	61
November	0	52	62
December	47	72	56
2016
January	48	72	74
February	49	73	54
March	55	53	55
April	48	46	56
May	51	52	66
June	50	46	71
July	51	44	66
August	39	46	61
September	33	44	63
October	41	38	51
Total	512	683	796

During 1 October 2015 – 25 October 2016 the UK has conducted a total of 784 airstrikes within Iraqi territory. These are detailed as follows:

2015
October	18
November	57
December	86
2016
January	97
February	60
March	67
April	70
May	69
June	77
July	44
August	42
September	51
October	46
Total	784

These strike numbers are constantly reviewed and updated by the Coalition to ensure records are as complete and as accurate as possible. As such, past and future statements regarding statistics may differ to those given here.

January 1, 2023

Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Bermuda’s progress in introducing a public register of beneficial ownership since June 2013.

James Duddridge

We have asked the Bermudian authorities to meet the following criteria: a) UK law enforcement and tax authorities must be able to access company beneficial ownership information without restriction, subject to relevant safeguards; b) These competent authorities should be able to quickly identify all companies that a particular beneficial owner has a stake in without needing to submit multiple and repeated requests; and c) Companies or their beneficial owners must not be alerted to the fact that an investigation is underway. We are continuing our dialogue with the Bermudan authorities on this and have offered any technical support that might be required as they develop their proposals My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP), Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, met with Premier Dunkley on 26 August in London.

January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has recently commissioned on the effects of pesticides on UK ecosystems.

George Eustice

Defra has funded a number of projects over recent years to develop its understanding of the effects of pesticides. This includes work to examine the fate and behaviour of pesticides in the environment, their effects on non-target organisms and measures to reduce adverse effects. A list of all Defra-commissioned Research and Development (R&D) projects is available from the Defra R&D website.

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January 1, 2023
Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates since the Belfast Agreement in 1998 they have discussed with the government of the Republic of Ireland (1) human rights in the UK, and (2) human rights in the Republic of Ireland; who took part in those discussions; what were the issues discussed; and what were the various outcomes.

Lord Dunlop

The UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. These include matters relating to human rights in Northern Ireland and Ireland as contained in the Belfast Agreement of 1998.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that decisions on planning applications for fracking are taken within the local government planning process.

James Wharton

The Government has in place a local government led process for the consideration of planning applications for shale gas exploration. As part of this, mineral planning authorities have a responsibility to consider such applicationsunder the Town and Country Planning regime. The Government has taken steps to ensure this locally led regime is effective, as set out in Written Ministerial Statements made on 16 September, HCWS201 and HCWS202. This includes making available £1.2 million to ensure mineral planning authorities have adequate resource to reach timely decisions.

Community involvement in planning applications and people’s safety and the environment will remain paramount. No decision has been made to take shale gas exploration out of this local government led process and there are no plans currently to consult on such a change.

January 1, 2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to encourage academies to join high-performing rather than under-performing multi-academy trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson

Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) are supporting the development of high-performing multi-academy trusts (MAT). MATs enable academies to realise a wide range of benefits and provide the formal structure in which high-performing schools can support under-performing schools to improve.

Where there are concerns about the performance of an academy, the RSC may decide that the support of a new academy trust is needed to bring about the necessary improvements. In selecting a new trust, the RSC will evaluate its capacity, including the performance of the trust’s existing academies and its ability to provide the support required.

In order to move an underperforming academy to a new trust, the RSC may be able to use the termination powers set out in the academy’s funding agreement to require the academy to move without the agreement of the academy or the existing trust. The Education and Adoption Bill will give RSCs stronger, more consistent powers to do this with all failing and coasting academies.

January 1, 2023