Tag: 2016

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of conditions faced by detainees in Maekalawi prison in Ethiopia.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We do not have access to Maekalawi prison and, therefore, are not in a position to make an assessment of the conditions within the prison. However, we are aware of the allegations contained in the Human Rights Watch 2013 report titled “They Want a Confession” and the subsequent response from the Government of Ethiopia to the report. Through our bilateral relationship with Ethiopia we will continue to lobby the government on the treatment of high-profile political prisoners, some of who are detained at Maekalawi prison.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) economic effect and (b) effect on the garment industry in Bangladesh of recent violence in that country.

    Alok Sharma

    Bangladesh’s export market, in particular the ready-made garments sector plays a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s economy. A loss of investor confidence, due to recent violence and attacks against foreign nationals, could adversely harm Bangladesh’s economy and as a consequence its impressive progress towards middle-income status.

    Extremist related violence is an international problem that requires all countries to work closely together to prevent atrocities and tackle the root causes. Along with the international community we are committed to supporting Bangladesh in this global challenge. As the largest grant aid donor to Bangladesh we continue to address some of the root causes such as poverty and economic marginalisation.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on a potential establishment of a no-fly zone over parts of Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As he made clear during the House of Commons Emergency debate on the situation in Aleppo on 11 October, the Foreign Secretary has every sympathy with the idea of no-fly zones and the motives behind them. The situation in Syria is appalling and we are working with international partners on ways to help alleviate the suffering of the people there, particularly those in besieged areas such as Aleppo. We continue work to identify what more the international community can do. The practicalities of any form of no-fly zone, or safe zone need to be considered very carefully and in close consultation with our partners. History shows these are not simple tasks, especially in intense conflict. In fact, there is a risk that safe zones can themselves become targets. Any party seeking to establish a safe area would need to ensure that it could be kept safe. We would need to understand fully the consequences, including the fact that we should not commit to maintain such a zone unless we were prepared to shoot down planes or helicopters that violated the zone.

    Our priority continues to be the protection of civilians in Syria. We continue to use our voice in the UN and elsewhere to keep the focus on what is happening, to call for the Cessation of Hostilities to be restored, full humanitarian access, to allow the resumption of a political process. Political transition away from Asad is the only long-term solution.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) AWE personnel and (b) contractors are working on legacy decommissioning projects at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    There are 209 contractors and 78 AWE personnel working on decommissioning projects, including demolition, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he consulted the board of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills prior to his decision to withdraw its funding.

    Nick Boles

    The Commissioners of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) were not consulted during the spending review process prior to the decision taken by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has subsequently been working closely with the UKCES’s Strategic Management Group of Commissioners to manage the implications of the decision.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reported human rights abuses by Kenyan security forces in response to terror attacks in the north-eastern region of Kenya.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We take human rights very seriously and strongly oppose human rights abuses in all circumstances. We continue to believe that a human rights compliant approach is the most effective way to secure long-term peace and stability. Where allegations of abuses have been made, we urge the Kenyan government to fully investigate any credible allegations of non compliance and hold those responsible to account.

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), signed a bilateral Security Compact with the Kenyan government in September 2015 aimed at enhancing our security cooperation. The Compact provides assurances on Kenya’s commitment to adhere to its international human rights obligations. The Conflict, Security and Stability Fund is working to build capacity to ensure security forces in the region are better governed, more accountable and more effective, and to build community resilience to respond to security challenges through work with civil society.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the international aid budget has been spent on India in the last five years.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The table below provides details of total UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to India as a percentage of total UK ODA.

    Year

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Percent of Bilateral ODA to Total ODA

    6%

    5%

    3%

    3%

    2%

    2%
  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to request reports from the UN and from human rights groups on the existence in the Philippines of death-squads and their use to murder alleged criminals and victims of mistaken identity.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We do not plan to make such a request at this time as we are already aware of reports by groups such as Human Rights Watch on instances of extra judicial killings. Our Embassy in Manila is in frequent contact with human rights groups and the UN in the Philippines on these and a range of other human rights issues. We also work closely with our EU partners to press for investigations into instances of abuse, and to encourage the protection of human rights defenders. The British Government’s view on the importance of the rule of law is clear, consistent and well known in the Philippines. Our Ambassador wrote an Op-Ed on this subject in the Philippine Star newspaper on 19 May 2016

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce a NHS strategy on supporting patients with chronic pain.

    Jane Ellison

    The routine assessment and management of pain is a required competency of all healthcare professionals. Many patients with chronic pain can be successfully supported and managed through routine primary and secondary care pain management services. Approaches to treatment are not all pharmacological and for some patients education in self-management approaches for their condition may be also be appropriate.

    It is important that patients with the most serious pain management issues are able to access specialist care. A patient whose pain is particularly difficult to manage may be referred to a specialised pain management service. Under the care of an expert multidisciplinary team, patients may be offered specialised pain management programmes specifically and more complex drug treatments. Such services are commissioned nationally by NHS England as part of its remit to deliver specialised services.

    To support clinicians in the management of pain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published several clinical guidelines on the treatment and management of different types of pain, such as migraine and back pain, as well as technical guidance on specific treatments, such as the use of opiates in palliative care and deep brain stimulation for chronic pain.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to introduce mandatory accreditation of audiology services in England.

    David Mowat

    Comprehensive data on the number of audiology services in England is not collected.

    NHS England has no current plans to introduce financial incentives for the achievement of Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation.

    As of 1 September, there are 39 organisations with IQIPS accreditation for audiology, covering 28 adult and 21 paediatric audiology services. If an organisation is accredited for both adult and paediatric audiology, United Kingdom Accreditation Service considers that one accreditation.

    In Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A framework for clinical commissioning groups, published in July, NHS England strongly encourages clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to expect providers to have completed the IQIPS self-assessment tool and applied for accreditation with UKAS, and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract. This is reflected in the model service specification for adults.

    In the contract for Genomics Medicines Centres, Annex M requires National Health Service trusts nominated as Lead Organisations and Local Delivery Partners to be working towards diagnostic accreditation across all available schemes, including IQIPS.

    NHS England is also working with the Care Quality Commission to agree the use of scientific and diagnostic schemes as an information source for inspection purposes, as set out in their latest strategy.

    We currently have no plans to introduce mandatory accreditation of audiology services in England.