The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent representations he has received from music and sport event organisers on security at large events; and if he will make a statement.
Tracey Crouch
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to PQ 42478.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the ad hoc Ministerial committee established after the terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015 plans to publish its conclusions and recommendations on (a) the support provided by the Government to British nationals or residents affected by those attacks and (b) its recommended support for victims or witnesses of future incidents.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As Chair of the Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee to Coordinate Support for People Affected by the Terrorist Attacks in Tunisia, I have updated the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), MPs and victims regularly about the Committee’s work. There was no commitment to report publicly. The Committee recommended that the lessons it had learned from supporting those affected by the Tunisia attacks benefitted any future victims of terrorism. HMG will ensure that it builds on the work of the Committee in future arrangements.
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 following reports that Palestinian families living in the Humsa al Buqai’a herding community have been displaced to allow Israeli military training to be conducted.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not made any representations on this issue to the Israeli authorities.
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 police officers have successfully completed training courses on cyber-crime in the last (a) six and (b) 12 months.
Mike Penning
There are a number of training courses dealing with cyber crime available to police officers, for example, through the College of Policing and other external providers. The Home Office does not hold a central record of the number of such training courses. Furthermore, the Home Office does not hold a central record of how many police officers have completed training courses on cyber crime in the last six months or in the last year. However, the Government recognises that driving up cyber knowledge and capabilities at the local policing level is very important, that is why we are delivering training in cyber crime to officers in local police forces funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. The second phase of the Mainstream Cyber Crime Training course was launched on 30 September 2015 by College of Policing. This is a modular course consisting of a series of self-teach and interactive modules accessible to all police officers and staff, and which gives an introduction to how to recognise and investigate cyber crimes.
Cyber Security, including combating cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. That is why we have invested over £90 million over the last five years to bolster the law enforcement response, and we will continue to invest. As the Chancellor announced on 17 November, we plan to almost double investment in cyber security, including cyber crime, to £1.9 billion over the next five years. This will enable us to continue to invest in training for police officers at the national, regional and local levels.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to lift the ban on aid entering the Grande-Synthe refugee camps.
Lord Bates
The management of the camp – both in terms of humanitarian aspects and maintaining law and order – is the responsibility of the French Government and operational needs may require for them to restrict access under certain circumstances. Aid is not restricted as a matter of course, and we work with the French to ensure those who need help are able to receive it.
To help protect vulnerable people (including children and other potential victims of trafficking) the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister agreed in the UK-France Joint Declaration in August 2015 to set up a project to identify and direct vulnerable individuals to existing protection, support and advice within France. The UK has contributed €750,000 (£530,000) to fund the project which formally launched in December 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost to the NHS of opening hospitals seven days a week.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Spending Review provided the National Health Service in England with £10 billion in real terms additional funding by 2020-21. This fully funds the NHS’s Five Year Forward View, including delivering urgent and emergency hospital services which are of the same high quality at the weekend as during the week.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of civilians who have died in South East Turkey during the current conflict in that region.
Mr David Lidington
We are aware of reports of civilian casualties in south east Turkey. The Turkish Government have said that 120 civilians and more than twice that number of Turkish police and military personnel have lost their lives in clashes between 20 July 2015 and 17 February 2016. We continue to believe Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whose attacks we condemn as we condemn all terrorism. Our thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, and the civilians who have been caught up in the violence. As in any conflict, civilian casualties should be avoided and human rights need to be fully protected.
The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador in Turkey have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We have been clear, in public and private, that PKK violence must end and we support a return to the peace process, in the interests of Turkey and the region. We stand ready to help in any way we can. I raised these issues when I met Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March and with my Turkish counterpart the last time we met in August 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations into crimes categorised as violent crimes and sexual offences were assigned an outcome of investigation complete – no suspect identified in (a) each year since 2010 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.
Mike Penning
In April 2014, the Government reformed crime outcome data to give greater transparency to the public about the investigation and prosecution of crime.
The requested outcomes data have been provided for the first available year (12 months to March 2015) and the most recent rolling year (12 months to September 2015) in the accompanying table. These have been given as proportions of recorded crimes recorded during the period rather than numbers as some forces were unable to supply data based on the new outcomes framework at the start of the period. The table also includes the proportion of crimes under active investigation awaiting an outcome from each period for further context.
More recent figures for the year to December 2015 will be published on Thursday April 21, 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of torture in Ethiopia.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We continue to be concerned about allegations of torture in Ethiopia made by organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in relation to people detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. Those include members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protestors, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. We continually monitor and assess a range of human rights issues in Ethiopia, including allegations of torture. We continue to make representations to the Government of Ethiopia on individual cases as well as more broadly through our Human Rights Dialogue. We also support the continued human rights discussions between international partners and the Government of Ethiopia.
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 diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure that people recently displaced by violence in South Sudan receive humanitarian protection.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are working with humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (who both receive Department for International Development funding) to assess the situation and mobilise responses where possible, including the provision of water, food and health services for internally displaced persons. However, at present, continued insecurity is a significant barrier to humanitarian operations in some areas. We are pressing for action at the UN Security Council to ensure that United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan has the equipment and unrestricted access it needs to fulfil its mandated task of providing a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.