Tag: Keith Vaz

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support an end to the conflict in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Peace talks remain the top priority. The UK continues to strongly support the work of UN Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, and his tireless efforts in working with all parties to bring about peace in Yemen. We deeply regret the failure of the parties to reach an agreement in Kuwait and urge them to find the compromises that will end the current conflict. The secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) hosted the Foreign Ministers of the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in London on 19 July to discuss the situation in Yemen, including the deteriorating humanitarian and economic situation and to encourage commitment from the Yemeni parties to the political process. I represented the UK at a subsequent meeting in Jeddah on 25 August. It is critical that all parties to the conflict renew their commitment to the Cessation of Hostilities for the sake of the people of Yemen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to appoint a new Special Envoy to (a) Yemen and (b) Oman.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

There are no current plans to appoint a new special envoy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trust chief executives have become private sector consultants after leaving that post.

Ben Gummer

We do not hold information on the employment of chief executives after they have left the National Health Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on individuals or groups involved in smuggling people from mainland Europe to the UK; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are engaged in such activities.

James Brokenshire

Europol holds intelligence on more than 40,000 individuals suspected of being involved in migrant smuggling. It would not be appropriate to comment further on ongoing UK operational activity to investigate groups and individuals engaged in smuggling people to the UK from mainland Europe. We will relentlessly pursue those who are engaged in people smuggling. Between 1st April 2015 and 8 March 2016, Immigration Enforcement has achieved 132 disruptions against criminals involved in organised immigration crime.

Last summer, the Prime Minister announced the creation of the Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce bringing together officers from the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service to exploit every opportunity at source, in transit countries and in Europe to identify and tackle organised crime groups criminal operations. The Taskforce funding was subsequently expanded in November 2015 to increase resources to 100 dedicated officers until 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relative accessibility of (a) Spirit Healthcare’s Empower type 2 diabetes education course and (b) the DESMOND programme for diabetes patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Jane Ellison

The Department has made no such assessment.

NHS England advises that Spirit Healthcare’s Empower course will be as accessible as the current DESMOND programme. The Empower course will be available in a range of locations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, including general practitioner practices, community centres and faith venues. The provider will be responsive to demand and local need to ensure that the courses are offered where required by patients and referring health care professionals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure emergency education, in particular for displaced children, is prioritised as part of the emergency response in Yemen; and whether education will be prioritised in her Department’s support for the recovery and reconstruction of Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne

UK aid to Yemen is currently focused on the most urgent life-saving needs, in particular food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation. We have so far helped more than 1.3 million Yemenis who have been affected by the conflict.

DFID has supported education in Yemen through the Social Fund for Development (SFD). Since 2010, more than 240,000 children have attended schools supported by SFD. DFID is also supporting the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to rehabilitate schools which is helping 3,500 refugee children and Yemeni children from their host communities, to resume education.

The UK is working closely with the Government of Yemen, Gulf countries, the World Bank, UN and other donors on planning for stabilisation and post-conflict recovery. Any future support will be based upon a comprehensive assessment of needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate his Department’s spending related to the crisis in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK remains fully committed to helping bring peace and stability to Yemen. In terms of programme spend, through the cross-departmental Conflict Stability and Security Fund, we are spending £2.95m on Yemen in the 2016/17 financial year. This is focussed on the UK priorities in Yemen of de-escalation, support for the UN-led peace process and political transition. It includes: the provision of extra capacity for the UN Special Envoy to Yemen’s office to enable them to lead and broaden the scope of peace talks; support demining and clearance of explosive remnants of war; and efforts to increase the inclusivity of a future political settlement. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides funding through the Magna Carta Fund to help improve the human rights situation in Yemen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which of the recommendations made by the APPG for Yemen in its report, Conflict in Yemen, the forgotten crisis, published in October 2015 have been adopted by his Department.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We welcomed the report and share the APPG’s concern about the serious humanitarian crisis in Yemen. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the conflict. The UK continues to strongly support the work of UN Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, and his tireless efforts in working with all parties to bring about peace in Yemen. The UK has continued to engage including at senior levels in support of the UN Special Envoy’s work. Along with my US, Saudi Arabian and Emirati counterparts, we released a Communiqué calling for an immediate return to the Cessation of Hostilities after meetings held on 21 September at the United Nations General Assembly.

We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict and take these very seriously. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been breached. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that lessons will be acted upon. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Public Health England’s report, Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, published in October 2015.

Jane Ellison

We are considering the evidence and advice in Public Health England’s report Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action, along with other areas for potential action, as we develop our childhood obesity strategy which will be published in the new year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of public health budgets are allocated to services related to diabetes in 2015-16.

Jane Ellison

There is no specific allocation for public health services related to diabetes. Local authorities receive a grant which must be spent on public health, but are best placed to assess local needs, prioritise and deploy available resources accordingly. The NHS Health Check is a national programme that seeks to offer preventative checks for all those in the population aged between 40-74 to assess their risk of vascular disease, including diabetes. NHS England commissions the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme but does not receive a specific allocation for this service.