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  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the crisis in the Central African Republic on the Building StabilityOverseas Strategy.

    Baroness Northover

    The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) has highlighted the importance of the cross-government approach set out in the Building Stability Overseas Strategy (BSOS), including rapid response, upstream prevention, and working in partnership with others in the international system. BSOS remains a core strategy for HMG’s work in fragile and conflict-affected states.

    In alignment with this, the UK continues to support international efforts to restore peace and security to CAR, some of which is funded by the Conflict Pool’s Early Action Facility, which was created to support BSOS. We have provided logistical support to the French Operation Sangaris and £2m in non-lethal support to the African-led International Support Mission to the CAR (MISCA). The UK has committed £23m in humanitarian support to CAR since July 2013, funding a range of NGOs and UN agencies to provide access to protection, food, water, shelter, health and sanitation.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Randerson on 26 March (WA 124) and 3 April (WA 226), and by Lord Bates on 6 May(WA 410–11), whether they have any plans to reconsider the scope of Lady Justice Hallett’s inquiry into on the runs or to assess its possible impact on the judicial, financial or community processes.

    Baroness Randerson

    The Government has no plans to reconsider the scope of Lady Justice Hallett’s inquiry, nor to assess the impacts on the judicial, financial or community processes.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Randerson on 26 March (WA 124) and 3 April (WA 226), and by Lord Bates on 6 May (WA 410–11), in the light of the scope of Lady Justice Hallett’s inquiry into on the runs, what role they envisage for the Northern Ireland Office, the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in that inquiry.

    Baroness Randerson

    As noted in earlier written answers, the inquiry will have full access to files held by the Government; government officials who are requested to appear will be expected to do so. The inquiry may also interview key individuals from the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the police and any others where those individuals are willing. The Northern Ireland Office is providing appropriate support to the inquiry team, as its’ sponsoring department.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the work done on the Kajaki Dam project in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Kandahar Helmand Power Project to enhance the electrical power output of the Kajaki Dam is not funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), but by the US Agency for International Development and the US Army Corps of Engineers. The MOD is therefore unable to provide a thorough estimate of costs. In 2008, the UK’s 16 Air Assault Brigade provided protection for the movement of a turbine to Kajaki. By the end of 2014, the project aims to deliver reliable, sustainable electricity to around two million people in Kandahar and Helmand, and to support the continued development of the regional South-East Power System (SEPS) power grid.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of deaths from (a) liver disease and (b) viral hepatitis which were preventable in the last year for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    Liver disease registered as the underlying cause of death, accounts for 2% of all deaths in England and 3% if all mentions are counted. Viral liver disease is registered for less than 0.1% of all deaths.

    The main liver viral hepatitides are; A, B, C, D, E. Occasionally, other viruses cause hepatitis. Most people with hepatitis clear the virus after an acute infection. Death from acute viral hepatitis is very rare, a very small number of patients will be referred for liver transplantation. A proportion of deaths from chronic hepatitis B maybe preventable by vaccination and treatment. A proportion of deaths from chronic hepatitis C may be preventable by antiviral therapies. A significant proportion of hepatitis B and C is acquired outside the United Kingdom and therefore it is important to identify people carrying the viruses and offer treatment and vaccination to the close contacts of people with chronic hepatitis as appropriate.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel were in the Army Cadets in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2014.

    Anna Soubry

    On 1 January 2014 there were 1,422 members of the Army Cadet Force and 598 members of the Army Combined Cadet Force in Northern Ireland.

    In addition there were 397 Adult Volunteers.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel were in the Sea Cadets in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2014.

    Anna Soubry

    On 1 January 2014 there were 257 Sea Cadets in Northern Ireland, 22 of whom were Royal Marine Cadets.

    In addition there were 157 Adult Volunteers.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations to the BBC Trust in support of publishing the salaries of all BBC staff earning more than £100,000 per annum.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    There are no current plans to make representations to the BBC Trust on ensuring the publication of the salaries of BBC staff. The BBC annually publishes the salaries and total remuneration for those earning £150,000 and over, and discloses the pay of all of its senior managers. Information about BBC staff, including salaries and expenses, can be found on the BBC’s websitehere.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/seniormanagement/

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance he has offered to the Nigerian authorities to resolve the continued abduction of girls from the North East of that country.

    Mark Simmonds

    In the days following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, we have offered our assistance to the highest levels of the Nigerian government. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April immediately after the abductions and offered the UK’s assistance.

    On 7 May the Prime Minister, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), spoke to President Jonathan and offered to send a team of UK experts to Abuja. The President accepted and the team, led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), arrived in Abuja on 9 May. The team will provide expertise in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, military mentoring and training, victim support and economic development. Human rights compliance is, and will remain, an essential element of any UK assistance in Nigeria. I visited Nigeria on 14 May, and reiterated our support with President Jonathan.

    We are coordinating closely with international partners. An FCO team was in Washington on 5 May for talks with the US on Nigeria. Our expert team in Abuja will be coordinating closely with a US team also in Abuja. We are also speaking to the French and are encouraging other EU partners to lend their support. Given Boko Haram’s exploitation of Nigeria’s porous borders and indications that some of the girls may have been taken to Cameroon or Chad, we are engaging with Nigeria’s neighbours.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the involvement of the Somali group al Shabaab in attacks in Kenya.

    Mark Simmonds

    Al Shabaab issued public threats against Kenya following its military intervention in Somalia in 2011. A number of terrorist attacks in Kenya since then have been attributed to Al Shabaab, including the September 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping centre in which 67 people were killed. We are aware of the media reports that Al Shabaab were behind the recent attacks in Kenya.