Tag: Lord Boateng

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, in the aftermath of the Ebola epidemic, of the case for the reform of World Health Organisation governance structures in order to strengthen the effectiveness of global responses to the outbreak of infectious diseases.

Baroness Verma

Following lessons learned from Ebola, Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) supports the recommendations from the independent Advisory Group to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General on Reform of WHO’s Work in Outbreaks and Health Emergencies. HMG welcomes the action that WHO Director General Chan has already taken in joining together WHO’s disease outbreaks and emergency response departments. We also welcome commitment by the WHO to implement one workforce, one budget, one set of rules and processes, and a clear line of authority which we assess will strengthen WHO’s governance structure and allow for an effective response to outbreak of infectious diseases. HMG has urged the WHO to implement the Advisory Group recommendations in full and without delay and we look forward to an update on progress with this at the World Health Assembly in May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the likely impact of the outcomes of the Valletta Conference on Migration in reducing youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Action Plan agreed at the Valletta Summit on 11/12 November set out a clear strategy for tackling irregular migration that focuses on the root causes as well as the consequences. The Plan highlighted in particular the importance of providing greater job opportunities for young men and women, and stepping up support to young people in acquiring labour market-relevant skills through education, vocational training and access to digital technologies. These efforts will be supported through increased EU and bilateral funding – including a new EU Trust Fund – which we assess will help tackle youth unemployment and other drivers of migration.

The UK is committed to ensuring that the pledges made at Valletta are followed up quickly and that progress is monitored. In the Horn of Africa, the main mechanism to achieve this will be the EU/African Union “Khartoum Process” on tackling migration. The UK took on the chair of the Khartoum Process on 23 November and hosted a Senior Officials Meeting in London on 24 November. Alongside our partners, we will use this process to drive forward concrete action.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of the report of the Harvard Global Health Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Independent Panel on Global Response to Ebola published in The Lancet online on 22 November 2015, with particular reference to the creation of a Global Health Committee of the UN Security Council.

Baroness Verma

The Ebola crisis demonstrated the need for reform of the international system of response to disease outbreaks, including reform of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Several independent groups have made important recommendations including the Harvard Global Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Independent Panel. The WHO Director General commissioned an independent Advisory Group on Reform of WHO’s work in Outbreaks and Emergencies with Health and Humanitarian Consequences. This group considered the Harvard and London School reports but did not include the creation of a Global Health Committee of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in the recommendations they have made to the WHO. Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) supports the Advisory Group recommendations which aim to equip and empower WHO to deliver more effectively in outbreak response and to fulfil its leadership and coordination role in humanitarian crises and to do so with independent oversight. HMG will assess a progress update on WHO’s implementation of these reforms at the World Health Assembly in May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the role of law enforcement in Sub-Saharan Africa in deterring and apprehending people smugglers, and (2) the capacity of those forces to fulfil that role.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

At the Valletta Summit on 11 and 12 November, EU and African leaders made clear their shared determination to provide a comprehensive solution to irregular migration that deals with the root causes as well as responds to the consequences. Both European and African law enforcement agencies have an important role to play in delivering that solution. A key tenet of the Action Plan agreed at the Summit was to strengthen further our collective efforts to prevent and fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings through effective border management, enhanced intelligence-sharing and the implementation of the relevant legal frameworks. Through the new EU Trust Fund on migration, as well as bilateral activity, we will help build the capacity of law enforcement agencies in Africa to go after the criminal gangs and smuggling networks that profit from human misery. In Valetta the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), announced further funding for the UK’s Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce, now totalling £50million for 2015-2020. The Taskforce brings together officers from the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service with the task of pursuing and disrupting organised crime groups involved in the people smuggling trade in countries of source, transit and destination.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-04-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the advice given in the Dancing To Our Own Tunes guidance by the National Survivor User Network, what assessment they have made of the involvement of black and minority ethnic service users in Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Department is committed to involving patients and service users in the development of national mental health policy. However, it does not monitor this engagement centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures were adopted at the Valetta Conference to strengthen law enforcement action against people smugglers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to increase awareness amongst local populations in Sub-Saharan Africa of the dangers of informal migration routes across the Sahara and the Mediterranean.

