Tag: Stewart Malcolm McDonald

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publicly condemn the killing of Xulhaz Mamas, senior editor of Bangladesh’s first LGBT magazine; if he will make representations to the Bangladeshi government on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

The British Government unequivocally condemns the murder of Xulhaz Mannan. On 25 April I expressed my deep sadness at the senseless murders of Mr Mannan, his friend Tanay Fahim and Professor Rezaul Karim and I called for the killers to be brought to justice. On 9 April, following the brutal murder of Nazimuddin Samad, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) called for the right to freedom of expression and open debate to be upheld in Bangladesh.

Regrettably, the number of violent extremist attacks against minority communities has increased in Bangladesh; many have been claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Indian-Subcontinent and Daesh. Extremism flourishes where there is a culture of intolerance and impunity. I urge the Bangladesh government to do its utmost to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and to ensure that the right to life, to justice and to free speech for all Bangladeshis is upheld.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to amend the eligibility criteria for pension credit so that all men and women aged 60 and above can access that credit.

Richard Harrington

Pension Credit is an income-related benefit paid out of general taxation which targets help at the poorest pensioners. It is a condition of entitlement for Pension Credit that a person has attained the “qualifying age”, which is linked to the women’s State Pension age. This is the same age at which entitlement to Universal Credit ceases.

Changing the eligibility criteria would mean displacing Universal Credit with Pension Credit. Universal Credit has much better work incentives than Pension Credit, and ensures that work always pays. Universal Credit also disregards pension pots in the means test, encouraging further saving, whereas Pension Credit takes pension pots into account and therefore provides no incentive to increase their size.

For those with disability and care needs, the welfare system already makes provision through benefits and services based on needs assessment. This includes provision for those whose health condition means that it is difficult for them to remain in employment. The Government will be publishing a Green Paper on Work and Health later this year which will consider this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Ministers will represent the Government at the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016.

Matthew Hancock

The Prime Minister will represent the UK at the London Anti-Corruption Summit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Vauxhall on safety standards of the Zafira model; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

I have not had any recent discussions with representatives from Vauxhall about the Zafira. However, the DVSA is leading on this and has met, corresponded with and continues to work with Vauxhall on the Zafira issue. The DVSA has overseen two safety recalls and corresponding actions to protect consumers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on assessing the effect on air quality and levels of emissions from motor vehicles of data published by Emissions Analytics and the Department for Transport on the level of emissions from new diesel cars.

Rory Stewart

Tackling air quality is a priority for this Government and we are committed to meeting air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide in the shortest possible time. Defra and the Department for Transport work closely together at all levels to embed air quality considerations in the development of transport policy and delivery, including in relation to vehicle emissions. The inter-Ministerial group on Clean Growth meets as and when required and its members include Ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including Defra and the Department for Transport.

The Government’s comprehensive National Air Quality Plan (www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-in-the-uk-plan-to-reduce-nitrogen-dioxide-emissions), published in December last year, is based on the best available evidence and uses the latest COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) (4v11) factors to calculate emissions from diesel cars.

In May, the Government will present the results of its vehicle testing programme (www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-emissions-testing-programme-conclusions) to European Research for Mobile Emission Sources (ERMES), the body responsible for collating vehicle emission data, to inform its updated emissions factors later this year. This will ensure that EU-wide emission factors more accurately reflect the difference between real world driving and laboratory test conditions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to ensure that storage or disposal of nuclear waste is compliant with the obligations outlined in Article 29 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Jesse Norman

The storage and disposal of radioactive waste in the UK is, and will continue to be, carried out in accordance with the requirements of national and international law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of representatives he has invited to the Anti-Corruption Summit to be held in May 2016.

Matthew Hancock

The London Anti-Corruption Summit will bring together governments, international organisations, businesses and civil society to confront the problem of corruption. Information about the summit can be found on the summit web pages of the GOV.UK website. Further details will be announced in due course.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote tourism in Scotland.

Tracey Crouch

Tourism is a devolved matter but a number of policy levers – from aviation connectivity to aspects of the regulatory framework and immigration – are reserved. Through the recently published Tourism Action Plan, this Government is working to ensure the benefits of growth in the tourism industry can be felt across the whole of the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Alexander Thomson in 2017.

David Mundell

Alexander “Greek” Thomson is one of the most important and original architects of the nineteenth century. Many of his exceptional neo-classical buildings still grace the city of Glasgow, which was Thomson’s home from boyhood. One such is ‘Holmwood,’ in the hon Member’s constituency, which is described by the Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture as ‘a sumptuous villa at once Classical and Picturesque.’ While I am not aware of any formal plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Thomson’s birth, my officials have been in touch with various organisations to discuss the bicentenary, and I would be happy to meet the hon Member to discuss any suggestions he has.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the CPS on potential prosecution of Volkswagen in connection with diesel emissions data; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Buckland

The Attorney General has regular discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions about a variety of issues. As was the case with previous Attorneys General, it is not our policy to provide details of all such discussions.

I can however confirm that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is working with UK and European bodies to assess whether there is any potential criminal offence, involving serious or complex fraud, which falls within its remit.