Tag: Mark Durkan

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress made by Anguilla since June 2013 in meeting the Prime Minister’s ambition for a public register of beneficial ownership.

Mr Hugo Swire

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for South West Hertfordshire (David Gauke MP), the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to questions 10437, 10438 and 10448, which sets out the criteria we expect the Overseas Territories to meet in relation to their central register of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective system.

We are continuing our dialogue with the Anguilla authorities on this and have offered any technical support that might be required as they develop their proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the amendments to the Child Poverty Act 2010 in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill require a Legislative Consent Motion to be brought before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions wrote to the Northern Ireland Executive in July 2015 on introduction of the life chances clauses in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill. As well as setting out the Government’s approach to child poverty and improving life chances, and inviting the Northern Ireland Executive to consider amendments they might wish to have introduced, he set out that he did not consider that legislative consent was required for any of the provisions as introduced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to protect schools in conflict zones.

Mr Desmond Swayne

HMG deplores the fact that armed conflict can expose students and teaching personnel to harm. We believe that better implementation of, and better compliance with, existing International Humanitarian Law will provide the best protection for civilians, including children, in all situations of armed conflict.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will next report to his Department on the cost-effectiveness framework for vaccinations.

Jane Ellison

Upon the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the Department commissioned the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement (CEMIPP) Review. The Government expects to receive the CEMIPP report later this summer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of all of his Department’s assessments of security contracts funded by his Department in Bahrain.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​These programmes are routinely monitored and evaluated on a quarterly basis to ensure that they are on track for delivery. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides updates on its programme work in its annual Human Rights reports.

All FCO programmes that support security reform are carefully considered in line with Her Majesty’s Government’s Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance in order to assess and mitigate human rights risks. Our assistance is specifically designed to assist the Government of Bahrain improve human rights standards and strengthen the rule of law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress made by the Cayman Islands since June 2013 in meeting the Prime Minister’s ambition for a public register of beneficial ownership.

Mr Hugo Swire

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for South West Hertfordshire (David Gauke MP), the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to questions 10437, 10438 and 10448, which sets out the criteria we expect the Overseas Territories to meet in relation to their central register of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective system.

We are continuing our dialogue with the Anguilla authorities on this and have offered any technical support that might be required as they develop their proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the amendments to the Child Poverty Act 2010 in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill are included in the welfare clauses referred to in the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Order 2015.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 does not include any reference to the Child Poverty Act 2010.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider a de-linked model for biomedical research and development.

George Freeman

The Department is currently in discussion with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on models that delink company revenues from usage in the context of pricing of antibiotics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to make (a) Nivolumab and (b) other immuno-oncology treatments for lung cancer available on the NHS.

George Freeman

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently carrying out technology appraisals of nivolumab for two lung cancer indications:

(i) previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The expected publication date for this final guidance is September 2016.

(ii) Previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy in adults. The publication date for this final guidance is to be confirmed.

The NICE is also appraising pembrolizumab for treating advanced or recurrent PD-L1 positive non-small cell lung cancer after progression with platinum-based chemotherapy [ID840]. The expected publication date for the final guidance on this appraisal is January 2017.

Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in the NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from the NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department advised the Northern Ireland Executive on human rights concerns and other sensitivities for Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas Ltd undertaking a contract for Bahrain’s prison system.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK Government continues to assist Bahrain in their reform agenda including by working with the Northern Ireland Cooperation Overseas programme, whose aims are to assist the Government of Bahrain to bring its justice system into compliance with international standards. The UK Government continues to have frank discussions with the Government of Bahrain about our concerns on human rights cases. We continue to encourage the Bahraini authorities to respect the rights of all its citizens and we have encouraged them to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression most recently at the UN Human Rights Commission meeting in September.