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  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessments he has made of the reasons for the increase in excess winter mortality rates in England in the winter of 2014-15.

    Jane Ellison

    The increased excess deaths in 2014-15 coincided with the circulation of a strain of flu, A(H3N2), that particularly affects older people. Cold snaps and other respiratory infections may also have contributed to an increase in excess mortality. There was evidence also that the flu vaccine provided reduced protection due to some drift of the circulating A(H3N2) virus.

    These observations were not unique to the United Kingdom, with 14 other European countries also reporting an increase in excess mortality. Throughout the last decade, there has generally been a good match between the strains of flu in the vaccine and those that subsequently circulate, highlighting the importance of flu vaccination for at risk groups, including older people and also the childhood flu vaccine programme, which when rolled out, aims to provide protection for both children, but also the general population.

    Public Health England has no such data available for North East England.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 January 2016 to Question 15523, what assessment he has made of the credibility of assurances by Saudi Arabia that it is in compliance with international humanitarian law in the conflict with Yemen.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UK’s support for military action is contingent on adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Ministry of Defence monitors alleged IHL violations, using available information, which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations. We keep compliance under constant review. We are also offering advice and training to Saudi Arabia to demonstrate best practice and to help ensure continued compliance with IHL. I raised the issue of compliance with IHL during my October visit to Saudi Arabia. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 January 2016 to Question 15523, what assessment he has made of whether incidents of alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen have been investigated fully by each party involved in that conflict.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UK’s support for military action is contingent on adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Ministry of Defence monitors alleged IHL violations, using available information, which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations. We are also offering advice and training to Saudi Arabia to demonstrate best practice and to help ensure continued compliance with IHL. We are aware of reports on alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) in Yemen by the Coalition and take these very seriously. We are also concerned by reports of alleged IHL violations by Houthi-Saleh and pro-government forces and again take these very seriously. The UK government has regularly raised with the Saudi Government the need to comply with IHL in Yemen and we continue to engage with them on this. I raised the issue of compliance with IHL during my October visit to Saudi Arabia. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL. It is important that open and transparent investigations are conducted into all incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been breached. We welcome the public announcement by Saudi Arabia to establish a fact finding committee into the alleged airstrike on MSF mobile clinic in Taiz on 2 December.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to page three of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015, as revised in October 2011, what legal challenges to the mandatory death penalty his Department has been involved in involving (a) UK citizens and (b) non-UK citizens in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Lidington

    Using a range of funding tools, principally the Human Rights and Democracy Programme Fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has, since 2010, funded a number of non-governmental organisations to mount legal challenges to the use of the death penalty abroad both in specific cases and on matters of general principle. We do not fund the private legal costs of British nationals facing the death penalty, but we can refer cases to the FCO’s pro bono legal panel, where appropriate, to provide advice to the British national in question and their local lawyer on an entirely pro bono basis.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on whether any members of the Burmese army who have received training from the Government have been involved in military offensives in which war crimes have allegedly been committed against civilians.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We do not provide combat training to the Burmese army. We do provide educational training which in 2015 included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership Programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English Language Training. We hold no information on whether any specific members of the Burmese Army who have received training from the UK have been involved in offensives in which war crimes may have been allegedly committed.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Executive Summary of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015, as revised in October 2011, what steps his Department is taking to help impose further restrictions on countries which continue to practise the death penalty as part of their judicial process; and what progress on the imposition of such restrictions has been made to date.

    Mr David Lidington

    The British Government published in 2014 “Guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance” which controls and restricts the supply of justice sector assistance to countries which retain the death penalty. The Government has also successfully urged the European Commission to introduce regulations banning the export of any equipment or chemicals intended to carry out executions.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Appendix Four of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-15, as revised in October 2011, how his Department ensures that the EU minimum standards referred to are met in countries which maintain use of the death penalty as part of their judicial process.

    Mr David Lidington

    We urge all states to introduce a moratorium on use of the death penalty. We urge those which continue to impose the death penalty to respect EU and UN standards; to reserve the death penalty for the most serious crimes, that is, for nothing less serious than murder; to ensure that proper process is followed including opportunities for appeal and clemency and not to execute those who committed crimes when under 18, pregnant women or people with learning difficulties. The Government makes representations when these standards are not respected and urges reform. We fund projects which aim to increase compliance with these standards and actively support the abolitionist work of the UN and the EU, including through adoption of moratoria.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to page 3 of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015, as revised in October 2011, what bilateral agreements his Department promotes between the Government and the government of Saudi Arabia on reducing the number of executions carried out as part of that government’s judicial process.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The British Government remains firmly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including Saudi Arabia. The death penalty undermines human dignity and there is no evidence that it works as a deterrent. We continue to remind the Saudi authorities of our views on the death penalty at every suitable opportunity.

  • 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 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Laos on the treatment of the Christian minority in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We raise human rights concerns on a regular basis with the Lao government both bilaterally and through multilateral fora. As part of Laos’ Universal Periodic Review process starting in January 2015, and the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in November 2015, we raised concerns regarding restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to look for opportunities to work with the Lao government to implement its human rights obligations and commitments, including those regarding respect for the rights of religious minorities.

  • 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 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implementation to date of the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action on the Iranian nuclear programme.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Following Adoption Day in October, Iran has been undertaking the nuclear actions required under the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action, including recently shipping 12.5 tonnes of enriched uranium to Russia. Iran has almost completed removing the necessary 13,000 centrifuges and put plans in place to remove the core of the Arak plutonium reactor. The International Atomic Energy Agency will verify that Iran has undertaken all of the necessary steps to trigger Implementation Day.