The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the ministerial special advisers, including members of the Council of Economic Advisers, who were in post on 1 September.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Information on the cost of special advisers, which I have attached for information, was published on 17 December on gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-09-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they consider the government of Zimbabwe would need to fulfil, in terms of demonstrating sustained adherence to the constitution of Zimbabwe and a sustained commitment to protecting the human rights of Zimbabwe citizens, before they would provide an economic support package.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK has no plans at present to provide an economic support package to the government of Zimbabwe. As we have made clear, any future decision on new funding through the International Financial Institutions would require considerable further progress on a wide range of reforms –including upholding the constitution and human rights alongside urgently needed economic reforms.
The UK has made clear that the international community must continue to support the people of Zimbabwe in exercising their democratic rights and in building a free, peaceful and prosperous future. Delivering critical assistance and services to empower poor Zimbabweans is central to this support. No UK aid is channelled directly through the government of Zimbabwe. We only provide direct funding to foreign Governments when they commit to improving the management of public finances, tackling concerns about human rights and corruption and improving domestic accountability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the Accident and Emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital to treat additional patients from the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary catchment area in the event that the proposed closure of the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Infirmary goes ahead.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.
All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.
All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of changes to the journey times for patients in the event that the Accident and Emergency department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is closed.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.
All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.
All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on mortality rates arising from changes to journey times for patients if the proposed closure of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary’s Accident & Emergency department goes ahead.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.
All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.
All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-11-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current food security situation in Ethiopia.
Baroness Verma
We are extremely concerned about the impact of the current drought on the food security situation in Ethiopia. A joint Government of Ethiopia and UN assessment is underway and we are in touch with our UN and Non-Governmental Organisation partners on the ground to determine the extent of need.
In October, the Government of Ethiopia announced that about 8.2 million people are in need of emergency food aid, up from the 4.5 million estimated in August. The number of severely malnourished children under five years old admitted to therapeutic feeding programmes this year has increased notably.
Britain has acted quickly and decisively by providing emergency support for 2.6 million people. This includes food aid for 2.1 million people for a month. The Government of Ethiopia has also committed its largest ever response to a drought. The international community will need to work hard with the Government of Ethiopia to prevent the crisis from worsening in the coming months.
DFID is at the forefront of resilience work to reduce the impact of crises in developing countries. In Ethiopia, DFID’s Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP) has helped turn desert land into land that can be farmed again.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, and to what extent, they are working with other donor governments to address the current food shortages in Ethiopia.
Earl of Courtown
Britain is working closely with the Government of Ethiopia and the international community to ensure adequate funding for drought response activities. Britain’s overall funding for the drought to date is £113 million, making the UK the second largest donor.
In December, the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations launched an appeal for 2016 to fundraise $1.4 billion (~£923 million) to respond to the drought in Ethiopia. By the beginning of March, 53% of the required funds have been raised.
DFID is an active participant in donor coordination fora in Ethiopia, including Ethiopia’s Development Assistance Group, and works closely with other donor governments to monitor the response and to lobby for support from the Government of Ethiopia and UN appeal.
DFID Ministers have discussed the drought at the highest levels with the Government of Ethiopia. We have been working closely with the Ethiopian Government to support their leadership of the humanitarian response. To date, the Government of Ethiopia has allocated $381 million (~£269 million) to address the crisis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-11-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of climate change on the food security situation in the Horn of Africa.
Baroness Verma
DFID is committed to supporting vulnerable people affected by food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and to supporting governments in the region to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of the climate on food security.
Making a robust assessment of the impact of climate change in the horn of Africa is challenging due to data limitations., The UK is undertaking a range of research that seeks to strengthen our understanding of climate in the region which will in turn assist with improving our assessment of likely impacts and working to help improve the early warning tools. For instance in Ethiopia through our support to ClimDev, DFID has supported the strengthening of Ethiopia’s hydro-meteorological network enabling more accurate measurement and prediction of extreme weather and flooding.
However, we know that the Horn of Africa is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and disaster resilience work is crucial in mitigating effects. In Ethiopia, DFID’s Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP) has helped turn desert land into land that can be farmed again. In Kenya, the Hunger Safety Net Programme has helped to protect household assets of the poorest people in Northern Kenya and can scale up to protect those at risk from droughts and floods. This helps families recover more quickly and get back on their feet. DFID is at the forefront of resilience work to prevent and reduce the impact of crises in developing countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-04-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Prime Minister last visited Africa to promote trade, investment and economic development; which countries he visited; and when he next intends to make such a visit.
Lord Price
Details of ministerial visits overseas are published on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the gov.uk website. For security reasons, the Prime Minister’s engagements are announced as and when appropriate.