Tag: Stephen Gethins

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 assessment her Department has made of its capacity to (a) secure and (b) extend UK fishing rights; and whether her Department plans to have in place an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

Exit from the EU presents us with an opportunity under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to improve the way waters in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone are managed. Defra officials will be working with the Department for Exiting the European Union, Devolved Administrations and stakeholders to develop proposals that will allow the UK to best take advantage of this opportunity.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government plans to remain a signatory of the Bologna Declaration after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The Bologna Process, which created the European Higher Education Area in 2010, is an intergovernmental agreement among 28 countries in the European region. It is not an EU body and therefore UK membership will not be affected by the UK’s departure from the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to support poor communities overseas to tackle the effects of climate change.

Andrea Leadsom

Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face, not just to the environment, but to our economic prosperity, poverty eradication and global security, hitting developing countries the hardest. The Government is committed to combatting the effects of climate change, and supporting the world’s poorest to become more resilient to the effects of a changing climate and to take the clean energy path to growth and prosperity.

The Government has committed to substantially increase the amount of funding we are providing through the International Climate Fund (ICF) to help the most vulnerable countries protect themselves from the effects of climate change. The UK’s money for climate activities will be increased by at least 50%, to a further £5.8 billion of funding from April 2016 to March 2021, including £1.76bn in 2020, from within the existing ODA budget.

Whilst the details of how this new funding will be allocated are still being decided, our support so far has already reached many people and communities, and the UK government stands by our aim to spend 50% of the ICF on adaptation. The ICF to date has helped 15 million adapt, and given 2.6 million people improved access to clean energy. For example, through my Department’s support for the GET FiT programme in Uganda we are helping to create reliable sources of clean energy to support households, businesses and communities which in turn improves the communities’ health and education, and enables businesses to grow. Our investment in the ICF demonstrates Britain’s role in combating climate change and in creating a safer and more prosperous future for us all.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has made towards meeting the International Aid Transparency Initiative’s standards to date.

Mr David Lidington

In March 2013 the Government published an implementation plan outlining how we intended to achieve International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) compliance without compromising the safety and security of the UK, our staff and our partners or without compromising our diplomatic relations with other countries. Since then we have been working towards achieving compliance with the UK Aid Transparency Guarantee. All published Foreign and Commonwelath Office Official Development Assistance information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/official-development-assistance-oda–2

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mr David Lidington

The UK is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge in fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. I issued a statement on 2 April calling for the sides to halt the fighting and to exercise restraint. After four days of intense fighting, a ceasefire was announced on 5 April; although the situation remains tense. While the UK has no direct role in negotiations, we strongly support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs, who have recently visited the region. We will continue to urge the sides to work with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a negotiated peace settlement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff vacancies remain to be filled in his Department.

Mr David Jones

The department now has over 180 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is still growing rapidly with first class support from other government departments.

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 the Government’s priorities will be in its negotiation of a new fishing agreement with the EU.

George Eustice

The Government’s priority is to negotiate a fair allocation of fishing opportunities and also to deliver its manifesto commitments to sustainable fisheries and to the ending of discards.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements have been made to accommodate private aircraft at the Leuchars military base.

Harriett Baldwin

The airfield at Leuchars Station does not routinely receive private aircraft. However, visiting aircraft can be parked, including overnight, on the aircraft servicing platforms by the side of the runway. This does not impede any military flying.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

James Brokenshire

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to remote communities in Nepal affected by the earthquakes to prepare for and cope with winter.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK’s response to the recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal now stands at £70 million, making it one of the largest bilateral donors to the humanitarian response. With the onset of winter DFID is stepping up its support, particularly for communities in high altitudes. We are providing over 200,000 people with clothes, blankets, shelter kits, cooking stoves and solar lamps; reaching an additional 60,000 people with temporary shelter; and helping over 58,000 internally displaced people currently living in makeshift camps. In addition, we are providing logistic support to help transport emergency relief overland, including with mules and porters, to the most remote areas. We are also supporting helicopter operations to reach out to remote high altitude regions.

The UK support to the humanitarian response has already delivered important results including: 5,600,000 people benefitting from the restoration of healthcare services in their area; 200,000 benefitting from shelter support; and 80,000 people receiving cash transfers for restoration of houses and livelihoods.