Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the air strike on Gaza on the night of 12 March on a house killing two children.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, although we remain deeply concerned by the terrible human cost, to both sides, of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have consistently urged both sides to take all measures to prevent the loss of civilian life, and comply with international humanitarian law.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the President of Sri Lanka on (a) the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and (b) the involvement of foreign judges and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes during the Sri Lankan civil war since the last ministerial visit to Sri Lanka.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We regularly discuss progress and developments in Sri Lanka with the government, including on UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution 30/1. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) did so when he met President Sirisena on 12 May and our High Commissioner to Sri Lanka did so on 10 May. I also discussed this with the Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Samaraweera when I visited Sri Lanka in January. We encourage the government to implement fully its commitments to the UNHRC resolution on reconciliation, accountability and human rights, and look forward to the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment of Sri Lanka’s progress in June.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is the Government’s policy to continue to adhere to the European Commission ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides after the UK leaves the EU.

    George Eustice

    Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink and our environment remain in place.

    The priorities for negotiating our exit from the EU will be a matter for the new Prime Minister and their Cabinet.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are putting in place any additional positive vetting and security measures to ensure that the Government’s Brexit strategy and tactics are not leaked by FCO civil servants to the EU or other European governments; and if so, what those measures are.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Under the HMG Security Policy Framework all government departments are required to ensure that their staff have the appropriate level of security clearance for the work they are doing. The FCO is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union, which leads on our withdrawal negotiations with the EU. Both departments have ensured that all relevant staff are properly security-vetted. Both departments have reminded their staff of the need to deal with all sensitive information on restricted channels of distribution, and at the appropriate levels of security.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of protection and conservation of UK coastlines has been over the last five years; and what the projected cost of such protection and conservation will be over the next five years.

    Rory Stewart

    Flood and coastal erosion risk management is devolved in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. In England, over the past 5 years total Government capital expenditure on building and improving defences to provide protection against coastal flooding or erosion was £750 million. In the five years that started in April 2015, £875 million of capital funding has been indicatively allocated for the same purpose.

  • Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when Ministers in his Department were first informed about NHS England’s decision to change the data collected in the 2015-16 Winter Daily Situation Reports; when that decision was taken; and who was responsible for making that decision.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England worked closely with NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA), Monitor (now NHS Improvement) and the Department over the summer to design the approach to winter monitoring. The approach this year is proportionate and risk based whereby trusts who have previously encountered heightened operational pressure are given the most support and are subject to the closest monitoring locally. Less challenged trusts are subject to a lighter touch approach and are required to submit a smaller selection of data items in the daily return. The overall approach was agreed in September by the respective chief executives of NHS England, TDA and Monitor with the Secretary of State for Health.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees from the Syrian conflict resettled in the UK to date have been relocated from (a) refugee camps in Turkey, (b) refugee camps in Jordan, (c) refugee camps in Lebanon, (d) refugee camps in Syria, (e) other refugee camps and (f) a site that is not a refugee camp.

    Richard Harrington

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies and proposes refugees for resettlement under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme from among the whole of the registered refugee population in the region. This includes people in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities.

    The Home Office is committed to publishing data as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The next set of figures will be in the quarterly release on 25 February 2016 and will cover the period October-December 2015. This information will not include details of where refugees have been resettled from.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the self-determination movement in Bahrain that seeks to establish a freely elected government.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Governance of Bahrain is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. We encourage all political parties, to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement. Although we were disappointed by the opposition’s decision to boycott the 2014 elections, we commended the participation of a broad range of candidates which saw 14 independent Shia candidates win seats, of which three were women.

    We regularly discuss reforms with the Government of Bahrain including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. Reform programme activities delivered through the Causeway Institute have used lessons from Northern Ireland to improve community outreach, participation and communication – particularly to a youth audience.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that seven day NHS provision will be accessible in all parts of the country.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government has committed that by 2020 patients with urgent and emergency care hospital needs will have access to the same high quality hospital care at the weekend as they do during the week. This means that these patients will have access to the same level of consultant review, diagnostic tests and treatments seven days a week. Hospitals will deliver this seven day provision for 25% of the population by March 2017, 50% by March 2018 and the rest of England by 2020.

    The Government has also committed that by 2020 everyone will be able to access routine general practitioner appointments at evenings and weekends. NHS 111 will give patients easy, 24/7 access to integrated urgent care services, offering clinical assessment, advice and treatment. A range of professionals will be directly available to speak to callers who need it.

  • Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in ensuring that each person in need of end of life care is offered a care co-ordinator who would be their first point of contact for all their care at the end of life, as recommended in the review What’s important to me: A review of choice in end of life care.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are committed to ensuring that everyone at, or nearing, the end of life receives high quality, compassionate care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

    The Government’s forthcoming response to the independent Review of Choice in End of Life Care, which will be published shortly, will set out our vision for high quality, personalised care and the steps we will take to achieve this. The response will also address each of the Review recommendations, including on care coordination; improving the quality, availability and responsiveness of care; improving the quality and use of data; care planning and the use of digital care records; and the involvement of family members and carers in discussions about care.