The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency is undertaking an investigation into defeat devices used by Volkswagen in emissions tests.
Rory Stewart
The Government has announced a UK programme to retest vehicles including Volkswagen vehicles, led by the regulator for vehicle emissions. This is the Vehicle Certification Agency, not the Environment Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make the meningitis W vaccine available to all people on the NHS.
Jane Ellison
Immunisation against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y (MenACWY) was added to the national immunisation programme in August 2015 following advice from the expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), in response to the rising number of meningococcal group W (MenW) cases.
The JCVI advised routinely offering MenACWY conjugate vaccine to teenagers aged around 14 years, and a catch-up programme to vaccinate all teenagers aged 14 to 18 years of age. This is because teenagers are the main carriers of the meningococcal bacteria, and so vaccinating this group should not only provide direct protection against MenACWY for teenagers who are at increased risk of meningococcal disease but, since teenagers are the main carriers, will also reduce meningococcal carriage rates and offer indirect protection for the rest of the population in the longer term.
The JCVI is keeping the situation under review, but has not advised vaccination of additional groups at this time. On the basis of this advice, we do not have any plans to offer MenACWY vaccination to other age groups at this time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the ability of homeless people to access addiction services; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
The ministerial working group on homelessness report ‘Addressing complex needs – improving services for vulnerable people’ (2015) highlighted significant levels of substance misuse among the homeless population. Homeless people often have multiple health needs, and the report showed how vulnerable people can become trapped in a cycle of homelessness because of their overlapping and complex problems.
Improving access to specialist substance misuse services for homeless people can also help to facilitate access to the help they need to find accommodation. This includes both in-house services and onward referral routes to external organisations, such as local authority housing services or other housing support services.
Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities to help them understand better the needs of homeless people with addictions, in addition to working with key stakeholders such as the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health and membership organisation Homeless Link. PHE commissioned Homeless Link to carry out a rapid evidence assessment of homelessness prevention. PHE has also supported Homeless Link to update the Homeless Health Needs Audit toolkit, an important tool that can help areas understand the scale and nature of homelessness, the health inequalities experienced by single homeless people, and to monitor any changes in the health of this population. It is designed to be used by anyone with responsibility for carrying out needs assessments, designing and commissioning services, or delivering services within a health or homelessness setting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with local councils on their housing Syrian refugees.
Richard Harrington
The expansion of the scheme needs careful and meticulous planning to ensure we get it right. Local authorities will play a vital role as we look to harness the strong offers of support and assistance from across the UK.
This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept refugees on a voluntary basis. We are working closely with those local authorities that have indicated they wish to be involved as well as with the Local Government Association.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complainers have had agreed special measures applied in court in cases of (a)childhood abuse and (b) domestic abuse in the last five years.
Mike Penning
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service does not collect this data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on his Department’s rail electrification programme.
Andrew Jones
Since 2010, the Department has overseen the successful delivery of 50 miles of electrified track as compared to the ten miles which were delivered in the 13 years from 1997 to 2010. Electrification between Liverpool and Manchester, and Liverpool and Wigan, was completed earlier this year.
The work to electrify and upgrade the North TransPennine has resumed, as announced on 30 September 2015 by the Secretary of State. When the North of England electrification programme is finished, the whole route from Liverpool to Newcastle (via Manchester, Leeds and York) will be fully electrified.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of jobseeker’s allowance by people who are eligible.
Priti Patel
The Department does all it can to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and how to claim them, through its information providing services.
Advice is available in different languages and formats, and across multiple locations. In addition to Jobcentre Plus offices, these include local authorities, law centres, Citizens Advice, post offices, doctors’ surgeries, libraries, the internet, community groups, welfare rights groups, advice centres, and various voluntary organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Scottish Government on the potential effects of the provisions of the Trade Union Bill in Scotland.
Anna Soubry
The Minister for Skills in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has had an exchange of correspondence on the Trade Union Bill with Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Fair Work, Skills and Training.
On 8 October, he also had a telephone conversation with Ms Cunningham that covered the Bill.
On 7 September, he also met with the Scottish Trade Unions Congress to discuss the Bill.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical support they have offered to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro as transit and recipient states of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
On September 23, the Prime Minister, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), pledged £3.1 million of aid to Western Balkans countries affected by the migration crisis, to cover both humanitarian and border management assistance. The funds form part of a wider UK pledge of nearly £115 million, most of which is being put towards lifesaving aid in Syria and its neighbouring countries. The funds will go through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to support projects in transit countries most affected, chiefly Serbia and Macedonia, and to support the UN agency’s regional office in Sarajevo. The £3.1 million will also support activities of the International Organisation of Migration in both Western Balkans transit countries, to further strengthen the response of host governments to the migration crisis. In addition, on 13 October, the UK despatched blankets, sleeping bags, and roll mats to Serbia for up to 11,000 vulnerable people as winter approaches.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the bulldozing of agricultural land owned by Palestinian farmers near the city of Nablus in the West Bank to open new roads to connect Jewish outposts and settlements south of the city.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
While we have not made any representations on this specific issue, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue of demolitions with the Israeli Ministry of Defence Director of Political-Military Affairs on 21 October. The British Government has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlement activity. The UK position is clear:- settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and take us further away from a two state solution.