The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are currently deployed to NATO force integration units in (a) Bulgaria, (b) Estonia, (c) Latvia, (d) Lithuania, (e) Poland and (f) Romania.
Penny Mordaunt
The UK has one officer in each of the six NATO Force Integration Units.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received on the potential merits of establishing a materials catapult for manufacturing.
Joseph Johnson
The Department refers proposals for new Catapults to Innovate UK, who have an established process for considering the case for new Catapult Centres. This includes proposals for Materials Centres. Innovate UK currently consider the broad materials needs of the manufacturing sector are well served by existing Catapults and Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding has been provided to the (a) Kurdistan Regional Government Peshmerga, (b) Kurdish government in Northern Syria and (c) Yazidi community to (i) gather evidence of alleged acts of genocide and (ii) support displaced persons in refugee camps.
James Wharton
Since June 2014, DFID has committed £129.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable internally displaced people in Iraq, including Yezidis and those living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. To date, the UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Our support is reaching vulnerable and displaced Syrians, including those living in areas controlled by Kurdish groups.
On 21 July the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will lead a global campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes. In Iraq, the Foreign Office has funded projects to support the documentation of Daesh crimes and preservation of evidence. In Syria, UK funding supports a range of NGO partners to compile case files of evidence of atrocities approximating to International Criminal Court (ICC) standards.
DFID has not provided funding to the Peshmerga, or to the governing authorities in Kurdish-dominated parts of Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they made to the government of Israel concerning the right of Palestinian Christians from the West Bank to visit Jerusalem for Christmas worship.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not specifically raised the issue of access for Palestinian Christians with the Israeli authorities. However the Government remains deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement between the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It remains difficult for Palestinians, of all religions, to enter East Jerusalem for work, education, medical treatment or religious worship. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv, we regularly lobby the Israeli authorities on this matter and encourage them to lift access restrictions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) funding of horseracing and (b) effect of Race Fields legislation in Australia.
Tracey Crouch
To inform work to replace the current levy system, we have commissioned an independent economic analysis of the costs and funding of horseracing. This economic analysis work will also examine relevant comparable models, including the Australian system, however any reform of the Levy will need to comply with EU law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the conclusions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s assessment of the neoniocotinoid imidacloprid, published on 6 January 2016.
George Eustice
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has published a “Preliminary Pollinator Assessment to Support the Registration Review of Imidacloprid”. The Agency aims to produce the final assessment at the end of 2016. The preliminary assessment indicates a risk to honey bees from uses of imidacloprid on cotton and some uses on citrus. Risks from use on a number of other crops were low and a shortage of data meant that the risks from use on other crops were uncertain.
The US assessment cannot be read across to the UK situation as there are many differences in the crops, methods of applying the pesticide and environmental conditions.
The European Food Safety Authority has begun a scientific evaluation of the risk to bees from imidacloprid, as well as two other neonicotinoids (clothianidin and thiamethoxam). The UK will participate fully in that review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress he has made in reducing the rate of unemployment.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the completion of projects funded in England by EU structural funds in the event of the UK leaving the EU.
Anna Soubry
At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent young people obtaining knives online.
Karen Bradley
Reducing violence including knife crime is a priority for this Government. In addition to our work with the police and other partners we are working closely with retailers to encourage the responsible sale of knives both in-store and online.
There are already strict laws on the sale of knives and on how knives can be marketed. It is illegal to sell knives to anyone under 18 (except for folding knives with a blade that does not exceed 7.62cm). The Home Secretary chaired a roundtable with major retailers and the British Retail Consortium on 14 March to encourage them to sell knives more responsibly and discuss what steps they can take to ensure that they have strong age verification processes in place.
On 23 March the Home Secretary announced agreement of a new set of principles with major retailers to prevent the underage sales of knives both in-store and online, together with commitments on staff training, safe displays, and sales in online marketplaces.
The agreement is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sale-of-knives-voluntary-agreement-by-retailers
We will be working with the British Retail Consortium to promote and extend the principles to other retailers.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the original projected in-service date was for the first Type 26 Global Combat Ship; and what the current projected in-service date is for first such ship.
Mr Philip Dunne
For equipment procurement programmes, the cost and schedule is set at the main investment decision, however, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) programme has not yet reached that stage.
As is normal practice for equipment procurement programmes, we have developed a planning assumption that the first Type 26 GCS would come into service in 2022.
We are working with industry to develop an optimised schedule for the Type 26 GCS programme to implement the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015. This work is ongoing and will inform the main investment decision.