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  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP retention in the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group area; and what steps he is taking to improve GP retention.

    Alistair Burt

    We are advised by NHS England that it commissioned the Essex GP Workforce Audit in autumn 2014 to define the extent of the general practitioner (GP) recruitment and retention problem in Essex, including the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

    In response to the audit’s findings, the Essex Primary Care Inter-Professional Centre for Workforce Development was launched in September. This has been developed by the Essex Workforce Group (comprising NHS England, local CCGs and Health Education England) to address the ongoing difficulty in recruiting, developing and retaining GPs, practice nurses and primary care staff in Essex. The centre will act as a ‘resource, networking and support hub’ and has a website allowing primary care staff to access training opportunities and mentoring opportunities through which they can develop their skills and careers.

    Nationally, we understand that NHS England is working with partners, including the Royal College of GPs and Health Education England, to increase GP numbers, reduce bureaucracy and use the skills of other healthcare professionals, such as community pharmacists, to ensure high-quality, and, above all else, safe, patient care.

    On 26 January, NHS England announced a £10 million investment to boost the GP workforce. The money will be used to recruit new GPs, retain those who are thinking of leaving the profession and encourage doctors to return to general practice, to better meet the needs of patients now and for the future.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure the provision of high quality urgent care in Brighton and Hove.

    Jane Ellison

    The provision of urgent care is the responsibility of NHS England, which is currently reviewing nationally urgent and emergency care and proposes a fundamental shift in the way urgent and emergency care services are provided, delivering more care closer to home where clinically appropriate.

    The review is now within its implementation phase. A key aspect of this implementation is the establishment of Urgent and Emergency Care Networks (UECNs).

    NHS England has developed a suite of tools and guidance to support implementation of the review, including advice on the role and establishment of UECNs.

    In the hon. Member’s constituency, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertook a two-day unannounced inspection of urgent and emergency services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital during June 2015. The CQC published the report of this inspection on 23 October 2015 and rated urgent and emergency services inadequate at this hospital.

    The CQC expect the Trust to regularly report, in a single and standard approach, the improvements in quality to all stakeholders through the risk summit process.

    Following the CQC report publication, the Trust will take the following actions:

    – Changes to the Emergency Department floor;

    – Improving ward processes;

    – Hospital Rapid Discharge Team will review support packages with patients and their family when they first arrive in the Emergency Department; and

    – The opening of additional beds at the Princess Royal Hospital.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors have requested a certificate of current professional status in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The information requested is not held centrally. Information from the General Medical Council is available about the number of doctors that have been issued certificates of current professional status in each of the last five full calendar years. This is shown in the table.

    Year

    Number

    2010

    4,352

    2011

    4,832

    2012

    5,163

    2013

    5,142

    2014

    4,925

    Source: General Medical Council

  • David Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Jones on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Israeli authorities on the attempted murder of the Palestinian activist, Mustafa Barghouti.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Palestinian, rather than Israeli, security forces are responsible for security in Ramallah, and have opened an investigation into the attack. Our Consul-General to Jersualem spoke to Dr Barghouti following the attack to relay our concern. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said in a press statement on 9 October, "We condemn all acts of violence, including attacks by Palestinian and by Israeli settlers. We urge all sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the tensions and avoid actions that threaten to exacerbate the situation."

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on strengthening cultural links between Russia and Scotland.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK and Russia have a long history of cultural collaboration that encourages and strengthens people-to-people links.

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the annual ‘Days of Scotland’ cultural festival in Russia, and is hosting a reception at the Consulate General in St Petersburg this year. FCO officials have discussed Scotland’s cultural and and people-to-people links with Russian Government officials.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Russian government on cultural events.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK and Russia have a long history of cultural collaboration that encourages and strengthens people-to-people links.

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the annual ‘Days of Scotland’ cultural festival in Russia, and is hosting a reception at the Consulate General in St Petersburg this year. FCO officials have discussed Scotland’s cultural and and people-to-people links with Russian Government officials

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Burmese Rohinga people.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I visited Rakhine State for the second time in July, during my visit to Burma. While there, I met representatives of both Rakhine and Rohingya communities, visited camps for the internally displaced, viewed projects we are supporting, and raised our serious concerns about the treatment of the Rohingya at senior level, with both local and central Burmese government.

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government considers that Burma’s Rohinga minority are subject to genocide.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    It is clear that the Rohingya are being persecuted and denied the most basic rights in Rakhine. Any judgment on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.

    Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, irrespective of whether they fit the definition of specific international crimes. I and other Government Ministers take every appropriate opportunity, both publicly and in private, to press the Burmese authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation of the Rohingya.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his European counterparts encouraging them to oppose Lithuanian government plans to erect a convention centre in the Jewish cemetery in Piramont, Vilnius; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is aware of plans announced by the Lithuanian Government to renovate the Soviet-era Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, located in the Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery. The existing building on the site has been left derelict for some time. The Chairperson of the Jewish Community in Lithuania has been clear in her public support for the renovation, stressing that the current site is run-down and at risk otherwise of further deterioration. It is the Governement’s understanding that there will be no significant structural changes and that only the interior will be renovated for use as a centre for conferences and cultural events. The surrounding area will be maintained as a memorial park. The Lithuanian Prime Minister has said that all Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania would be memorialised and marked by the end of 2017. We welcome his commitment to working alongside the Jewish Community of Lithuania and the international Jewish community on this renovation. The Lithuanian government has also said it will discuss the renovation with the Israeli government.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on concluding the trial of five men accused of murdering three Christian missionaries in 2007.

    Mr David Lidington

    Her Majesty’s Government has previously condemned this shocking attack in Malatya and welcomed the Turkish Government’s determination to bring the perpetrators to justice. We continue to monitor this case and human rights developments in Turkey closely, including through regular bilateral discussions with our Turkish counterparts.

    We continue to encourage Turkey to work towards meeting EU standards on all human rights, especially in the areas of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and minority rights, including tackling hate crimes. We also fund a number of projects with minority groups in Turkey, including religious communities, aimed at promoting their inclusion.