The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any UK service personnel are embedded or otherwise stationed in (a) Ethiopia and (b) Chad.
Mr Mark Francois
The UK has a small number of Service personnel deployed to Ethiopia in roles including diplomatic representation, defence engagement, liaison and training.
No UK Service personnel are currently embedded or otherwise stationed in Chad.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 383W, on Energy Companies Obligation, what progress he has made on publishing proposals on the form, level and date for a new fuel poverty target in England; and when he expects to publish those proposals.
Gregory Barker
The Government is preparing proposals on a new fuel poverty objective for England in line with the provisions of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer.
Jane Ellison
The NHS England Specialised Commissioning team introduced nationally developed service specifications for a range of areas, including prostate cancer, during 2013-14. Prior to 2013, prostate cancer was routinely commissioned by primary care trusts, and as such an assessment of the changes in the level of access to prostate cancer treatments since 2010 is not technically feasible.
Routinely commissioned treatments for prostate cancer are: (i) radical prostatectomy; (ii) radical external beam radiotherapy; and (iii) radical brachytherapy. In addition, NHS England routinely commissions systemic treatments for prostate cancer, including hormone therapy and chemotherapy.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published technology appraisal guidance which recommends docetaxel (Taxotere) for hormone-refractory prostate cancer and abiraterone (Zytiga), in combination with prednisolone or prednisone, for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with one docetaxel-containing regimen. NICE is also currently developing technology appraisal guidance on a number of other drugs for prostate cancer.
National Health Service commissioners are legally required by regulations to fund those treatments recommended by NICE in its technology appraisal guidance.
Five-year survival rates improved from around 42% in the late 1980s to 79.7% in 2007 (currently 80.2% according to data for 2006-2010 published in October 2012) due in part to the effects of increased Prostate Specific Antigen testing and earlier detection. However, survival rates in England are still lagging behind comparable countries in Europe.
Cancer Research UK has estimated that men with advanced, incurable prostate cancer treated in trials or under drug access schemes at the Royal Marsden Hospital survived on average 41 months, compared to between 13 and 16 months 10 years ago.
The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out an ambition to make England one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths from all cancers, including prostate cancer. Cancer indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework and the Public Health Outcomes Framework will help NHS England to assess progress in improving cancer survival and mortality for men with prostate cancer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of 2014DIN03-010 Impact to outputs of defence electronic warfare center due to five yearly electrical testing.
Mr Philip Dunne
DIN reference 2014DIN03-010 “Impact to outputs of Defence Electronic Warfare Centre due to five yearly electrical testing” was cancelled and withdrawn by the Sponsor on 22 April 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to review the arrangements for providing court interpreters in the light of recent criticism by the President of the Family Division.
Lord Faulks
The arrangements for the provision of interpreters are kept under review.
There has been dramatic improvements in performance in the last two years. The Ministry continues to manage contracts to ensure this improvement is maintained.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the consultation on the proposal to introduce Contracts forDifference auctioning was published; when the European Commission adopted the final state aid guidelines for environmental protection and energy for 2014–2020; and when the Government’s response to the consultation was published.
Baroness Verma
The move to competitive allocation of Contracts for Difference has been a long-standing feature of Electricity Market Reform. In early 2014, the Government consulted on proposals to move straight to competitive allocation for some technologies. This consultation ran from 16 January 2014 to 12 February 2014; the Government’s response was published on 13 May 2014.
EU Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020 were adopted in principle on 9 April 2014. Prior to that adoption, the Commission worked with member states on the development of the guidelines, including draft versions and receiving comments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether officials or Ministers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Home Office or the Cabinet Office have met Bello Adoke, the Nigerian Attorney General, since 2012; and if so, what was the date of each meeting.
Baroness Warsi
Given the the range of frequency of the many meetings by Government officials with the Nigerian Attorney General I am unable to offer a full list of these. However, I can confirm that from the list of Government departments requested, at Ministerial level only the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, my Hon. Friend the Member for Kenilworth and Southam (Mr Wright), has met the Attorney General, Bello Adoke, in Abuja on 9 January 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the rules relating to the release of patients’ private medical information to insurance companies by general practitioners.
Earl Howe
General practitioners (GPs) must ensure that patients have provided explicit consent before disclosing information to insurance companies. Additionally, under the provisions of the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, patients have the right to view medical reports prepared for insurance companies and, where a patient has exercised this right, a GP cannot disclose the report to the insurance company until the patient has had the opportunity to review it or if the patient withdraws their consent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dykes on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are considering with the United States authorities and other countries to counter cyber virus crime and extortion.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime, which the National Crime Agency (NCA) published in May this year, makes clear that the threat from organised crime groups using cyber tools to commit fraud and online attacks is an increasing risk. This Government has taken significant action to transform the way the UK responds to the cyber threat, including cyber crime, underpinned by £860m additional investment between 2011/12 and 2015/16.
The UK is working closely with US authorities and with a wide range of other countries to tackle the problem of cyber crime and the associated problem of extortion. The recent international operation between the NCA, the FBI and 9 other countries to disrupt the communications used by criminals to connect with computers that are infected with malicious software (‘malware’) known as GameOverZeus and Cryptolocker illustrates the level of international cooperation that the NCA undertakes. This included close coordination in delivering protective security advice through GetSafeOnline and Cyber Streetwise.
We are also working overseas to help increase the capability and capacity of other countries to tackle cyber crime, through support for improved legislative arrangements, such as the implementation of the principles of the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime and the development of capacity internationally to tackle cyber crime.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent stonings in Pakistan; and what steps they will take to ensure that the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter are being upheld in that country.
Baroness Warsi
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement on 29 May urging the Government of Pakistan to do all in its power to eradicate honour killings and calling on the Pakistani authorities to investigate fully the murder of Farzana Parveen. We continue to urge the Pakistan government to bring the perpetrators to justice. I am pleased that Prime Minister Sharif condemned the murder and immediately demanded action.
Pakistan is included as a “country of concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report and we regularly raise the subject of human rights for all Pakistan’s citizens with the Pakistani government. We continue to encourage Pakistan and all Commonwealth countries to uphold the values as set out in the Commonwealth Charter signed in 2012.