Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the work of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines; with reference to the Prime Minister’s comments on the pharmaceutical industry to the BBC on 2 July 2014, what recent assessment she has made of the steps to take to resolve market failure related to the development of new classes of antibiotics in that industry; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK is committed to ensuring access to low cost, effective medicines in the developing world, providing a range of significant inputs to increasing access to essential medicines.

We support the provision of essential medicines and other health products through innovative global partnerships such as the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), UNITAID, GAVI and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). We work to strengthen systems weaknesses, such as weak supply chains or poor procurement, which deter private investment, keep medicines prices high or lead to misuse or waste of medicines. We also place a great emphasis on research and development of new vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for conditions that affect millions of poor people. A new £1 billion fund – the Ross Fund – was recently announced with the aim of developing, testing and delivering a range of new products to help combat the world’s most serious diseases, such as malaria, Ebola and TB in developing countries.

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance is a key priority for this Government. We are awaiting the final report of the O’Neill Independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance later this month and the Department of Health will then lead a cross-Government response.

We support the aims of the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. For it to fulfil its potential to improve access to affordable and quality medicines, including antibiotics, it will need to take a balanced approach, building on the WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action and engaging with existing global partnerships, and use its influence to galvanise Member States, public and private sectors around a common approach to this important issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish guidance on the Dublin III regulation.

James Brokenshire

The Dublin III Regulation clearly sets out the criteria and process for determining responsibility for asylum cases. Caseworkers refer to the detail of the Regulation when determining cases, along with the relevant case law. We are aiming to update and publish some additional guidance shortly. Caseworkers have access to policy and legal advisers on a regular basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has investigated, in his Department’s work assessing the reasons for delays and cancellations on the Brighton Mainline, whether or not GTR are preventing staff who took part in recent strike action from working overtime; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry

GTR are providing the Department with information on the current disruption in line with their franchise agreement. Management of staff is a matter between GTR and its employees, however I have been assured by GTR that it is not the case that they are preventing staff who participated in industrial action from working overtime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the ability of refugees in Turkey to receive international protection in that country.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Turkey currently hosts over 2.7 million refugees from Syria and around 250,000 from other nationalities. Turkey now hosts more refugees than any other country in the world.

Turkey has established very detailed legislation setting out a comprehensive international protection system for migrants in need of protection.

We are monitoring the situation in Turkey very closely following the attempted coup. At this stage there is no indication that the conditions and protections available to refugees have been impacted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on plans to cap housing benefit and (b) assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed cap on housing benefit on people who live in supported housing and have mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes

Ministers have held various discussions during the development of the policy to introduce Local Housing Allowance rates into the social rented sector.

Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) national and (b) local arrangements are in place for issuing iodine tablets in the event of a radiation emergency involving an operational civil nuclear reactor or reprocessing facility; which localities have had a pre-distribution of iodine tablets to households and what the radii of those localities are; to which nuclear reactors those (a) national and (b) local arrangements are linked; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman

Civil nuclear emergency preparedness is a devolved issue, with the Scottish Government taking responsibility for planning in Scotland. England and Wales have arrangements in place to ensure stable iodine is available to potentially affected populations around civil nuclear reactor sites.

Locally, stable iodine is pre-distributed around civil nuclear reactor sites to a distance that has been assessed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation to be sufficient for all reasonably foreseeable emergencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment of Driver Only Operation.

Paul Maynard

We are not planning to undertake an assessment, as it is for the individual operator to decide what level of assessment to carry out, in relation to their Legal obligations under the Equality Act and their Disabled Peoples Protection Policy which is a Passenger Operator License Condition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for the review of the Code of Practice for Privately Kept Non-Human Primates; and whether that review will include consultation with (a) members of the public and (b) animal welfare organisations.

George Eustice

Defra plans to review the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates next year. The review will include a consultation with industry, keepers, veterinarians and animal welfare organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government’s policy is on the appropriate percentage rate of return on investment for (a) schools and community groups investing in on-site solar power and (b) foreign state owned companies investing in new nuclear power in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands

We want to attract cost-effective investment in infrastructure. Investors rightly expect a market rate of return and value for money is achieved through competition and careful negotiation. Individual project rates of return will differ to reflect, among other things, the risk profiles involved.

The Feed-in-Tariff scheme, for which schools and community groups are eligible to apply, aims to offer rates of return for solar installations between 4% and 8%. Returns for each installation will vary according to their individual costs and the amount of electricity generated and used on site. The Government’s recently closed consultation on the scheme includes a review to ensure that tariffs are within this range, given the fall in costs of solar panels in recent years. It will detail its response to the consultation shortly.

We are unable to disclose the anticipated rate of return for new nuclear transactions as these are commercially sensitive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many of her officials are engaged in preparing the Government’s next Climate Change Risk Assessment.

Rory Stewart

Defra’s core climate change adaptation team of eight officials is coordinating and inputting to the preparation of the second Climate Change Risk Assessment, to be laid in Parliament in January 2017. Many other officials from across Defra, wider Government and its agencies are also contributing to the assessment. The underlying evidence report that will make up the bulk of the assessment is being prepared by the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change, with extensive input from around 100 other experts.