Tag: Thangam Debbonaire

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which export licences since 2008 relate to BAE Systems’ Eurofighter Typhoon sales to Saudi Arabia; how much each such licence was for; whether each such licence is extant or has expired; and whether each such licence was used in full or in part.

Anna Soubry

Since 2008 six licences have been granted that relate to the sale of complete Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Four of these licences are linked. Where licences expired before they were fully exhausted the exporter submitted a new application to cover those aircraft not exported under previous licences. The values therefore relate to exports licensed rather than actual exports.

Typhoon transfers per year are declared in the UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Reports and can be found on GOV.UK

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what access to higher education Syrian refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme will have.

Joseph Johnson

Syrian refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme will have access to home fee status and student support in England for higher education. Those granted humanitarian protection will be able, like UK citizens, to secure access to support after three years’ lawful ordinary residency in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to hold events for cities intending to apply to be the 2023 European City of Culture.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS will be running an event this year for potential bidding Local Authorities for the European Capital of Culture 2023 to provide information on the benefits, processes involved and generate interest in this exciting opportunity – in advance of the competition commencing in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what monitoring his Department has undertaken of the adequacy of supply of suitable and affordable accommodation for older people who want to live independently but with some support on-site.

Brandon Lewis

Decisions on how to meet the health and social care needs of older people who need affordable and accessible homes and monitoring the supply of such accommodation are best made by local authorities. Government believes that local planning authorities remain best placed to determine the extent to which provision of more accessible housing is necessary and appropriate in their local area, and have appropriate powers to introduce development plan policies to meet these needs, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Guidance and other relevant matters.

The National Planning Policy Framework & Planning Guidance requires local authorities to plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, and the needs of different groups, including elderly people, in their area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of staffing levels in Police Public Protection Units at (a) UK and (b) force level.

Mike Penning

Decisions on the size, composition and deployment of a police force’s workforce are operational matters for individual chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

HMIC’s progress report on the police response to domestic abuse, published in December 2015, found that forces have continued largely to protect their dedicated teams or other resources that focus on public protection work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what level of support her Department has given to the Greek authorities to assist with processing refugees and identifying those who may qualify for relocation to the UK under the Dublin III arrangements for family reunion.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government continues to work with key EU Member States to ensure the Dublin Regulation family reunification process works effectively.

The UK continues to offer support to Greece both bilaterally and through the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). In addition to our regular short-term deployments to support Dublin family transfers to the UK, the UK has offered 75 expert personnel to help with the processing and administration of migrants in reception centres, act as interpreters, provide medical support and bolster our existing team assisting the Commission to ensure effective and efficient co-ordination.

We are working with partners to ensure that those who qualify for family reunification under the Dublin III arrangements are processed efficiently. Furthermore, we continue to work with partners and the Greek authorities to identify and transfer vulnerable unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK where it is in their best interests, as set out in the Immigration Act 2016. This is not a simple task. We are working through the complex legal and safeguarding systems of other countries in order to ensure that any actions we take are always in the child’s best interest. We have recently seconded an expert to Greece, who is embedded within the relevant department to coordinate efforts on this initiative.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44521, what information her Department holds on how many (a) petitioners and (b) respondents who were ineligible for legal aid were unable to afford legal representation in applications to the family court for child contact or residence applications in 2015; how many such petitioners and respondents alleged that they were victims of domestic violence from the other party; and whether her Department has undertaken monitoring of the effect of a lack of legal representation on those victims and their children.

Sir Oliver Heald

The representation status of unsuccessful applicants for legal aid is not centrally recorded. The Government is absolutely clear that victims of domestic violence must have access to the help they need, including access to legal aid. The operation of, and expenditure on, the legal aid scheme is continually monitored by the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency. Since the reforms were introduced thousands of people have applied for legal aid where domestic violence is involved and the majority have been granted it. Since the LASPO Act was introduced we have twice made changes so it is easier for people to get the evidence they need to claim legal aid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to improve the broadband speed in the Bristol West area.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Over 1,450 businesses in Bristol and the surrounding area have taken a broadband connection voucher to improve their broadband connectivity. In addition, through the Super Connected Cities Programme, my Department has provided £1.56m to Bristol City Council to install general purpose ducting which will provide broadband connectivity to businesses in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. This funding has also enabled over 70km of ducting to be made available to two commercial suppliers to provide ultra-fast broadband across the city.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will introduce a ban on unstaffed tanning salons in England similar to that introduced in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jane Ellison

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 came into force on 8 April 2011 in England and Wales and the purpose of the Act is to prevent people under the age of 18 from using sunbeds on commercial premises, by making it an offence for sunbed businesses to allow people access under the age of 18 to sunbeds on their premises.

Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010. Authorised officers have the right to enter premises believed to be sunbed businesses to carry out inspections, whether in response to a complaint or to check awareness and compliance with the Act. Some local authorities require sunbed outlets to operate under license.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the use of teargas against refugees and migrants at the Macedonian border.

James Brokenshire

We continue to work closely with our European partners to address all aspects of the current migration situation as it continues to develop, including regular bilateral and multilateral discussions. There have been no specific discussions on the use of tear gas.

Public order is a matter for national governments and we expect all our international partners to ensure that migrants’ human rights are fully respected.

We are clear that protection in the region of origin is often the best solution, including for refugees, and that those reaching the EU should claim asylum in the first Member State they enter (as per EU rules) rather than seeking to travel further across Europe to their destination of choice.