Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 30 April 2019 to Question 245704 on Sri Lanka: Power Stations, what progress has been made by the Sri Lankan Government on providing compensation to residents; and what assessment he has made of the (a) sufficiency and (b) effect on residents of that compensation.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We are aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality. Staff at the British High Commission in Colombo raise the issue of water quality in northern Sri Lanka regularly, including during a recent visit to Jaffna in August.
We understand that compensation has been offered to those affected by water pollution caused by the Chunnakam Power plant. We hope that the settlement will be adequate compensation for the victims of contamination, and that measures are taken to ensure clean water.
A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka including the national water supply and drainage board have conducted tests and further investigations into the contamination are ongoing.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the water pollution in Northern Sri Lanka caused by the Chunnakam power plant, what steps his Department has taken to help secure an independent international investigation into the (a) effects and (b) impact of that water pollution on the community resident in that area.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We are aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality. Staff at the British High Commission in Colombo raise the issue of water quality in northern Sri Lanka regularly, including during a recent visit to Jaffna in August.
We understand that compensation has been offered to those affected by water pollution caused by the Chunnakam Power plant. We hope that the settlement will be adequate compensation for the victims of contamination, and that measures are taken to ensure clean water.
A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka including the national water supply and drainage board have conducted tests and further investigations into the contamination are ongoing.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential economic effect on the UK creative arts sector of travel restrictions after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK’s creative industries and arts sectors are huge success stories and the UK's decision to leave the EU will not change that.
We have maintained a dialogue with these sectors on Brexit, and we know that the movement of people is a key issue for them; both for access to international talent and activities such as touring and collaborating. We understand also that the circumstances of individual trips to the EU are significantly varied, and that changes based on our leaving the EU will be different for each organisation or professional. We will continue our engagement to ensure a growing understanding of the impacts across the sector.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the Wendy Williams' report on the Windrush lessons learned review.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Home Secretary has not yet received the final report from Wendy Williams. On receipt, it will be published as soon as practicable.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to secure a transitional period with the EU on the application of CITES to allow musicians and others to continue to travel with their instruments which may contain materials covered by CITES regulation.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
If we leave the EU without a deal, all Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) items that are currently freely traded between the UK and the EU, including musical instruments, will require CITES permits or an import notification. This would mean movement of CITES specimens between the UK and the EU would need to follow the same processes as those currently in place for movement between the UK and the rest of the world. We are working hard to make sure we maintain continuity and minimise disruption for those who trade and move CITES listed species, and have been working closely with the music industry on this issue.
In addition to import/export permits, there are other options which may be more appropriate for musicians looking to move musical instruments. Travelling Exhibition Certificates can be issued to cover instruments that are owned by orchestras (rather than individuals). We have also been increasing awareness of CITES Musical Instrument Certificates. These can be used for non-commercial purposes, including performing, to allow musicians to travel with their own instruments across the UK border in place of CITES import/export permits. These are valid for multiple movements for three years and can be used by individual musicians travelling alone or with an ensemble. They also allow travel outside the EU. In September, we announced the addition of Dover, Eurotunnel, and Holyhead to the list of ports to be designated for CITES movement after exit.
At the recent CITES Conference of the Parties, a decision was made to change annotation number 15 which relates to rosewood species, such as Dalbergia. This will exempt musical instruments made of this wood (including finished musical instrument parts and accessories) and small finished items up to 10kg. This exemption allows a person to travel to any country in the world with a musical instrument or finished product containing less than 10kg of a rosewood or a Bubinga without a CITES permit. The EU Commission are preparing legislation to implement this amendment to the CITES Appendices by amending the Annexes of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of melting down the 50 pence coins produced to commemorate the UK leaving the EU on 31 October 2019.
Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General
We do not comment on the cost of producing coins as this is commercially sensitive information. The cost of producing these coins will be partially offset by the value gained from recycling them.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help prevent war crimes involving white phosphorus; and what assessment he has made of potential sanctions that the Government could put in place against countries using white phosphorus as a chemical weapon.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK is committed to preventing mass atrocities, including war crimes, using instruments such as diplomatic engagement, development and programmatic support, and defence and policing tools. White phosphorus is not a chemical weapon or a prohibited substance in itself, but the way it is used may be. Reports that white phosphorus has been used intentionally against civilians are extremely worrying as it would be contrary to international humanitarian law. It is important that the full facts are established. We will continue to call on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks against civilians irrespective of the weapon used.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) businesses and (b) the public purse of the customs checks to be implemented between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK under the Prime Minister's EU Withdrawal Agreement; and what the timeframe is for the implementation of those customs checks.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As a responsible government, the Government will take into account both the internal cost and the cost to business to deliver on all aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement.
The Government’s impact assessment for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill sets out the direct impacts of the revised Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol (published on 17 October 2019) in relation to the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Initial delivery assessments were a key consideration during the negotiations. Some changes will be needed to government and trade systems and processes in order to implement this arrangement and the Government will engage closely with affected businesses to ensure that delivery of any new requirements can take place as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department made of the (a) human rights situation in Bahrain since the execution of three men in that country in July 2019 and (b) efficacy of the UK Government's technical assistance programme to Bahrain.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Bahrain remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, partly because of the use of the death penalty. Following the execution of three men in July 2019, Lord Ahmad issued a statement expressing deep concern and the UK raised the matter at the September Human Rights Council in Geneva. In addition, I called Dr Sheikh Abdullah, Bahraini Undersecretary for International Affairs following the executions, to express our disappointment. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of the UK’s clear and longstanding position; we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and all countries.
On British assistance, we are committed to supporting Bahrain-led reform and are confident of its positive impact across a variety of areas including building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and police and justice reform. We continue to monitor events closely, regularly raising human rights concerns with the Government of Bahrain at senior levels, both in private and public, and most recently at the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group on 17 October.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of producing 50 pence coins to commemorate the UK leaving the EU on 31 October 2019.
Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General
We do not comment on the cost of producing coins as this is commercially sensitive information. The cost of producing these coins will be partially offset by the value gained from recycling them.