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Tag: Tom Elliott

  • Tom Elliott – 2023 Comments on Legacy Issues in Northern Ireland

    Tom Elliott – 2023 Comments on Legacy Issues in Northern Ireland

    The comments made by Tom Elliott, the Ulster Unionist MLA, on 23 January 2023.

    “There is a great deal of frustration with regard to legacy and how we can best move forward.

    “What we must not do is resurrect the Stormont House Agreement (SHA). The Ulster Unionist Party was the only one of the five major parties to reject the legacy proposals contained within the SHA because we could see from the outset that they contained major flaws.

    “Firstly the Stormont House Agreement proposed a parallel police force in the form of the Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) that would inevitably focus on the Army and Police due to the availability of accurate historical records, which obviously do not exist for terror gangs. Secondly it proposed a charge of ‘non-criminal police misconduct’ clearly indicating the target group.

    “It was also proposed that the HIU would only look at some – not all – deaths. It is little short of a scandal that throughout this process the injured have been all but ignored, and attempted murder treated as being of little consequence. This in effect has allowed the terrorists a get out of jail free card even though they would have been responsible for the injury of over 35,000 UK citizens. Those who oppose the Government’s current proposals because of the Amnesty, should also oppose the Stormont House Agreement because of the Amnesty contained within it.

    “What we need is an approach to legacy which is grounded in human rights. This will place the focus and the blame where they truly belong. I accept that on occasions the State and those who acted for it – the police and the army – may have overstepped the mark and should be held accountable. We must never forget that terrorists – loyalist and republican – were responsible for 90 per cent of Troubles related deaths. Every single action by the terror gangs was illegal and a breach of an individual’s human rights. Every killing, every bomb attack, every so-called punishment shooting or beating was carried out without any lawful authority or justification. Literally thousands of human rights abuses which too many people seem to want to be conveniently forgotten about in a bid to rewrite history and place the blame on the State, the Police and the Army.

    “Furthermore, if there is ever to be a serious examination of the Troubles and the legacy they have left, then there needs to be an honest assessment and acknowledgement of the role played by the Republic of Ireland. Its territory was used by the IRA to import arms, store weapons, mount hundreds of cross border attacks, coordinate ethnic cleansing of minority Protestant communities in the border area, and act as a safe haven for IRA terrorists on the run who were able to live freely in the Republic and the overwhelming difficulties the UK repeatedly faced in trying to extradite terrorist suspects from the Republic.

    Successive Dublin Governments have shown little appetite to seriously address these issues. The reality is that the Republic played a central role in the Troubles and this needs to be both highlighted and acknowledged if we are to have a full understanding of what really happened during those dark times.”

  • Tom Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Tom Elliott – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the Stormont Agreement’s financial package of £2 billion in extra spending power to the Northern Ireland Executive is a loan to be paid back to the Government by the Executive.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Through the Stormont House Agreement the Government committed to allow the Executive to use £700 million of Reinvestment and Reform Initiative (RRI) capital borrowing to fund Voluntary Exit Schemes (VES). The Executive expect full implementation of VES to deliver around £500 million in annual savings, which can be deployed to other public services.

    The Government also agreed to allow the Executive increased access to RRI borrowing to fund £350 million of capital projects, over four years. This funding is for economic projects.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the UK’s relationships with its defence partners in Europe of the UK leaving the EU.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 March 2016 to Question 28708 to the hon. Member for Clacton (Douglas Carswell).

    “

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the UN Security Council to ensure genocide committed by Daesh is brought to the attention of the International Criminal Court.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor set out some of the complicated issues involved in the ICC investigating Daesh in her press statement of 8 April 2015. We continue to discuss with international partners, including those on the UN Security Council all legal possibilities for investigating Daesh. On 21 July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), announced that the United Kingdom will work with our international partners to drive a global campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to increase public awareness of the need for holidaymakers to take out travel insurance.

    James Duddridge

    I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029. Encouraging the take-up of adequate travel insurance through our ‘Know Before You Go’ communications campaign which will remain a priority in 2016.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on (a) border security and (b) terror threats of the UK leaving the EU.

    James Brokenshire

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. The Government published a white paper, ‘The best of both worlds’, on 22 February, which 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 while maintaining our own border controls, remaining outside of the Schengen border-free area.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that social media websites remove abusive and threatening posts.

    Sarah Newton

    We expect social media companies, and internet platforms, to have robust processes in place and to act promptly when abuse is reported; including acting quickly to removing inappropriate content, and where appropriate, suspending or terminating the accounts of those breaching the rules in place.

    We are working with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) to keep children and young people safe online. UKCCIS brings together industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups to help to keep children and young people safe online. UKCCIS is co-chaired by Ministers from Department for Education, Home Office and Department for Culture Media and Sport.

    In December 2015 we published guidance to encourage responsible practice from industry, and ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way.

    The Criminal Justice Act 2015 strengthened two existing communications offences: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 which can now be used to prosecute misuse of social media. The police now have longer to investigate either offence, and the maximum penalty for the former has been increased to two years imprisonment.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued for holidaymakers to advise them to take out appropriate winter sports insurance cover.

    James Duddridge

    For details of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s communications work on travel insurance in general I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029.

    An important part of this work is underlining to British nationals intending to travel overseas the need to take out insurance that is right for their trip, including for any winter or extreme sports activities. We produce specific guidance for travellers on winter sports holidays and we are currently running a ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign focusing on this issue, working in partnership with the Association of British Travel Agents and British four-time Winter Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott. The headline message of the campaign is for those taking a winter sports holiday to take out appropriate travel insurance. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/winter-sports-stay-safe-on-the-slopes and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/winter-sports-a-third-left-on-thin-ice-without-appropriate-insurance.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential for a further independence referendum in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

    David Mundell

    I have had no discussions with the Scottish Government on this subject and do not expect to do so. A clear majority of voters in Scotland voted No in the independence referendum in 2014. That referendum was widely accepted to be a ‘once in a generation’ or ‘once in a lifetime’ event.

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that any future UK Bill of Rights covers all of the UK.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    We will set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course.