Tag: Joan Ryan

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the detention of Tamil political prisoners in Sri Lanka.

Mr Hugo Swire

We regularly raise matters of concern with the Sri Lankan government, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the detention of Tamil political prisoners without trial. I met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, the Honourable Mangala Samaraweera MP, on 14 September in Geneva. I was encouraged by our discussion and by his speech to the UN Human Rights Council. He told members of the UN Human Rights Council that the Sri Lankan government would review and repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and replace it with anti-terrorism legislation in line with contemporary international best practices. I have also been encouraged by the recent announcements that bail has been granted to 39 prisoners being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-01-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the implications for its policies of the statement made by the financial service messaging platform Symphony that they offer Guaranteed Data Deletion; and whether this statement complies with financial regulations on record keeping.

Harriett Baldwin

This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.

The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26100, what proportion of her Department’s financial assistance for Palestinian development funds other projects which foster coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The DFID Palestinian Programme supports the HMG objective of protecting the viability of a two state solution. DFID’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories tends to consist of large-scale and strategic programmes that fit within our three priority areas; state building, economic development and alleviating poverty and vulnerability. Through the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the UK continues to support several projects which promote coexistence. These projects include support for the Peres Centre for Peace Training Doctors Programme which brings Israelis and Palestinians together through medical care and training to combat stereotypes and build trust. Additionally we work on projects with youth groups and through sport to encourage engagement between Israelis and Palestinians.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP appointments were available in Enfield North constituency in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt

The attached table shows the total general practitioner (GP) headcount and headcount per head of population in Enfield and London between 2010-14.

Information on the availability of GP appointments in Enfield North is not collected centrally.

We have invested in the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund to test improved and innovative access to GP services. Across the two waves of the Fund, there are 57 schemes covering over 2,500 practices and over 18 million patients have benefited from improved access and transformational change at a local level. A wide variety of approaches are being tested through the Access Fund, including: evening and weekend appointments and better use of telecare and health apps; more innovative ways to access services by video call, email or telephone; and developing more integrated services with a single point of contact to co-ordinate patient services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has carried out of the effect of the closure of the emergency department at Chase Farm Hospital in 2013 on other hospital emergency departments in (a) Enfield and (b) North London.

Ben Gummer

This is a matter for the local National Health Service.

The closure of the emergency department at Chase Farm Hospital was informed by the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Clinical Strategy, which took full account of the likely effects and implications of that closure.

The BEH Clinical Strategy has been through a rigorous due process, including a thorough planning and development phase, a public consultation and a number of gateway reviews and checkpoints.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on tackling incitement to violence.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly urge the Palestinian leadership to do more to condemn violence. Most recently in October 2016, our Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem pressed the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the importance of their swift condemnation of violent attacks. The Consul General in Jerusalem also met with PA Prime Minister Hamdallah in March, and raised our concerns on incitement. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) human rights situation in Sri Lanka and (b) detention of Tamil political prisoners in that country.

Mr Hugo Swire

We warmly welcomed the resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 1 October. Since President Sirisena came to power in January, there have been improvements in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including on freedom of expression, some return of military held land, and improved relations between different communities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will provide a further assessment in our 2015 Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. We regularly raise matters of concern with the Sri Lankan government, including the detention of Tamil political prisoners without trial. We have been encouraged by the recent announcements that bail has been granted to 39 prisoners being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 16355, how his Department monitors the situation of detainees in Sri Lanka held under its Prevention of Terrorism Act 1978.

Mr Hugo Swire

The British High Commission in Colombo is in regular contact with government officials, Tamil National Alliance MPs, and civil society representatives about the situation of detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. We also work on this issue with other diplomatic missions, the EU and UN bodies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26100, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the £349 million spent in support of Palestinian development from 2011 to 2015 which has gone to support projects which promote coexistence.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The DFID Palestinian Programme supports the HMG objective of protecting the viability of a two state solution. DFID’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories tends to consist of large-scale and strategic programmes that fit within our three priority areas; state building, economic development and alleviating poverty and vulnerability. Through the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the UK continues to support several projects which promote coexistence. These projects include support for the Peres Centre for Peace Training Doctors Programme which brings Israelis and Palestinians together through medical care and training to combat stereotypes and build trust. Additionally we work on projects with youth groups and through sport to encourage engagement between Israelis and Palestinians.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs were working in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) Enfield and (c) London (i) in total and (ii) per head of population in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt

The attached table shows the total general practitioner (GP) headcount and headcount per head of population in Enfield and London between 2010-14.

Information on the availability of GP appointments in Enfield North is not collected centrally.

We have invested in the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund to test improved and innovative access to GP services. Across the two waves of the Fund, there are 57 schemes covering over 2,500 practices and over 18 million patients have benefited from improved access and transformational change at a local level. A wide variety of approaches are being tested through the Access Fund, including: evening and weekend appointments and better use of telecare and health apps; more innovative ways to access services by video call, email or telephone; and developing more integrated services with a single point of contact to co-ordinate patient services.