Lord Bates

The UK played a leading role in agreeing an Action Plan at the Valletta Conference that will drive constructive and coherent joint action to tackle the causes as well as the consequences of current migratory pressures from Africa. In particular, the Action Plan sets out a series of initiatives to strengthen law enforcement action against people smugglers, and to increase awareness amongst populations in Sub-Saharan Africa of the dangers of illegal migration, as follows:

• Establish or upgrade national and regional anti-smuggling and anti-trafficking legislation, policies and action plans in countries and regions of origin and transit of migration. Identify single national contact points for anti-smuggling and trafficking activities to enhance cooperation, including with counterparts in EU Member States and associated countries and in Europol

• Implement projects focused on strengthening institutional capacities to fight against the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings networks, both in origin and transit countries located along the West Sahel routes, and raise awareness on this problem among the populations concerned

• Set up a joint investigation team in Niger against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings networks, as a pilot project to be potentially replicated in other countries or regions at their request

• Organise information campaigns in countries of origin, transit and destination, to raise awareness of the general public and potential migrants and victims on the dangers of trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants, their recruitment processes, including through public broadcasting services programmes aimed at informing the general public and potential migrants about the migratory situation in Europe

We are now focused on working with EU and African partners to implement the Action Plan quickly and fully.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-04-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the guidance to health commissioners to mandate providers to complete minimum data sets, what assessment they have made of whether high quality, safe and non-discriminatory care is being provided to black and minority ethnic groups.

Lord Prior of Brampton

As reflected in the first principle of the NHS Constitution, the National Health Service is committed to providing high quality, safe and non-discriminatory care for its users irrespective of their of protected characteristics. NHS organisations are subject to the public sector equality duty and other provisions of The Equality Act 2010 in carrying out their public functions and services. This means that they must think about the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic, such as race, and those who do not. Compliance with equality duties is embedded in the NHS regulatory framework and NHS organisations can be challenged in the courts if they fail to comply. As part of their enforcement powers, the Equality and Human Rights Commission can also take action against NHS organisations to ensure compliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the resources allocated by the EU to address the root causes of informal migration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK welcomes the EU’s ongoing, and growing, commitment to supporting development in Africa. At the Valletta Summit, EU and African leaders made clear their shared determination to provide a comprehensive solution to irregular migration that deals with the root causes as well as responds to the consequences. To support these efforts the EU launched a £1.3billion Trust Fund to improve stability in Africa and tackle the drivers of migration, to which the UK announced a £2million direct contribution. Factoring in our contribution via other EU funds, the UK’s total contribution to the overall fund is approximately £187million. In total the EU will spend around €10billion in Africa between now and 2020 to help create jobs, security, better living standards and better governance. We believe that this increased assistance will play an important role in helping tackle the root causes of irregular migration.

Member States also contribute through bilateral funding, and the UK alone provides £4billion a year in aid to Africa. At Valletta the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), announced an additional £200 million package for Africa, which will help build more resilience to economic and environmental pressures; support those displaced by recent crises; and provide greater access to services, education and economic development programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-04-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of investment in public mental health intervention in each of the last three years.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Previously, spend on public mental health has been a sub-category of the miscellaneous reporting category and most councils would have captured this spend locally. From 2016-17, mental health spend from the public health grant has its own dedicated reporting category and the information will be available nationally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-01-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of recent civil disturbances in Burundi on livelihoods and resilience and the role of the African Union and the East African Community in providing peace, reconciliation and economic growth in Burundi.

Earl of Courtown

The UK is deeply concerned by the situation in Burundi. The recent civil disturbances have led to the flight of over 234,000 refugees to neighbouring countries. There are an additional 15,000 internally displaced people. The UN reports that 36 per cent of houses are now food insecure, with 7 per cent severely food insecure. This has a devastating impact on the livelihoods of those individuals and the resilience of those left behind to further confrontation and economic hardship.

The East African Community (EAC) has mandated Uganda to facilitate a dialogue between the various parties in Burundi. Leadership from the EAC is important in securing peace and reconciliation. The UK strongly supports the EAC-led dialogue but insufficient progress has been made so far. The parties met for the first time on 28 December, but the Government of Burundi is refusing to engage with the opposition so no date can be set for a second round of talks. We continue to press the Government of Burundi to engage fully in talks.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Burundi in mid-December 2015 where he pressed the government to engage in inclusive dialogue to end the violence. He again pressed the Foreign Minister for action when they met at the recent African Union (AU) Summit. The summit also provided an opportunity to lobby a range of AU members on the importance of regional leadership in resolving the situation in Burundi. Until there is peace and reconciliation, there will be limited opportunity to successfully support economic growth in Burundi, which has collapsed since the start of the crisis.