Tag: Fiona Bruce

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 article by Marta N. Shahbazi et al, entitled Self-organisation of the human embryo in the absence of material tissues, Nature Cell Biology (2016) and by Alessia Deglincerti et al, entitled Self-organisation of the in vitro attached human embryo, Nature 553, 251 to 254, of 12 May 2016, if he will instruct the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to require prolonged culture for up to 13 days or longer of any human embryos generated by (a) pronuclear transfer and (b) spindle-chromosomal complex transfer prior to clinical application of either of these techniques.

Jane Ellison

It will be for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, as the United Kingdom national regulatory body, to determine what evidence must be provided by clinics seeking a licence to provide mitochondrial donation treatment to patients, and any conditions that are to be placed on the licence.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, prohibits the keeping or using of embryos for longer than 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak, whichever is the earlier.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 1150 of Session 2015-16, Legal protection for unborn children.

Jane Ellison

The Government has no plans to repeal the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929, or sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Indian government on steps to lift the fuel blockade on Nepal and facilitate the release of humanitarian supplies.

Mr Hugo Swire

I refer my honourable friend to the answer I gave on 10 November 2015 to Question 14391, located at: www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/.

In addition to the above answer, our Ambassador to Nepal discussed the blockage at the Nepal-India border in his introductory meeting with the Indian Ambassador to Nepal on 9 November. I also raised the matter with General Vijay Kumar Singh, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, when we spoke in the margins of the Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Ministers Meeting on 5 November 2015 in Luxembourg.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government is doing to encourage Saudi Arabia and other parties to the conflict in Yemen to refrain from using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) provides that no weapon should be used indiscriminately, disproportionately, or to deliberately target civilians and civilian objects. These rules are applicable to situations where explosive weapons are used in populated areas.

We take all reports of alleged violations of IHL in Yemen very seriously. We have raised our concerns with the Saudi Arabian-led coalition and received assurances that they are complying with IHL. We continue to engage with them on those assurances and urge all parties to the conflict to act in compliance with IHL.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures the Government has put in place to ensure that the resettlement programme in Lebanon and Jordan is able to identify the most vulnerable people.

James Brokenshire

We work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement according to agreed vulnerability criteria for the Syrian Resettlement Scheme. The scheme was expanded in September 2015 to ensure more of those in the greatest need are resettled in the UK.

We are working with UNHCR to intensify their outreach and identification activities in the region, including in Jordan and the Lebanon; to encourage and invite all unregistered populations to avail themselves of UNHCR’s services either by directly approaching UNHCR to register with them or by referral via a third organisation.

We are also working with confessional groups and Diaspora communities here and in the region to maximise their awareness of UNHCR’s global mandate and scope for resettlement opportunities and/or to refer any unregistered person to UNHCR for registration and potential assessment according to criteria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea, published in February 2014.

Mr Hugo Swire

The UK has strongly supported the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and we remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the DPRK that the report outlined. We have urged DPRK authorities to respond in detail to the contents of the report and to address the human rights violations that it documents. We also maintain pressure on the DPRK on human rights through multilateral fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council, and through our critical engagement with the regime both in Pyongyang and London.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the publication of the Home Office Guidance on the use of Human Materials in Animals Advice Note 01/16, what the process will be for receiving comments from the public on applications to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a licence to carry out research using human admixed embryos before a decision on awarding such licences is made.

Jane Ellison

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the Home Office guidance on the use of Human Materials in Animals was published in January 2016. The guidance provides information on the steps necessary to obtain a research licence from the HFEA. There is no requirement in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, for the HFEA to seek the views of the public when considering applications for a research licence. Currently, the HFEA does not invite comments from the public on applications for a research licence. This will be reviewed in the 2016/17 business year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to help strengthen the economy of Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government’s long term economic plan to strengthen the economy is delivering for the UK and for Northern Ireland.

By cutting the deficit, reducing business taxes and encouraging investment in enterprise and innovation we are making Northern Ireland a more competitive and attractive place to do business.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse of provision of abortion services in England was in each year from 1986 to 2013.

Jane Ellison

Information about expenditure on abortions is not collected centrally.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to educate children at schools about the health implications of excessive alcohol consumption.

Edward Timpson

Effective drug and alcohol education is essential in tackling the problem of drug and alcohol misuse.In the science curriculum, pupils should be taught to recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 3 pupils should be taught about the effects of recreational drugs (including substance misuse) on behaviour, health and life processes.

In addition, schools have the autonomy to tailor their local Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education programme to reflect the needs of their pupils, including teaching about alcohol consumption. Schools can draw on the resources and evidence provided by experts and use tools such as ADEPIS (Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service). In March 2013 the department launched a new drug and alcohol information and advice service for practitioners. This provides practitioners and commissioners with accurate, up-to-date information and resources on what works and can be found at: http://mentor-adepis.org/

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