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  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government is providing to healthcare systems in countries affected by the Zika virus.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department for International Development is working with the Department for Heath, who are leading the UK government’s response to Zika, and Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This includes supporting the World Health Organisation in galvanising an effective international response.

    DFID is adapting ongoing health programmes to focus on preparing for Zika. DFID has active health system strengthening programmes in many of our partner countries. DFID provides support to the health sector in a number of countries in South East Asia and the Commonwealth Caribbean.

    These programmes aim to build the capacity of health systems to prevent, detect, and treat communicable disease outbreaks. These countries already respond to dengue, which is transmitted through the same vector as the Zika virus.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to support the efforts to find a cure for the Zika virus.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK is supporting and commissioning research to better understand Zika virus, its epidemiology and impacts, with a particular focus on the risk to developing countries, and research into interventions to address this virus. This includes:

    • DFID and Wellcome providing funding to commission Zika research on specific topics including understanding the spread of the disease and variation between Zika strains, the effectiveness of new and existing approaches to vector control.
    • A general call for research proposals jointly issued by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and the Newton Fund for rapid turnaround projects. These studies will include disease surveillance, epidemiology, Zika transmission, research into Zika virus and clinical outcomes.
    • The Department of Health’s UK Vaccine Network funding the University of Glasgow to develop explore a Zika vaccine.
  • Chloe Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Chloe Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chloe Smith on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department measures the effectiveness of spending in the Palestinian territories by UN agencies to which her Department contributes funds.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    In the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) the UK provides funding to a number of UN agencies including the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), UN Women, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). We monitor programmes throughout the year and annually assess their delivery against targets. DFID also monitors its results framework for the OPTs quarterly to ensure results being delivered are in line with those planned.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures for registered intermediaries.

    Mike Penning

    Registered Intermediaries are required to adhere to professional standards as set out in a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics. Instances where performance falls below the required level can be investigated by the Quality Assurance Board which oversees and monitors quality issues and reports to the Ministry of Justice. A number of options are available for the board to take, including disciplinary action where it sees fit.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2015 protocol between the association of chief police officers, the crown prosecution service and HM Courts and Tribunals service to expedite cases involving witnesses under 10 years old.

    Mike Penning

    This Protocol provides additional guidance on support to young witnesses at Court. The protocol came into effect on the 1st April 2015; currently there are no plans to review it.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remote sites for giving evidence in court are open in each region of England and Wales; and what the location is of each such facility.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including child abuse victims, can give evidence from a remote site away from the court environment. There is at least one remote site in each of the seven Regions of Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service in England and Wales, and 21 in total. They are located in Ashburton, Ashford, Barry, Bournemouth, Buxton, Durham, Hemel Hempstead, Ipswich, London East India Dock, London Lewisham, Manchester, Margate, Middlesbrough, Neath, Newcastle, Northwich, Norwich, Sittingbourne, Swanley, Teesside and Welwyn Garden City.

    For those who do not need to give evidence away from the court environment, the court estate is video-enabled so that any victim or witness can give evidence from a court building other than that in which the trial is being held. This ensures the victim or witness does not come into contact with the defendant, their family or their supporters.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

    Dominic Raab

    I refer the honourable lady to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (36288).

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20722, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the published industry estimates used to formulate the announcement about the motor insurance industry in the Autumn Statement 2015.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government received data from numerous sources, and the industry estimates do not differ significantly from other available figures.

    The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders in taking forward the new reforms and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase the level of resources provided to enable those detained to meet the current test for release.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is not able to disaggregate spending on IPP prisoners from spending on all prisoners.

    Supporting IPP prisoners in progressing towards release once they have completed their tariff is a priority. In particular, there is considerable focus on getting IPP prisoners access to any accredited programmes and other interventions designed to help them reduce their risk of harm.

    In December 2014, NOMS established a Progression Regime in closed conditions for IPP and life sentence prisoners who are not eligible for open conditions. This provides such prisoners with an alternative way to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will commission an independent review into the sentencing regime for imprisonment for public protection which will involve those criminal justice agencies that manage the sentence and incorporate the experiences of prisoners and their families.

    Andrew Selous

    The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders 2012, abolished the sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) and introduced a new sentencing scheme for dangerous offenders.

    In respect of IPP sentences already imposed, the government considered that it would not be right or appropriate retrospectively to alter sentences that had been lawfully imposed, particularly because in this case those sentences were imposed with public protection issues in mind.

    Significant numbers of IPP prisoners continue to be released where the Parole Board is satisfied that they can be safely managed in the community, but other prisoners currently remain too high risk to be released. It is a priority for us to help remaining IPP prisoners progress towards release, by ensuring that their parole reviews take place on time, through greater efficiency in the parole process, and by giving their opportunity to complete relevant interventions and work in order to demonstrate reduced risk to the Parole Board.