Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2024 to Question 15935 on Hamas: UNRWA, whether he received evidence from (a) the Israeli government, (b) other governments and (c) third parties that workers for the UN Relief and Works Agency were (i) complicit and (ii) participants in the Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UN Secretary-General has commissioned two independent investigations; one by the Office for Internal Oversight Services, and one on UNRWA neutrality policies and systems, which is being led by Catherine Colonna. We are following these investigations closely. We continue to urge Israel and all parties with relevant information to cooperate fully.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2024 to Question 18508 on Oldbury Power Station and Wylfa Power Station: Land, who undertook the independent valuation; and whether the commercial value of land adjacent to decommissioned reactors was taken into account as part of that valuation.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Independent valuations of the land were conducted by Knight Frank. The inherent characteristics of the land as well as the previous development work which make the land suitable for consideration for nuclear development informed the valuation of the sites.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2024 to Question 15935 on Hamas: UNRWA and with reference to his oral contribution of 27 February 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 155, what evidence his Department received from Israel on the allegations against the UN Relief and Works Agency; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Israel's cooperation with UN investigations into those allegations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the heinous 7 October attack against Israel.
We have urged Israel to cooperate fully with these investigations.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to paragraph 4.53 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, how much land the Government is acquiring in its purchase of the (a) Wylfa and (b) Oldbury-on-Severn sites; what method the Government used to estimate the value of each of those sites; and what criteria the Government used to determine the sites to be purchased.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Wylfa and Oldbury sites have inherent characteristics that make them suitable for consideration for nuclear development. Those characteristics, the previous development work and the terms of agreement were all factors in progressing with the purchase. Independent valuations were obtained for both sites and the purchase secures access to approximately 600 acres at Wylfa and approximately 400 acres at Oldbury.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2023 to Question 6847 on Green Deal Scheme: Appeals, how many Green Deal Scheme appeals in each Scottish constituency have been waiting for a final decision for (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) four years, (e) five years and (f) six years or more.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The numbers of complainants who have been waiting for one year, two years, three years, four years, five years and six years or more, by Scottish Parliamentary Constituency, are as follows:
Years | ||||||
Parliamentary constituency | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Airdrie and Shotts | 2 | 1 | ||||
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | 1 |
|
| 1 |
|
|
Central Ayrshire | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 |
East Ayrshire | 1 | |||||
East Dunbartonshire | 2 | |||||
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
East Lothian | 2 | |||||
East Renfrewshire | 2 | |||||
Edinburgh East | 2 | |||||
Edinburgh North and Leith | 1 |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Edinburgh South | 1 | 1 | ||||
Falkirk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Glasgow Central | 1 | |||||
Glasgow East | 1 | 1 | ||||
Glasgow North | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
Glasgow North East | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
Glasgow North West | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
Glasgow South | 1 | |||||
Glasgow South West | 1 | |||||
Glenrothes | 1 | 1 | ||||
Inverclyde | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
Kilmarnock and Loudoun | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Linlithgow and East Falkirk | 1 | 1 | ||||
Livingston | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Midlothian | 1 | |||||
Motherwell & Wishaw | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
North Ayrshire and Arran | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
Ochil and South Perthshire | 1 | |||||
Paisley and South Renfrewshire | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
|
Rutherglen and Hamilton West | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
West Dunbartonshire | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2024 to Question 15936 on Israeli Settlements, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning trade of goods from settlements on the West Bank.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. Our position is that only Israeli goods originating from the State of Israel will be covered by the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Palestinian goods originating from the West Bank and Gaza will continue to benefit from the terms of the UK-Palestinian Authority FTA. Goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank will be covered by neither FTA.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle medicine shortages.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I know how distressing medicine shortages can be for patients and their families. The Department works with the pharmaceutical industry, NHS, MHRA and others and uses a range of tools to help manage issues, such as securing supplies from alternative manufacturers, expediting deliveries and where necessary, enabling use of different products.
Supply disruption is unfortunately a common issue affecting countries around the world. Whilst issues can’t always be prevented, in the vast majority of cases they can be managed with minimal disruption to patients.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2024 to Question 12605 on Overseas Trade: Morocco, what value of goods was (a) imported from and (b) exported to the occupied territory of Western Sahara in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 23rd February is attached.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on the potential involvement of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff in the attacks in Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. We are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna, who is leading the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General, to produce a rapid interim report. We have urged Israel to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the recent announcement on Israel's intentions relating to the construction of additional settlement units in the West Bank.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The recent announcement of plans to build over 3000 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank is deeply concerning. The UK position on settlements is clear and longstanding. They are illegal under international law. We have repeatedly called for Israel to halt settlement expansion.