The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lansley on 2016-05-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of leaving the EU on businesses that export within the EU single market and on individual sectors.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with my noble Friend.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Allen on 2016-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will be represented at ministerial level at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Slovenia in October 2016.
George Eustice
The UK Government raises its opposition to Japan’s continued whaling at every appropriate opportunity, including at meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Most recently, I raised the issue with the Japanese Fisheries Minister during an official visit to Japan.
We will continue to work closely with countries opposing Japan’s programme of whaling in the build-up to the next IWC meeting in October this year, and will ensure that the UK’s strong opposition is reiterated. Parliamentary business permitting, the UK will again be represented at the Ministerial level, as has been the case at previous IWC meetings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what humanitarian aid they are providing to injured and displaced persons in North Korea following the recent flooding in that country.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK supports organisations such as the UN through core contributions. UN agencies are delivering humanitarian assistance to people affected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20287, when she plans to give a substantive answer to that question.
James Brokenshire
I refer the Honourable Member to the response I gave on 17 March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on farmers and rural businesses of poor broadband provision in rural areas.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
This Government recognises that all businesses need access to reliable, fast broadband to compete, innovate, increase productivity and have access to Government digital services. Superfast broadband now covers almost 90% of UK premises and this will increase to 95% by the end of next year as a result of the Government’s Superfast Broadband Programme and further commercial delivery. Premises everywhere including rural areas which do not have speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second are able to access a subsidised broadband service, usually delivered through a satellite connection, which can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more.
The Prime Minister has also announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition to set this at 10Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection, at a minimum speed, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2016-03-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6266), what improvements Govia Thameslink Railway have implemented since the commencement of their franchise.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have implemented numerous improvements since the commencement of their franchise. These include, but are not limited to:
In addition, the following key improvements are on course to be delivered by Govia Thameslink Railway in the coming months:
More details on the committed obligations and improvements GTR are contracted to deliver can be found in the Franchise Agreement which is available at the government website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the freedom to receive information inside North Korea, and (2) the number of South Korean and US radio broadcasters that tailor and transmit programming to North Korean citizens.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea found that North Korean citizens are denied the right to access information from independent sources and all media is heavily censored. There are a number of US and South Korean broadcasters that are currently transmitting programming into North Korea, or have recently, including Voice of America and Korean Broadcasting System Korea Global Radio.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-05-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect that the proposals in the Education excellence everywhere White Paper, Cm 9230, will have on (a) Church of England and (b) Roman Catholic schools.
Edward Timpson
We value the important and longstanding role played by the Church of England and Catholic Church in our education system. Around 1,200 Church schools have already become academies. The White Paper is clear that Church schools’ role and their religious character will be protected as more become academies. We continue to work closely with the National Society and Catholic Education Service and recently published Memoranda of Understanding to provide a strong basis for our ongoing relationship with Church schools and their dioceses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2015 on the proportion of blood cancer patients who visited their GP more than twice before being referred to secondary care for diagnosis; and what support and guidance his Department has provided to GPs to enable them to identify the symptoms of blood cancer.
Jane Ellison
It is important that people with cancer have the best possible experience throughout their cancer pathway and are treated with dignity and respect.
The independent Cancer Taskforce published its report Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes – A Strategy for England 2015-2020 in July 2015, and identified a key priority of establishing patient experience as being on a par with clinical effectiveness and safety. In May 2016 the National Cancer Transformation Board published Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the Strategy Forward outlining the detailed steps being taken to make this a reality.
In September 2015, the Government announced that by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. The packages will be individually designed to help each person, including those with blood cancer, live well beyond cancer. In April 2016 NHS England published guidance for commissioners on commissioning and implementing the recovery package effectively.
In order to continue to support general practitioners (GPs) to identify patients whose symptoms may indicate cancer and urgently refer them as appropriate, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published an updated suspected cancer referral guideline in June 2015. The guideline includes new recommendations for haematological cancers. NICE noted that more lives could be saved each year in England if GPs followed the new guideline, which encourages GPs to think of cancer sooner and lower the referral threshold. Following publication of the updated guideline, the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has worked in collaboration with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) on a programme of regional update events for GPs to promote the new guideline. RCGP and CRUK have also worked to develop three summary referral guidelines for GPs to enable them to adopt the guideline. These are available at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government’s view is that the human rights situation in Zimbabwe has worsened in recent weeks. We have been particularly concerned by police violence in response to recent protests and demonstrations. As set out in the EU Statement of 30 August, the freedom to demonstrate and present petitions is enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution, along with other fundamental human rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly and association.
This Government made a 2015 manifesto commitment to stand up for the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe remains one of the 30 UK Human Rights Priority Countries, where we monitor and report regularly on human rights and support programmes designed to make abuses less likely. We regularly call, both bilaterally and in partnership with others, for an end to human rights abuses and the restoration of internationally accepted standards.