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Tag: 2016

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 30 December 2015 (HL4261) and 2 February (HL5328), how the US and Canada have succeeded in having political prisoners in Iran freed while dual UK national Kamal Foroughi remains incarcerated.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We welcome the release of US and Canadian prisoners held in Iran. Iran has not changed its policy of not recognising dual nationality. However we continue to raise our own consular cases, including Mr Foroughi, with the Iranians at the highest levels and to urge for their release, including during Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif’s recent visit to London.

  • John Stevenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association has not been invited to meetings of the litter strategy advisory group.

    Rory Stewart

    We welcome all views on how the problem of litter, including that caused by cigarettes can be tackled. As such, Defra will consult with a wide range of stakeholders to inform the development of its policies, and does so in line with the government’s Consultation Principles and other obligations.

    The Litter Strategy Advisory Group currently has over 20 members, which include representatives from, among others, local government, the packaging industry and organisations with expertise in running national campaigns to address the problem of litter. Without making the Group too large, which could reduce its effectiveness; the Group’s membership strikes a balance between different interests but still allows for effective discussion.

    We recognise that a desire to see littering reduced extends beyond just the organisations represented on the Group, and we intend to seek input from a wider base that this, with the Group being only one way that views and contributions on litter prevention can be fed in.

  • Adam Holloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Adam Holloway – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Holloway on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37232, what assessment his Department made of the potential vehicular capacity of the two long tunnel options for the Lower Thames Crossing connected either (a) through junctions 2 and 30 on the M25 or (b) by direct connection to the motorway beyond the junctions.

    Andrew Jones

    Both the long tunnel options between Darenth and South Ockenden would have a nominal capacity of approximately 8,000 vehicles per hour. In the morning peak hour at the year of opening in 2025, the (a) shorter tunnel option through junctions 2 and 30 on the M25 would have an initial forecast usage of 5,600 vehicles per hour and for (b) 3,400 for the longer beyond junction tunnel option.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of Official Development Assistance was allocated to sexual and reproductive health and family planning in fragile and conflict-affected states in the last year for which figures are available.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK aid strategy has committed that, from 2016, we spend 50% of our support in fragile states and regions. This will include our work on family planning and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. In such settings, DFID uses multilateral mechanisms, for example United Nations Population Fund, and our bilateral programmes to disburse funding for sexual and reproductive health services. In addition the UK has made a commitment that in humanitarian crises, DFID calls for proposals will require that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls to be considered.

    DFID spent approximately £605m on sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health in fragile and conflict affected states and their neighbours in 2014; £606m in 2013 and £526m in 2012. This was approximately 6% of DFID ODA in 2012 and 2013 and 7% in 2012.

    In 2015/16 our support to UNFPA totalled £112.5m and included work in fragile and conflict-affected states and humanitarian settings, including in Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen. In Syria, for example, DFID will be providing £18.5 million through UNFPA over three years to 2018. This is in addition to the UK’s previous support to Syria, which has helped tackle gender-based violence and enabled access to reproductive health services for more than 260,000 girls and women.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the risk factors for chest, heart and stroke illness.

    Jane Ellison

    Responsibility for raising such public awareness in Scotland rests with the Scottish Government. In England, Public Health England (PHE) runs a range of national social marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of certain life-threatening illnesses and to therefore improve rates of early diagnosis. These campaigns include the Be Clear on Cancer, Act FAST and a regional pilot on breathlessness as a symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure, raising awareness on lung cancer and heart and lung disease.

    PHE also runs a tobacco marketing programme with a range of activity that highlights the health harms of smoking, including demonstrating the link between smoking and cancer, and heart and lung disease. As well as encouraging smokers to make quit attempts the activity signposts to proven National Health Service tools/service to help them. These programmes have been shown to have a positive impact on reducing adult smoking prevalence.

    PHE works closely with the Department and NHS England to ensure that health care professionals are also targeted with campaign information to encourage earlier diagnoses and referrals.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve teaching in schools on the risks of drug and alcohol abuse.

    Edward Timpson

    Effective drug and alcohol education plays an important role in helping to ensure that young people are equipped with the information they need to make informed, healthy decisions and to keep themselves safe.

    Drugs education is a statutory part of the new national curriculum for science. Under the national curriculum pupils are taught about the effects of recreational drugs, including substance and alcohol misuse, on behaviour, health and life processes. Teaching in this area can be further strengthened through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

    To improve the teaching of drugs and alcohol abuse, schools can access expert advice from the mentor-ADEPIS organisation on delivering effective alcohol and drug education in the classroom. The information can be found here: http://mentor-adepis.org

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  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Turkish government on the takeover of the Zaman newspaper and restrictions on press freedom and freedom of speech in Turkey.

    Mr David Lidington

    We continue to monitor specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. As a friend and ally, we urge the Turkish government to uphold the right of media to operate without restriction. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) did so on 7 March when he met Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and underlined the importance of protections for a free press and human rights in Turkey. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) set out the UK’s concerns on freedom of expression when he met his Turkish counterpart on 12 March. I also discussed media freedoms and rule of law issues when I met Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the nature and extent of the relationship, including financial arrangements, between HMRC and Bounty, between NHS England and Bounty, and between NHS Foundation Trusts and NHS Trusts and Bounty.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    National Health Service trusts may negotiate locally with commercial organisations to distribute advice, information and ‘try before you buy’ samples that they think would be useful for pregnant women.

    Neither the Department nor NHS England centrally have any contracts with Bounty or influence over the contents of the packs nor does the Department benefit financially from such arrangements. We do not have any information about what contracts might exist between Bounty and individual NHS trusts.

    Although we are aware of Bounty distributing their packs on maternity wards, we have no evidence of whether or not this is welcomed by parents.

    Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) use the services of Bounty to help distribute Child Benefit claim packs to new mothers in NHS hospitals. The contract for this service is held by HMRC’s Print Vendor Provider, Williams Lea. Using the Bounty pack as one channel for distributing Child Benefit forms has proved efficient and cost effective. The Child Benefit form can also be obtained through other channels, notably the HMRC website.

    In 2012-13, HMRC paid £85,990.27 (excluding VAT) for Bounty to distribute a total of 857,939 English and Welsh language claim forms.

  • Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Ethiopia on the (a) imprisonment of the journalist Eskinder Nega and (b) protection of freedom of speech in that country.

    James Duddridge

    We continue to have concerns about those who are detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, including members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protesters, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. British Embassy officials in Addis Ababa have not directly raised the case of Eskinder Nega, but through our engagement with Ethiopia and in the FCO’s previous Human Rights Reports, we have highlighted the need for greater freedom of the press in Ethiopia. With our international partners, we will continue to monitor high-profile trials brought under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. We have also raised these concerns with the Ethiopian government through our Human Rights Dialogue, whilst welcoming the release of Zone 9 bloggers and Reeyot Alemu last summer.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when the application for state aid clearance for the remote Scottish islands will be submitted to the European Commission.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government will publish plans for the next Contract for Difference Allocation Round for less established technologies – planned for the end of 2016 – as soon as possible.

    Following this we will work to deliver the round, including submission of any necessary notification to the European Commission.