Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK officials are based in China; and how many were based in that country in (a) 2010, (b) 2005 and (c) 1997.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes the number of UK FCO officials overseas in its Annual Report. In the financial year 2014/15 there were 114 UK FCO officials based in China and in the financial year 2010/11 there were 113 UK FCO officials based in China. Information prior to 2010 is not held in a way that enables us to accurately report the staffing position overseas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 35103, what the role is of the Liaison Officers deployed in Saudi coalition headquarters.

Michael Fallon

UK Liaison Officers located in Saudi Headquarters exchange information between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to give the UK a better degree of insight into Saudi processes.

They remain under UK command and control and are not embedded with the Saudis. They do not provide training or advice on International Humanitarian Law compliance, and have no role in the Saudi targeting chain.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the UK’s right to halt the Article 50 process before the end of the two-year period allocated to EU exit negotiations.

Mr David Davis

The referendum result delivered a clear mandate for an EU exit and it is the duty of the Government to make sure we do just that. The Prime Minister has been clear that there must be no attempts to remain inside the EU and no attempts to rejoin it through the back door. Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a success of it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what planning his Department is carrying out to prepare for the change of US President; and what assessment his Department has made of the implications for the UK-US relationship of the (a) Republican and (b) Democratic Presidential candidates being elected.

Sir Alan Duncan

Successive British Governments have worked with Republican and Democratic Presidents to advance our mutual interests and tackle shared challenges. We expect that the UK and the US will continue to be the closest of partners after the US elections on 8 November.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate the Government has made of the number of structures in the West Bank funded through EU aid projects that have been demolished by Israeli forces; and what the cost of their reconstruction will be.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​While we have not made any estimate on the number of EU-funded structures that have been demolished in the West Bank, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) database on demolitions in the West Bank, 271 donor-funded structures have been demolished since the beginning of the year up to 11 June. OCHA measure demolitions of donor-funded structures, we do not know how many of these are EU funded. We have not made any estimates of the costs of reconstruction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the (a) number of Palestinians affected by the demolition over separate locations on 27 September 2016 of structures in the West Bank and (b) potential cost of the reconstruction of those structures.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​We do not hold the information requested.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of restrictions of water supplies on the humanitarian situation in the West Bank.

Rory Stewart

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs assessed in November 2015 that 400,000 people in the West Bank required humanitarian water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance. UK officials are in regular dialogue with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the UN, World Bank, EU and other development actors on this issue.

DFID is funding UNICEF to lead on developing and updating the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) WASH Sector Contingency Plan at the national level. This brings together the Palestinian Water Authority and other partners to monitor the water situation in the OPTs and ensure preparedness and effective response in case of an emergency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the London Legacy Development Corporation about EU state aid rules and West Ham United Football Club’s occupancy of the Olympic Stadium.

Tracey Crouch

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has not had any discussions with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) about EU state aid rules and the West Ham United Football Club contract. The contract relating to West Ham United Football Club’s use of the Olympic Stadium is between the West Ham and the LLDC.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the next UK-China Human Rights Dialogue is planned.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UK-China Human Rights Dialogue is an annual event which last took place in Beijing in April 2015. We expect to hold the next round in March or April 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government’s policies of the recognition of acts constituting genocide in the European Parliament’s Resolution, Systematic mass murder of religious minorities by ISIS, agreed on 4 February 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

European Parliament resolutions are not binding and do not create legal obligations on member states.

It is the long-standing policy of successive governments that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred should be a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of International Humanitarian Law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That’s why the UK is playing a leading role in a Global Coalition of more than 65 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.