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1471683

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Economic Situation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of the amount of foreign exchange from UK tourism and migrant workers on the economy of Sri Lanka in the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	21169
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We are closely monitoring the economic situation in Sri Lanka, including foreign exchange data reported by Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan authorities. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism was a key export sector for Sri Lanka, making up almost 30% of total export revenues. However, Sri Lanka's tourism receipts declined by almost 80% in 2020 and fell by a further 60% in 2021. The UK is a key contributor to Sri Lanka's tourism sector. It has been among the top three source markets in the past three years, placed as the second major country of origin for tourists in Sri Lanka in 2019 and 2020, and third in 2021. Remittances from overseas workers have also been an important contributor to Sri Lanka's economy in the past three years, worth around 8% and 9% of Sri Lanka's total GDP in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Despite initially remaining constant in 2020, remittances fell by over 20% in 2021, down to their lowest levels since 2011.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The UK recognises the difficult economic situation and welcomes the start in-depth discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on reforms needed to bring the economy back to a sustainable path. The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on 30 May, and underlined the UK's continued support for the people of Sri Lanka during their current economic difficulties.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We are closely monitoring the economic situation in Sri Lanka, including foreign exchange data reported by Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan authorities. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism was a key export sector for Sri Lanka, making up almost 30% of total export revenues. However, Sri Lanka's tourism receipts declined by almost 80% in 2020 and fell by a further 60% in 2021. The UK is a key contributor to Sri Lanka's tourism sector. Remittances from overseas workers have also been an important contributor to Sri Lanka's economy in the past three years, worth around 8% and 9% of Sri Lanka's total GDP in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Despite initially remaining constant in 2020, remittances fell by over 20% in 2021, down to their lowest levels since 2011.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The UK recognises the difficult economic situation and welcomes the start in-depth discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on reforms needed to bring the economy back to a sustainable path. The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on 30 May, and underlined the UK's continued support for the people of Sri Lanka during their current economic difficulties.</ins></p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 28/06/2022 13:49:21 question first ministerially corrected 29/06/2022 08:37:13 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford previous answer version 9471 answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1671512

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2023
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Cyprus: Turkey
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the number of people that migrated from Turkey to the occupied region of Northern Cyprus since 1983.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	2566
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2023 answer text <p>In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared &quot;Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus&quot; as an independent state. The FCDO does not hold any information about the number of people that emigrated from Turkey to <del class="ministerial">the occupied region in the north of</del> Cyprus since 1983.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 27/11/2023 16:48:52 question first ministerially corrected 04/12/2023 13:29:45 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty previous answer version 3458 answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1471679

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Horn of Africa: Piracy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of piracy incidents in the (a) Gulf of Aden, (b) Guardafui Channel and (c) Somali Sea, in the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	21165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>There have been no formal piracy events (according to the definition specified in UNCLOS) reported to us since 2019 in the areas mentioned. Whilst any act of Piracy remains a concern, we continue to work with international partners to counter piracy. Events are 'defined' based solely on the information reported to us by Industry or other reporting bodies.</p> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey question first answered 29/06/2022 14:06:34 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1471688

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Internet: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people over the age of 60 who are unable to access online services.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	21173
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>Earlier this year, it was reported that Ofcom's Media Literacy Tracker Computer-assisted telephone Interviewing survey found that of the 3,143 respondents, 26% of the 75+ did not have internet access at home and 8% of those 65-74 also did not have access.</p><p>It is research like this that is behind the government's focus on building a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone. DCMS is responsible for coordinating HMG digital inclusion policy, and aims to ensure that as many people as possible, no matter their age, have internet access and a base level of digital skills.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 28/06/2022 15:44:38 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1471876

