The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people attended each A&E department within the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust in each of the last three years.
Jane Ellison
The information is not available in the format requested. Information is available by National Health Service trust and can be found using the following link.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/winter-daily-sitreps/
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the putting in place of a system of verification for violations during the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria; and when he expects such a system to be in place.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Cessation of Hostilities is an important step towards ending the terrible violence in Syria and bringing about a lasting political settlement.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met with the HNC Representative, Riyad Hijab in Paris on Friday 4th March to assess the current situation. Since the Cessation of Hostilities came into effect, we have seen a significant reduction in violence, which is of course a huge step forwards. But we need to see this sustained, and to see a reduction in the number of reported violations. To this end we are working with the UN and other members of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), to urgently consolidate a robust verification mechanism to monitor alleged violations of the Cessation of Hostilities. The UK had a number of staff in Geneva last week working on this.
This mechanism is already starting to work through assessments of violations and we will continue to refine the operation as we continue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what restrictions exist for local authorities in respect of charging for membership of public libraries.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 restricts local authorities in England and Wales from charging for library facilities made available by the authority unless permitted by the Library Charges (England and Wales) Regulations 1991. These regulations empower local authorities in England and Wales to make certain charges for the provision of library facilities but this does not include charging for ordinary library membership.
The Government has no plans to amend the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to allow local authorities to specifically charge for ordinary membership of public libraries..
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has for post-conflict assistance in Burundi.
Mr Nick Hurd
The UK is gravely concerned about the ongoing political and human rights crisis in Burundi. DFID has provided technical support, in the form of secondment of experts, to support and strengthen the capacity of UN agencies working in Burundi, and has deployed a humanitarian adviser to the region in support of the response and to monitor funding provided so far.
DFID has provided £21.15 million since April 2015 to support shelter, food, healthcare and livelihoods assistance for Burundian refugees in Tanzania and Rwanda. DFID is also supporting refugees in the DRC and Uganda through existing programmes and the provision of technical advice. DFID offices across the region are working closely to monitor the situation, review preparedness activities and provide humanitarian support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to allow local authorities to charge for membership of public libraries.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 restricts local authorities in England and Wales from charging for library facilities made available by the authority unless permitted by the Library Charges (England and Wales) Regulations 1991. These regulations empower local authorities in England and Wales to make certain charges for the provision of library facilities but this does not include charging for ordinary library membership.
The Government has no plans to amend the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to allow local authorities to specifically charge for ordinary membership of public libraries..
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support people with (a) ocular melanoma and (b) other eye conditions with the financial cost of eye tests.
Alistair Burt
Free National Health Service sight tests are available from primary care optometrists to a wide range of patients. These include people diagnosed with glaucoma or diabetes or who are at risk of glaucoma, children, people aged 60 and over, people registered as sight-impaired or blind or who need complex lenses, and adults on certain income-related benefits or who qualify for full assistance under the NHS Low Income scheme.
No NHS charges apply to patients being treated in a secondary care setting for the investigation or management of an eye condition, which would include individuals with suspected or diagnosed ocular melanoma.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the trade supplement for a RAF weapon technician is no longer grouped with aircraft engineering trades under Armed Forces Pay Reform.
Penny Mordaunt
For Other Ranks, the Ministry of Defence uses a long-standing and rigorous process of Job Evaluation (JE) to determine the pay treatment of each trade. In the current binary pay model which consists of High and Low Pay Bands, JE evidence assigns the role of the RAF Weapon Technician to the High Pay Band. In the new pay system, with its four supplements and greater flexibility, the same JE evidence assigns the Weapon Technician to Supplement 2, while other trades in the RAF’s Trade Group 1 (TG1) (Aircraft Engineering) are assigned to Supplement 3. This does not mean there has been a reduction in the Weapon Technician’s technical status or intrinsic value. It reflects the fact that the other trades in TG1 continue to score higher in the JE process and therefore continue to be treated differently in pay terms.
No-one will take a pay cut on transition to the new model and Service personnel will continue to be eligible for any Government approved pay award. Incremental progressions will also continue to be a feature of the new pay model, though rationalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UN responds effectively to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic.
James Duddridge
These are terrible allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The UN and Member States must investigate these claims urgently and thoroughly and hold the perpetrators to account. The UK supports the efforts by the UN Secretary-General to eliminate all instances of sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers.
The Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, has made tackling sexual abuse and exploitation in peacekeeping missions one of her top priorities. The UK supported UN Security Council resolution 2272 which endorses the UN Secretary General’s decision to repatriate troops when there is credible evidence of sexual exploitation and abuse, and for troop contributing countries to keep the UN Secretary General informed of the progress of investigations.
The UK Government will provide £1 million to support the UN’s work to improve the suitability of deployed peacekeepers, design a reporting system that communities will trust, and ensure a stronger UN response to proven allegations. The UK will be hosting an international conference on UN peacekeeping in the autumn which will push for further progress on UN peacekeeping reform.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what process the trade supplement for an RAF weapon technician was decided under Armed Forces Pay Reform.
Penny Mordaunt
For Other Ranks, the Ministry of Defence uses a long-standing and rigorous process of Job Evaluation (JE) to determine the pay treatment of each trade. In the current binary pay model which consists of High and Low Pay Bands, JE evidence assigns the role of the RAF Weapon Technician to the High Pay Band. In the new pay system, with its four supplements and greater flexibility, the same JE evidence assigns the Weapon Technician to Supplement 2, while other trades in the RAF’s Trade Group 1 (TG1) (Aircraft Engineering) are assigned to Supplement 3. This does not mean there has been a reduction in the Weapon Technician’s technical status or intrinsic value. It reflects the fact that the other trades in TG1 continue to score higher in the JE process and therefore continue to be treated differently in pay terms.
No-one will take a pay cut on transition to the new model and Service personnel will continue to be eligible for any Government approved pay award. Incremental progressions will also continue to be a feature of the new pay model, though rationalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic has sufficient resources to protect civilians and fulfil its mandate.
James Duddridge
The UK contributed £31.8 million to the UN Peacekeeping Budget for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in 2015/16.
The operation is focussing on restoring stability, preventing human rights abuses, and promoting reconciliation. The UK will work closely with UN Security Council partners to ensure that the protection of civilians remains a priority in the renewal of the mandate, and that the Mission has sufficient resources to fulfil it.