Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Libyan Investment Authority and (b) his counterparts at the UN on the potential variation of the terms under which Qadhafi-era assets are frozen in the UK.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Libyan assets in the UK were frozen in 2011 under UN Security Council Resolution 1973, at the request of the Libyan authorities. We are not aware of any formal request by the Libyan Investment Authority to the UN to vary the terms under which assets are frozen. No recent discussions have taken place.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether compensation payments for Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland are taken into account in establishing eligibility to claim (a) housing benefit, (b) universal credit and (c) pension credit in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) England.
Answered by Will Quince
The Housing Benefit, Pension Credit and Universal Credit schemes in Northern Ireland are matters for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
With regard to Great Britain, currently, payments made from the scheme would be treated as capital sums, with those sums taken into account in the calculation of all of the benefits mentioned above.
Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Treasury officials are working together on how payments from the scheme should be treated in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to Written Statement WS168 made on 18 March 2020, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the legacy of the troubles which focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and ensures that Northern Ireland veterans are treated as fairly as those who served overseas. We are committed to making progress on this as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to consult (a) the new Government of the Republic of Ireland, (b) victims groups and (c) individuals on the proposals set out in his Written Statement of 18 March 2020 WS168 on Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government remains committed to making progress on legacy issues, and engaging with the Irish Government, the Northern Ireland parties and victims groups on the way forward, as quickly as possible. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises the importance of working with all parts of the community in Northern Ireland as part of this process.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he had the Government of the Republic of Ireland prior to the publication of his Written Statement of 18 March 2020 WS168 on Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland spoke to the Irish Government and all party leaders before the Government’s Written Ministerial Statement was published on 18 March. Engagement has also taken place with the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland parties since 18 March.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which (a) victims groups and (b) individuals he has consulted since the publication of his Written Statement of 18 March 2020 WS168 on Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues.
Answered by Robin Walker
I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer I gave on 8 July 2020 (UIN 68732).
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Written Statement of 18 March 2020, HCWS168, Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, which (a) victims groups and (b) people he has consulted on the content of that statement since that statement was published.
Answered by Robin Walker
Since the Written Statement of 18 March 2020, HCWS168, Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, the department has undertaken a number of engagements with groups funded under the Victims and Survivors Service’s Victims Support Programme, at both ministerial and official level. The department has also engaged with the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, the Victims and Survivors Service Board, and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, as well as a range of individuals from across civic society and academia. Engagement has also taken place with the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland parties.
The UK Government remains committed to making progress on legacy issues as quickly as possible, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises the importance of engaging with stakeholders, including victims groups, who represent all parts of the community in Northern Ireland as part of this process.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what process needs to be followed by local authority areas which would like to achieve unitary status.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Devolution White Paper to be published this Autumn will set out our transformative plans for economic recovery and renewal, and for levelling up opportunity, prosperity, and well-being across the country. These plans will include restructuring our local institutions to deliver these outcomes, establishing more mayors and more unitary councils the populations of which will depend on local circumstances but as a rule of thumb are expected to be substantially in excess of 300k-400k. Under current legislation it is open to the Secretary of State, subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval, to implement if he thinks fit any unitary proposal submitted by a council in response to an invitation which any council may request. In considering a unitary proposal the Secretary of State expects to have regard to the extent it is likely to support the delivery of the outcomes sought in the White Paper.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department will use to assess bids to establish a unitary authority; and whether unanimity of affected local authorities is required.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Devolution White Paper to be published this Autumn will set out our transformative plans for economic recovery and renewal, and for levelling up opportunity, prosperity, and well-being across the country. These plans will include restructuring our local institutions to deliver these outcomes, establishing more mayors and more unitary councils the populations of which will depend on local circumstances but as a rule of thumb are expected to be substantially in excess of 300k-400k. Under current legislation it is open to the Secretary of State, subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval, to implement if he thinks fit any unitary proposal submitted by a council in response to an invitation which any council may request. In considering a unitary proposal the Secretary of State expects to have regard to the extent it is likely to support the delivery of the outcomes sought in the White Paper.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the minimum population size required is to form a unitary authority.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Devolution White Paper to be published this Autumn will set out our transformative plans for economic recovery and renewal, and for levelling up opportunity, prosperity, and well-being across the country. These plans will include restructuring our local institutions to deliver these outcomes, establishing more mayors and more unitary councils the populations of which will depend on local circumstances but as a rule of thumb are expected to be substantially in excess of 300k-400k. Under current legislation it is open to the Secretary of State, subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval, to implement if he thinks fit any unitary proposal submitted by a council in response to an invitation which any council may request. In considering a unitary proposal the Secretary of State expects to have regard to the extent it is likely to support the delivery of the outcomes sought in the White Paper.