Tag: Thangam Debbonaire

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department has taken to assess the impact of hydraulic fracturing in (a) national parks and (b) other environmentally sensitive areas.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government issued guidance on its planning policy on unconventional hydrocarbon development in National Parks, the Broads, AONBs and World Heritage Sites in July 2014, which clearly sets out the high level of protection accorded to these areas in respect to development.1

In addition, in July 2015 the Government laid draft regulations that define protected areas in which hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited. These regulations ensure that the process of high volume hydraulic fracturing cannot take place at depths above 1200 metres in National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Sites and areas that are most vulnerable to groundwater pollution.2

We have also separately committed to ensuring that fracking cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled in the UK’s most valuable areas and are minded to apply these in Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar and Natura 2000 sites, as well as the areas covered by the draft Protected Areas regulations.3

[1]http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/minerals/planning-for-hydrocarbon-extraction/determining-the-planning-application/

2]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-defines-protected-areas-for-shale-developments

[3]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-licensing-rounds#surface-development-restrictions

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to close HM Prison Bristol.

Andrew Selous

On 9 November 2015, the Chancellor and Secretary of State announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve building nine new prisons and closing old and inefficient prisons.

No decisions have yet been made on which prisons will be closed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for refugee family reunion from each country of nationality of such applicants were (a) submitted, (b) decided and (c) granted in 2015.

James Brokenshire

The published statistics relate to the ‘Family: other’ category, the vast majority of which are for family reunion. Data for applications, decisions, of which grants and refusals, withdrawns/lapsed, and grants by nationality, is given in the attached tables.

The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, October-December 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the presence of multilingual children in schools on the learning of monolingual children.

Nick Gibb

Analysis undertaken by the Centre for the Economics of Education in 2012 indicates that there is no association between the presence of children whose first language is not English and the educational attainment of their native English-speaking peers, after controlling for basic demographic characteristics and the schools these pupils attend.

In our recent consultation on a new national funding formula for schools, we proposed including an EAL factor in the formula. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will come forward with further proposals in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that unaccompanied child refugees have access to information in a form and language appropriate to their age and language on their rights to apply for asylum or family reunion which includes information on the criteria used in and estimated timescales for determining applications.

James Brokenshire

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have arrived in the UK are referred to local authority children’s services as soon as possible.

As well as social work support, they have access to publicly-funded legal advice in relation to their asylum claim, to advice and guidance on the asylum process from the Refugee Council Children’s Panel, and to an interpreter if English is not their first language.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 37587, whether she is taking steps to reduce the time taken to process applications for the remaining children in refugee camps in Calais.

Mike Penning

Where an asylum claim is lodged in France by a minor with close family connections to the UK, both governments are committed to ensuring that process are in place to expedite reunification. Under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have committed to ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively. To assist the handling of such cases, the two Governments have established a permanent official contact group, agreed single points of contact within respective Dublin Units and the UK has seconded an asylum expert to the French administration to improve all stages of the process of identifying, protecting and transferring relevant cases to the UK. We continue to work with the French Government to improve processes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timetable she has set for resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Work continues with local authorities and international partners to deliver the Government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the lifetime of this Parliament and we are on track to do this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government is taking to enable UK citizens living in other EU countries to remain there if they (a) have retired, (b) are working in those countries with habitual residence status and (c) are working in those countries part of the time but without habitual residence status.

Mr Robin Walker

At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people, including those living in other EU countries or who own property in the EU. It is already the case that all Member States are bound by Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights which obliges them to respect property rights.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the conflict in Central African Republic.

James Duddridge

The UK’s focus in the Central African Republic is on working with the international community to improve security throughout the country. We support the Transitional Authorities in their preparation for elections, and assist with justice, governance and state administration. The UK co-sponsored a UN Security Council Resolution authorising the deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation, MINUSCA, which launched in September 2014. The operation is focussing on restoring stability, preventing human rights abuses, and promoting reconciliation. The UK has also supported the EU Military Advisory Mission to the Central African Republic which launched in March 2015. The mission provides the government of the Central African Republic with expert advice on security sector reform. In addition, the UK co-funded the African Union’s 2014 deployment of experts to the Central African Republic to support victims of sexual violence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions she has visited Cedars pre-departure accommodation.

Karen Bradley

The Home Secretary and Home Office Ministers conduct visits, and host meetings, on the whole spectrum of Home Office business regularly. As with the previous administration, it is our policy not to provide details of such visits.