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838923

registered interest
date	08/02/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Offshore Fixed Structures: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the decommissioning of oil platforms on the economy in north east of Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	127485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2018 answer text <p>With increasing numbers of offshore oil and gas fields reaching the end of their economic life, forecasts from industry estimate that the annual expenditure for decommissioning over the next 5 years will be in the region of £1.7 to £2 billion. While decommissioning is a major cost for industry, and the taxpayer, it offers significant opportunities for the supply chain that will deliver the constituent elements of decommissioning activity. This encompasses a wide range of activities, covering a broad range of skills and expertise.</p><p>With recent estimates from industry suggesting that decommissioning will represent around 11 per cent of total expenditure on oil and gas for 2017, decommissioning is already benefitting the north east of Scotland and the rest of the UK’s economy. Whilst we don’t have specific figures around the economic impact of the increase in decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations, we expect to see an increasing proportion of the offshore oil and gas industry focussing on decommissioning activities in the coming years.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 22/02/2018 13:59:41 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

838925

registered interest
date	08/02/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the continuation of Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadrons in universities.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	127487
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2018 answer text <p>The Army has 15 University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) and two University Officer Training Regiments (UOTR) covering a number of affiliated universities across the UK, delivering military, leadership and personal training development opportunities. We are committed to maintaining a nationwide footprint of UOTCs and UOTRs. Under the Army's Basic Training Transformation Programme, the current UOTC structure is being examined. The study is ongoing with no decision imminent.</p><p>The RAF has 15 University Air Squadrons (UAS) which incorporate a number of affiliated universities across a wide catchment area in the UK in geographically essential locations. UAS are a vital part of developing and recruiting talented individuals into the RAF. There are no plans to change this.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 20/02/2018 16:40:17 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

838926

registered interest
date	08/02/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Yemen: International Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure access for humanitarian aid to Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	127488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2018 answer text <p>As the Prime Minister set out in her November visit to Riyadh, the UK continues to call for complete and unhindered access for commercial and humanitarian imports of food, fuel and medical supplies particularly through the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef. Following the Secretary of State’s visit to Riyadh in December we were pleased to see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lift all access restrictions. To encourage commercial imports which provide over 80% of Yemen’s food and fuel, we are providing £1.3 million to the UN’s Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) this financial year (2017/18) and have provided UK experts on the ground in Djibouti to increase the number of UNVIM inspections of commercial vessels entering Yemen.</p><p> </p><p>The UK will continue to play a leading role in the humanitarian response and efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. Our funding of £205 million to Yemen for 2017/18 makes us the third-largest humanitarian donor to Yemen overall, and the second-largest to the UN Humanitarian Appeal.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 20/02/2018 13:45:31 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

838927

registered interest
date	08/02/2018
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: Slavery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to help tackle modern slavery in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	127489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2018 answer text <p>Tackling modern slavery is a cross-government priority, and DFID is committed to driving change through the UN and other multilateral channels. At last year’s UN General Assembly, our Prime Minister launched the “Call to Action to end Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking”, which has been endorsed by 43 countries from all regions of the world. We will continue to push for more country endorsements and ensure that it delivers action on the ground.</p><p>We are also expanding our work in developing countries to tackle the root causes of slavery and support victims, whilst addressing the factors that enable the criminality of modern slavery to thrive. As part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to double ODA spend on modern slavery to £150 million, DFID is developing £40 million of new programming which will help over 500,000 vulnerable men, women and children.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 20/02/2018 13:45:55 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

838928

registered interest
date	08/02/2018
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	Shipbuilding: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic contributions of Ministry of Defence contracts to the shipbuilding industry in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	127490
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2018 answer text <p>The £3.7 billion Ministry of Defence contract for the first three Type 26 frigates, to be followed by five more, and the £635 million investment in the Offshore Patrol Vessel programme have guaranteed the shipbuilding industry on the Clyde work for 20 years and safeguarded 1,700 shipbuilding jobs in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the second of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers is currently being fitted out in Rosyth, and the National Shipbuilding Strategy has set out our commitment to a competition to design and build Type 31e frigates here in the UK<strong>. </strong></p> answering member constituency Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale answering member printed David Mundell question first answered 20/02/2018 10:06:25 answering member 1512 label Biography information for David Mundell
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

