Tag: Jeremy Lefroy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) abattoirs processing sheep use the standardised carcase classification or EUROP grid and (b) mandatory deadweight price reporting for such carcases is introduced.

George Eustice

Defra and the devolved administrations (DA) are contributing to the Commission’s ongoing review of regulations on carcase classification and price reporting as part of the EU Commission’s legislation simplification programme. We aim to ensure that UK farmers are not disadvantaged and that no unnecessary burdens are placed on the industry.

In addition, the Commissioner has established a series of workshops on the future of the sheep industry in the European Union. This forum provides an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues relevant to the industry, including carcase classification and price reporting. Defra and the DAs are fully engaged in these discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the potential contribution of measures to support freedom of religion and belief to achieving (a) Sustainable Development Goal 16 and (b) other sustainable development goals.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK will continue to promote universal human rights as an integral part of building prosperity and stability around the world and attaches great importance to ensuring that people of all faiths can participate fully in society and live without fear of abuse or discrimination. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leads on the UK’s work in promoting freedom of religion and belief overseas. DFID works closely with the FCO to raise concerns about freedom of religion with partner governments to ensure that all citizens can claim their rights. This is indeed part of our work to promote the golden thread of democracy, and achieve Goal 16 and the other Sustainable Development Goals. For the UK, the Sustainable Development Goals’ pledge to leave no one behind is one of the most important principles of the post-2015 Agenda. We have been a champion of Goal 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and access to justice for all. We are working to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals will be monitored closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research and development her Department is funding into the potential role of agroforestry in improving soil health and condition and prevention of erosion.

Mr Nick Hurd

The Department for International Development supports a number of research programmes that assess the use of agroforestry to promote soil health and prevent as well as reduce erosion. This includes, for example, work with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the global Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research programme (CCAFS).

My Department also supports a wide range of development programmes with agro-ecological components, from agroforestry, soil and water conservation, land use management to climate resilience and conservation agriculture. These include, for example, The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), and Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED). The full range of our programmes can be found on our Development Tracker website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) cost to the economy and (b) number of deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance in the last 12 months for which figures are available; whether he has made such estimates for future years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

A broad estimate of the cost of antimicrobial resistance to the National Health Service is £180 million per annum.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. In the longer term, a forecast of the global economic costs and deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance is available from the independent review on antimicrobial resistance led by Lord O’Neill of Gatley. His review estimates that drug-resistant infections could kill an extra 10 million people globally every year by 2050, and have a cumulative cost to the world of around $100 trillion in lost output.

The United Kingdom is taking the lead in addressing antimicrobial resistance globally, investing £265 million in the Fleming Fund to strengthen surveillance of drug resistance and laboratory capacity in developing countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department and NHS England plan to take to improve birth outcomes for women (a) from ethnic minority groups, (b) of lower socio-economic status and (c) from other groups who experience poorer birth outcomes.

Ben Gummer

In November, the Government announced a national ambition to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030. To help meet these aims the Government established a capital fund of £2.24 million to support trusts to buy equipment to improve safety. More than 90 trusts were successful in sharing this funding. In addition, the Government is investing £500,000 to develop a new web-based system to be used consistently across the National Health Service so staff can review and learn from every stillbirth and neonatal death, and over £1 millon in multi-disciplinary training programmes to ensure staff have the skills they need to deliver world-leading safe care.

In February 2016, the report of the National Maternity Review ‘Better Births’ was published. It sets out a vision for the future of maternity care in England and puts forward a series of recommendations to ensure that services become safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family-friendly. Additionally, in March, NHS England launched the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle designed to support providers and commissioners of maternity care to take action to reduce stillbirths and early neonatal deaths.

There is evidence to suggest that when implemented the proposals outlined in Better Births will lead to a reduction in inequality of outcomes from maternity services. In particular, more continuity of carer and greater personalisation of care should result in improvements in services to groups of women who tend to experience poorer outcomes, and in turn lead to improved outcomes for women and their babies.

Later this year the Department will begin a targeted campaign to raise awareness of stillbirth, neonatal death and maternal death risk factors which will be aimed at 16-21 year olds, lower socio-economic groups and ethnic minority groups.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many undergraduates studying (a) soil biology, (b) soil chemistry and (c) combined soil biology and chemistry her Department is sponsoring at (i) UK universities and colleges and (ii) universities and colleges in third countries.

Mr Nick Hurd

DFID is not currently centrally funding any undergraduates studying (a) soil biology, (b) soil chemistry or (c) combined soil biology and chemistry at (i) UK universities and college or (ii) universities and colleges in third countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-01-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department submitted a formal application to the European Commission for state aid clearance to enlarge the scheme for social interest tax relief; and when he expects to receive the outcome of that application.

Mr David Gauke

The Government submitted its application for State aid clearance to enlarge the Social Interest Tax Relief scheme on 17 January 2015. Discussions with the Commission are ongoing. The Government cannot set out an expected timetable for clearance or enlargement of the scheme at this stage, as timing depends on how these discussions progress.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions NHS England has had with Health Education England, the Nursing Midwifery Council and the Royal College of Obstetricians on delivery of multi-disciplinary training for maternity services.

Ben Gummer

The report of the National Maternity Review: Better Births, published earlier this year, set out wide-ranging proposals designed to make care safer and give women greater control and more choices. Multi-professional education and training were among a number of recommendations that the report made.

Health Education England (HEE) has established a Maternity Safety Steering Group (MSSG) which first met in December 2015. The MSSG has representatives from the Department of Health, NHS Litigation Authority, NHS England, Public Health England, the Royal Colleges, Institute of Health Visitors, Perinatal Institute for Maternal and Child Health and British Association of Perinatal Medicine. The group works in collaboration to consider what training programmes are available and used in trusts, and to identify appropriate training packages to cover all aspects of maternity safety.

NHS England is working closely, and will continue to have regular discussions, with partners across the system to discuss multi-professional and multi-disciplinary training, including the Royal Colleges, HEE and the Department. These discussions include the implementation of the recommendations of the National Maternity Review report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department provides support to farmer networks and farmer-to-farmer training to promote good soil management.

Mr Nick Hurd

DFID is supporting farmer networks and farmer to farmer training on soil management. For example we fund the International Fund for Agriculture Development’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP). This is assisting farmers networks on the promotion of better land and soil management practices and technologies including those developed under our support by the international agriculture research organisation the CGIAR.

For example in Nigeria ASAP is supporting the establishment and strengthening of community development associations for 200,000 smallholder farmers to adopt agricultural practices that both reduce soil erosion and their risks to climate change.

We are also funding farmer to farmer training under our country programmes. In Zambia this is focussed on climate smart agriculture and better management of soils. While in Malawi our support on conservation agriculture has helped 60,000 smallholder farmers to increase their crop yields and incomes by 25% on average.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on how many new antibiotics are in development by UK companies.

George Freeman

The Department does not hold information on how many new antibiotics are in development by UK companies.

The independent review on antimicrobial resistance led by Lord O’Neill publication Securing New Drugs for Future Generations – the Pipeline of antibiotics, provides a high-level assessment of the development pipeline for new antibiotics:

http://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/SECURING%20NEW%20DRUGS%20FOR%20FUTURE%20GENERATIONS%20FINAL%20WEB_0.pdf

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