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Tag: 2014

  • Jim Dobbin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Dobbin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dobbin on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the fairness of the hearing of Asiya Noreen Bibi sentenced to death in 2011 at the provincial Lahore High Court.

    Hugh Robertson

    We receive regular reports on the case of Mrs Bibi and others facing charges of blasphemy in Pakistan and we are aware that a numbers of NGOs and other governments follow her case closely. We remain concerned about the case of Asia Bibi and would urge the courts in Pakistan to ensure a fair and swift hearing of her appeal due later this month.

  • Diane Abbott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diane Abbott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2014-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 17 September 2012, Official Report, column 512W, on torture, what the result of the audit was; if she will publish the audit; what training requirements were identified by the audit; whether that training has been delivered; if she will publish the training materials; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    An audit of casework relating to reports made under Rule 35 of the Detention
    Centre Rules 2001 began in April this year and will be completed in June. The
    findings of the audit will be made available later in the summer and will be
    used to identify good practice and areas for improvement.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    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 impact of the crisis in the Central African Republic on the Building StabilityOverseas Strategy.

    Baroness Northover

    The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) has highlighted the importance of the cross-government approach set out in the Building Stability Overseas Strategy (BSOS), including rapid response, upstream prevention, and working in partnership with others in the international system. BSOS remains a core strategy for HMG’s work in fragile and conflict-affected states.

    In alignment with this, the UK continues to support international efforts to restore peace and security to CAR, some of which is funded by the Conflict Pool’s Early Action Facility, which was created to support BSOS. We have provided logistical support to the French Operation Sangaris and £2m in non-lethal support to the African-led International Support Mission to the CAR (MISCA). The UK has committed £23m in humanitarian support to CAR since July 2013, funding a range of NGOs and UN agencies to provide access to protection, food, water, shelter, health and sanitation.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average compensation payment ordered in employment tribunal cases relating to discrimination on the grounds of religion was by the religious belief of the complainant in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I am answering these questions together.

    Data on highest compensation awards for discrimination jurisdictions for the last five years are set out in Tables E6 to E10 of the latest Official Statistics release published by the Ministry of Justice, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013.

    Data on average compensation awards in race discrimination and religious discrimination claims are set out in Tables E6 and E9 of that publication, respectively.

    Information on the nature of complaints upheld, and the type of race or religion relevant to individual claims, is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost following a manual trawl of all relevant tribunal files. The records retention and disposal schedule applicable to such tribunal files also means that information covering each of the last five years would not be held.

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many calls were made to the National Domestic Violence Helpline in 2013; and how many such calls mentioned use of (a) any weapon and (b) a firearm.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office provides funding to the National Domestic Violence Helpline,
    which is run jointly by Women’s Aid and Refuge. Latest management information
    provided by Women’s Aid and Refuge sets out that in the first half of financial
    year 2013/2014 (April -September 2013), the National Domestic Violence Helpline received
    78,894 calls.

    This data does not provide information on the number of calls that mention the
    use of any weapon or firearms.

  • Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place a copy of the Beloff Review on UK asset recovery in the Library.

    Karen Bradley

    Internal Government advice is not published and therefore we do not intend to
    place a copy of Mr Beloff QC’s opinion in the Library. The Government’s Serious
    and Organised Crime Strategy sets out how we will amend our legal powers to
    make it harder for criminals to move, hide and use the proceeds of crime.This
    has been informed by legal opinion on, and lessons learned from, the work of
    the Arab Spring Asset Recovery Task Force.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Highways Agency is responsible for lighting on the strategic road network and local authorities for street lighting in their areas. It is for the authorities themselves to decide the level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver.

    No recent research has been undertaken by the Department for Transport on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians. The Department does, however, collect accident data and this will include factors including whether or not the area was in darkness or lit.

    In　2006 investigations were carried out by the Highways Agency which concluded road lighting reduced the number of night-time personal accident injuries on the strategic road network by 10% on motorways & dual carriageways, and 12% on single carriageway roads. The Highways Agency has not conducted any specific research on the impact of road lighting on accidents involving pedestrians due to their low numbers on the strategic road network.

    Where the Highways Agency has undertaken the switching off of lights at midnight at certain site locations, these were subject to a detailed safety assessment. By selecting sites with a good safety record and where night-time traffic flows are low, the Highways Agency is confident there will be no adverse impact on road safety.

    This Government is providing over £4.5 billion from 2010 to 2015 to local highway authorities in England for highways maintenance, including street lighting. If a local highway authority is considering upgrading or improving their street lighting stock, the Department for Transport encourages them to consider the "Invest to Save" Guidance produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) which is available from the Institution of Lighting Professionals.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the President of Honduras about human rights abuses in Honduras.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Government has consistantly engaged with Honduran authorities on the issue of human rights. Soon after the new President of Honduras took office in January this year, representatives from the British Embassy met senior Honduran officials, including the Attorney General and the Commissioner for Human Rights. Our Embassy has since continued this dialogue with the appropriate Honduran authorities, including raising specific cases highlighted by a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Most recently, Her Majesty’s Ambassador wrote to the newly appointed Human Rights Ombudsman and the Attorney General to highlight our ongoing human rights concerns. An official from the Crown Prosecution Service also travelled to Honduras in February to assess whether UK expertise can be used in support of EU work, to develop capacity in tackling impunity for human rights violations and abuses.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in England and Wales have been arrested following the issue of a warrant by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each year since 2010.

    Damian Green

    Arrest warrants issued by the Police Service of Northern Ireland are a devolved
    matter and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

  • Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Ollerenshaw on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to prevent over-prescribing or mis-prescribing of psychotropic drugs to prisoners.

    Norman Lamb

    Information on the number of prisoners who are prescribed a particular medicine or class of medicine is not collected centrally, nor are data held relating to prescription items dispensed in prisons.

    NHS England commissions all pharmacy services in prisons in England. It is responsible for the quality of service and for ensuring that good practice guidelines are followed in relation to the prescribing, safe use and treatment following withdrawal of psychotropic drugs treatments, including benzodiapines and Z-drugs. Where healthcare professionals have concerns about prescribing decisions in relation to psychotropic drug treatment in prisons, they should record these as medication safety incidents and report them to the local medicines management committee for possible further investigation. NHS England commissioners also require healthcare providers to report these incidents in patient safety contract monitoring.

    Prison pharmacy services currently follow guidelines set out in A Pharmacy Service for Prisoners, issued by the Department in 2003. NHS England is currently reviewing this guidance, and updated guidance will be published in due course. A copy of the current guidance has already been placed in the Library.

    Detailed guidance on benzodiazepine detoxification for prisoners is included in Clinical Management of Drug Dependence in the Adult Prison Setting, published by the Department in 2006. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Clinicians are expected to follow this and other relevant guidance such as that published by the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Secure Environments Group on Safer Prescribing in Prisons.