Tag: Stuart C. McDonald

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the potential for a mass civilian evacuation from Mosul.

Rory Stewart

DFID is working closely with officials across Government, and with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the United Nations, and the international community to support an effective Iraqi–led humanitarian response in Mosul. My officials are in contact with Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence colleagues on a regular basis.

DFID recently announced an extra £50 million of humanitarian funding to Iraq, taking our total humanitarian commitment to £129.5 million since June 2014. This will address existing humanitarian needs and support preparations for the humanitarian response in and around Mosul. The UK has also committed £20 million to help stabilise areas in Iraq liberated from Daesh.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment has been made of the health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers who arrived at the UK Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus (a) in 1998 and (b) in October 2015; and what steps are being taken to support their health and wellbeing.

Penny Mordaunt

There is no requirement to carry out assessments of the refugees and asylum seekers who arrived in 1998 as arrangements for these individuals were made some time ago to have access to health facilities in the Republic of Cyprus as and when they require. Those occupying the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Transit Facility located in Dhekelia who arrived in the SBA on 21 October 2015 have regular access to medical, dental and other health facilities as required. Local non-governmental organisations have engaged with the migrants and offered psycho-social support including access to social workers and refugee specialists. The Republic of Cyprus has recently commenced an education package for children and adults at the facility. Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross, British Red Cross and Cyprus Red Cross assessed health and wellbeing in November 2015.

We have also had an official from the Department for International Development providing advice on the ground, to help us meet the refugees needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was levied in respect of service credits in each key performance indicator designated met in respect of each Compass region in each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16 to date.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place to ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers, as defined in the contracts, are met. This includes monthly contract management and quarterly strategic review meetings, as well as regular daily discussions with COMPASS providers’ operational delivery managers about day to day issues. The Home Office investigates complaints it receives from service users and third parties and works with contractors to ensure that any issues raised are addressed promptly.

Performance against each key performance indicator (KPI) is measured and may, dependent upon the level of non-conformance, lead to the application of a KPI score. The overall/total score across all KPIs is then used to determine the value of Service Credit (rebate) which should be deducted from the monthly invoice. If an individual KPI is met, no score is accrued and no service credit applies. The following table indicates the amount of service credits recovered following KPI non-conformance for each of the COMPASS contracts from the start of the contracts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to hold a public consultation on the proposed closures of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to make a final decision on take charge requests under each article of the Dublin regulations for decisions made each month since April 2015.

James Brokenshire

Whilst all asylum claims, including those accepted under Dublin III, are registered on the main immigration database the specifics of each case are not currently available in the form requested as the data is not held in a way that allows it to be reported on automatically.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase exports.

Harriett Baldwin

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given in response to the member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun question on 7 June in Oral questions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of UK withdrawal from the EU Customs Union on the policy that there should be no border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

James Brokenshire

The Government will consider the advantages and disadvantages of remaining in a Customs Union carefully. There are a number of options, and we have made clear that we will pursue one that works for the unique circumstances of the UK.

The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no-one wants to see a return to the borders of the past. It is a high priority for the Government that we do not see border controls coming into place. There is a very strong commitment from the Irish government as well as ourselves to see that that does not happen. We must now work closely together to ensure that as the UK leaves the EU we find shared solutions to the challenges and maximise the opportunities for both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Written Statement of 11 January 2016, HCWS458, what steps his Government has taken to implement the Smith Commission’s recommendation to explore the possibility of introducing formal schemes to allow international higher education students graduating from Scottish further and higher education institutions to remain in Scotland and contribute to economic activity for a defined period of time; whether he has consulted with Scottish further and higher education institutions on this matter; and (c) for what reasons his Department has not discussed this matter with the Scottish Government.

David Mundell

I have regular discussions with the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister on all aspects of the Smith Commission Agreement, the UK and Scottish Governments have had a number of meetings to discuss this issue and my written ministerial statement was shared with the Scottish Government in advance of publication. Scotland Office Ministers and officials also have regular discussions with further and higher education institutions and representative organisations such as Universities Scotland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was levied in respect of service credits in each key performance indicator designated met in respect of each Compass region in each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16 to date.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place to ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers, as defined in the contracts, are met. This includes monthly contract management and quarterly strategic review meetings, as well as regular daily discussions with COMPASS providers’ operational delivery managers about day to day issues. The Home Office investigates complaints it receives from service users and third parties and works with contractors to ensure that any issues raised are addressed promptly.

Performance against each key performance indicator (KPI) is measured and may, dependent upon the level of non-conformance, lead to the application of a KPI score. The overall/total score across all KPIs is then used to determine the value of Service Credit (rebate) which should be deducted from the monthly invoice. If an individual KPI is met, no score is accrued and no service credit applies. The following table indicates the amount of service credits recovered following KPI non-conformance for each of the COMPASS contracts from the start of the contracts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to consult with people in Cumbernauld on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld office.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to create two new Regional Centres in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019-20, accommodating between 5,700 and 6,300 employees. HMRC’s new Regional Centres will give its staff all they need including a modern office environment, close to good travel and transport links. They will provide stable, high quality jobs and offer a wide range of opportunities for training and promotion and allow its staff to follow more varied career paths than have previously been possible.

HMRC will help all its staff work through their options. It will give everyone the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances with their manager ahead of any office closures or moves, so they know about any issues that need to be taken into account when making decisions.