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  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision by Germany to give refuge to 1,000 Yazidi women and girls freed from Islamic State slavery, whether they will table the Resolution of the European Parliament declaring a genocide against Yazidis and Christians in Syria and Iraq at the UN Security Council.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and other ministers have explained in response to similar questions, it is the long-standing policy of successive governments that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than legislatures, governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of International Humanitarian Law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes. We welcome the European Parliament resolution. However, European Parliament resolutions are not binding and do not create legal obligations on Member States. We have no plans to table this resolution at the UN Security Council.

    Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That’s why the UK is playing a leading role in a Global Coalition of 66 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Russian Federation about the new extradition treaty signed between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation on 2 February, and about the likely impact of the treaty’s provisions on the transfer and readmission of North Koreans who have fled their country and would be deemed to be illegally in another’s territory as a result of the treaty.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government has not made specific representations to the Government of the Russian Federation regarding this treaty.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of North Koreans who work in Russia as labourers or who have entered Russia to escape North Korean human rights violations; and of the potential contravention of Russia’s international obligations and violation of human rights should North Koreans be repatriated from Russia to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We estimate that there are approximately 20,000 – 35,000 workers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the Russian Federation. We do not hold detailed information on the number of DPRK refugees currently in the Russian Federation.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom regarding the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry’s 2014 report on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that persons who are forcibly repatriated to the DPRK are commonly subjected to torture, arbitrary detention, summary execution, forced abortions and other sexual violence; and the Commission’s recommendation that countries should respect the principle of non-refoulement and abstain from forcibly repatriating any persons to the DPRK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not made specific bilateral representations to the Russian Federation Government on the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 February (HL5652), what (1) proportion, and (2) volume, of excavated spoil from each of the HS2 Phase 1 construction sites will be transported from them by (a) rail, (b) road, and (c) river.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Excavated material arising from the construction of Phase One of HS2 will be transported along the construction corridor (site haul) where it is reasonably practicable to do so. Where that is not possible, or for movement along longer distances, the material will be transported by public highway, along designated routes. Where reasonably practicable, rail has been considered for the transportation of large quantities of excavated material over long distances. There are currently no plans to move any of the excavated material by river.

    The approximate quantities and relative proportion of each of these transportation methods, allocated to broad sections of the proposed route is set out in the table below. These figures reflect the assumptions reported in the Environmental Statement deposited alongside the Phase One Bill and, as such, are a plausible worst case in terms of both total volume of excavated material and proportion transport by highway and rail. The project has made a commitment to maximise the amount of excavated material transported by rail and are working to increase the proportion transport by rail and decrease the proportion transported by highway wherever reasonably practicable.

    (All figures are in million tons and movements may include multiple handling)

    Site Haul

    Public Highway Haul

    Rail Haul

    Central London & Metropolitan area

    16.9 (56%)

    4 (13%)

    9.46 (31%)

    Buckinghamshire Northants & Warwickshire Country areas

    72.4 (80%)

    17.9 (20%)

    – (0%)

    West Midlands Metropolitan area

    29.9 (61%)

    18.9 (39%)

    – (0%)

    Total Phase One Routewide

    119.2 (70%)

    40.8 (24%)

    9.46 (6%)
  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the proposal that NHS England will only pay for patients participating in data collection under the new NICE conditional approval route.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have proposed that, where a drug is recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), its entry into the Fund would be subject to the company agreeing to fund the collection of a pre-determined data set, during a period normally lasting no longer than 24 months, and a commercial access arrangement which is affordable within the available CDF budget.

    Access by eligible patients will not be restricted to the number of patients considered necessary for data collection, but any costs for treatment over and above this number will be paid for by the company.

    At its meeting on 25 February 2016, the NHS England Board agreed a way forward which will see the new operating model going live on 1 July 2016.

    The Accelerated Access Review is looking at ways to better use data on treatments and outcomes from initiatives, such as the CDF, to drive innovation, adoption and reimbursement of novel treatments.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what involvement the Prime Minister has had in the formation of proposals for a new Cancer Drugs Fund.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are developing the proposed new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Minister for Life Sciences and the Prime Minister have been kept informed as this work has been progressed.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the anticipated budget impact of the new Cancer Drugs Fund in 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, and 2020–21.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it expects that the impact of the new Cancer Drugs Fund on the 2016–17 budget held within NHS England will be no more than £340 million.

    For future years, NHS England’s aim is to contain the whole budget impact within £340 million over a longer time period, alongside a more structured and timely approach to the appraisal of all cancer drugs.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total budget that NHS England has allocated for the new Cancer Drugs Fund in 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, and 2020–21.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it expects that the impact of the new Cancer Drugs Fund on the 2016–17 budget held within NHS England will be no more than £340 million.

    For future years, NHS England’s aim is to contain the whole budget impact within £340 million over a longer time period, alongside a more structured and timely approach to the appraisal of all cancer drugs.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the Department of Health has to instruct NICE to include a broader assessment of value in its appraisals of cancer medicines.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance on the prevention and treatment of ill health and the promotion of good health and social care. NICE is responsible for its own processes and methodology.

    In 2014, NICE held a three month consultation on proposals for a wider approach to the assessment of value. The diversity of the responses to NICE’s consultation showed that this is a very complex issue. It is critical that stakeholders continue to have confidence in NICE’s work and the Government agreed with NICE that it should not proceed with making the proposed changes to the way it assesses new medicines at that time.

    NICE regularly reviews its processes and methodology and its internationally renowned technology appraisal programme has evolved constantly to meet new challenges. NICE has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changes in the health and care environment, and we expect it will continue to evolve in the future.

    NICE most recently consulted on proposed changes to its technology appraisal methods and processes as part of its joint consultation with NHS England on proposals for a new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).

    The Accelerated Access Review (AAR) is actively engaging with NHS England to ensure alignment between the work of the review on speeding up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF. The AAR is looking at the capability of NICE, NHS England and the Department to support innovative pathways for the assessment, adoption and reimbursement of treatments.