Blog

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) transgender and (b) transsexual prisoners are placed in prison accommodation that is appropriate to their gender.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Prison Service Instruction 07/2011 sets out NOMS policy on the care and management of prisoners who live or propose to live in the gender other to the one assigned at birth. Prisoners are normally placed according to their legally recognised gender. However, the guidelines allow room for discretion and senior prison staff will review the circumstances of every case in consultation with medical and other experts in order to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the person concerned along with the safety and wellbeing of other prisoners.

    A review of the current policy on transgender and transsexual prisoners began earlier this year and revised policy guidance will be issued to reflect NOMS’ responsibilities to transgender offenders in the community as well as in custody. The intention is to implement the guidance early in the New Year.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will reduce the (a) bureaucratic burden and (b) cost of the fee structure for the gender recognition certificate.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government takes gender equality issues very seriously and has actively contributed towards the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s inquiry into transgender equality. The Government will consider the recommendations of the inquiry once they become available.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review the requirement for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in the application criteria for the gender recognition certificate.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government takes gender equality issues very seriously and has actively contributed towards the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s inquiry into transgender equality. The Government will consider the recommendations of the inquiry once they become available.

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review the adequacy of his Department’s guidance on the care and management of transsexual prisoners.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Prison Service Instruction 07/2011 sets out NOMS policy on the care and management of prisoners who live or propose to live in the gender other to the one assigned at birth. Prisoners are normally placed according to their legally recognised gender. However, the guidelines allow room for discretion and senior prison staff will review the circumstances of every case in consultation with medical and other experts in order to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the person concerned along with the safety and wellbeing of other prisoners.

    A review of the current policy on transgender and transsexual prisoners began earlier this year and revised policy guidance will be issued to reflect NOMS’ responsibilities to transgender offenders in the community as well as in custody. The intention is to implement the guidance early in the New Year.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects the consultation on the review of driving offences will be launched.

    Andrew Selous

    Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones, which is why tough sentences are available to the courts. Further information about the driving review will be available in due course.

    As a result of this review, the independent Sentencing Council have paused their review of sentencing guidelines.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the sentencing council has made on producing guidelines for sentencing serious motoring offences; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones, which is why tough sentences are available to the courts. Further information about the driving review will be available in due course.

    As a result of this review, the independent Sentencing Council have paused their review of sentencing guidelines.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support women’s reproductive healthcare in Liberia.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Since 2008 DFID has been supporting the Government of Liberia to deliver health services and has committed over £28m. This includes an additional £6m funding announced at the UN conference on post-Ebola recovery in July 2015.

    Roughly half of our funding is specifically targeted towards health services for women and children, including during pregnancy and for childbirth, and to purchase drugs including contraceptives and other family planning products.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to promote steps to tackle HIV/Aids; and if she will make a statement.

    Grant Shapps

    The UK remains firmly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals agreed in New York in September, including the target to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. We are already working towards this goal not only through our substantial support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, but also through our work with UNITAID and the Clinton Health Access Initiative to make testing and treatment more accessible and affordable.

    We will continue to concentrate on the critical gaps in reducing new infections, particularly among women and girls and key affected populations while continuing to address the barriers that limit access to treatment. These include strengthening health systems and tackling the broader structural drivers of the HIV epidemic such as stigma and discrimination, and gender inequality.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to encourage the European Commission and the World Bank to promote road safety in their infrastructure funding; and if she will make a statement.

    Grant Shapps

    Road traffic injuries cost developing countries an estimated 1-2% of their gross national product, equivalent to over US$100 billion annually, with a widening of the disparity between advanced and developing countries. Road accidents kill an estimated 1.3 million people and injure up to 78 million people each year.

    DFID is committed to supporting the international community to reach the Sustainable Developments Goals, including Goal 11 which includes improving Road Safety as one of its targets.

    DFID recently increased its funding to the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) hosted at the World Bank and will contribute £4.5 million between 2013 and 2017. The GRSF provides funding, knowledge, and technical assistance that lever road safety investments into transport sector programmes.

    We also work with the European Commission through the Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund for financing transport projects. Through our role on the Global Road Safety Facility and our work on transport with Multilateral Development Banks we require all such projects to include stronger components on road safety.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, published on 28 October 2015, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report; and what steps her Department is taking to contribute to the global eradication of tuberculosis.

    Grant Shapps

    We welcome the publication of the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2015, which reports on the challenges and achievements that have been made in tackling this terrible disease. The report highlights the threat of drug-resistant TB and makes the case for new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to achieve the targets in the End TB Strategy.

    The UK Government continues to be committed to tackling this disease, which was demonstrated by our support for the new Global Goal for Good Health and Well-Being. This includes helping to increase the access to, and use of, effective diagnostics and treatment of TB, including drug resistant TB. The UK delivers on its commitment through different channels, including supporting research and product development into more effective diagnosis, treatment and vaccines; helping countries to strengthen health systems to deliver quality TB programmes; and through our support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNITAID. The Global Fund has enabled 13.2 million people to receive TB treatment since 2002.