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  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of nurses in Yorkshire in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16; and what funding was allocated for nursing in Yorkshire in each of those years.

    Ben Gummer

    The information requested is not available. The Health and Social Care Information Centre monthly workforce statistics provides data on the number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff working in the National Health Service in England. The latest data is for June 2015 and the data for the Health Education England Region Yorkshire and Humber is provided in the attached table, along with June 2014 for comparison purposes.

    There is no individual funding stream allocated for nursing. Individual NHS organisations are best placed to decide how many nurses they employ.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support carers.

    Alistair Burt

    This Government recognises that our health and care system would not be possible without the invaluable contribution made by the millions of unpaid carers.

    That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include an extended right to assessment and, for the first time, a duty on local authorities to meet carers’ eligible needs for support.

    We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role.

    In May 2014, NHS England published its action plan NHS England – Commitment to carers, it includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, which include raising the profile of carers, including young carers.

    The Department is also leading on a new National Carers Strategy that will consider evidence around the economic impact of caring as well as also review international and national best practice on what support works best for carers.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2015 to Question 8139, what (a) correspondence and (b) meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had with Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust on patients being admitted to private facilities outside Lancashire in 2014.

    Ben Gummer

    There has been no such correspondence or meetings. These are operational matters for the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the members of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe who were appointed on 10 November 2010; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    Details of participation in sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe by members of the UK Delegation are published on the Parliament website:

    http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/delegations/coe2/membership1/

    The work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is reflected in adopted recommendations, resolutions and opinions which are in the public domain. The UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is recognised within the Assembly as one of the more active and influential delegations, contributing effectively across a range of issues on the Assembly’s agenda, in plenary and within the supporting committee structure. The UK Delegation also engages beyond the Assembly in other Council of Europe bodies and as part of Assembly missions deploying to Member States including for election observation.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will set out the record of attendance and participation in sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its committees by those hon. Members of the UK delegation who were appointed to the Parliamentary Assembly on 10 November 2010.

    Mr David Lidington

    A new UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was appointed on 10 November 2010 following the 2010 General Election, to provide a balanced reflection of the representation in the UK parliament, in accordance with the Statute of the Council of Europe. Details of participation in sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its committees by hon. Members of the UK delegation are published on the Parliament website:

    http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/delegations/coe2/membership1/

    This includes lists of members and in respect of the periods 2010-13 , 2013-2014, and 2014-15, their party affiliations and European political groupings. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House. I am pleased to note that the UK’s delegation has a strong record of attendance.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in negotiations with the EU on addressing the level of duties imposed on cane sugar imported into Europe; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    During negotiations of the reforms the UK Government argued for a fair and balanced outcome for all parts of the sugar industry. Disappointingly, there was insufficient support from other Member States to secure the necessary changes on imports to allow the cane sector to compete on a level playing field with the beet sector. However, we remain committed to working with the European Commission to address this issue through forthcoming EU trade agreements and other measures as required.

    As part of this strategy, Defra Ministers pressed the EU Agriculture Commissioner to prioritise sugar imports as part of the recent EU negotiations with South Africa. Those negotiations have now completed and include enhanced market access for sugar imports which we expect to be available when the trade deal is signed and ratified next year. The UK also supports duty free and quota free (DFQF) imports of sugar from Least Developed Countries (LDC) through the EU’s Everything But Arms scheme and from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which have signed Economic Partnership Agreements. Continued access to DFQF sugar from Fiji was secured last year through application of their trade deal with the EU. The UK will continue to support ACP and LDC countries to maintain their preferences into the EU market until the sector is fully liberalised.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Israeli/Palestine peace process of Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the United Nations on 30 September 2015.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    President Abbas’ speech at the 2015 UN General Assembly underlines the urgent need for progress towards a two state solution. We urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work together to meet their obligations under the Oslo Accords. We also encourage Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue with their existing security cooperation. I was encouraged to hear that President Abbas reiterated his commitment to this cooperation when he spoke, on 9 October, to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the implications for his Department’s advice on travel to Egypt are of the accidental killing of foreign tourists in that country on 13 September 2015.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As stated in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Advice for Egypt, in September 2015 Egyptian security forces mistakenly killed 12 members of a tour group, including 8 Mexicans, in the Western Desert area of Al-Wahat.

    Before the incident, FCO Travel Advice already advised against all but essential travel to this area of the country. After the incident, we made a factual update to the Travel Advice in order to make British Nationals aware of the incident, so they are able to make an informed decision on travel to the area.

    We keep our travel advice under constant review, based on robust and up to date information and analysis from our experts in country.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to assist Middle East countries in learning lessons from Tunisia in overcoming political instability.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As Tunisia continues to demonstrate, long-term stability can only be achieved through peaceful dialogue and building legitimate and inclusive institutions. We are using our diplomatic influence, practical programming assistance, training and capacity building to support other countries in the region to do this. Through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), we are working to tackle conflict and support reforms to build more open and inclusive government. Middle East and North Africa’s £136m allocation (for FY 15-16) supports projects in areas such as conflict management, security sector reform and civil society capacity building. Our £6m (for FY 15-16) Arab Partnership Fund for Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia supports the development of legitimate and inclusive institutions, including civil society, parliaments, media and judiciaries. The UK also works with international partners through the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy and the Deauville Partnership to support political and economic development programmes in Arab Countries in Transition, aimed at fostering longer term prosperity and stability.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-10-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made on human rights in China.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and outline a range of our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

    Bilaterally, we are one of only a few countries to maintain an annual human rights dialogue with China: the most recent dialogue was in Beijing in April. Ministers also consistently raise human rights issues. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised the matter of detained lawyers during his visit to China in August. I raised concerns over a proposed draft non-government organisation law with Ambassador Liu Xiaoming in June.

    We also make representations through international mechanisms. In a statement to the Human Rights Council on 21 September, the UK made clear that it remained concerned by reports of the detention of human rights lawyers since 9 July 2015, and urged the Chinese authorities to release these lawyers.