Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help provide humanitarian support at the Rafah crossing.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. Our focus must be on practical solutions that save lives. We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.
The Foreign Secretary discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week. We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has also appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department plans to take to respond to the death of Alexei Navalny in Russian custody.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has publicly expressed our outrage and made clear that we hold the Russian state fully responsible for the death of Alexei Navalny. Russia must release Mr Navalny's body to his family and hold a full and transparent investigation into his death. On Friday 16 February, the day of Mr Navalny's death, we summoned the Russian Embassy to demand answers. The UK has now sanctioned six heads of the penal colony where Mr Navalny died following years of mistreatment at the hands of the Russian state. The UK is the first country to impose sanctions in response to Mr Navalny's death.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the use of hotels to house asylum seekers in Bournemouth.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
As a result of the range of measures put in place to stop the boats, reform the management of the asylum accommodation estate and deliver alternative forms of accommodation sites, we have successfully met our ministerial commitment of closing over 50 hotels across the UK by the end of January 2024.
We continue to work with our providers on closing further hotels across the estate and will write to local authorities and MPs when a decision to close a site has been made.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted (a) trials and (b) research into the feasibility of mounting (i) the Multiple Launch Rocket System and (ii) other similar systems on Royal Navy destroyers.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy continually assesses and reviews the available technology and the possibility of integrating different weapons systems into our ships.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to introduce (a) the Kongsberg missile system or (b) a similar variant to the Royal Navy surface fleet.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy currently has one ship, HMS Somerset, fitted with the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile system. The Royal Navy intend to install this Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare capability to further platforms.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to introduce the Tomahawk missile into the Royal Navy surface fleet.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon programme will decide on the future offensive surface weapon used on Royal Navy surface fleet platforms. This Programme is still in the assessment phase and no decision has yet been taken.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to expand the support available through Jobcentres in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The local Jobcentre team are collaborating with a range of partners to support people into work and employers fill vacancies. In addition to hosting Jobs Fairs and delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS), they are working with Bournemouth and Poole College, BCP Council, Citizens Advice, Faithworks, Seetec Pluss, Aspire Training, Skills & Learning, International Care Network, Parks in Mind, the Boscombe Towns Fund and a plethora of other partners and organisations. We have SWAPs that are either active or planned in Facilities Management, Hospitality, IT and Communications, Education, Construction, Security, Manufacturing, Administration and the Civil Service through a range of local providers.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to fill job vacancies in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Bournemouth East, and across the country, our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into work and helping those in work to progress. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS), recruitment days and Job Fairs.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to purchase precision strike missiles.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) keeps its capability requirements under review to ensure that we have a balanced and affordable capability portfolio which best meets our needs. As part of this ongoing work, the MOD is reviewing elements of its Land Deep Fires Programme, to ensure best Value for Money and the most appropriate military capabilities for the UK now and in the future.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help prevent service personnel from leaving the armed forces after reporting sexual harassment.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.