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  • Jim Sheridan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Sheridan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Sheridan on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the president of Sudan regarding the death sentence given to Meriam Yehya Ibrahim.

    Mark Simmonds

    The President of Sudan is indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and has refused to cooperate. In common with other EU countries, we have a policy of having no contact with fugitives from the ICC unless it is essential. However, we have raised Meriam’s conviction in the strongest terms with Sudanese Ministers, including by summoning the Chargé d’Affaires to the Foreign Office on 19 May, at the request of the Foreign Secretary. Immediately following her conviction, I released a statement describing her conviction as barbaric and calling upon the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution. The Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, my Hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Ms Featherstone), also raised this issue with the Foreign Minister of Sudan on 20 May.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment rates among (a) South Asian populations, (b) homeless people, (c) injecting drug users and (d) other at-risk groups.

    Jane Ellison

    The commissioning of local Hepatitis C services, including bespoke services for homeless people or other at-risk groups, is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England expects that decisions made by local CCGs will take account of the needs of their local populations.

    A range of materials has been published to help CCGs commission relevant services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on improving uptake of testing and diagnosis for hepatitis C in risk groups. Public Health England has published a commissioning template to support commissioning of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment services. Guidance for commissioning bespoke services for homeless people has been published by the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.

    The Department supports the Inclusion Health programme which champions the health and health care of vulnerable groups, including homeless people. The programme seeks to improve the health data for these groups, and set out practical steps for assessing needs (e.g. through Joint Strategic Need Assessments) and commissioning services. We are also involved in funding work in this area through the Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund to improve hospital discharge arrangements for people who are homeless (£10 million 2013-14) and £40 million capital fund for hostel refurbishment with a focus on improving health outcomes (2014-15).

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 3778W, on Syria, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.

    Mr William Hague

    The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.

    The functional destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria’s failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many commissions he has extended for Royal Navy officers at or between level QF2 to QF4, who were officers before 1999, to address a lack of suitably qualified and experienced personnel.

    Anna Soubry

    Extensions of Service for Royal Navy Officers are not made by Ministers but are a matter for the Royal Navy. However, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of families that would be eligible for support for childcare costs under the provisions of the Childcare Payments Bill in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle constituency.

    Nicky Morgan

    The information requested is not available.

  • Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the review of design and technology GCSE/GCE examination specifications will bring those examinations in line with the revised national curriculum for design and technology.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The GCSE and GCE Awarding Organisations are leading on developing new design and technology GCSEs and A levels. They are ensuring that the content builds on and is in line with the revised design and technology national curriculum.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average annual cost is of a place in a new Secure College.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Government’s vision for Secure Colleges was set out on 17 January 2014 in its response to the consultation paper “Transforming Youth Custody”. Secure Colleges will place education at the heart of custody, and equip young people with the skills they need to turn their lives around.

    The current average cost of a place in youth custody is around £100,000 per annum, with some places costing in excess of £200,000. Secure colleges will achieve ongoing savings by operating at a significantly lower cost per place than the current average, while allowing withdrawal from more expensive and inefficient provision.

    The MOJ will not publish estimates of the annual cost per place until the operator competition for the Secure College has been completed, to avoid prejudicing the effectiveness of the competition.

  • Michael Dugher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Michael Dugher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests was consulted as part of the review by the Cabinet Secretary of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Cabinet Secretary will respond to the hon. Member on this matter shortly. I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the proposed target to promote formalisation of informal sector and employment in the upcoming Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports formalisation of informal sector activities and employment. Language on this is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

    The final goals and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department gives to landowners to enable regeneration of land through the burning of heather and moorland.

    George Eustice

    The Department does not support landowners in England to regenerate land through the burning of heather and moorland. However, various agri-environment schemes provide financial support for the positive environmental management of the uplands, including moorland.