Tag: Fiona Bruce

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether UK-owned tour companies that operate in North Korea contribute financially to that country’s nuclear and missile programmes or to elements of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea government responsible for human rights violations.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are aware of UK tour companies who operate in the North Korea. Given the closed nature of the regime there is very limited financial information from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) government on how their nuclear and ballistic missile programme or elements of the regime responsible for human rights violations are funded.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 29747, whether any of the correspondence cited in the oral contribution of the Lord Patel on 24 February 2015 had been given unredacted to concurrently serving members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority executive.

Jane Ellison

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that wider disclosure of the content of the personal email exchange between Professor Grifo and a member of the expert panel convened by the Authority would not breach patient confidentiality. The HFEA has previously advised that the relevant expert panel member contacted Professor Grifo in a personal capacity following the third Scientific Review of the safety and efficacy of methods to avoid mitochondrial disease in 2014.

The HFEA has also advised that the information in question was provided in confidence to the expert panel convened by the Authority. Members of the HFEA Executive who provided administrative support to the work of the panel have seen this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that staff in her Department receive religious literacy training.

Sir Desmond Swayne

In implementing DFID’s ‘Faith Partnership Principles Paper’, DFID has produced material for staff on the role played by faiths in the local, national and global cultural contexts, arranged for faith literacy training and facilitated staff to attend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office faith literacy training courses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of calls to the NSPCC human trafficking and modern slavery helpline between July 2014 and June 2015 that were referred to that helpline by (a) the police and (b) other agencies were referred back to those agencies.

Karen Bradley

The NSPCC-run modern slavery helpline was launched in July 2014, as part of a wider awareness-raising campaign, to better support potential victims of modern slavery. For the period July 2014 to July 2015, £50,000 was made available to the NSPCC to run the modern slavery helpline. To support the launch of the helpline, training was provided by existing staff in the NSPCC child trafficking advice centre, the Metropolitan police’s human trafficking unit and the Modern Slavery Unit to NSPCC call-handlers at zero cost.

The NSPCC helpline routinely records the number of contacts made each month, how they are made, and by whom. The helpline also records the gender, age and nationality of potential victims, where that information is known or presumed. Between 31 July 2014 and 31 July 2015 the NSPCC modern slavery helpline received, in total, 849 contacts. These were comprised of 491 referrals, 107 advice cases and 251 enquiries. During the period 31 July 2014 to 31 July 2015 the helpline received a total of 57 contacts from potential victims themselves and in that same period the NSPCC made 272 referrals to the police. The NSPCC does not hold data on the number of contacts referred to the helpline by the police and other agencies that were subsequently referred back to those agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sexual offences in which the offender was under the influence of alcohol were recorded in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous

The information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the implications are for the provisions of the Public Order Act 1986 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, Cm 9148, published in October 2015 and its definition of extremism.

Karen Bradley

The Government definition of extremism is ‘vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.’ We have been consistent on this since 2011 and have reaffirmed this definition in the Counter-Extremism Strategy.

Vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, in particular mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs within the Counter-Extremism Strategy definition of extremism is consistent with the incitement provisions within the Public Order Act 1986, in particular Part 3 aimed at those who stir up racial or religious hatred.

We are clear that Government should not restrict anyone’s freedom of speech or right to practise a faith. These are core values. But we shouldn’t allow the extremist voice to go unchallenged, causing harm to our society and promoting hatred and division.

Government has engaged widely on the Counter-Extremism Strategy, and continues to engage with partners – including faith groups and communities on the implementation of the Strategy’s measures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of its proposals to devolve Sunday trading regulations on the displacement of trade from small to large stores.

Anna Soubry

My Department has carried out an assessment of the impacts of devolving the power to extend Sunday trading hours and this will be published.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which elements of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea government fund or participate in that country’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Mr Hugo Swire

This information can be obtained at the following web address: https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg840.aspx

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of embryonic stem cell research for the development of treatments for patients.

George Freeman

Treatments based on the use of stem cells including those obtained by embryos must be demonstrated to be both safe and effective before they can receive authorisation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of the offence of child destruction under the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929 for performing abortions on themselves or causing their own miscarriage in each year since 1986; and what each such case was.

Caroline Dinenage

The number of offenders found guilty at all courts in England and Wales, from 1986 to 2015, can be viewed in the table. The figures from 2005 onwards are a further breakdown of data published in the outcomes by offences data tool in the annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015

Information as to whether each case referred to abortion or miscarriage Is not available.

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