The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he received a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
I did not receive a document on UK Sikhs from the Indian delegation during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he received representations from the US military based at USAF Lakenheath before the recent use of USAF F-15s to kill an individual in Libya allegedly involved in the planning of terrorist acts; and whether he gave authorisation for such an act.
Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 29 February 2016 to Question 903769.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for trends in the number of junior doctors electing not to finish their postgraduate training in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Ben Gummer
The General Medical Council report, “Interactive reports to investigate factors that affect progression of doctors in training”, shows that for 7,423 Foundation Year 2 (F2) doctors who completed foundation training in 2012, the first cohort the General Medical Council began collecting data on:
– 65.8% of these doctors took up a specialty or general practitioner training place immediately after completing foundation training;
– a further 16.6% took up a training place the following year; and
– 92.5% were in further medical training or working as doctors in the United Kingdom within two and a half years of completing F2.
A copy of the report is attached and it can also be found at:
http://www.gmc-uk.org/Briefing_note___Exams_and_recruitment_outcome_reports.pdf_60060997.pdf_60086828.pdf
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 1973 Cost Sharing Agreement between the US and the UK.
Michael Fallon
No.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Angolan counterpart on the sentencing on 28 March 2016 of Luaty Beirao and associated activists in that country; and if he will make a statement.
James Duddridge
The UK, together with all the other European Union Embassies in Luanda, made a statement on this case on 29 March, raising our concern about guarantees of due process and the principle of proportionality. We hope that the legal avenues available for appeal will offer guarantees in accordance with the rights and principles of the Angolan Constitution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Gambia on the arrest, alleged torture and deaths of Ousainou Darboe and other members of the Gambian Opposition United Democratic Party; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the government of Gambia release those other members of that party who are detained as soon as possible.
James Duddridge
The United Kingdom is deeply concerned over reports of excessive violence and allegations of ill treatment of those detained following peaceful demonstrations in The Gambia. I made a statement on 19 April calling on The Gambian authorities to investigate these allegations in a thorough and transparent manner, ensuring that anyone responsible for any wrongdoing is held accountable and brought to justice. Those in custody should either be charged or released immediately and be treated in accordance with internationally acceptable human rights standards. Our Ambassador in The Gambia formally raised our concerns with The Gambia’s Foreign Minister on 18 April and will continue to press The Gambian authorities on this issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Bangladesh on the increase in and alleged official toleration of extra-judicial killings in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
Allegations of extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh are deeply concerning. We follow progress closely and raise concerns where there are credible allegations. We take human rights in Bangladesh seriously, naming it as one of 30 Human Rights Priority Countries in this year’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy report. In my speech during a House of Commons debate on the future of Bangladesh in June 2015 I reiterated our call for the Bangladesh Government to hold the perpetrators to account through impartial, transparent investigations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure equality of access to heart valve replacements.
Jane Ellison
NHS England is holding a Clinical Summit on 15 June 2016, bringing together cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to examine the issues relating to heart valve disease. This will discuss variation and the outputs will be used to inform the future commissioning approach within specialised commissioning.
In addition, the office of the Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England is working with the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Health Education England to look at ways to improve provision and increase access to echocardiography for the identification of heart valve disease.
NHS England has also undertaken a significant programme of work on congenital heart services, working very closely with the relevant stakeholders, including patients and their representatives, clinicians and hospital managers. This work produced a new set of service standards with the aim of achieving the best outcomes for all patients, consistently across the whole country and with excellent patient experience. Following consultation these standards were agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015 and came into effect on 1 April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to improve equality of access to echo-cardiography for the identification of heart valve disease for people aged over 65.
Jane Ellison
NHS England is holding a Clinical Summit on 15 June 2016, bringing together cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to examine the issues relating to heart valve disease. This will discuss variation and the outputs will be used to inform the future commissioning approach within specialised commissioning.
In addition, the office of the Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England is working with the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Health Education England to look at ways to improve provision and increase access to echocardiography for the identification of heart valve disease.
NHS England has also undertaken a significant programme of work on congenital heart services, working very closely with the relevant stakeholders, including patients and their representatives, clinicians and hospital managers. This work produced a new set of service standards with the aim of achieving the best outcomes for all patients, consistently across the whole country and with excellent patient experience. Following consultation these standards were agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015 and came into effect on 1 April 2016.
The speech made by Fabian Hamilton, the Labour MP for Leeds North East, in the House of Commons on 12 December 2022.
I again thank the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) for securing this urgent question. He has been a great champion of the British Council in this place. We know that hundreds of British Council contractors are still stranded in Afghanistan following this Government’s botched evacuation from Kabul. Earlier this year, the Minister told the House that the Government were “supporting those in need” and that 50 British Council contractors had been evacuated. However, a recent report in The Guardian indicated that, as the hon. Gentleman said, the Government had not granted a single ACRS application since the programme was opened—not one. Furthermore, fewer than 10 staff are currently working on the scheme at the FCDO.
I am contacted frequently by British Council contractors who are suffering terribly, and I would be grateful if the Minister would allow me to raise these cases with him privately. Many of those that are still in Afghanistan are former security guards who protected British staff at the embassy, and they undertook an extremely difficult task during the evacuation in August last year. We owe so much to those courageous British Council contractors, and the fact that they are still in Afghanistan and facing daily violence and threats as a result of their co-operation with the UK is nothing short of a disgrace.
The last time I put these questions to the Government, answers were not forthcoming, so I am hopeful that this time I might be able to get some clarity. Can the Minister tell us how many former British Council contractors are still stuck in Afghanistan, what measures are being put in place to evacuate the rest of the British Council contractors still stranded in Afghanistan and what engagement he has had with regional partners to facilitate safe passage for British Council staff who attempt to leave? And message does it send to other British Council contractors who work in challenging environments around the world if the UK Government will leave these contractors stranded in this way?
Mr Mitchell
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, and he is quite right to express deep concern about those who are caught in this way. He asks me whether he may raise cases privately with me, and of course the answer is yes. I will make arrangements for those meetings to take place straight after this urgent question is over. He asks a number of questions, and if I do not answer them fully, I will ensure that we write to him. He is right to say that we keep in very good contact with regional partners in countries to try to advance this issue. This particular stream only opened in June this year. The Foreign Office has processed and is informing something in the region of 200 of those who are eligible in principle, and if the dependants are added to that, it is something like 750. So those are proceeding, and it is of course up to the Home Office to procure the necessary security clearance prior to them securing entry clearance. So, the process is going on, but I fully accept his frustration—it is a frustration we all share in this matter—and as I say, perhaps we can proceed with a private meeting, as he has requested.