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, how the Government plans to include Ministers of the Scottish Government in its negotiations on fisheries with the EU.
George Eustice
We will be holding discussions with all devolved administrations to determine how we will approach negotiations on fisheries 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, if her Department will publish a position proper on the criteria it uses to ensure aid graduation is sustainable.
Justine Greening
The Department is currently undertaking a Bilateral Aid Review which will determine the countries that we will provide direct bilateral assistance to over the next five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31131, for what reason the amount of financial assistance her Department has provided to UNOCHA for its work in Libya since 1 April 2015 was not supplied in that Answer.
Mr Desmond Swayne
DFID has provided £19,867 to support UNOCHA for its work in Libya since 1 April 2015. This was to provide surge support for coordination to UNOCHA during the production of the Humanitarian Response Plan. The secondment came to a close unexpectedly early. Following a decision by OCHA not to replace the coordinator, we have used some of the remaining funds to second an Emergency Health Sector Coordinator within WHO since November 2015 at a cost of £34,614 in response to priority needs. In addition, we are currently brokering a further surge secondment to OCHA and at this point in time the costs are not finalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on regulation relating to air quality.
George Eustice
Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, food and drink and our environment remain in place.
Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. It is also vital that British farming is profitable and remains competitive – it is the bedrock of the food and drink industry, Britain’s largest manufacturing sector.
The priorities for negotiating our exit from the EU will be a matter for the new Prime Minister and their Cabinet.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-09-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44230, whether the staff in his Department are new employees or have been seconded from other Departments.
Mr David Jones
The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand.
The Department will include staff and officials from various departments across Government. The Department has already started drawing together expertise with staff from around 20 Departments and organisations from across Government.
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 funding she plans to make available to replace the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund after the UK leaves the EU.
George Eustice
The Chancellor has set out that the guarantee for European Structural and Investment Fund projects announced in August will be extended to the point at which the UK departs the EU. This guarantee includes the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and provides further certainty to those fishers, seafood businesses and other organisations seeking support. Where projects secure EMFF funding before we exit, payments will be guaranteed even after the UK has left the EU.
Defra officials will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU to look at future policies for fisheries. We will continue to work closely with relevant industry and other key stakeholders to develop these new arrangements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has received on the reasons for delays in the establishment of the UN Verification and Investigation Mechanism.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) is a new mechanism, developed by the UN. It involves setting up an internationally-staffed maritime verification centre which is expected to replace the existing informal Coalition mechanism.
The UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator has been working with the Government of Yemen and other relevant parties to ensure that UNVIM is established in the most effective way and can fit with the requirements of UNSCR 2216.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the UN Security Council on steps to promote (i) constructive engagement in peace talks by parties involved in the conflict, (ii) improved humanitarian access and (iii) compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2201 and 2216 which condemned Houthi actions, recognised President Hadi as the legitimate President of Yemen, and called on all parties to engage in good faith in UN-brokered negotiations. We remain fully supportive of the UN’s efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and the resumption of an inclusive political process. We are urging all parties to engage in good faith with the UN process.
Improving humanitarian access is a top priority and all parties to the conflict must take all reasonable steps to facilitate safe and sustained access for humanitarian aid. The UK has committed £75 million in humanitarian aid in response to the situation.
We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We take such allegations very seriously and regularly raise the issue and seek assurance of IHL compliance with the Government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition. We have also been clear with the Houthis that actions taken must comply with IHL.
The UK continues to play a leading role in trying to improve the situation in Yemen. I chaired a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month to encourage all parties to get behind the UN political process to achieve lasting peace and to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) also co-chaired a humanitarian side-event during the UN General Assembly to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and encourage additional funding from donors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan.
Grant Shapps
We remain deeply concerned by the dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan. In October 2015, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessed that 3.9 million South Sudanese people were severely food insecure in September, an 80% increase compared to last year at the same time and unprecedented in the country. The IPC found 30,000 people in Unity state experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. The risk of famine in the absence of urgent and immediate unrestricted humanitarian access is very real.
The UK is second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian response in South Sudan £172m has been committed since the start of the crisis in December 2013, along with an additional £88.9m to the regional response for South Sudanese refugees.
The South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan has sought $1.63 billion to meet the most urgent needs until the end of 2015 and it is so far 55% funded. The low level of funding is concerning. The UK Government continues to urge the international community to respond as we have and follow our lead.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support access of humanitarian supplies and access by aid workers to Taiz City, Yemen.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Taiz city continues to experience intense fighting, which is making it extremely difficult for aid agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance. Their efforts to access the city and provide relief have been consistently blocked by parties to the conflict over the past month.
The UK continues to call on all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered access to all people in need in Yemen. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support UN and NGO partners’ efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Taiz city.