Tag: Stephen Doughty

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports of alleged breaches of international humanitarian law he has received from (a) UN agencies, (b) non-governmental organisations, (c) other governments, (d) UK armed forces personnel and (e) Saudi Arabia in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict and take these very seriously. The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged IHL violations using available information. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been violated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with (a) the Burundi Ambassador, (b) the Burundi government, (c) the UN and (d) the African Union.

James Duddridge

I spoke with the Burundian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Deo Sindayihebura, about violence and insecurity in Burundi on Thursday, 10th December. In the week commencing 14 December, I was in the region. On 17 December I discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with the Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe, and Major General Prime Niyongabo, Army Chief Of Staff.

My visit to the region was focused on Burundi throughout. I had separate meetings with the Ugandan President Museveni and the Ugandan Foreign Minister Kutesa. Additionally, I spoke by phone with Defence Minister Kiyonga, the Ugandan nominated mediator, on 15 December. I met the Rwandan Foreign Minister Mushikiwabo on 16 December. These meetings were with key members of the African Union, who are looking to help find solutions to the situation. On 7 November, I spoke with Ibrahima Fall, AU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, and Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security.

I met with UN Humanitarian agencies including UNHCR, IOM, WFP, UNICEF whilst in Burundi. I also recently wrote to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Conflict Prevention, Jamal Benomar, to make clear our concerns about Burundi and offer the UK Government’s support to him.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in Burkina Faso since the recent terrorist attacks in that country.

James Duddridge

The Government is concerned about the security situation in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. We condemn the shocking attack that took place in Ouagadougou on 15-16 January, and offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families affected by this terrible act of terrorism. This is the first ever terrorist incident in Ouagadougou, though there have been incidents near the Malian border over the past year. We will continue working with our international partners to support stability and development in the Sahel region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the country of manufacture was of the non-British steel used in the construction of (a) HMS Queen Elizabeth and (b) HMS Prince of Wales.

Mr Philip Dunne

Of the 82,000 tonnes of steel procured for the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers, 77,000 tonnes was sourced from Tata Steel using their UK steel mills and processed in the UK by Dent Steel. The remaining 5,000 tonnes of specialised steel, not available from UK steel plants, was procured from Turkey (4,500 tonnes) and Spain (500 tonnes).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional capacity for extra stations is planned for East Cardiff as a result of the electrification of the Great Western main line.

Claire Perry

There is currently no additional capacity for extra stations planned for East Cardiff within Network Rail’s current capital spending period (2014-2019).

However, I can confirm that the second round for the New Station Fund will begin in Spring 2016. The New Stations Fund is to provide funding for the construction of brand new or reopened stations that are promoted by third parties. £20 million will be available and local authorities who are interested are encouraged to submit bids for the funds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22740, what steps his Department is taking to encourage and facilitate the supply of steel from UK sources for the (a) Type 26 and (b) Type 31 frigate programmes.

Mr Philip Dunne

In the main, Ministry of Defence (MOD) requirements for steel are sourced by our prime contractors taking into account cost, time and quality. The MOD has issued new policy guidance to ensure, as far as we are able to within EU procurement legislation and the Government’s overarching priority of value for money, that we are addressing the barriers that prevent UK steel suppliers from competing on a level playing field with international suppliers. This emphasises the importance of increased pre-market engagement, including industry days and the signalling of future requirements for steel, bringing prime contractors and steel producers together to facilitate supply chain opportunities. I have also written to our main defence contractors to highlight the new policy guidelines and seek their assistance and support in implementing them.

No steel suppliers have yet been selected or orders placed for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships or Light General Purpose Frigates. The sourcing of steel for these programmes will take account of the new policy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the (a) effect of lower-than predicted growth rates on the Overseas Development Assistance budget and (b) implications of such rates on the budget for her Department.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Budget document set out reductions to the Official Development Assistance budget of £650m in 2019/20 to reflect revised economic forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility. As in the last Parliament, the government has and will continue to adapt spending plans to ensure the 0.7% target is met.

The allocation of ODA will be decided by HMG in due course, in line with the UK Aid Strategy, and taking into account the relative value for money of ODA programmes and strategic fit with HMG objectives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Financial Assistance Scheme paid out in each of the last six years.

Justin Tomlinson

The information is in the table below.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the security of British Embassy employees returning to Juba, South Sudan after the attacks on civilians at the Terrain hotel in July 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are appalled by reports of aid workers coming under attack at the Terrain hotel. It is completely unacceptable to target people who have themselves gone to help those in greatest need. The UN Security Council emphasised concerns about this incident during the visit to Juba in early September 2016. We take very seriously the security of all our staff overseas – both UK and locally engaged – in line with our duty of care obligations, and regularly review security at our missions. Our Embassy was reduced to only essential staff during the crisis and careful consideration is being given on numbers returning.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings she has had with those non-governmental organisations which receive funding from her Department since she took up office.

Rory Stewart

The Secretary of State has met a range of non-governmental organisations, including during her overseas visits. Information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations is published as part of DFID’s quarterly Transparency return.