Tag: Paul Flynn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will raise the issue of transport of assault rifles and semi-automatic machine guns into and across the EU at the next Home Affairs European Council; and whether she has raised the issue with Europol.

Mike Penning

It is vital that we tackle the threat from automatic and high powered semi-automatic firearms, including their movement across Europe. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, attended an extraordinary meeting of the European Justice and Home Affairs Council on Friday, where she pressed for greater action on this issue. Since the terrorist attacks in Paris in January, the Home Secretary has consistently intervened at meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Council urging EU partners to take prompt and effective action to reduce the threat from illegal firearms. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Immigration Minister (James Brokenshire), has also highlighted the importance of action on firearms to Europol.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 3.3 of National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, published by the Government in November 2015, which challenges set out in that paragraph he plans to tackle by the maintenance and replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Michael Fallon

The UK nuclear deterrent has a vital role to play in the security challenges for the coming decade and beyond. It safeguards against state-sponsored nuclear terrorism; provides the ultimate insurance policy against potential Weapons of Mass Destruction threats from states to the UK and its vital interests including our NATO Allies, and helps to maintain the rules based international order.

As stated in paragraph 4.64 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, other states continue to have nuclear arsenals and there is a continuing risk of further proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is a risk that states might use their nuclear capability to threaten us, try to constrain our decision making in a crisis or sponsor nuclear terrorism. Recent changes in the international security context remind us that we cannot relax our guard. We cannot rule out further shifts, which would put us, or our NATO Allies, under grave threat.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Prime Minister, which (a) business organisations and (b) non-governmental organisations he met during his visit to the COP 21 climate change conference in Paris on 30 November 2015.

Mr David Cameron

Details of my meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available via the gov.uk website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff worked for the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation on 1 April 2015; and what the budget of that organisation is for 2015-16.

Anna Soubry

At 1 April 2015 the UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation had 140 staff-in-post. As at 1 April the 2015-16 budget for UKTI DSO was £9.75M NET.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions her Department has had with the Arctic Methane Emergency Group on ways to mitigate methane emissions from disruption of methane hydrates caused by climate change in the Arctic.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department has had no such direct discussions with the Arctic Methane Emergency Group. The best practical way to limit methane emissions due to the destabilisation of methane hydrates is to keep the rise in global temperatures as low as possible. The UK government’s recent push to secure an ambitious global climate deal was rewarded on 12 December in Paris, where the world witnessed a historic step forward to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. A global agreement of 195 countries, including the world’s largest emitters, have now committed to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive was notified of any cases of non-compliance with explosives labelling regulations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment during 2015 on which action was subsequently taken to address this situation.

Justin Tomlinson

No notifications of non-compliance with explosives labelling regulations were received from AWE during 2015, and therefore no regulatory action was required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he visited the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2016, in his official capacity.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) did not attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse of the Defence Assistance Fund was in 2014-15.

Michael Fallon

The cost of the Defence Assistance Fund in financial year 2014-15 was £15.529 million.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Attorney General, what criteria he uses when deciding whether to make public legal advice made available to Government; and on what occasions such legal advice has been made public since May 2015.

Jeremy Wright

It is a longstanding constitutional convention, set out in the Cabinet Manual and the Ministerial Code, that the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed without their authority. The convention exists for fundamental constitutional reasons and to promote the public interest in the Rule of Law. Whether the Law Officers have advised and the content of that advice is part of the collective Cabinet decision-making process. The convention reflects the public interest in collective Cabinet responsibility. It also reflects the fact that Law Officers’ advice is confidential legal advice and, as with all professional legal advice, it is subject to legal professional privilege. In addition, it acknowledges the feature of Law Officers’ advice which sets it apart from other legal advice, namely that it is sought in relation to issues of particular complexity, sensitivity and constitutional importance. It is a matter of constitutional importance that the provision of advice in these circumstances should be protected in the public interest.

A decision to disclose would require an exceptional countervailing public interest. No such case has arisen since May 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.123 of the Budget 2016, whether the (a) proposed legislation to make it easier for local authorities to work together to create new garden towns and (b) consultation on a second wave of Compulsory Purchase Order reforms will apply to Wales.

Greg Hands

Housing and planning in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Government.