The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reports he has received on whether a UK-made cluster munition was (a) found and (b) used in Yemen in the last two years.
Mike Penning
Amnesty International wrote to the Prime Minister on 23 May 2016, and to the Ministry of Defence on 3 June 2016, on the alleged use of UK-produced BL-755 cluster munitions by the Saudi-led coallition in Yeman.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will set out the exemptions and compensation for the steel industry, and the dates from which each will apply, announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.
Anna Soubry
On 14 December, the EU Commission approved our first state aid case – to commence relief from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation (RO) and small-scale Feed-in-Tariff (FiT). Eligible companies will be able to apply for compensation in January 2016, once scheme guidance and application forms have been published. The second state aid case – to compensate competitors of eligible Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) – is currently being considered by the Commission.
The Government is expected to pay compensation for RO/FiT costs until the exemption is implemented – the aim is to achieve that from 2017-18.
This is in addition to the £50 million of support the Government has already given to the steel industry to mitigate the impact of climate change policies.
This relief from energy costs will save industry hundreds of millions of pounds and will give the UK Steel Industry greater certainty around energy costs for the life of the Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support UK military personnel are providing to the (a) security services and (b) armed forces of Burkina Faso.
Penny Mordaunt
The UK strongly condemns the recent atrocity that took place in Ouagadougou on 15-16 January and is deeply concerned by the spread of violent extremism both into Burkina Faso and across the wider region. We offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families affected by this terrible act of terrorism. The UK is working hard with regional countries; close international partners; and multilateral organisations to increase their capacity to address the security threats they face. Our major regional contributions are in Nigeria; at the HQ of the Multi-National Joint Task Force; and in support of the EU Training Mission in Mali. We are, though, supporting the Burkina Faso armed forces, together with a number of other African militaries, through our participation in regional training exercises.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) Clearsprings (Management) Ltd and (b) Clearsprings (Ready Homes) Ltd are under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is legally prohibited from discussing the tax affairs of identifiable businesses.
Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005 imposes a duty of confidentiality upon officers of HMRC which means they are unable to disclose information which relates to functions of HMRC. This includes any specific action taken in response to information provided.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has made to reallocate UK aid funding from cross-EU funds and programmes in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU.
Mr Nick Hurd
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 view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. The civil service works to support the government’s position.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of new recruits to the reserve forces in each of the last 24 months were from BME communities.
Mr Julian Brazier
Information on the intake of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits to the Volunteer Reserves in the 24 months to 31 September 2015 is provided in the attached table.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value was of Official Development Assistance provided by her Department in each of the last six years; and what proportion of that assistance was subject to the International Development Act 2002.
Karen Bradley
This information has been published by the Department for International Development (DfID), as part of their Statistics on International Development.
The published Official Development Assistance (ODA) figures for the Home Office are as follows:
2014 £136m
2013 £33m
2012 £29m
2011 £0m
2010 £0m
2009 £0m
In accordance with the International Development Act 2002, ODA eligibility of Home Office published spend was determined by DfID.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value was of payments made under the Financial Assistance Scheme to former members of Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme in each of the last six years.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to amend the definition of overseas development assistance used by her Department.
Rory Stewart
The Government adheres to the definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA) set by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). After several years of complex negotiations, the DAC updated the ODA rules in February 2016 so that they better recognise the challenges to development posed by conflict, insecurity and terrorism, as well as the growing importance of private sector investment. The Government’s priority is to ensure these reforms are implemented effectively.
As a donor that pursues its national interests by contributing 0.7% of its Gross National Income to ODA, the UK welcomes the DAC’s commitment to keeping ODA relevant and credible.
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.