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  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the medium-termhumanitarian,securityand protection risksin the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The humanitarian and security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is extremely poor. The UK is playing a strong role as part of the international community’s response, including through significant humanitarian aid, support to the African Union and EU support missions – the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) and the European Union Force (EUFOR), and co-sponsorship of the UN Security Council Resolution that authorised a UN Peacekeeping Operation (PKO). The UN PKO will deploy in September and will have a comprehensive mandate with an initial focus on protecting civilians. However, CAR represents a challenging environment and there is a clear risk insecurity will continue to affect the population of CAR in the medium term. This would continue to affect CAR’s neighbours, including through refugee numbers.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Responsibility to Protectframework inrelation to the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Warsi

    The UK is committed to the concept of the Responsibility to Protect which was endorsed by all UN Member States in 2005. This included a declaration that the international community should encourage and help states to fulfil their responsibilities to their own populations, and be prepared to take action if a state failed to do so. The UK supports international efforts to protect the population of the Central African Republic (CAR), including through the UN Security Council. This was demonstrated by our co-sponsorship of the UN Security Council Resolution to authorise a UN Peacekeeping Mission in CAR (MINUSCA). MINUSCA will assume responsibility for stabilisation and the protection of civilians from the African Union mission (MISCA) in September, and we are supporting ongoing efforts to ensure a timely and effective transition.

  • Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will define the challenges referred to in the Department of Health’s April 2014 publication Living Well for Longer that they have laid before the drinks industry to reduce alcohol harm to health that is linked to premature avoidable deaths.

    Earl Howe

    In July 2013, the Government set a challenge to the alcohol industry to ask them to do more to reduce alcohol harm through the Public Health Responsibility Deal alcohol network. The challenge was formally set out in the 17 July 2013 Government’s response document Next steps following the consultation on delivering the Government’s alcohol strategy. It says:

    “The Government believes that the alcohol industry can go further to show that voluntary action can deliver the significant changes needed. It is now challenging industry to take action in other areas, increasing their level of ambition and ownership of the issues, to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder and health harms, tackle the harmful effects of binge drinking and to support growth in local economies. This includes seeking rapid action in the following areas: supporting targeted local action; tackling the high strength or high volume products that can cause the most harm; promoting and displaying alcohol responsibly in shops; and improving education around drinking.”

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment NHS England has made of the effectiveness of Local Area Teams in commissioning NHS dental services since April 2013.

    Earl Howe

    We are informed by NHS England that the Direct Commissioning Assurance Framework, which was published in November 2013, sets out the methodology for how NHS England can demonstrate effective use of public funds in commissioning safe, high quality and sustainable services within available resources

    The assurance process is evidence-based and draws on a wide range of information and indicators to assess how well services are being commissioned. The evidence used includes local insight from area teams and wider National Health Service functions. A finance and performance delivery dashboard is also used and dental data is an important component of this. Through this process, NHS England is able to ensure that the delivery of NHS dental services is monitored as an important component of the assurance process and that any concerns are addressed promptly.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to introducing a tax on sugary drinks, in the light of research published in the British Medical Journal in October 2013 that such a measure could reduce obesity in the United Kingdom by 1.3 per cent.

    Lord Deighton

    There are difficulties of principle and practice with using tax instruments to promote public health. Unlike smoking, where any level of consumption can have damaging effects, the consumption of most drinks in moderation can be to the benefit rather than the detriment of an individual’s health. Government is instead working with industry to reduce the nation’s calorie intake.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to increase the number of dental practices piloting the National Health Service’s new contractual arrangements; and what is the timetable for those reforms to be completed.

    Earl Howe

    Decisions on the detailed shape of the next stage have not yet been taken. The forthcoming engagement exercise on the reforms with the dental community is intended to increase awareness of the process and allow an opportunity for the wider dental community to input.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment Public Health England has made of whether the current number of consultants in dental public health is sufficient; and when they expect to make a decision on whether the current 12-month fixed-term contracts will be extended.

    Earl Howe

    Public Health England (PHE) has commenced a review of the number of dental public health consultants required to meet its statutory and non–statutory functions and this will report in the autumn 2014. A decision will be made on the fixed term contracts as part of the review.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 461W, on NHS: insolvency, when he plans to place in the Library the minutes of the meeting on 2 April 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    We plan to place a final copy of the minutes of the meeting on 2 April in the Library in due course, once the terms of reference for the Committee have been finalised.

  • Sarah Newton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sarah Newton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Newton on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will publish the National Pollinator Strategy: for bees and other pollinators in England.

    George Eustice

    After engaging with interested parties over recent months, including holding a public consultation between 6 March and 2 May, we plan to publish the final National Pollinator Strategy this summer.

  • James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Duddridge on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on the Zakhele Remand Centre in Swaziland.

    Mark Simmonds

    We have not received any specific reports about the Zakhele Remand Centre. However, we remain concerned by the human rights situation in Swaziland, including restrictions to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. We call on the Swazi government to respect the human rights of all detainees and the independence of the judiciary. We will continue to work with international partners including the EU, US, Commonwealth and the South African Development Community (SADC) to exert international pressure for change.