The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.
Mr Nick Hurd
I refer the my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the cabinet Office today to UIN: 36288
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Farrelly on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether the Government is on target to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020.
Alistair Burt
The indicator within the Public Health Outcomes Framework brings together the range of information on levels of preventable sight loss in a single place.
The indicator is made up of four sub-indicators which are measuring the crude rates of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and of the rate of sight loss certifications per 100,000 population.
The latest data published by the Public Health Outcomes framework show that there were the following new certifications of visual impairment in 2013/14:
– 11,055 for age related macular degeneration, a decrease of 90 from 2012/13;
– 3,432 for glaucoma, an increase of 141 from 2012/13;
– 1,563 for diabetic eye disease, a decrease of 29 from 2012/13; and
– 22,911 overall new certifications (all causes), an increase of 264 from 2012/13.
Early detection is essential to tackling preventable sight loss. A range of treatment and services are in place in the National Health Service to deal with the key causes of preventable sight loss.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to prevent discrimination against people with dyslexia in the Armed Forces.
Mark Lancaster
Dyslexia is one of four specific learning difficulties (SpLD, including dyspraxia, dyscalculia and scotopic sensitivity syndrome) recognised by the Armed Forces which are not a bar to recruitment or service in the Armed Forces, as long as all applicable recruitment, training and job performance standards are met in full. SpLD are viewed by the Armed Forces as naturally occurring differences in learning that, through targeted support and the implementation of coping strategies, can generally be successfully mitigated. Many dyslexic Armed Forces personnel are enjoying successful careers.
Individuals affected by SpLD are eligible for specific support which may include reasonable adjustments to training and working environments. SpLD is recognised as being an issue that is principally and proactively managed by the individual, supported where necessary by their Chain of Command and not a condition which should draw undue attention, impractical or unmanageable special measures or stigma.
Detailed policy guidance on SpLD is accessible at unit level through Joint Service Publication (JSP) 898 ‘Defence Direction and Guidance on Training, Education and Skills’. In addition, the single Services have trained SpLD advisors who can offer advice, guidance and a range of strategies to help individuals get the support they need. These advisors administer the dyslexia adult screening test (DAST) to assess personnel once a trainer, trainee, line manager or member of the Services suspect dyslexia. The test is not mandatory; it is administered only with the individual’s consent. The DAST result will determine whether further specialist assessment by an educational psychologist is required and also provide a profile of strengths and weaknesses which will support any necessary remedial training programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the budget is for projects in (a) Israel and (b) the Palestinian territories within the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (i) in 2016-17 and (ii) as projected for 2017-18.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
(i) The total allocation for 2016-17 for both Israel and the OPTs is £7m. It is not separated into individual, distinct budgets as some of our projects and implementing partners deliver simultaneously in both (a) and (b).
(ii) We do not yet have a projected budget for 2017-18 so cannot provide this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisons provide naloxone for prisoners upon release in England; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
There is no national programme that provides naloxone for at-risk prisoners on their release. The decision of whether or not to provide naloxone to prisoners on release is the responsibility of Health and Justice commissioning teams within NHS England’s area teams and other local stakeholders, including local authorities and clinical commissioning groups. The information on how many prisons provide naloxone for prisoners upon release in England is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the reasons for delays in the full implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland.
Mark Lancaster
Since the launch of the Armed Forces Covenant in 2011 the Ministry of Defence has worked closely with Northern Ireland Government Departments, Service charities and other groups to build on existing measures to support the Armed Forces Community. In 2013, the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs reported that, less some specific areas, Covenant measures were being applied in Northern Ireland.
I acknowledge that the Armed Forces Covenant does not enjoy the same level of awareness or appreciation in Northern Ireland as in other parts of the UK. However, I am clear that every effort is being made to implement the Covenant against the particular nuances of the Northern Irish political and legal environment. The Ministry of Defence and other parties work tirelessly to ensure good relationships help develop improved understanding of specific needs and I have been impressed by the way in which solutions to these needs are generated in a focussed and professional manner. Such provision is fully commensurate with the aims and objectives of the Covenant, whether it is branded as such or not.
Service personnel in Northern Ireland are well-catered for under the auspices of the Covenant and are at no particular disadvantage, although more work is needed to identify the needs of those within the veterans community. This work is ongoing, well-resourced, and fully recognised as activity provided within the scope of the Armed Forces Covenant.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on compensation for thalidomide survivors in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Lidington
At a meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust on 11 January, I agreed to raise with the German Ambassador the Trust’s request for a further meeting with the German authorities. I wrote in these terms to the Ambassador on 4 February.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the UK is intending to take steps to ensure that effective benchmarks for extractive-sector governance are included on the agenda for the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016 will consider progress against the Self Reliance through the Mutual Accountability Framework agreed between the National Unity Government and the international community in September 2015. This Framework includes an objective to improve the investment climate and a commitment on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Responsible development of the extractives sector is a UK priority. We are supporting the Government to strengthen legal frameworks, contract management and fiscal regimes, and to implement the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress on implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia.
Mr Philip Hammond
Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created in 2005 and concluded in 2010 when it presented its final report. The Government of Liberia has taken some steps to implement the recommendations of the Commission, notably launching the Strategic Roadmap for National Healing, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation in 2014. A key plank of that Roadmap has been the launch of the “Palava Hut Programme”. This draws on a traditional approach to reconciliation whereby those implicated in the civil war meet with affected communities to agree a resolution. However, obstacles to implementation of the Commission’s recommendations remain. As one of the main contributors to the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s Peace Building Fund, which funds the "Palava Hut Programme", the UK will continue to press for progress on the Commission’s recommendations, including in the context of UNSC discussions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.
David Mundell
I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today to UIN 36288.