The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria his Department uses in assessing whether an incident counts as a violation of international humanitarian law.
Penny Mordaunt
Any assessments relating to compliance with International Humanitarian Law would be based on the principles of distinction, humanity, proportionality and military necessity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of Government support for Kurdish minority groups in Syria on the peace process in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Syrian Kurds, as with all minority groups in Syria, will have an important stake in a future political settlement for their country. It is for Syrians to decide the exact nature of that settlement, with the help and support of the international community and the United Nations. The Higher Negotiations Committee (HNC), which represents a broad cross section of the Syrian opposition, including Kurdish groups, has made clear its intent to enter into political negotiations with the Syrian regime to achieve a political solution to the conflict. Not all Kurdish groups are members of the HNC, or necessarily part of the internationally recognised list of Syrian “opposition” groups. But to be successful, any political settlement in Syria must be inclusive, taking account of the interests of all parties to the conflict.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of UK firms based in the North West of England that trade with other EU member states; and how many people are employed by each such firm.
Anna Soubry
HMRC Regional Trade Statistics on the number of firms trading with the EU are publically available through the UKTradeInfo website.
HM Treasury has published estimates of the number of UK jobs linked to EU exports broken down by region. These are available through the GOV.UK website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of (a) UK firms based in Northern Ireland that trade with other EU member states and (b) people employed by those firms.
Anna Soubry
HMRC Regional Trade Statistics on the number of firms trading with the EU are publically available through the UKTradeInfo website.
HM Treasury has published estimates of the number of UK jobs linked to EU exports broken down by region. These are available through the GOV.UK website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department conducts ongoing appraisals of the effectiveness of the Bahrain Office of the Ombudsman of the Ministry of Interior, the Prisoners’ and Detainees’ Rights Commission and other bodies in Bahrain receiving UK technical assistance; and whether those assessments are taken into account when making funding decisions.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
All Foreign and Commonwealth Office programmes are regularly reviewed, and the effectiveness of projects is taken into account when making future funding decisions. This includes the technical assistance the UK has been providing to the Government of Bahrain since 2012. This assistance supports the Government of Bahrain’s reform programme including implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and UN Universal Periodic Review recommendations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether equipment provided by the UK has been used to facilitate the delivery of cluster munitions by the Saudi Arabian forces in the Yemen conflict.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of reports of the alleged use of Cluster Munitions by the Coalition in Yemen. We have raised this issue with the Saudi Arabian authorities and, in line with our obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that comprehensive data is collected on the situation and needs of older people in developing countries.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID recognises the importance to collect disaggregated data that describes the distinct experiences of people across different stages in their lifecycle. We welcome the agreement of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) on a global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals, which includes clear levels of disaggregation by age for relevant indicators, ensuring that countries are able to plan and monitor the impact for elderly people in order to leave no one behind.
We are supporting various programmes to strengthen the capacity of national statistical systems to produce the data that is needed. DFID also recently hosted a multi-stakeholder seminar to raise awareness for the importance of age data disaggregation and to address the technical challenges with age data disaggregation across the lifecycle, and the next steps include developing a DFID data disaggregation action plan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what services are provided by the Government for UK citizens who are imprisoned abroad.
James Duddridge
The UK Government supports British nationals abroad through the FCO’s network of consular staff. The assistance we provide to British nationals detained overseas is primarily concerned with supporting their welfare. Consular officers keep in regular contact with British nationals who request our assistance, either by visiting, by telephone or by letter. The frequency of visits will depend on local prison conditions and the circumstances of the case. Staff will visit more frequently if they think it necessary. With consent, we will provide updates to families, ensure that medical problems are brought to the attention of the local authorities, take up allegations of mistreatment, and consider approaching the local authorities if we believe a British national is not being treated in line with internationally-accepted standards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the criteria are for the Government to recognise a Palestinian state.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK’s position on recognition of Palestine is that we will recognise a Palestinian state when we judge it can best help bring about peace. We continue to be one of the principal supporters of Palestinian state building efforts, assisting them to tackle poverty, build institutions and boost their economy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on recent discussions on the peace process in Syria between Russia and the US.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), discusses Syria regularly with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Both the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Kerry attended International Syria Support Group meetings on 20 and 23 September in New York. The Foreign Secretary and Secretary Kerry met again, along with their French, German, Italian and EEAS counterparts, to discuss Syria in Boston on 24 September. The conflict in Syria was discussed at the UN Security Council on 17, 21 and 25 September.