The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20663, what the end date is of the contract awarded to Deloitte to support NHS England in the development of clinical commissioning policies.
George Freeman
There is no set end date to the contract. The contract will end once the programme of agreed work is complete, which should be in early summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NICE plans to issue a consultation on a draft update to its guideline on Parkinson’s disease.
George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently expects to consult on its draft updated clinical guideline on Parkinson’s disease between 4 October 2016 and 15 November 2016. The anticipated publication date for the updated guideline is April 2017.
Further information is available at:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-cgwave0698
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he raised the alleged breaches of international humanitarian law outlined in the final report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen with the Saudi Arabian government during his recent visit to Rome.
Mr Philip Hammond
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Saudi government and other members of the military coalition. I raised the issue of IHL compliance on my recent trip to Rome where I had a bilateral meeting with my Saudi Arabian counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir. The Saudis have their own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate such incidents on 31 January.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised the alleged breaches of international humanitarian law outlined in the final report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen with the Saudi Arabian government during his recent visit to Rome.
Mr Philip Hammond
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Saudi Arabian government and other members of the military coalition. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised this issue of IHL compliance on 4 February with the Saudi Ambassador in London. The Saudi Arabian government has its own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate such incidents on 31 January.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has (a) received from and (b) made to the Israeli government on a ruling by a military court on 28 January 2016 ordering the residents of Ern ar Rashash to demolish their homes and vacate the area.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have not received any representations on this issue. While we have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities, we do, however, regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the government of Egypt on the convictions of Islam al-Beheiry and Fatima Naaot in that country for contempt of religion.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of the cases of Islam al-Beheiry and Fatima Naaot and are following both cases closely. We have raised the importance of freedom of religious belief and freedom of expression with the Egyptian authorities on a number of occasions and will continue to do so.
We deplore all discrimination against religious minorities and constraints on their freedom to practise their faith. The Government of Egypt has clearly stated its commitment to protecting the rights of minorities and of the need for religious tolerance; it is important that these rights are respected.
In November 2015, My Rt Hon and noble Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Anelay and I met Non-Governmental Organisations to consider what more could be done to help Christians and other persecuted minorities in the Middle East. I also met with the Secretary for Relations with States within the Holy See’s Secretariat of State to discuss this. In December the UK, in partnership with the Egyptian Grand Imam, launched a new scholarship for Al-Azhar graduates to pursue doctoral studies at British universities. The scholarship aims to promote mutual understanding among a new generation of Muslim and non-Muslim scholars.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Egypt on the imprisonment of Mohammed Hegazy in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are concerned about the case of Bishoy Armia Boulous, formerly Mohammed Hegazy, who was arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in June 2014 for ‘disturbing the peace by broadcasting false information’ after filming clashes between Muslims and Christians in Upper Egypt. We are aware of his continued imprisonment and reports that his treatment whilst in prison has been in breach of his human rights. We have raised his case with the Egyptian Embassy in London and will continue to raise concerns about such cases with the Egyptian authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations on anti-Muslim violence in India to the government of that country.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Prime Minister, my right hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed religious tolerance in India with Prime Minister Modi on 12 November. Mr Modi reassured the British government that he remained committed to diversity and fundamental freedoms. Mr Modi was clear in his commitment to and respect for India’s core values of tolerance and fundamental rights, as well as reaffirming the importance of social harmony and inclusive development. I also discussed concerns about religious tolerance with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on 5 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether there have been any unintentional violations of international humanitarian law carried out by Saudi coalition forces in Yemen.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by all sides to the conflict and take these very seriously. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been breached. As the Saudi Arabian authorities announced on 31 January, they have mechanisms in place to investigate alleged incidents and to learn lessons if things go wrong. The Ministry of Defence also monitors incidents of alleged IHL violations using a range of available information, which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. At this stage, looking at all the information available to us, we have not assessed that there has been a breach of IHL by the coalition, but we continue to monitor the situation closely, seeking further information where appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the House of Representatives in Libya, Tobruk and General Haftar to take over the running of the state of Libya.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK strongly supports the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed at Skhirat on 17 December by the majority of the Libyan delegates to the UN facilitated political dialogue, and by a wide range of representatives of Libyan society, municipal leaders and political parties. The Agreement paves the way for a Government of National Accord (GNA) and was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2259. The House of Representatives, which endorsed the agreement with some reservations on 25 January, has a key role under the LPA. To ensure a lasting peace in Libya, we urge all parties to quickly take the necessary steps outlined in the Agreement, including the agreement of key leadership positions, to create a Government of National Accord based in Tripoli. Only a unified national government can begin the difficult work of establishing effective, legitimate governance, restoring stability and tackling the threat posed by Daesh.