Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK is a party to the Syrian Counter Terror Agreement made by the US and Russia on 9 September 2016; whether the UK plans to provide any assistance or reconnaissance intelligence for actions taken under that agreement; and whether British forces’ operations in Iraq and Syria will be affected by that agreement.

Mike Penning

The UK supported US efforts to reach agreement with Russia to reinstate a cessation of hostilities in Syria and will continue to work for the restoration of a credible cessation of Hostilities. The UK was not, however, a party to the US-Russia arrangement which was a purely bilateral one. While the UK would have considered seriously any requests received, we were not asked for either assistance or reconnaissance intelligence for its implementation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the ad hoc Ministerial committee established after the terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015 plans to publish its conclusions and recommendations on (a) the support provided by the Government to British nationals or residents affected by those attacks and (b) its recommended support for victims or witnesses of future incidents.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As Chair of the Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee to Coordinate Support for People Affected by the Terrorist Attacks in Tunisia, I have updated the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), MPs and victims regularly about the Committee’s work. There was no commitment to report publicly. The Committee recommended that the lessons it had learned from supporting those affected by the Tunisia attacks benefitted any future victims of terrorism. HMG will ensure that it builds on the work of the Committee in future arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is giving to Palestinians displaced by Israeli settlement building and the demolition of Palestinian homes.

Rory Stewart

The UK remains extremely concerned about continued Israeli settlement expansion and the large increase in demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the start of 2016, compared to the monthly average in 2015. We continue to raise these issues with the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering, are harmful to the peace process, and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to international humanitarian law.

The UK supports Palestinians facing demolition or eviction and displacement by funding a legal aid programme to help individuals and communities challenge these decisions in the Israeli legal system.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will grant all children brought from Calais under the Dublin agreement or the Dubs amendment indefinite leave to remain.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government will process cases in line with the EU’s Dublin Regulation and Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

The Dublin Regulation does not confer leave on individuals; it is a mechanism for transferring responsibility of asylum claims between Member States.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants in 2014-15 were not British citizens.

Priti Patel

The information as requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 15 December 2015 to Questions 18901 and 18902, what the source is of the statement that 71 of the 131 neonatal critical care services now meet required staffing ratios; and if he will place a copy of the source document in the Library.

Ben Gummer

NHS England has used the Women and Children’s Derogation report to describe compliance against staffing ratios.

The source document is attached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the prevalence of slavery in Mauritania.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We remain concerned about continued reports of slavery in Mauritania, and about the modest sentences handed down in the few successful prosecutions for slavery offences. We welcome the establishment of three courts with specific responsibility for slavery cases. We continue to monitor this topic closely. We regularly raise our concerns with the Mauritanian authorities in the UK and in Nouakchott, and meet human rights and anti-slavery campaigners to discuss the subject.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on security in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. ‘The best of both worlds’, published on 22 February, sets out how membership of the EU enhances our ability to co-operate with other EU Member States to combat crime and terrorism and keep all parts of the United Kingdom safe, including Northern Ireland.

The paper is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-of-both-worlds-the-united-kingdoms-special-status-in-a-reformed-european-union.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the use of child soldiers by the Afghan local police.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Afghanistan is one of seven countries included in the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan’s campaign “Children, Not Soldiers” which aims to end the recruitment and use of children by Afghan Government security forces.

We share the concerns of the UN Special Representative on the continued recruitment of children in the Afghan security forces, and the lack of oversight of recruitment for the local police forces. While Afghanistan has made some progress, including the adoption of a presidential decree criminalizing child recruitment by Government security forces in 2015, significant efforts are needed to fully implement the Action Plan.

The UK welcomes the creation of six child protection units in recruitment centres and is encouraging Afghanistan to expand this to all provinces. We urge the Government of Afghanistan to hold to account the perpetrators of child recruitment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, whether he has sought assurances that Saudi Arabia’s internal procedures for investigations are being used to investigate (a) attacks on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospitals and mobile clinic and (b) the airstrike on the Oxfam warehouse.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The results of the investigation into the October Médecins Sans Frontières incident were announced at a Saudi Arabian press conference on 31 January, as was the intention to investigate all allegations of concern. The UK has been using diplomatic and military channels to engage with Saudi Arabia on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance. I have spoken to the Saudi Ambassador and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has engaged with his counterpart on the importance of compliance with IHL.