Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in what circumstances his Department can terminate the (a) Southern, (b) Thameslink and (c) GTR contracts early.

Claire Perry

Whilst Southern and Thameslink are used as operating names by the franchisee, they are in fact part of the GTR franchise, which operates the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) Franchise.

Schedule 10.2 of the TSGN Franchise Agreement (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488198/tsgn-franchise-agreement.pdf p.506) specifies how this franchise can be terminated by the Department.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on cultural, sporting and media initiatives within the UK currently supported by the EU.

Mr Edward Vaizey

As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on Monday, the Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed as IT professionals who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

James Brokenshire

The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in recognised shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

Data of the number of people employed in specific regions of the United Kingdom is not available. The Home Office holds individual records showing the working location of Tier 2 (General) migrants, but centralised records show the registered address of the Tier 2 Sponsor, which is normally that organisation’s Head Office.

The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This includes the impact on the top ten occupations and is available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the proportion of total duty paid on alcohol in the EU that is paid by people in the UK.

Damian Hinds

HM Treasury has made no such estimate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what financial support and other support his Department gives to civil society organisations, trades unions, charities and organisations devoted to democracy building in Iraq.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We continue to support Prime Minister Abadi in his efforts to deliver the inclusive government, reconciliation and reform needed to give all Iraqi citizens a stake in the future of their country, and unite them against Daesh.

Through our Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, we are supporting a number of projects designed to strengthen democratic institutions in Iraq. This includes support for Global Partners Governance, who are working to strengthen the Iraqi parliament, enhance legislative processes and improve coordination between central and local government.

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 London 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 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the legality of the death sentence handed down to Andrew Tsege in Ethiopia.

James Duddridge

The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have serious concerns about the process by which Mr Andargachew Tsege was transferred from Yemen and his ongoing lack of access to a lawyer. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised Mr Tsege’s case 21 times with his Ethiopian counterpart. I have also raised this case, most recently on 8 January. We continue to lobby for Mr Tsege to be granted access to a lawyer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compliance of the in absentia death sentence handed down to Andy Tsege in Ethiopia with international human rights standards.

James Duddridge

The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We remain deeply concerned about the process by which Mr Andargachew Tsege was detained and his ongoing lack of access to legal counsel. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I have raised this case repeatedly with our Ethiopian counterparts, which has resulted in frequent consular access to Mr Tsege. We continue to press the Ethiopian government to provide a legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention, that is consistent with domestic and international law. We will continue to lobby the Ethiopian government until our concerns have been fully addressed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli government on allegations that that government is withholding services for Bedouins who reside in the West Bank and in Israel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. We have supported Bedouin communities in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to Rabbis for Human Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) legal aid programme. In regards to situation and demolitions of Bedouin villages in green-line Israel such as Umm al-Hiran, a solution must respect the equality of all Israel’s citizens.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to become a founding donor of the Education cannot wait fund for education in emergencies, at its launch at the World Humanitarian Summit.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK has played a leading role in the development of the Education Cannot Wait fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, which was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit on 23rd May. The UK has committed to provide £30million in support over two years to the new fund as a founding donor, which was announced by the International Development Secretary at the fund’s launch.