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  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to introducing a tax on sugary drinks, in the light of research published in the British Medical Journal in October 2013 that such a measure could reduce obesity in the United Kingdom by 1.3 per cent.

    Lord Deighton

    There are difficulties of principle and practice with using tax instruments to promote public health. Unlike smoking, where any level of consumption can have damaging effects, the consumption of most drinks in moderation can be to the benefit rather than the detriment of an individual’s health. Government is instead working with industry to reduce the nation’s calorie intake.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment NHS England has made of the effectiveness of Local Area Teams in commissioning NHS dental services since April 2013.

    Earl Howe

    We are informed by NHS England that the Direct Commissioning Assurance Framework, which was published in November 2013, sets out the methodology for how NHS England can demonstrate effective use of public funds in commissioning safe, high quality and sustainable services within available resources

    The assurance process is evidence-based and draws on a wide range of information and indicators to assess how well services are being commissioned. The evidence used includes local insight from area teams and wider National Health Service functions. A finance and performance delivery dashboard is also used and dental data is an important component of this. Through this process, NHS England is able to ensure that the delivery of NHS dental services is monitored as an important component of the assurance process and that any concerns are addressed promptly.

  • Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will define the challenges referred to in the Department of Health’s April 2014 publication Living Well for Longer that they have laid before the drinks industry to reduce alcohol harm to health that is linked to premature avoidable deaths.

    Earl Howe

    In July 2013, the Government set a challenge to the alcohol industry to ask them to do more to reduce alcohol harm through the Public Health Responsibility Deal alcohol network. The challenge was formally set out in the 17 July 2013 Government’s response document Next steps following the consultation on delivering the Government’s alcohol strategy. It says:

    “The Government believes that the alcohol industry can go further to show that voluntary action can deliver the significant changes needed. It is now challenging industry to take action in other areas, increasing their level of ambition and ownership of the issues, to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder and health harms, tackle the harmful effects of binge drinking and to support growth in local economies. This includes seeking rapid action in the following areas: supporting targeted local action; tackling the high strength or high volume products that can cause the most harm; promoting and displaying alcohol responsibly in shops; and improving education around drinking.”

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Responsibility to Protectframework inrelation to the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The UK is committed to the concept of the Responsibility to Protect which was endorsed by all UN Member States in 2005. This included a declaration that the international community should encourage and help states to fulfil their responsibilities to their own populations, and be prepared to take action if a state failed to do so. The UK supports international efforts to protect the population of the Central African Republic (CAR), including through the UN Security Council. This was demonstrated by our co-sponsorship of the UN Security Council Resolution to authorise a UN Peacekeeping Mission in CAR (MINUSCA). MINUSCA will assume responsibility for stabilisation and the protection of civilians from the African Union mission (MISCA) in September, and we are supporting ongoing efforts to ensure a timely and effective transition.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    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 medium-termhumanitarian,securityand protection risksin the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The humanitarian and security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is extremely poor. The UK is playing a strong role as part of the international community’s response, including through significant humanitarian aid, support to the African Union and EU support missions – the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) and the European Union Force (EUFOR), and co-sponsorship of the UN Security Council Resolution that authorised a UN Peacekeeping Operation (PKO). The UN PKO will deploy in September and will have a comprehensive mandate with an initial focus on protecting civilians. However, CAR represents a challenging environment and there is a clear risk insecurity will continue to affect the population of CAR in the medium term. This would continue to affect CAR’s neighbours, including through refugee numbers.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have further to support the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) has been crucial in protecting Central African Republic (CAR)’s citizens, and will continue to play a vital role ahead of the deployment of the UN Peacekeeping Operation in September 2014. The UK is providing a strategic communications expert to the African Union (AU) to support the efforts of MISCA, in January contributed £2 million to cover some of MISCA’s basic costs, and works closely with the AU more broadly to build its capacity. We will consider any further requests for support.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to commit troops to the European Union mission to the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The UK will not be contributing combat troops to the European Union’s security operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR). However, the UK has helped EUFOR planning and has provided one Ministry of Defence officer to the Operational Headquarters in Larissa. The UK has also provided airlifts to help with its deployment, and is providing a share of EUFOR’s common costs.

  • 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.