Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, what estimate she has made of the number of civilian deaths due to blocked medical evacuations.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK condemns the blockage of medical evacuations from hard to reach and besieged areas inside Syria, which has led to unnecessary death and suffering. In March 2016, for example, three children and a young man in Madaya and al-Wa’er died after having their evacuations rejected by the parties restricting access to these towns. Access to healthcare and medical treatment is a fundamental human right protected under international law.

Some progress is being made. For example, we are pleased by UN reports that nearly 500 people were evacuated for medical reasons from besieged areas on 20 April.

However, more needs to be done to provide for all those in need in Syria. The UK is pressing for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to draw attention to the atrocities being carried out in Syria and press for urgent action, while maintaining the pressure for a political settlement to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance is issued to family court judges on Parental Alienation syndrome and implacable hostility.

Caroline Dinenage

Guidance on Parental Alienation Syndrome is not issued to family court judges as the ‘syndrome’ is not recognised as such by many professionals in this country.

The Children Act 1989 contains adequate provisions to protect against the effects of parental alienation or implacable hostility. These include the requirement for the court to ascertain the wishes and feelings of a child who is the subject of a parental dispute, commensurate with that child’s age and level of understanding and the power to request Cafcass to prepare a welfare report into any matters relevant to the child or the family.

Cafcass practitioners are aware of the potential for children to be influenced or alienated by parental views and are alert to this possibility throughout the case.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Burmese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aung San Suu Kyi, on human rights for the Rohingya.

Mr Hugo Swire

We remain deeply concerned about the plight of the Rohingya community. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised the situation of the Rohingya with Aung San Suu Kyi during his conversation with her after the Burmese election in November. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), subsequently wrote to Daw Suu in December, again raising this issue. The Burma Resolution at the March Human Rights Council, which we co-sponsored, placed Rakhine as the central and most pressing human rights matter facing the incoming administration.

While the new Government has been in power for a few weeks only, we will continue to support and encourage Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy-led Government in making progress on this important issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many businesses do not have access to high speed broadband in each region of England.

Matt Hancock

Superfast broadband with speeds of at least 24Mbps is now available to 90 per cent of UK premises and we are on track for this to reach 95 per cent by December 2017.

We do not hold data at regional level or specifically for businesses. We hold information for all premises at constituency level and this was deposited with the Parliamentary Library in January 2016. You can access the deposited papers database here:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/?fd=2016-01-01&td=2016-01-31&search_term=Department+for+Culture%2c+Media+and+Sport&itemId=122028#toggle-56

The Deposit reference is: DEP2016-0056

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to mark National Road Victim Month which falls in August of each year.

Andrew Jones

The Department supports the purpose of National Road Victim Month. We recognise every death is a tragedy and we regularly attend the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. We are determined to do more to make our roads safer. That’s why this Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce road deaths and injuries every year. We are prioritising our efforts on delivering the actions set out in the British Road Safety Statement which we published on 21 December 2015 which is available on gov.uk and copies are in both libraries of the house.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences of 9 December 2015, Official Report, column 389-90WH, if NHS England will develop a commissioning policy on the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for adults with uveitis.

David Mowat

In November 2015 NHS England undertook to review the current adult policy for uveitis once the study, known as VISUAL II, was fully published in a peer reviewed journal. The results of this study were published in August 2016.

NHS England will be reviewing the clinical evidence as reported in VISUAL II and make a judgement on whether an interim policy should be published prior to the anticipated National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Guidance on treating uveitis expected in July 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on the ability of the Pubs Code Adjudicator to enact its role impartially.

Margot James

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received one letter from the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Iain Wright) as Chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and one letter from the hon. Member in his capacity as Chair of the British Pub Confederation. The Department has also received correspondence from members of the Pubs Advisory Service and the British Pub Confederation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of households in each region of the UK have access to superfast broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

According to the Ofcom Communications Market Report, published in August 2015, superfast broadband is available to 83 per cent of UK premises. Regionally, it is available to 84 per cent of the premises in England, 79 per cent in Wales, 77 per cent in Northern Ireland, and 73 per cent in Scotland. We aim to reach 95 per cent coverage by 2017.In addition we are supporting seven pilot projects to explore ways to extend superfast broadband beyond 95 per cent of UK home and businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on director conduct of the funding of insolvency litigation being brought under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Dominic Raab

An Impact Assessment was published when the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 received Royal Assent in May 2012.

The Ministry of Justice is in the process of considering the way forward in relation to the application to insolvency litigation of the no win no fee reforms in Part 2 of the Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Britain’s exit from the EU on access to healthcare for older British citizens who are resident in other EU countries.

Jane Ellison

The Prime Minister believes Britain’s best future lies within a reformed European Union. He is focused on addressing the concerns of the British people and is confident that the right agreement can be reached.