Category: Speeches

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to protect the welfare of vulnerable older people in developing countries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Age features as part of our efforts to leave no one behind and in country level analyses as a key factor in understanding poverty.

    Older people have been specifically included in the Sustainable Development Goals on ending hunger, creating sustainable cities and communities and the means of implementation. As well as this, the requirement to provide disaggregated data to evidence progress against the Sustainable Development Goals will ensure that governments and development agencies can identify those at risk of being left behind and design programmes to lift them out of poverty. The UK was a key player in achieving these goals.

    Many DFID programmes reach and include older people, for example on health systems strengthening, eye care, or specific programmes for the poorest including supporting slum dwellers in Tanzania, or supporting widows resulting from the genocide in Rwanda. DFID has also supported Governments to establish social pensions for older people to ensure that they do not live in poverty.

    Finally, DFID also continues to fund a number of age-specific development programmes which are delivered by Civil Society Organisations in some of the world’s poorest communities to ensure that older people are not left behind.

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

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reasons there are for the recent and proposed closures to road traffic at Allen’s West Level Crossing at Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, and what action they plan to take to minimise any future unplanned and planned closures.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department for Transport and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as its proposals for works at level crossings.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26100, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the £349 million spent in support of Palestinian development from 2011 to 2015 which has gone to support projects which promote coexistence.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The DFID Palestinian Programme supports the HMG objective of protecting the viability of a two state solution. DFID’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories tends to consist of large-scale and strategic programmes that fit within our three priority areas; state building, economic development and alleviating poverty and vulnerability. Through the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the UK continues to support several projects which promote coexistence. These projects include support for the Peres Centre for Peace Training Doctors Programme which brings Israelis and Palestinians together through medical care and training to combat stereotypes and build trust. Additionally we work on projects with youth groups and through sport to encourage engagement between Israelis and Palestinians.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department plans to spend on emergency aid relief in Fiji in response to the recent cyclone in that country.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK is assisting Fiji in response to Tropical Cyclone Winston. We are contributing technical support to strengthen United Nations Children’s Fund capacity with water, sanitation and hygiene coordination and are ready to consider further requests for humanitarian experts should it be required. DFID has also offered to provide support to the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordinations team and will remain in contact with Agencies in the region.

    The UK is also funding MapAction, a UK-based NGO. Two of their volunteers have now deployed to Fiji to provide GIS and Mapping capability. The UK also makes core contributions to the UN Agencies, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department and the Red Cross, all of whom are contributing to the response. Stephen O’Brien, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recently announced US $8 million for Fiji from the Central Emergency Response Fund, to which the UK is biggest contributor, having donated in excess of $855m in the last 10 years.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in the EU structured dialogue with Israel in halting the demolition and confiscation of EU-funded structures in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There has been a significant increase in Israeli demolitions since the start of 2016. The UK and the EU continue to raise concerns about demolitions with the Government of Israel and make it clear that demolitions are contrary to international humanitarian law in all but the most exceptional cases.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate how many jobs have been created in Yorkshire since May 2015.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what services are currently provided for prison inmates with dementia.

    Ben Gummer

    Prisoners with dementia should be offered the treatment and care they require, equivalent to that provided to people with similar needs in the community.

    Health services in prisons are commissioned by NHS England to meet the health needs of prisoners. Every person entering a prison will have an initial health screen at reception where health needs are assessed and where appropriate referrals are made to other services. Prisoners with dementia who also have care and support needs will have these assessed and any eligible care needs will be met by the local authority in which the prison is situated.

    The budget for treating dementia in prisons cannot be reported separately, as the prison healthcare budget is not disaggregated into specific treatment provision or diagnoses.

  • Alan Whitehead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alan Whitehead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the membership of the body which will oversee the proposed review of neonatal services in England; and whether that review will examine (a) admissions rates, (b) length of stay and (c) outcomes by (i) singleton and (ii) multiple pregnancies.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The NHS England Maternity Review, Better Births (published February 2016), made a number of recommendations including a review of neonatal critical care. NHS England’s Women and Children’s Programme of Care and its Neonatal Critical Care Clinical Reference Group (CRG) will take this work forward. The review will focus on a number of themes and variables including admission rates, length of stay, outcomes and pregnancy profiles.

    NHS England’s Women and Children’s Programme of Care Board will oversee the review and will also report progress to the Maternity Transformation Programme. The membership of the team that will oversee the review is not yet finalised, but Dr Peter Wilson, the Clinical Co-Chair of the Women and Children’s Programme of Care Board will be the Senior Responsible Officer.

    Membership is also expected to include the Chair of the Neonatal Critical Care CRG Professor Neil Marlow, Lead Commissioner Natalie Hariram, and National Programme of Care Manager for Women and Children’s Services, Mary Passant, who are currently working on the scope of the review. The review team will also involve all Neonatal Care Operational Delivery Network Managers.

    The Maternity Transformation Programme has asked that the review report initial findings in December 2016.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance his Department provides to local authorities and housing associations for English language courses following the withdrawal of ESOL Plus Mandation funding.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    DCLG provides £8 million funding for the community-based English language programme that supports six projects delivering English courses to adults with the lowest levels of English – with the aim of supporting integrated communities. Delivery is over three years (2013-16) and will reach over 33,500 adults – largely Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali women. In addition, jobseekers on work-related benefits with poor spoken English can continue to access fully funded English Language training through BIS’s Adult Skills Budget.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question HL2604, what the cost to the public purse is of salary, expenses and bonuses of the 3.5 full-time staff who worked under the JSi brand.

    Andrew Selous

    As was stated in the Answer to HL 2604, the 3.5 full time equivalent staff who worked under the Just Solutions International (JSi) brand also worked on other core business within the National offender Management Service. Exact calculations were not made to apportion staff time, salaries, expenses or bonuses on JSi.