Tag: Dan Jarvis

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Sheffield City Region has not been involved in the Hendy review.

Andrew Jones

The Secretary of State has asked Sir Peter Hendy, as the new chair of Network Rail, to report to him this autumn with a proposal for re-planning the Control Period 5 enhancements (which covers the period 2014-2019) in a way that is efficient, deliverable and affordable. Sir Peter Hendy is engaging with stakeholders, including Sheffield City Region, and taking the views of industry into account as part of the wider context for his re-plan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the electrification schemes for the North TransPennine and Midland Mainline will resume.

Andrew Jones

The work to electrify the North TransPennine and Midland Mainline railways has resumed, as announced on 30^th September 2015 by the Secretary of State, as part of Sir Peter Hendy’s work to reset Network Rail’s Upgrade Programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart and other relevant stakeholders to ensure there is no further delay in the establishment of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism designed to increase the flow of commercial goods into Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has been in regular contact with the Government of Yemen, members of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition, and the UN on the importance of ensuring access for commercial and humanitarian goods to reach those most in need. I chaired a meeting of countries at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during which we called for all sides to facilitate access for humanitarian aid and commercial goods, including fuel for civilian use, through all of Yemen’s ports. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met his counterpart, Adel Al Jubeir, during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 28 October where they discussed humanitarian and commercial access in Yemen. There has been some recent progress on shipping access, which we welcome, but this needs to be maintained and increased in the future. The UK supports the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) which is now being established to address commercial shipping needs and we urge for this to be implemented as soon as possible. We will continue to raise this issue for as long as it is necessary.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) whether the Saudi-led coalition warships off the Red Sea port of Hodeidah are continuing to prevent commercial vessels from docking and (b) the effect of continued restrictions to limit commercial and humanitarian supplies from entering Yemen on its people.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met his counterpart, Adel Al Jubeir, during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 28 October where they discussed humanitarian and commercial access in Yemen. The Foreign Secretary welcomed the recent progress on shipping access, and emphasised the importance of this needing to be maintained and increased in the future. The UK supports the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) which is now being established to address commercial shipping needs and we urge for this to be implemented as soon as possible. Given Yemen’s high dependence on imports for essential food, fuel and medical supplies, it is vital that all of Yemen’s ports – operate at full capacity to ensure these vital supplies can enter the country, and commercial importers have the confidence to continue activities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that UK weapons are not used in strikes that constitute serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK operates 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. We do not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and we take account of any risk that the goods might be diverted to undesirable end-users or end-use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the parties to the conflict in Yemen on their complying with obligations under international humanitarian law and on ending the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports on alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) by all sides to the conflict in Yemen, and take them very seriously. We have raised our concerns over alleged IHL violations with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the Coalition, and in return have received repeated assurances of their compliance. We have also raised our concerns over alleged IHL and international human rights law violations by the Houthis, and again stressed the importance of compliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Mr Oliver Letwin

Work on the Strategic Defence and Security Review is progressing well and we expect it to be published by the end of the year. During the course of the review we have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and external experts including Parliamentarians, academics, think tanks, NGOs, industry and international allies. Members of the public also have the opportunity to contribute views via a dedicated page on gov.uk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to maintain the level of regional news provision after the BBC Charter review.

Mr Edward Vaizey

We welcome the BBC’s commitment to work in partnership with local news providers, as it set out in its proposals published in September, and look forward to seeing these proposals developed further in discussion with industry to make sure they have a positive impact.

The overall scale and scope of the BBC, including the provision regional news, is part of the Charter Review discussion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has on (a) raising awareness of severe and complex disabilities suspected of having a genetic syndrome for which it is not currently possible to confirm a diagnosis and (b) helping to ensure that patients and their families that are affected by such disabilities have access to appropriate care and support.

George Freeman

The Department is committed to improving the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, including those severe and complex conditions caused by genetic disorders, through implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases, published in November 2013. The UK strategy includes specific recommendations to improve awareness amongst service providers and others of the effects that rare diseases can have on a person’s education, family, social relationships and ability to work. There is also a specific recommendation to improve education and awareness across the healthcare professions and to improve the co-ordination of care, recognising that some patients have complex needs and require expertise from a number of specialists and carers.

The UK Rare Disease Forum will monitor progress against the recommendations in the strategy and is due to produce its first report in early 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the National Security Council has discussed the implications for national security of the recently announced closures of steel plants.

Mr Oliver Letwin

Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. However we are committed to supporting a strong and viable steel industry, and that means taking action across all the areas.

We are tackling unfair trade practices in a number of ways. We have already supported and voted for the renewal of anti-dumping measures at an EU level, and lobbied successfully for an investigation into cheap imports of Reinforcing Steel Bar. We have addressed the impact of climate change policies, with over £50 million of support given to the steel industry to mitigate increasing electricity costs. We are working with the Commission to quickly gain approval for proposals to provide additional relief for the impact of indirect low-carbon energy policy costs.

Once in place, this will save energy intensive industries, like the steel industry hundreds of millions of pounds over the next five years.

We are driving up the number of public contracts won by UK steel manufacturers and their partners through fair and open competition. The National Infrastructure Plan contains projects which will use British steel, including: Crossrail– with 4 UK based companies providing over 50,000 tonnes of steel; and HS2- where Government has already given noticeof the thousands of tonnes of steel that will be needed.