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Tag: 2015

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on that country’s ratification of the International Covenant on civil and political rights.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have regular discussions with the Chinese authorities on a range of human rights issues, and have raised China’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on numerous occasions. We last discussed this in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year, and also raised it at China’s most recent Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in October 2013.

  • Alan Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alan Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Campbell on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients referred to the About Health Group from practices in the North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group under the General Practitioners’ Referral Management System were subsequently refused treatment.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has introduced a formal referral management system across a small number of clinical specialties. This is a local initiative and not part of a wider scheme. The data requested are not collected centrally. This is a matter for the North Tyneside CCG who can advise on data availability.

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the healthcare chapter of the Armed Forces Covenant has been implemented.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department and NHS England are committed to meeting the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant and have established a number of services specifically tailored to meet the needs and requirements of the armed forces community. There are regular communications on the Covenant commitment to National Health Service trusts, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and health professionals.

    As set out in the NHS Mandate for England CCGsare responsible for general healthcare for veterans and for the delivery of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant. NHS England assuresCCGs’ delivery of their commitments and many CCGs are joint signatories to their local community covenants.

    The NHS Constitution has recently been updated to strengthen this accountability by stating that ‘the NHS will ensure that in line with the Armed Forces Covenant, those in the armed forces, reservists, their families and veterans are not disadvantaged in accessing health services in the area they reside.’

    The Department and the NHS in England are held to account by the Ministry of Defence and UK Departments of Health Partnership Board and the Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria are for choosing the credible commentators referred to in paragraph 46 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015.

    Karen Bradley

    We have taken the question to mean the credible commentators referred to in paragraph 65 of the Counter-Extremism Strategy. We are determining the requirements and precise funding allocation for research to be commissioned. We will be working closely with a range of experts, including academics and universities, to improve our understanding of extremism. Opportunities for part-funded research will be allocated competitively.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) cleanliness, (b) degree of crowding and (c) safety of (i) prisoners and (ii) prison staff in HMP Liverpool.

    Andrew Selous

    The Governor and staff at Liverpool are determined to improve the prison and action is already being taken to address the recommendations made in the most recent report. We are working closely with Lancashire Care NHS Trust to improve the healthcare provisions. More prisoners are out of their cells in work, training or education, and a range of initiatives are also in hand to reduce violence.

  • Jessica Morden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jessica Morden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the Severn bridges to return to public ownership.

    Andrew Jones

    The Severn River Crossings concession is expected to end in the first half of 2018. At the end of the concession, the Severn Crossings will revert to public ownership.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will revise the country guidance for Eritrea so that asylum applicants from that country are favourably considered for protection as refugees, in the light of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights on Eritrea and other reports of human rights abuses in that country.

    Lord Bates

    We have updated our country information and guidance on Eritrea. This takes into account the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report as well other sources reporting on the human rights situation. The revised documents, covering illegal exit and national service, were published on 9 September and are available on the Gov.uk website. They recognise that there are human rights challenges in Eritrea – particularly around the national service programme – but, as with all asylum applications, stress the need to consider each claim on its individual merits.

    All EU Member States have a responsibility to respect the principle of non-refoulement. We are confident that our European partners understand and apply this, whether to Eritrea or anywhere else. We are in regular discussions with our EU counterparts – individually and via the European Asylum Support Office – to discuss various aspects of asylum policy and practice.

  • Lord Soley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Soley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Soley on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have conducted into (1) understanding how noise emissions from aviation impact on local communities, and (2) the effectiveness of different noise mitigation approaches in reducing the number of individuals affected by aircraft noises.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    In 2012 a National Noise Attitude Survey was carried out on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which included attitudes to noise from transport sources including aircraft.

    In 2014/15, Ipsos/MORI conducted on behalf of the Department for Transport a survey on noise attitudes which focused on noise from civil aviation, near to major airports in England. The results of the survey are currently being analysed with a view to publishing a report next year.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Lebanon about practical ways in which the United Kingdom can help Lebanon to secure an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK is committed to promoting stability and prosperity in Lebanon. We call on all parties to resolve the ongoing political deadlock, which is damaging the Lebanese government’s ability to provide its people with functioning state institutions and essential public services, including the supply of electricity. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) delivered this message in person when he spoke to the Lebanon’s Prime Minister during his visit to the country last month.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to encourage employers in London to pay the London Living Wage.

    Nick Boles

    The Government encourages all employers to pay more than the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage where they can afford to. The Low Pay Commission’s remit is to set the National Minimum Wage as high as possible without harming employment prospects.

    According to Office for Budget Responsibility estimates, the National Living Wage will benefit 2.7 million low wage workers by 2020. The increase in April 2016 to £7.20 from the current NMW of £6.70 will mean a 7.5% increase in hourly pay, and a full time worker will earn £910 more per annum compared to today.