Tag: Barry Sheerman

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the sale of arms by UK companies to countries with governments which consistently violate the human rights of their citizens.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

This Government supports a responsible defence and security industry that helps meet the legitimate defence needs of other states, and contributes to their security and law and order.

We take our arms export responsibilities very seriously and aim to operate one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All defence and dual-use exports are required to meet the UK’s strict export control legislation and adhere to the UK international commitments including international treaties and obligations.

Each application for an export licence is subject to rigorous case-by-case assessment against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Risks around human rights violations are a key part of our assessment. We do not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to increase the fines that local authorities can impose on landlords convicted of housing offences.

Andrew Selous

Magistrates can impose a fine of any amount for many housing offences. For all fines, the courts will continue to impose amounts based on seriousness and the financial circumstances of the offender.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Insolvency Service provides value for money for creditors of liquidated companies.

Jo Swinson

The Insolvency Service has recently undertaken reviews of its systems and processes to identify ways to reduce costs. It also regularly reviews its fees. In addition, measures contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will benefit creditors by saving an estimated £20m per year from the cost of all insolvency proceedings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote a sustainable approach to resourcing timber in the UK.

Rory Stewart

Defra implements the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

Defra is also responsible for the Government’s Timber Procurement Policy, which requires central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

Domestic forests provide about 20% of the UK’s timber needs. They are managed in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard, the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the UK. Moreover, about 85% of UK timber production is independently certified, providing additional assurances of sustainability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received from creditors of companies which go into insolvency about the Insolvency Act 1986.

Jo Swinson

I regularly receive representations from those who are owed monies by insolvent companies. Unfortunately it is the inevitable consequence of insolvency that some creditors will remain unpaid, but the Government is committed to making sure that we have the fairest possible insolvency regime for when things go wrong. Measures contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will benefit creditors by saving an estimated £20m per year from the cost of insolvency proceedings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent decisions she has had with (a) representatives of the EU and (b) her counterparts in other member states on EU timber regulations.

Rory Stewart

Defra officials regularly discuss the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation with both the European Commission and other EU Member States.

Most recently (September 2015) Defra officials participated in a FLEGT/EUTR Expert Group meeting in Brussels, covering a range of related issues including implementation of the two regulations across the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received from creditors of companies which have gone into liquidation about the priority of payments in cases of liquidation.

Jo Swinson

I occasionally receive representations from creditors of companies in liquidation about priority of payments in those cases. In broad terms, the principle applied in insolvency cases is that creditors are treated equally, and will receive any payment they are due after the fees, costs and expenses of the liquidation have been paid. This is not an area which the Government has any current plans to change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to support exports of UK textile manufacturing.

Matthew Hancock

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides a wide range of help to businesses in all sectors – including textile manufacturers – that are seeking to export. UKTI will also continue to work with textile trade associations in organising trade missions and taking textile manufacturers to trade shows and other events around the world as it has done over the past year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups about engagement with Local Safeguarding Children Boards.

Dr Daniel Poulter

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are statutory members of Local Safeguarding Children Boards under section 13 of the Children Act 2004, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The inter-agency statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children, published by the Department for Education in 2013, describes the functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and the responsibilities of member organisations.

NHS England published its Safeguarding Vulnerable People in the Reformed NHS: Accountability and Assurance Framework in 2013 to complement the statutory guidance and support CCGs and other National Health Service organisations in fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to increase awareness of early screenings for prostate cancer for men at risk.

Jane Ellison

The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) Scientific Reference Group (SRG) keeps the evidence on prostate cancer screening under review, and has not yet seen compelling evidence that screening should be offered to high risk groups.

The PCRMP is in place to ensure that men over 50 without symptoms of prostate cancer can have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test free on the national health service after careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the test and after a discussion with a general practitioner.

The patient information sheets on PSA testing make it clear that the risk of prostate cancer is greater for men with a familial history of prostate cancer and black-African and black-Caribbean men.

The National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) previously highlighted the increased risk of prostate cancer in black men through the ‘Cancer Does Not Discriminate’ campaign, including distributing over 200,000 health supplements and an editorial in The Voice newspaper.

In 2011, the Department, NCAT, North East London Cancer Network and Prostate Cancer UK worked with NHS Newham and Barts Health Care Trust to pilot the Newham Prostate Health Drop-in Clinic at the Newham African-Caribbean Resource Centre. 322 men had a consultation at the clinic, 59 were referred to secondary care and nine new diagnoses of early stage prostate cancer were made.

The learning gained from a formal evaluation of the pilot was shared widely with stakeholders within London and across England, including NHS England. The pilot won the in the 2013 Civil Service Diversity and Equality Award for Understanding and engaging with communities.

The Department is represented on the multi-disciplinary PCRMP SRG and the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group, along with representatives from clinicians, professional bodies, academics, the voluntary sector and patient groups.