Tag: Stephen Gethins

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the independence of the legal system in the Maldives.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are concerned about the erosion of judicial independence in the Maldives. A 2013 UN report by the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers raised serious questions about the impartiality of judges, the fact that many interventions by courts were arbitrary and that due process was not being followed. We do not believe that the situation has improved since. I raised the issue of judicial independence when I met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives on 17 and 18 January.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to source steel for the construction of new nuclear submarines.

Mr Philip Dunne

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 April 2016 to Question 33828 to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the economic benefits of maintaining freedom of movement between the UK and the EU.

Mr David Davis

Our economy is fundamentally strong, and the UK is open to business and investment. We will need to consider all factors carefully in implementing the decision of the British people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to ensure that UK vessels will continue to be able to land fish in other EU countries after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

Access to fishing grounds and measures to enable equal access to ports are important and we will consider these issues as we develop future arrangements outside the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support EU students at UK universities after 2020 if the UK has left the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The Government announced on 11 October 2016 that EU students applying for a place at an English university or further education institution in the 2017/2018 academic year will continue to be eligible for student loans and grants – and will be for the duration of their course.

The decision will mean that students applying to study from 2017 to 2018 will not only be eligible for the same funding and support as they are now, but that their eligibility will continue throughout their course, even if the UK exits the European Union during that period.

The Government statement on student support for EU students can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-support-for-eu-students

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Maldives government on the unconditional release of former President Nasheed.

Mr Hugo Swire

During my visit to the Maldives on 17 and 18 January I met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen, and reiterated our call for the release of all political prisoners. The UK welcomed the Maldivian government’s decision on 18 January to allow former President Nasheed to travel to the UK for medical treatment. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) said to the House during PMQs on 27 January, we now want to see further steps taken by the Maldives government including the release of political prisoners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Egyptian government on recent actions taken against Egyptian non-governmental organisations.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are deeply concerned by growing restrictions on civil society in Egypt, including a proposed asset freeze against investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat and human rights defender Gamal Eid. After issuing a statement on 22 March, I raised this with the Egyptian Ambassador on 23 March, and again on 11 April. Our Ambassador to Cairo raised our concerns over restrictions on civil society with the Minister of Health and with senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2016.

I encourage the Government of Egypt to work with civil society organisations to implement the rights guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution and allow non-government organisations to operate freely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to engage with Scottish businesses and civic society on the negotiations to exit the EU.

Mr David Davis

The Government will fully involve all parts of the UK, including Scotland, as we prepare for negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU. We are working towards securing the best possible deal for the whole UK, and to achieve this we will work closely with businesses and other interest groups.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ensure the quality labelling of Scottish produce will remain protected after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

We fully support the UK’s iconic, world-class traditional products such as Scottish Farmed Salmon, Scotch Beef and Scotch Whisky, which provide and support thousands of jobs across Scotland and the UK and accounts for a large proportion of UK exports.

We fully recognise the importance of ensuring that the protection for products such as those currently registered under the Protected Food Name and Geographical Indication schemes continues after the UK has left the EU. We are looking at how best to do this and we will continue to work with producers to ensure protections are in place in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much revenue his Department has received from private aircraft landing at the RAF base at Leuchars.

Mark Lancaster

For financial year 2016-17 to date, landing fees and associated charges to the value of some £14,000 have been raised from civil aviation visiting the airfield at Leuchars Station.