834202

registered interest
date	31/01/2018
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	City Region Deals: Aberdeen
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Deal.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	125839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2018 answer text <p>Robust governance structures and processes were established prior to the commencement of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. These provide assurance to the government that there is open and transparent decision making, governance and project delivery.</p><p> </p><p>Central to the governance arrangements is the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee which oversees the implementation and monitoring. In addition there is an Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme Implementation Board which meets quarterly to review progress against agreed implementation milestones and objectives. Scotland Office officials sit on the Implementation Board.</p><p> </p><p>Overall scrutiny of the implementation of the Aberdeen City Region Deal is the responsibility of the Scottish City Region Deal Delivery Board which is comprised of senior officials from Scotland Office, the Cities and Local Growth Unit and the Scottish Government. The Delivery Board meets quarterly to review progress.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale answering member printed David Mundell question first answered 07/02/2018 09:22:21 answering member 1512 label Biography information for David Mundell
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832895

registered interest
date	29/01/2018
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	Israel: Palestinians
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Palestinian Authority to encourage that body to accept the Israeli invitation to return to direct peace negotiations without preconditions.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	125211
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2018 answer text <p>​The UK continues to press both the Israelis and Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations that will lead to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. The Foreign Secretary and I reiterated our support for a negotiated two-state solution when we met Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki in London on 8 January. I also encouraged the Palestinians to re-engage in peace negotiations when I spoke to Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on 21 January.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 06/02/2018 13:06:27 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832899

registered interest
date	29/01/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Drugs: Smuggling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to cooperate with the United States and Canada on tackling transatlantic drug crime.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	125215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2018 answer text <p>The UK enjoys close and longstanding cooperation with the USA and Canada in tackling transatlantic drug crime. Joint work involves regular and timely exchange of operational intelligence, enabling the disruption of drug trafficking via air and sea routes across the Atlantic.</p> answering member constituency Wyre and Preston North answering member printed Mr Ben Wallace question first answered 06/02/2018 15:57:30 answering member 1539 label Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832900

registered interest
date	29/01/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Drugs: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to prevent the sale of illegal drugs online.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	125216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2018 answer text <p>We want the UK to be the safest place in the world to be online. Anything that is illegal offline should be illegal online.</p><p>The Government and law enforcement agencies take the unlawful advertising and sales of drugs on the internet very seriously. Tough enforcement is a fundamental part of the Government’s drug strategy and we are taking coordinated action to tackle illegal drugs alongside other criminal activity.</p><p>Law enforcement agencies continue to work with internet providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences, building on work already underway to tackle the sale and supply of illegal drugs in the UK and overseas and tackle associated organised crime.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 05/02/2018 16:15:16 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832901

registered interest
date	29/01/2018
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits arising from the proposals on transferable tax history in the oil and gas sector set out in Autumn Budget 2017.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
uin	125217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2018 answer text <p>At the Autumn Budget, the government announced it would introduce a Transferable Tax History for oil &amp; gas companies. This will give investors in UK oil and gas fields certainty that they will be able to get tax relief for decommissioning assets. This should encourage new investment in older oil and gas fields, keeping them producing for longer and supporting employment.</p><p> </p><p>The main industry body, Oil and Gas UK, in response to the Budget announcement have said that a Transferable Tax History would be <em>‘a vital step that can bring in new investment to increase recovery from existing fields and fund fresh investment which is key to generating activity for our hard-pressed supply chain. It will also help extend the lives of many mature fields and postpone decommissioning.’</em></p><p> </p><p>This builds on the £2.3bn of fiscal support the government has already provided to the UK oil and gas industry, including a package of tax cuts across Budget 2015 and 2016, £40m of funding for seismic surveys to support exploration, and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance. As a result, the UK now has one of the most competitive tax regimes in the world for oil and gas, further supporting investment and jobs.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 06/02/2018 16:43:40 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson