The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries in the Middle East have never received a formal visit from a member of the Royal Family.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I can confirm that every country in the Middle East has received a visit from a member of the Royal Family.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of additional perinatal specialist mental health practitioners that will be needed to meet the additional requirements set out in the Prime Minister’s speech on life chances of 11 January 2016.
Ben Gummer
Health Education England (HEE) is working closely with NHS England to better understand the future workforce commissioning requirements needed to deliver access for all to the right perinatal mental health services.
The HEE Perinatal Mental Health programme aims to ensure that the maternity workforce has access to the right skills and knowledge that will enable them to provide high quality perinatal mental health care from prevention through to treatment for women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. This includes partnership working with stakeholders to meet multi professional education and training requirements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to improve the standard of hazardous waste management in response to the recommendations contained in the assessment of member states’ performance published by the European Commission in January 2016; and if she will make a statement.
Rory Stewart
We welcome the assessment of hazardous waste management across European Union Member States, in particular the recognition of the high levels of support and guidance that UK authorities offer those producing and managing hazardous waste. We are committed to ensuring hazardous waste is managed in a responsible and environmentally sound manner and continue to work in partnership with the waste management industry to achieve this.
We have started a light-touch review of the 2010 Strategy for Hazardous Waste Management in England and will consider the report’s findings as part of that review. We will publish the results of the review later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from (a) schools and (b) colleges on the reduction of knives and other weapons at such institutions; and if she will make a statement.
Karen Bradley
We have received no formal representations from schools and colleges on this matter. However reducing violence and tackling knife crime is a priority for this Government and we are delivering a range of measures to strengthen our response to this issue including strengthening the criminal justice and policing response; strengthening controls on knife sales; building resilience in young people, families and communities; and improving prevention and early intervention.
Last month we supported the Metropolitan Police Service and twelve other police forces who undertook coordinated action against knife crime. This involved targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and use of surrender bins.
We also jointly hosted a meeting with the Metropolitan Police and National Policing Lead aimed at retailers selling knives on 24 February. We want to work with retailers to ensure they are doing all they can to ensure the responsible sale of knives, in particular to under-18s.
But we recognise there is more to do. Last year we introduced the new measure that those convicted of carrying a knife more than once are automatically sent to prison and our new Modern Crime Prevention Strategy will shortly set out measures we are taking to prevent knives from being used on our streets in the first place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families comprised of foreign nationals are claiming housing benefit in the UK.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in identifying the most appropriate means for the short- and medium-term storage of lethal and hazardous nuclear waste.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The UK Government has clear policies for the safe and secure short and long–term management of radioactive waste.
The UK Government published a Policy Statement for the management of Low Level Waste (LLW) in 2007. In accordance with it an updated UK Nuclear Industry LLW Strategy was published by DECC in February 2016. It requires the application of the waste management hierarchy. It means disposal of LLW should be a last resort and waste avoidance, recycling and reuse of waste should be considered first. This will preserve capacity in the UK’s national LLW repository in West Cumbria so it can continue to dispose of the highest priority LLW only.
The policy for higher activity waste is contained in the Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper published by DECC in 2014. The policy is that higher activity waste from nuclear facilities will be held in safe and secure interim storage facilities on nuclear licensed sites until a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) is available for final disposal.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sheikh on 2016-07-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK–Sudan strategic dialogue initiated in March represents a change of approach in foreign policy towards Sudan, and whether that dialogue will continue.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our objectives in Sudan have not changed. The British Government continues to work with its partners to end the conflicts, improve the serious humanitarian and human rights situation and tackle migration. The launch of the strategic dialogue underlines our commitment to discuss these and other issues with the Government of Sudan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Care Quality Commission and (b) Marie Stopes International on the suspension of Marie Stopes’ abortion services in the UK.
Nicola Blackwood
I have met Care Quality Commission (CQC) officials leading on this issue. Departmental officials have had, and continue to have, regular discussions with the CQC and Marie Stopes International (MSI), following the suspension of some MSI services. These discussions have centred on what actions MSI needs to take and what assurances they need to give that they will be able to meet the required standards and quality of service in future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many files held at Swadlincote his Department has made available to the (a) Historical Enquiries Team and (b) Da Silva Review.
Penny Mordaunt
The Historical Enquiries Team and the De Silva Review were able to access any Ministry of Defence file at Swadlincote or elsewhere which was relevant to their functions, but the Department does not record the number of files which were actually inspected or copied over time by members of these teams.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to discuss with the Office for National Statistics the possibility of including in the 2021 Census a provision for respondents to give details about family relationships, marriages and children, similar to information collected in the 1911 Census.
Lord Bridges of Headley
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.