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  • Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grade of Yarmouth on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Iran’s financial and material support for Hamas.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing financial and material support for Hamas and other Palestinian rejectionist groups. The supply of arms to Hamas contravenes the embargo on Iranian arms exports established by UN Security Council Resolution 1747 and undermines prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.

  • Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grade of Yarmouth on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran about the detention of journalists in Iran.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has one of the highest numbers of journalists in prison in the world. News outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. The UK continues to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We last raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October 2014.

  • Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Grade of Yarmouth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grade of Yarmouth on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the policy guidance provided by the Housing Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government on short-term lets in London, whether the proposed restriction of short-term letting of homes to a maximum 90 days in a calendar year will apply only to entire homes or whether the letting of spare rooms will also be subject to the cap.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 provides that a residential premises, and each part thereof, which is used for stays of less than 90 consecutive nights is a change of use, and would therefore require planning permission. Through the Deregulation Bill, the Government is proposing to allow the premises subject to Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 to be let for up to 90 nights per calendar year without applying for planning permission.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that sports centres, theatres and other public places are being adapted to provide for those people who are physically disabled but not necessarily in a wheelchair.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination against disabled people in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Sport England has produced the ‘Accessible Sports Facilities’ guidance note to ensure that providers meet the needs of the widest range of people in the design, operation and maintenance of sports facilities.

    The Arts Council has published guidance called ‘Building Inclusion: Physical Access Guidance for the Arts’ which covers access in relation to all aspects of arts buildings from arrival and circulation to toilets and signage for all users – staff, artists and the public.

    The Arts Council’s current capital programme has focused on repair, renewals and refurbishments including supporting applications that seek to improve physical access. Organisations in the Arts Council’s 2015-18 portfolio will need to provide an Audience Development plan for access for deaf and disabled people as part of the Funding Agreement negotiations.

  • Lord Hoyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Hoyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hoyle on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to end dog fighting.

    Lord De Mauley

    Dog fighting has been banned in this country for over 100 years. It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of £20,000 or both. In addition, the police have powers to investigate allegations of dog fighting as well as powers of arrest against those suspected of being involved in this barbaric practice.

  • Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to work with the political parties in Northern Ireland on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement.

    Baroness Randerson

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in regular contact with the Northern Ireland parties to work with them in implementing the Stormont House Agreement, in addition to the quarterly Implementation Review Group meetings. The Government has also introduced legislation for the devolution of Corporation Tax powers to Northern Ireland which is currently progressing through the other place.

  • Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hay of Ballyore – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve cancer care across the National Health Service and to ensure that National Health Service staff are trained to meet the future needs of cancer patients.

    Earl Howe

    On Sunday 11 January NHS England announced a new independent cancer taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives. It will produce a new cross-system national cancer strategy to 2020, building on NHS England’s vision for improving cancer outcomes as set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View.

    The taskforce will work in partnership with the cancer community and other health system leaders, and will be chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK. It will include cancer specialist doctors and clinicians, patients groups and charity leaders, Public Health England, local council representatives and professional bodies.

    The strategy will set a clear direction covering the whole cancer pathway, from prevention to living with and beyond cancer and end-of-life care, issues such as data, workforce, research and reducing inequalities. It will also consider how services need to develop and innovate in the future. The taskforce will produce a statement of intent by March 2015, with the new strategy to be published in the summer.

    It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and content for education and training and ensure newly qualified doctors, nurses, and other professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high-quality patient care. The General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council set standards for the education of doctors and nurses respectively. The royal colleges have responsibility for developing curricula for doctors and nurses.

    The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service in England. HEE works across disciplines to train staff to deal with patients with all conditions, including cancer.

  • Dominic Raab – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Dominic Raab – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many new jobs have been created in (a) Elmbridge and (b) Esher and Walton constituency since May 2010; and what the effect of such job creation has been on the level of unemployment in each of those areas.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to announce the direct contract awards to (a) First Great Western and (b) East Midlands Trains.

    Claire Perry

    We are currently in negotiation with both operators, in line with the published Rail Franchising Schedule.

    It is anticipated that the Direct Award for the Great Western Franchise will be for three and a half years (September 2015 to March 2019), whilst that for the East Midlands Franchise will be for two years (October 2015 to October 2017).

    Announcements regarding the conclusion of these negotiations will be made in due course.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what due diligence he undertook on the background of Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint before his appointment as a Minister of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and what communications he has had with Lord Green in respect of the accounts of British residents and nationals held by HSBC in Switzerland since 2005 since 7 February 2015.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) on 11 February 2015, Official Report, columns 774-775.