Tag: Stephen Gethins

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has a proposed timeline by which it will publish all data on contractors and suppliers used in the disbursement of ODA in accordance with the UK Aid Transparency Guarantee.

Mr David Lidington

As stated in our International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) implementation plan published in March 2013 we are committed to complying with the IATI standards and UK Aid Guarantee whilst maintaining the safety and security of the UK, our staff our partners or compromising our diplomatic relations with other countries. This duty of care extends to our contractors and suppliers and whilst we are keen to be as transparent as possible we do not wish to jeopardise the lives and security of people or companies we work with. At present there is no timeline for publication as we are still determining if and how we can do this in a safe, secure and sustainable manner.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on tensions 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. 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. On 18 April, I raised Nagorno-Karabakh at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg and expressed my desire to see the Co-Chairs inject new energy into the process. 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 Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many new job vacancies have been advertised in his Department each month in 2016 to date.

Sir Alan Duncan

Since 31 December 2015, the FCO has advertised 68 new UK-based job vacancies in the Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) and the Prosperity Fund, which are cross-Whitehall programmes administered by the FCO. These jobs are funded by the CSSF and Prosperity Fund respectively, not by the FCO administrative budget. The jobs are advertised at 5 weekly intervals.

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 discussions her Department has had with Ministers of the Scottish Government on the UK’s position on fisheries in its negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

George Eustice

To date we have had no discussions with Ministers of the Scottish Government on the UK’s position on fisheries in relation to negotiations on leaving the EU. However, I spoke to Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Fisheries Minister, shortly after the referendum and explained that we would be holding discussions with all devolved administrations later in the year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on UK universities’ ability to attract high-quality students and researchers from across Europe.

Joseph Johnson

The UK has a long-established system that supports, and therefore attracts, the brightest minds, at all stages of their careers. We fund excellent research wherever it is found and ensure there is the freedom to tackle important scientific questions. HM Treasury’s announcement on underwriting EU research funding awarded while we remain EU members, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU, underlines our commitment to maintain the UK as an attractive place to conduct research and innovation.

The Government has also announced 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 below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

Jane Ellison

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our European Union 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 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2015 to Question 14345, what steps her Department takes to ensure that aid graduation is sustainable where the Government’s contribution is provided through a multilateral institution.

Justine Greening

The Department is currently undertaking a Multilateral Aid Review which will inform our funding decisions and our reform priorities for the multilateral agencies that we work with.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has provided to UNOCHA for work in Libya to date.

Mr Desmond Swayne

As part of DFID’s humanitarian programme in Libya, we are funding a secondment position within the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) until August 2016. This OCHA position will support a more coordinated international response, and the establishment of an information management system to strengthen understanding of the humanitarian situation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of the Russian Federation on tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mr David Lidington

On 11 April, the National Security Adviser (NSA) discussed the recent upsurge in fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh with senior Russian officials in Moscow. The NSA expressed concern about the recent violence and support for the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to reach a negotiated peace settlement. The British Embassy in Moscow will follow up these discussions with Russian counterparts at working level.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to announce her decision on the Scottish Government’s consultation on the five remaining cross-border or offshore marine special protection areas.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

I wrote to the Scottish Government on 2 September giving agreement to public consultation starting on four proposed marine Special Protection Areas that are partly in offshore waters. I also informed the Scottish Government that Defra was not yet in a position to start consultation on the English part of the proposed Solway Firth Special Protection Area, but that we would keep them updated on our position.