Tag: Alasdair McDonnell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he and his Cabinet colleagues have had with their counterparts in the Irish government on the potential effect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on all-island trade and the economy of Northern Ireland.

Mr David Gauke

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As has been the practice adopted by previous administrations, it is not Government policy to normally release details of such meetings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on the functioning of the cross-border institutions established by the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government remains and will continue to remain fully committed to supporting the principles and institutions established under the Belfast Agreement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that uncertainty about the outcome of the EU referendum does not affect inward investment in Northern Ireland.

Mr David Gauke

The Government has a clear mandate to improve Britain’s relationship with the rest of the EU, and to reform the EU so that it creates jobs and increases living standards for all its citizens. As the Prime Minister has made clear, this is about providing the certainty and reform that businesses have asked for. The CBI and BCC have come out to say they support the reform agenda the Prime Minister is seeking to deliver.

As the Chancellor of the Exchequer has noted, the best outcome for the UK economy is that we achieve major economic reform of the EU. The Prime Minister is focused on success: he believes he can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preparations her Department is making to support the agricultural economy in the Northern Ireland in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

George Eustice

The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation. We believe we can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that the Common Travel Area be maintained in the event that Great Britain and Northern Ireland leave the EU.

James Brokenshire

Our focus is the reform of the EU and the Prime Minister clearly set out in his speech on 10 November and his letter to the President of the European Council, the issues where we are seeking change. We recognise the important economic and social benefits of the Common Travel Area, and our priority is to strengthen the external border of the Common Travel Area through collaboration with Ireland and the Crown dependencies, to ensure the benefits of the Common Travel Area can be preserved whilst maintaining a secure border.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the implications are for the (a) PEACE and (b) INTERREG IVA programmes in (i) the UK and (ii) Northern Ireland of a UK decision to leave the EU.

Anna Soubry

The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of UK withdrawal from the EU on the importation of electricity from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland.

Andrea Leadsom

We are hoping to reform our relationship with the EU. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England’s Be Clear on Cancer campaigns aim to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of specific cancers, and to encourage those with symptoms to see their doctor promptly. A number of factors are taken into account when deciding which campaigns to develop and run, with one of the main criteria being the scope to save lives through earlier diagnosis and whether the cancer has a clear early sign or symptom that the general public can act upon should it arise. Pancreatic cancer is generally asymptomatic at an early stage and it is for this reason that there has not been a campaign focussing on this cancer type to date.

Public Health England is also looking to develop an approach to raise awareness of generic symptoms that can indicate a wider number of cancers and the need to visit the doctor promptly with these symptoms. This work is currently in development, with the help of a number of experts, including clinicians and charities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis rates of pancreatic cancer.

Jane Ellison

Improving early diagnosis of cancer is a priority for this Government. We have committed to implementing recommendation 24 of the Independent Cancer Taskforce’s report Achieving World-Class Outcomes and this will be underpinned by investment of up to £300 million more in diagnostics each year by 2020. The strategy also makes recommendations for speeding up diagnosis of cancers with non-specific but concerning symptoms through the use of multidisciplinary diagnostic centres. NHS England is working with partners across the health system to consider how best to take forward these and other recommendations.

Updated suspected cancer referral guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including new guidelines for pancreatic cancer, which was published last June will continue to support general practitioners (GPs) to identify patients and urgently refer them as appropriate, where pancreatic cancer is suspected. 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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the governments of (a) Egypt, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) United Arab Emirates on the removal of restrictions on press freedom in these countries and the Middle East.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly raise our concerns over press freedoms with the Egyptian authorities both in London and in Cairo. The Prime Minister raised the detention of journalists including the trial of the Al Jazeera journalists with President Sisi during his visit to the UK in November 2015. I raised press freedoms and freedom of expression with the Egyptian Ambassador earlier this month.

We also regularly make our views on freedom of expression known to the Saudi Arabian Government. We continue to underline to the UAE that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues and exercise the right to freedom of thought. We believe that reforms, including meeting citizens’ aspirations for greater participation, will be the guarantor of longer-term stability in the region.