Tag: Margaret Ritchie

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Iranian counterpart on the protection of Iranian human rights activists in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We repeatedly call on the Iranian Government to guarantee the human rights of all Iranians and will continue to do so. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently raised the issue with Foreign Minister Zarif when they met on 17 May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to retain the network of electoral offices in Northern Ireland.

Kris Hopkins

A consultation paper on the future delivery of electoral services in Northern Ireland has now been published. The paper discusses a range of issues relating to the delivery of electoral services in Northern Ireland, including the provision of local services following the introduction of digital registration. I look forward to receiving the views of all those with an interest in this important issue.

The consultation paper is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Christians who have left Iraq in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government continues to condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by ISIL in Iraq against all communities, including Christians, throughout the areas under its control. The human rights situation for many living in ISIL-held areas remains of grave concern.

We do not currently have estimates for the number of Christians who have fled Iraq due to the atrocities carried out by ISIL. We do, however, continue to encourage Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to ensure all minorities are represented in Baghdad and their rights protected. We welcome the commitments he has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. We continue to engage with minority leaders in Iraq. On Monday 10 November, the Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns met with Father Pios, a Catholic priest sheltering Internally Displaced Persons in Iraq, and she discussed the situation of Christians in the country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her assessment is of the implications for the peace process of recent reports of an increasing number of threats being made against community workers in Belfast by the UDA and other loyalist groups.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

As set out in the Assessment of Paramilitary Groups published in October 2015, individual members of loyalist paramilitary groups continue to engage in criminality and seek to exercise community control through violence and intimidation. However, the overall assessment remains that these organisations as a whole remain committed to their ceasefires. I welcome the commitments contained within the Fresh Start Agreement aimed at achieving a Northern Ireland society free from the malign impact of paramilitarism.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what involvement Ministers of his Department had in the decision by Public Health England to reduce the recommended amount of dairy in the Eatwell guide; for what reasons that change was made; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The Government has adopted the refreshed Eatwell Guide, which reflects updated government dietary recommendations based upon conclusions from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, robust modelling and consumer research.

An external reference group informed the development of the Eatwell Guide and representatives from the Department were observer members of this group.

The approach considered the most objective and robust by the reference group to inform the sizes of the food group segments, ensured that all government dietary recommendations were met. This resulted in a new image with a reduced ‘dairy and alternatives’ segment, which will support consumers to reduce saturated fat and salt consumption, while still meeting calcium recommendations.

Ministers agreed to the final version of the Eatwell Guide prior to publication and were briefed during the course of the work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase accessibility to university buildings for disabled students.

Joseph Johnson

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background or mode of learning. In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Higher Education Institutions have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities. They have a clear legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to ensure they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.

Universities expect to spend more than £745 million through access agreements agreed with the Director of Fair Access on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged groups, including disabled students – up significantly from £404 million in 2009.

In addition, to support Higher Education (HE) providers to prepare for the changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances that come into effect from academic year 2016/17, the Department has supported the establishment of a sector-led group of stakeholders. The group’s focus is to communicate with senior leaders of HE providers, to help provide information about institutions’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, and to encourage HE providers to develop inclusive learning environments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts and officials in the Irish government and the Northern Ireland Executive on trade and export opportunities in (a) Northern Europe, (b) the US and (c) Asia Pacific countries.

Greg Hands

On 1^st August 2016, my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade held meetings in Belfast with Northern Ireland Executive First Minister Arlene Foster MLA and Minister for the Economy Simon Hamilton MLA. A range of topics were discussed including growing exports for Northern Ireland and establishing new UK trading relationships around the globe. During these constructive discussions he underlined the importance that he places on the Department for International Trade serving the whole of the United Kingdom.

The Department for International Trade continues to engage with Republic of Ireland officials, collaborating on trade and exports including most recently at the meeting of UK Permanent Secretaries with their Republic of Ireland Counterparts in London on 7 October.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the release of documents relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote under the 30-year rule.

Mr Ben Wallace

There have been no discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the release of documents at Swadlincote. The Northern Ireland Office has no records held at Swadlincote.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the consultation on payment of compensation out of the his Department’s contingency fund for those who have suffered from the contaminated bloods issue will report.

Jane Ellison

Liability has not been established in the majority of cases of individuals infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through NHS-supplied blood or blood products, so it would not be appropriate to talk about support payments in terms of compensation.

I announced in the House of Commons on 16 December 2015, in response to an Urgent Question, Official Report, columns 1555-1565, that the consultation on reforming the current payment schemes for those infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through NHS-supplied blood or blood products will be announced later this month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

The Government will consider supporting a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights if the Northern Ireland parties can reach a consensus on its content.