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  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made to further develop clean water programmes in sub-Saharan Africa in the last 12 months.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    In 2014/15, DFID provided access to clean water for 5.8 million people including 2.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. These were some of the almost 63 million people in Africa and Asia that DFID supported to gain access to water and sanitation between 2011 and 2015. We are currently formulating our new portfolio to deliver on the UK government’s commitment to help a further 60 million people get access to clean water and sanitation by 2020. We expect sub-Saharan African countries to feature significantly including continuation of programmes in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two programmes designed to meet our previous commitments, a programme with UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Results Programme, will continue to deliver results until early 2016, including in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of progress in implementing the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Action Plan.

    Mr David Gauke

    The G20 Leaders endorsed the package of measures developed under the ambitious G20/OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project at the Antalya Summit, 15-16 November 2015.

    The UK has already taken action to implement two of the internationally agreed BEPS outputs with domestic legislation to introduce country-by-reporting and rules to address hybrid mismatches.

    Several BEPS outputs need to be implemented through changes to double tax treaties. Over 90 countries are working with the OECD to develop a Multilateral Instrument, which will simultaneously update their bilateral treaties. The UK chairs the group, which is scheduled to complete its work by the end of 2016.

    The G20 has called on the OECD to develop a framework by early 2016 to monitor the implementation of the BEPS project globally involving all countries that commit to implement the BEPS outputs.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce a further savings bond for people over 65.

    Harriett Baldwin

    65+ Guaranteed Growth Bonds were a special issue aimed at helping pensioners who rely on their savings in retirement. There are currently no plans for a further issue.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will direct the civil contingencies secretariat to ensure there is liaison with the devolved nations on best practice procedures in its area of practice.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat routinely works with the devolved administrations, including in the sharing of best practice. They are represented on official-level governance boards that cover all the key areas of resilience, including risk assessment, protection of critical national infrastructure, and capability planning. There are also established arrangements in place for linking the UK Government’s emergency co-ordination structures with those in the devolved nations, to ensure a co-ordinated response.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the numbers of sham (a) marriages and (b) civil partnerships since March 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    Since the marriage referral scheme commenced on 2nd March 2015, the number of marriages considered to be a sham has reduced slightly although these numbers are too small to indicate any trend.

    Referrals under Section 24 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and allegations have remained stable since March.

    From the data extract it is not possible to determine if a notification under the scheme relates to a Civil Partnership or a Marriage as the referrals are identical.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to establish the veracity of recent reports that the North Korean government has capacity for a hydrogen bomb making facility.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We assess that the size of the seismic event caused by the 6 January nuclear test conducted by North Korea (DPRK) was not indicative of a successful two-stage thermonuclear test (commonly known as a hydrogen bomb). However, as the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has said in his Written Ministerial Statement on 13 January, this activity was a clear violation of four UN Security Council Resolutions, and we are working with other UN Security Council members on a further Resolution.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people aged between 15 and 18 took their own lives in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    The information is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the number of deaths by suicide in people aged 15-29 in the United Kingdom between 2011 and 2013. 2013 is the latest year in which statistics are available.

    Age-specific deaths by suicide (15-29 years): males and females, United Kingdom, 2011 to 2013

    Year

    Deaths (Males)

    Deaths (Females)

    Deaths (Total)

    2011

    844

    259

    1,103

    2012

    862

    214

    1,076

    2013

    797

    180

    977

    Notes:

    1. In the United Kingdom, suicide is defined as deaths given an underlying cause of intentional self-harm or injury/poisoning of undetermined intent.

    2. Figures include deaths of non-residents.

    3. Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

    Source: Office for National Statistics, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, National Records of Scotland

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what system of monitoring is in place to ensure that local authorities meet their duty to commission open access, confidential services for sexually transmitted infections and contraception.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s Framework for Sexual Health Promotion in England (2013) sets out our ambitions and objectives to improve sexual health for all people. It takes account of the commissioning arrangements from 2013 including the new role for local authorities (LAs) as commissioners of most sexual health services. Later this month Public Health England (PHE) will undertake a survey of local commissioning arrangements for sexual health. It has also produced sexual health and reproductive health profiles to help LAs and others monitor the sexual and reproductive health of their populations and the performance of local public health related systems.

    It is for LAs to decide on what research and evidence they need to inform their tenders for sexual health and reproductive health services in line with procurement requirements and good practice. In 2014 PHE published Making it Work, a guide to commissioning for sexual health across the whole system, to improve the sexual health of both individuals and the wider public.

    We have made no formal assessment of the effect on sexual health services of reductions in the Public Health Grant to LAs for 2015/16, although PHE continues to monitor relevant outcomes data for every LA in England. Decisions on local public health spending are a matter for LAs. They are mandated by legislation to commission open access sexual health services that meet the needs of their local population. Officials meet regularly with sexual health organisations who would raise any concerns if LAs were not meeting their mandatory requirements for sexual health services.

    The Framework for Sexual Health Improvement includes as a priority reducing unwanted pregnancies and highlights the need to increase access to long acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods and emergency contraception for women of all ages. We have no plans to evaluate the effect on general practitioner surgeries of LA commissioning of LARCs.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will publish an accountability structure of the responsibilities regarding sexual and reproductive health for each government department and arm’s length body.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is responsible for overall policy on sexual health in England. We work collaboratively with all relevant arm’s length bodies on issues linked to sexual health and we also maintain good working relationships with other government departments on issues relating to sexual health. Accountability structures for each organisation are already in the public domain.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evaluation he (a) has made or (b) plans to make of the effect of local authority commissioning of long acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) in primary care on the number of GP surgeries offering LARC fitting and removal.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s Framework for Sexual Health Promotion in England (2013) sets out our ambitions and objectives to improve sexual health for all people. It takes account of the commissioning arrangements from 2013 including the new role for local authorities (LAs) as commissioners of most sexual health services. Later this month Public Health England (PHE) will undertake a survey of local commissioning arrangements for sexual health. It has also produced sexual health and reproductive health profiles to help LAs and others monitor the sexual and reproductive health of their populations and the performance of local public health related systems.

    It is for LAs to decide on what research and evidence they need to inform their tenders for sexual health and reproductive health services in line with procurement requirements and good practice. In 2014 PHE published Making it Work, a guide to commissioning for sexual health across the whole system, to improve the sexual health of both individuals and the wider public.

    We have made no formal assessment of the effect on sexual health services of reductions in the Public Health Grant to LAs for 2015/16, although PHE continues to monitor relevant outcomes data for every LA in England. Decisions on local public health spending are a matter for LAs. They are mandated by legislation to commission open access sexual health services that meet the needs of their local population. Officials meet regularly with sexual health organisations who would raise any concerns if LAs were not meeting their mandatory requirements for sexual health services.

    The Framework for Sexual Health Improvement includes as a priority reducing unwanted pregnancies and highlights the need to increase access to long acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods and emergency contraception for women of all ages. We have no plans to evaluate the effect on general practitioner surgeries of LA commissioning of LARCs.