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1523356

registered interest
date	18/10/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the HMRC helpline a freephone service.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	65907
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>HMRC is not considering making HMRC helplines a freephone service.</p><p> </p><p>Moving HMRC’s helplines onto freephone 0800 numbers would mean that HMRC would have to fund the helplines and pass the cost on to the taxpayers.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s judgement is that it is fairer for the businesses and individuals that use the helpline to pay, rather than the public through general taxation.</p><p> </p><p>0300 numbers, which HMRC currently uses, cost no more than 01 and 02 numbers and will typically come out of inclusive minutes on customers’ phone contracts.</p><p> </p><p>Many customers will be able to access the services and support they need through one of our 200 plus digital services available through GOV.UK and via the HMRC app, which are free to use.</p><p> </p><p>Every day around 1.4 million users are supported through HMRC's online digital services, not including thousands more customers who are using commercial tax software products to help manage their taxes.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Richard Fuller question first answered 26/10/2022 12:57:39 answering member 3912 label Biography information for Richard Fuller
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1090931

registered interest
date	18/03/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Iran: BBC Persian Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made in the last three months to (a) the Iranian Ambassador in London and (b) the Government of Iran on the reported ongoing targeting and harassment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	233577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>We continue to raise the issue of BBC Persian at all levels with the Iranian Government. Most recently, this was through the UK’s statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, on 11 March.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 22/03/2019 14:14:47 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1081845

registered interest
date	04/03/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterparts on the use of Sudanese child soldiers within the Yemeni civil war during his recent visit to the Gulf.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	228118
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>We raise allegations of human rights issues, including child soldiers, with all parties to the conflict in Yemen. We have been clear that all parties must comply with IHL. We do not hold any specific information relating to the number of child soldiers of Sudanese origin involved in the conflict.</p><p>We are firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.</p><p>The UK is an active member of the UN Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC, including Yemen, to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release child soldiers.</p><p>The UK is also the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes and for the prevention of re-recruitment of children formerly associated with armed groups. The UK has confirmed it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 07/03/2019 18:07:32 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt previous answer version 106420 answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1081846

registered interest
date	04/03/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Departments holds on the number of child soldiers of Sudanese origin who have been involved in the Yemeni civil war.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	228119
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>We raise allegations of human rights issues, including child soldiers, with all parties to the conflict in Yemen. We have been clear that all parties must comply with IHL. We do not hold any specific information relating to the number of child soldiers of Sudanese origin involved in the conflict.</p><p>We are firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.</p><p>The UK is an active member of the UN Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC, including Yemen, to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release child soldiers.</p><p>The UK is also the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes and for the prevention of re-recruitment of children formerly associated with armed groups. The UK has confirmed it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 07/03/2019 18:09:56 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt previous answer version 106424 answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1078668

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Saudi Arabia: Prisoners' Release
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help secure the release of (a) human rights activists, (b) political opponents and (c) other people detained illegally in Saudi Arabia.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	226717
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, particularly because of the use of the death penalty, women’s rights and restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion or belief. We frequently raise our concerns on human rights with Saudi Arabia, including at Ministerial level, most recently in February.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 226718 question first answered 08/03/2019 11:56:40 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1078670

registered interest
date	27/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Saudi Arabia: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Saudi counterpart on the human rights situation in that country.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	226718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2019 answer text <p>Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, particularly because of the use of the death penalty, women’s rights and restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion or belief. We frequently raise our concerns on human rights with Saudi Arabia, including at Ministerial level, most recently in February.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 226717 question first answered 08/03/2019 11:56:40 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1077169

registered interest
date	25/02/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Syria: Peacekeeping Operations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with coalition partners on peacekeeping in the Afrin region to protect Kurdish civilians from extremist forces.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	225582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>We have had no recent discussions with coalition partners on peacekeeping in the Afrin region, as the coalition does not operate in this area. We continue to monitor the situation in Afrin, and have made clear to Turkey the importance we attach to protection of civilians there.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 05/03/2019 16:17:41 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1055025

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Venezuela: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her Venezuelan counterpart on addressing the food shortages in that country.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	217020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary discussed the humanitarian crisis with Venezuela’s constitutional, interim President, Juan Guaidó, on 30 January. The UK Government is extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela and continues to call for all actors to allow unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of the Venezuelan people.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There is a lack of official data from the Maduro regime, but the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that approximately 4.1 million people are currently undernourished.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We remain in touch with partners in the region, including through British Embassies and DFID advisers deployed to the region. DFID continues to work closely with, and provide significant core funding to, the UN and Red Cross movement, while actively looking at how we may enhance our efforts to support the response to the Venezuela crisis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 217021 question first answered 08/02/2019 14:50:13 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1055026

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Venezuela: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the scale of food shortages affecting Venezuela.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	217021
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary discussed the humanitarian crisis with Venezuela’s constitutional, interim President, Juan Guaidó, on 30 January. The UK Government is extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela and continues to call for all actors to allow unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of the Venezuelan people.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There is a lack of official data from the Maduro regime, but the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that approximately 4.1 million people are currently undernourished.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We remain in touch with partners in the region, including through British Embassies and DFID advisers deployed to the region. DFID continues to work closely with, and provide significant core funding to, the UN and Red Cross movement, while actively looking at how we may enhance our efforts to support the response to the Venezuela crisis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 217020 question first answered 08/02/2019 14:50:13 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1054697

registered interest
date	04/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Malaria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to tackling malaria in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	216393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>DFID contributes to the global effort to tackle malaria through bilateral programmes in countries, research, multilateral funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and through strengthening health systems in malaria affected countries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The total estimated UK spend on malaria was £332 million in 2015/16, £499 million in 2016/17 and £481 million in 2017/18. DFID is currently the second largest global funder of the effort against malaria and will remain a leading global donor in the future. All direct bilateral malaria spend and relevant multilateral contributions are available in <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fstatistics-on-international-development-2017&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf72d4b26ca0a4e51e8f508d68d0076fe%7Ccdf709af1a184c74bd936d14a64d73b3%7C0%7C0%7C636851430459259146&amp;sdata=MAvaICXFUwTPantzOkkGE2%2FyKxCCrNCkYBqrSzZzVzs%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Statistics on International Development</a>. All of our funding on malaria control, apart from that spent on research and development of products and the funding for commodity procurement, contributes to strengthening health systems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 216394 216395 question first answered 11/02/2019 17:45:09 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West