Tag: 2016

  • Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Chidgey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Médecins Sans Frontières’ rejection of EU funding in Sudan in response to the EU’s policies on migrants attempting to reach Europe.

    Baroness Verma

    We were disappointed to learn about Médecins Sans Frontières’ rejection of EU funding in Sudan. Sudan is a major source, host and transit country for migration. As such we remain committed to tackling the full range of migration issues in Sudan, including addressing the conflicts and the human rights situation, and supporting regional co-operation and efforts to stop people trafficking and smuggling through the ‘Khartoum Process’. Through DFID, we will deliver support that addresses the root causes of migration, and strengthen the basis for inclusive economic development and increased employment opportunities to encourage Sudanese people to better see their future in Sudan.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    No UK Government staff are seconded to or directly assist the UK Special Envoy to Yemen and his team. Through the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, we are providing £1.05 million to the UN Special Envoy’s office to bolster UN capacity to facilitate the peace process, and are also supporting work to broaden the dialogue to include women and other under-represented groups.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all GPs are trained in awareness of the diagnostic pathway for people seeking a diagnosis of autism.

    Alistair Burt

    In 2015, new statutory guidance building on the 2010 Autism Strategy, and the 2014 Think Autism update, set out expectations for local authorities and the National Health Service in relation to autism training. It is the responsibility for the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, to ensure newly qualified pharmacists and health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. The Department has worked the Royal College of Nursing, and Skills for Health and Skills for Care, to develop autism training material. Health Education England is also working with the Royal Colleges and other stakeholders to increase awareness and knowledge of autism for NHS health professionals.

    The Department has also provided financial support to the Royal College of General Practitioners’ clinical priorities programme on autism which is undertaking practical work on autism awareness and training for general practitioners (GPs). GPs should be aware of what the local arrangements are for making referrals for autism diagnosis and how to access appropriate post-diagnostic interventions.

    NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to identify and share good practice in accessing timely autism diagnosis and post diagnostic support. NHS England with support from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services is to visit a selection of areas to talk to CCGs and local authorities about their Autism Diagnostic Care Pathways. A report on the work will be completed by the end of April 2016.

    We know that people with autism can experience common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses. Over £400 million has been invested in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies to ensure access to talking therapies for those who need them, including those with autism.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will undertake an assessment of the effect on the availability of UK-sourced wood supplies of (a) 50MW and under and (b) over 50MW wood-burning biomass plants.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department already monitors the use of wood for fuel in the UK through two means:

    • Analysis of the sustainability data returned to Ofgem (a requirement for generators >50kW under the Renewables Obligation)
    • A voluntary questionnaire which asks the large scale biomass electricity users (>50MW) of their plans for sourcing biomass for the next five years.

    Volumes of UK wood being used for electricity and CHP generation are expected to remain at a fairly constant level, at around 1.3-1.4million oven dried tonnes per year. There is no indication that use of UK-sourced biomass for electricity is causing resource constraints for other UK wood users (such as the wood products industry).

    The conclusions from our most recent analysis1 reinforce what we already understood: that while biomass generation is increasing, the demand for feedstock is being met mostly from imports.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodfuel-disclosure-survey

    “

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from patient groups on the contaminated blood compensation consultation.

    Jane Ellison

    The respondents to the contaminated blood compensation consultation are not required to identify their association with any group. The Government response to the consultation will set out the number of respondents from specific patient groups, where that information has been provided.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page two of the minutes of the Office of Rail and Road’s board meeting on 22 September 2015, what the Govia Thameslink class 700 evacuation safety risks are that are referred to in those minutes.

    Claire Perry

    The evacuation safety risk referred to in the Office of Rail and Road’s Board meeting on 22 September 2015 relates to evacuation from a class 700 new Thameslink train in the Snow Hill Tunnels within the Thameslink core section. The Office of Rail and Road has since confirmed that this is a matter for the London Fire Brigade to consider. Both Network Rail, the infrastructure operator, and Govia Thameslink Railway, the Thameslink train operator, have met with the Fire Brigade to discuss the matter. We understand that the London Fire Brigade is content with the measures that have been put in place.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to publish guidance on the handling of family reunion cases under the Dublin III Regulations including clarifying responsibilities, procedures for unaccompanied children in Calais prior to any transfer, and ensuring that local authorities have sufficient funding and capacity to conduct assessments.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Dublin III Regulation sets out the criteria for determining responsibility for asylum cases and using discretionary powers. The procedures for dealing with an asylum seeker in Calais, including an unaccompanied child, are for the French authorities to determine, in line with their obligations under the Regulation. We are committed to making the Dublin Regulation work effectively and are in ongoing discussions with France, Italy and Greece to ensure that the right processes and resources are in place to enable this. We are also working with other EU Member States, the UNHCR and other non-governmental organisations and local authorities in the UK to establish the best way to implement the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 for the transfer of unaccompanied refugee children from elsewhere in the EU to the UK.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Equal Rights Coalition, which was agreed at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The establishment of the Equal Rights Coalition, to which the United Kingdom was pleased to become a signatory at its launch at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Montevideo (13-15 July), is a positive step. Her Majesty’s Government believes that the Equal Rights Coalition has the potential to become a useful forum for exchanging ideas and best practice and for advocating progress in LGB&T rights. The Government looks forward to the further elaboration of the Coalition’s objectives in the coming months and supports the aim of widening its membership.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) policy his Department follows and (b) advice his Department gives to staff travelling to malarial regions regarding the use of Lariam as an anti-malarial drug; and what records his Department holds on the number of times (i) Lariam and (ii) alternative anti-malarial drugs have been prescribed to staff in his Department in the last three years.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows guidance from the UK Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention (ACMP). The FCO provides medical advice to staff travelling to malarial regions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the age of the officer concerned, location and duration of stay. This might in some instances result in an officer being advised to take mefloquine (larium), but no officer is forced to do so. Any staff with concerns are encouraged to discuss with the FCO Healthline or their Regional Medical Advisor, as well as with their local clinic of healthcare provider. The FCO does not hold records on the numbers of staff prescribed mefloquine (larium) and alternative anti-malarial drugs.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average time serving police borough commanders have been in post in London boroughs.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of police borough commanders in each London Borough, or the length of time that they have been in post. This information is likely to the held by the Metropolitan Police Force.