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Government's progress towards ratification of Article 44 of the Istanbul Convention in respect of serving members of the UK’s armed forces serving overseas in foreign sovereign states.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	21174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>On 17 May 2022 the Home Secretary made a Written Ministerial Statement which confirmed that the UK is ready to proceed to ratification of the Istanbul Convention, and on the same day the Foreign Secretary laid the Convention as a Command Paper, alongside an Explanatory Memorandum, before Parliament.<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-of-europe-convention-on-preventing-and-combating-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence-ms-no32022" target="_blank"> Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence [MS No.3/2022] - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>Under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, unless either House has by 29 June 2022 made a resolution that the Convention should not be ratified, we will proceed to ratify the Convention, and we aim to do so by the end of July 2022. The ratification will apply to all parts of the Convention, with the exception of two reservations which we are making, one of them on aspects of Article 44, concerning our ability to prosecute UK nationals and residents for crimes committed overseas when the act done was not an offence in the country where it was committed.</p><p>More detail on that reservation can be found in paragraphs 9.2-9.9 of the Explanatory Memorandum. The UK’s compliance with Article 44 (subject to the reservation) is enabled by domestic legislation, principally in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which applies to members of the UK’s armed forces as well as to other UK nationals and residents.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 28/06/2022 15:08:13 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1472060

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Strikes: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to classify strike payments made by unions to its members as a taxable benefit.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	22401
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>The tax position of these types of payments will depend on the circumstances on which they are provided and would be considered by HMRC on a case-by-case basis.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 29/06/2022 16:08:25 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1472061

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will next review nitrate vulnerable zones.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	22402
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The review for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones occurs every four years to account for changes in nitrate concentrations. The next review will take place in 2024.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/07/2022 13:25:55 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1472083

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Strait of Hormuz: Warships
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of reports of a US Navy warship firing a warning flare to wave off an Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	22403
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters or specific threats. The UK is committed to upholding the essential principle of freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law and assuring the safety of shipping in the Middle East region, including through the Strait of Hormuz. The UK is a member of the International Maritime Security Construct which addresses the threat in the region by providing reassurance to commercial shipping and deterring further threats.</p><p>The UK Government has long been clear about its concerns over the continued destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the destabilising activity of the IRGC.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 29/06/2022 09:25:21 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1472185

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many contraventions of illegal storage of waste have been identified in nitrate vulnerable zones in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	22405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2022 answer text <p>Both the Environment Agency (Nitrate Regulations) and Rural Payments Agency (Cross Compliance) regulate within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ).</p><p>The Environment Agency (EA) has found 309 instances of non-compliance with NVZ regulations since November 2019 of which 93 were related to organic manure storage record keeping offences and 205 related to storage capacity or infrastructure standards. The current database started in late 2019 and it is not possible to extract older data within a reasonable timeframe for this response.</p><p>The Rural Payments Agency have identified 92 contraventions of storage requirements in NVZs over the last four years. Examples of breaches include poultry manure and/or other types of solid manure not being stored in either a vessel, impermeable surface, in a wooded building or in a temporary field heap; and a temporary field heap was not solid enough to be stacked in a freestanding heap and/or was producing free drainage from within the stacked material.</p><p>Our focus is to work with and support farmers to meet their obligations. That is why Defra has made additional budget available from 2021 for the EA to recruit an additional 50 inspection officers, increasing their capacity to deliver advice-led enforcement.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/07/2022 13:49:30 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1472190

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Nitrate Vulnerable Zones: Manure
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been for the illegal storage of manure waste in nitrate vulnerable zones in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	22406
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2022 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) issued 24 warning letters under the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) regulations between November 2019 and June 2022. During this period, the EA issued 1755 improvement actions relating to storage of organic manures. Since November 2019, the EA has separately prosecuted 25 farmers for causing pollution under agricultural regulations. Two of these prosecutions included offences under the NVZ regulations.</p><p> </p><p>The EA takes a proactive advice-led approach to enforcement, working with farmers to bring them into compliance before taking formal enforcement action. The EA has found that most farmers take the opportunity to benefit from inspector advice, meaning formal action is often not required to deliver the desired outcomes. For example, the River Axe Regulatory Project, which aims to drive change on dairy farms, has resulted in an estimated £6-8 million investment in farm infrastructure improvements and an enhancement of 30km of watercourses that discharge to the local Special Area of Conservation.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/07/2022 13:06:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord