Tag: Stephen Doughty

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) security and (b) political situation in the Central Africa Republic.

James Duddridge

The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is grave. Outside the capital Bangui, violence, looting, hostage-taking and human rights abuses continue to occur with relative impunity. The security situation in Bangui is more stable than the rest of the country, having improved following the surge in violence in late September, but tensions still run high and we continue to advise against all travel to CAR. The political situation is precarious. The transitional government, led by President Catherine Samba-Panza, is being undermined by actors from armed groups and dates for elections have been moved a number of times in the last months. The first round is currently planned for late December 2015, with additional rounds planned for January 2016. Great efforts have been made to register all CAR citizens both in CAR and in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. We expect a deterioration in the political situation, in parallel with the security situation, in the lead up to these elections.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether invitations to the event at which he spoke on 7 January 2016 at St David’s Hotel were issued by his Department.

Harriett Baldwin

Consistent with all official events, the Chancellor was supported by a small number of officials from his private office and the Treasury press office when speaking at the St David’s hotel and at the two associated visits.

Costs associated with the major economy speech at the St David’s hotel in Cardiff were met within the existing events budget at HM Treasury. Invitations were not issued by the department.

The event at the Salt Bar was not a Government event and so no costs were met by the Treasury and no civil servants attended.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last discussed funding for armed police response with each of the four Welsh police commissioners.

Mike Penning

Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals such as Police and Crime Commissioners, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website: http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total value of tax relief has been granted under the Business Premises Renovation Allowance scheme in each of the last six years.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collate information at the aggregate level requested.

The Business Premises Renovation Allowance (BPRA) is an incentive designed to bring derelict or unused business properties back into use, by providing 100 percent relief for renovation of vacant properties in disadvantaged areas.

In 2012 HMRC noticed a spike in the cost of BPRA. Investigations revealed that this increase was due to marketed avoidance. HMRC challenges avoidance wherever they see it. Where taxpayers choose to press their case to litigation, HMRC wins around 80% of cases heard in court.

In addition, legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2014 to prevent future avoidance. The NAO complimented the speed with which HMRC addressed this avoidance and tightened the legislation.

The costs of BPRA are published annually in HMRC’s Estimated cost of minor tax allowances and structural reliefs, which can be viewed using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487097/Dec15_minorallowances_reliefs_Fi…pdf

Budget 2011 announced that Business Premises Renovation Allowance would be extended to 31 March 2017 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2017 for Income Tax.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much and what proportion of his Department’s overseas development assistance budget his Department spent was subject to the International Development Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

Mr David Lidington

All of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation has been subject to the International Development Act since its enactment. This has amounted to: £321 million in financial year 2013/14; £344 million in financial year 2014/15 and is estimated to be over £400 million for the financial year 2015/16.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 28422, on terrorism: social networking, how many of the cases referred to in that Answer resulted in (a) prosecution and (b) conviction.

Mr John Hayes

The Home Office can only obtain the data requested at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) migrants and (b) people seeking asylum who have attempted to travel to Europe via Egypt in each of the last two years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We do not hold figures for the number of migrants and asylum seekers who have attempted to travel to Europe via Egypt. According to the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (Frontex), in 2014 there were 170,760 detections of illegal border-crossings on the Central Mediterranean route (not only from Egypt). In 2015, the number of detections was 153,946.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil servants have been (a) transferred, (b) seconded and (c) given cross-departmental roles with which Department’s since the recent changes to the machinery of government.

Rory Stewart

Since the recent changes to the machinery of government (18^th July 2016) DFID has:

• Transferred 6 civil servants to other Departments.
• Seconded / loaned 7 civil servants to other Departments.
• Engaged 2 civil servants in cross-departmental roles.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full-time equivalent officials in her Department have been seconded to the Department for Exiting the European Union; and what the grades are of those officials.

Rory Stewart

One member of DFID staff has taken up a Grade 6 role within the Department for Exiting the European Union on a loan basis. We expect that several DFID staff will be strong candidates for other roles in the new Department currently being advertised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met (a) the Afghan ambassador to the UK or (b) other representatives of the Afghan government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently met with Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah at the UN General Assembly in New York on 28 September 2015.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in London has been without an Ambassador since 23 March 2015, but Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with Afghan Embassy representatives, including the Chargé d’Affaires Mr Siamak Herawi.