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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the biometric passport chip reading facilities have been deactivated (a) in the UK, (b) at each port and (c) at each airport in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    For the period for which figures are available, biometric chip reading facilities were deactivated 7 times in 2013, 3 times in 2014 and 3 times in 2015.

    These figures should be considered against the background of the overall volume of transactions which are currently running at over 100 million per year.

    Deactivation of the chip reading function by Border Force staff is routinely monitored. The occasions reported above have been thoroughly investigated and none has given rise to concerns about officer integrity. We are also satisfied that there has been no risk to the border as a result. An investigation is ongoing with the system supplier to ascertain whether a technical issue may have caused these incidents.

    A further breakdown of locations cannot be given for border and national security reasons.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make the new natural form of IVF treatment available on the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    It is for clinical commissioning groups to determine the provision of local fertility services based on local need and the best evidence of clinical effectiveness, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. ‘Natural in vitro fertilisation (IVF)’ would be subject to individual clinical decision-making if the patient’s circumstances indicated such an approach was appropriate.

    Women considering ‘natural IVF’ should discuss treatment options with their clinician and have regard to the relevant pages of the website of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority:

    http://www.hfea.gov.uk/natural-cycle-ivf.html

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the lung cancer drug Zykadia to be available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    Zykadia (ceritinib) is licensed for use in the treatment of Zykadia (ceritinib) in the United Kingdom.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising Zykadia for previously treated anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

    In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the economy.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

    The Chancellor, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Tatton, has announced that the Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to promote gender equality in the Middle East.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    To ensure compliance with the Gender Equality Act (2014), DFID ensures all programmes consider gender in order to understand and mitigate negative impacts of inequality and maximise opportunities to promote equality. Our strategic vision for women and girls is to unlock their potential to play a critical role in reducing poverty and building peaceful societies. For example, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank in Jordan, Egypt and the OPTs, the £10m Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund addresses the job market challenges faced by poor women, enabling 150,000 women to work, grow their business and increase their voice, choice and control over economic activities. In the humanitarian context, in response to the Syria crisis, DFID funding is enabling INGOs and UN agencies to provide specialist assistance to those affected by sexual-and gender-based violence through clinical care, case management, counselling, reproductive health care and cash assistance to vulnerable households.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the applicability of the requirements of school food standards as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

    Jane Ellison

    The Eatwell Guide is suitable for everyone over the age of five years to follow and intends to assist the population in choosing a varied and balanced diet to meet Government dietary recommendations.

    The School Food Standards aim to assist school aged children in achieving Government dietary recommendations, tying in with the aims of the Eatwell Guide. Common themes include the encouragement of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain starchy carbohydrates, as well as promoting the contribution of water and lower fat milks.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to respond to the Constitution Committee’s report, Inter-governmental relations in the United Kingdom, published on 27 March 2015.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    I would like to thank the Constitution Committee for their report ‘Intergovernmental relations in the UK’ which was published in March 2015. As the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster noted in his initial response to the Committee, the report was timely as it followed the launch of a joint review of intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom which was commissioned by the Prime Minister and heads of the Devolved Administrations at the Joint Ministerial Committee Plenary JMC(P) meeting in December 2014.

    The review was undertaken by senior officials within each of the four administrations and the recommendations have been considered. It is anticipated that the review’s findings will be considered at the next Plenary meeting of the JMC later this year. The Committee has agreed that the Government issue a full response to its report following the JMC(P) meeting.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to assist with the implementation of the recommendations put forward to the Human Rights Council by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government shares the concerns of the UN Commission of Inquiry regarding human rights in Eritrea, in particular shortcomings in the rule of law and indefinite national service.

    We have made clear to the Eritrean Government the tangible improvements we want to see, including amending its national service system and fully implementing its own constitution. We are also urging the Government of Eritrea to increase further its engagement with international human rights bodies, such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recently visited Eritrea and was allowed access for the first time to a place of detention. We are supporting UN and EU programmes set up to address recommendations made by the Universal Periodic Review on human rights, and are funding a programme on strengthening the rule of law implemented by the Slynn Foundation.

    The mechanism of the Special Rapporteur is an important tool for the international community to strengthen its engagement with Eritrea. The UK Statement to the Human Rights Council on 21 June called on both the Special Rapporteur and the Government of Eritrea to consider ways that they might work together constructively to enhance the progress Eritrea has begun to make in its human rights observance.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations have received monies from the £1.12 billion that the UK has allocated to responding to the Syrian crisis since 2012, according to their 29 October Syria crisis response summary, and in what proportion.

    Baroness Verma

    As part of the Syria Crisis Response the UK is supporting a range of implementing partners working in Syria and neighbouring countries, including United Nations agencies, international Non-Governmental Organisations, the Red Cross and other international organisations. For security reasons, some of our INGO partners working in Syria remain undisclosed. The table attached provides details of the £1.12 billion allocated by the UK to date, broken down by implementing partner and country.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team has made on prosecuting and eliminating corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the last 12 months.

    James Duddridge

    The Special Investigation and Prosecution Team has completed its investigations following the findings of Sir Robin Auld’s Commission of Inquiry that there was a high probability of systemic corruption in government and the legislature and among public officers in the Turks and Caicos Islands. As a result of those investigations, the trial of a number of individuals, including former Premier Michael Misick and several of his Cabinet Ministers, is expected to start this week.