The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will estimate her Department’s spending related to the crisis in Yemen.
Rory Stewart
Since March 2015, the UK has provided £90 million to the Yemen crisis, helping over a million Yemenis with food, medical supplies, water, and emergency shelter. We have so far committed £72 million to Yemen for this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the eighth place on the Board of the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority to be filled.
Mike Penning
In agreement with the Chair of the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority (GLA), the intention is to fill these positions once the Immigration Bill has been enacted and reforms to the GLA are confirmed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the connection between a low-fat diet and the reduction of migraine attacks.
Jane Ellison
There have been no such recent discussions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the containment of the Zika virus.
Jane Ellison
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly discusses matters across his portfolio with his European counterparts. He continues to monitor this outbreak of the Zika virus closely. In addition, Departmental officials continue to discuss the developing situation, including the measures that can be taken to contain the virus, with European colleagues through a number of channels, including at regular meetings of the European Health Security Committee.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps at the Anti-Corruption Summit being held in London in May 2016 to press for an international agreement on stricter rules concerning tax havens and beneficial owners.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Summit will address a range of measures to tackle corruption, including promoting transparency around beneficial ownership. Further information about the London Anti-Corruption Summit can be found on the summit web pages of the GOV.UK website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when officials of his Department last met with representatives of the devolved administrations to discuss (a) how the apprenticeship levy will operate and (b) the proportion of the apprenticeship levy that each of the devolved administrations will receive.
Nick Boles
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-06-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan (1) following the statement of the Chairman of the Pakistan Senate’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs that forced conversion of girls is taking place across the country on a daily basis”
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I remain concerned by reports of the persecution of religious and other minorities in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of vulnerable groups, including women and girls, with the Pakistani Government at senior levels. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), pressed Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all its citizens, including minority religious communities, during his visit in March. We will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations and to uphold the rule of law.
Our concerns about minorities in Pakistan are documented in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Reports.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much development aid has been provided to South Sudan in each of the last three years, and how much of that aid was specifically focused on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Through DFID the UK provided £158m in 2013/14 and £188m in 2015/16 of development aid to South Sudan, a further £165 million is budgeted to be spent this financial year.
The UK remains committed to helping bring an end to the cycle of violence in South Sudan. Many of our programmes have components aimed at conflict resolution and reconciliation. In terms of specific programming, a £12 million ‘Community Security and Arms Control’ project running from 2012-16 helps to control and regulate small arms, enhance dispute resolution mechanisms and improve security within communities. In addition, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) the UK spent almost £1.4 million on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation in 2015/16, and is forecasting to spend a further £1 million in 2016/17, including on community level peacebuilding and the Conflict Sensitivity Programme. DFID works very closely with the FCO, who, along with ‘Troika’ partners the US and Norway, are working to help end the conflict through the implemention of the 2015 peace agreement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20478, how many applications by grandparents for rights of access to their grandchildren were made in the final quarter of 2015.
Caroline Dinenage
The number of applications by grandparents for rights of access to their grandchildren made in the final quarter of 2015 will be available in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care Quality of 9 February 2016, on party of esteem in the NHS constitution, Official Report, column 1430, if he will add the right to psychological therapies to the constitution.
Alistair Burt
The NHS Constitution right to drugs and treatments reflects the legal funding requirement that applies to interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance.
NICE has not been asked to undertake a technical appraisal of psychological therapies. If in the future, psychological therapies are recommended by NICE, and are consequently mandated for use in the National Health Service, we will consider consulting on including a right to psychological therapies within the Constitution.
Over the last spending review we invested over £400 million into the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme to ensure access to talking therapies for those who need them and this has contributed to achieving very real improvements in the lives of people with anxiety and depression.