Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government is providing for Yazidi women who have been enslaved by Daesh; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    To date, the UK has committed £79.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. This assistance is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across Iraq, including the most vulnerable groups, such as Yazidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity.

    The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund which, amongst other projects, has funded specialist protection and rehabilitation for escapees of Daesh terror in Iraq.

  • The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, General Kamalesh Sharma, about the role Commonwealth countries can play in supporting peace and development in Burundi, and what plans they have to raise that matter with the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland of Asthal.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK recognises the important role Commonwealth countries can play in supporting peace and development in all countries, including Burundi. Commonwealth members Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya play a particularly important role in supporting peace and development in Burundi as part of the East African Community-led dialogue with Burundi. In December 2015, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Uganda and Rwanda where he highlighted the deteriorating situation in Burundi and urged regional players to take concrete steps together to find a political solution. The Parliamentary Under Secretary for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Nick Hurd), discussed the situation in Burundi with the Tanzanian Foreign Minister on 29 January.

    The UK did not have any conversations specifically on peace and development in Burundi with former Commonwealth Secretary-General, General Kamalesh Sharma but we will look for opportunities to discuss Burundi with the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon the Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish the findings of the Ricardo Energy and Environment report into benchmarking for the Phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading System; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In 2015, the Department of Energy & Climate Change commissioned Ricardo Energy and Environment and Vivid Economics to undertake a study into sectoral benchmarks used to determine levels of free allocation in the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The study is progressing and, once complete, we will use the findings to inform EU ETS reform negotiations as well as considering publication in due course.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on workforce numbers in the NHS of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No immediate assessment has been made of the potential effect on workforce numbers in the National Health Service of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union.

    As we plan a new relationship with the EU, this Government will continue to ensure the NHS is able to recruit and retain the workforce required to provide high quality care.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to work with other countries to seek the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have no plans to seek the establishment of an International Commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical commissioning groups implement in full the Infertility Network UK recommendations on access to IVF treatment.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department funded Infertility Network UK (INUK) to develop advice to NHS Commissioners on standardising eligibility criteria for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The Department has consistently encouraged NHS Commissioners to have regard to this advice. The INUK advice is listed as a resource for clinical commissioning groups (CCG) in the NHS England “Commissioning Fertility Services Factsheet”.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend that eligible couples should receive three full cycles of IVF treatment. The Government has made clear that blanket restrictions on treatment are unacceptable and all decisions on treatment should be made by doctors based on a patient’s individual clinical needs and in line with NICE Guidelines.

    While we have not made an assessment of access to IVF treatment, we are aware of the annual survey by Fertility Fairness. I have written to stakeholders, including Fertility Fairness, and invited them to discuss what could be done to improve the provision of IVF services along with representatives of NHS England and Monitor.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of his Department’s planned £8.4 million expenditure on armed forces veterans’ mental health services will be spent in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20; and in what areas of mental health services that funding will be spent in each of those years.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England has £1.8 million per annum baseline (recurrent to 2019/20) funding for veterans mental health services. This funding is used to provide 10 veterans mental health teams across England to meet locally identified needs of veterans and manage the network of providers of National Health Service commissioned veterans mental health services.

    The funding also provides access for veterans to on-line mental health counselling services provided by the Big White Wall.

    In addition, NHS England provides £3.2 million a year to commission the Armed Forces service charity Combat Stress to provide specialised inpatient services for the treatment of complex post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

    In 2014/15 additional funding of £1.68 million was used to fund three pilots to develop and test enhanced models of care for veterans.

    The pilots will:

    • develop a joint substance misuse and mental health service model for veterans;
    • an outpatient service for veterans with moderate to severe PTSD; and
    • develop a modal of care to address the barriers that some veterans experience in accessing mental health services.

    NHS England will soon commence a consultation to explore the future service needs for veterans mental health services. Future procurement will depend upon the outcome of this consultation as services will be commissioned to take account of revised needs assessments.

    Veterans are also able to access the full range of NHS mental health services in the same way as the wider public.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the EU initiative at the International Maritime Organisation for new regulations to require mechanically operated water-tight doors on passenger ships to have an inbuilt safety feature which avoids death or serious injury whilst automatically closing in an emergency to ensure the safety of the vessel.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The UK delegation at the International Maritime Organization fully supports the initiative to introduce protection against crushing of people during the daily operation of watertight doors while retaining the requirements that they close firmly in case of an emergency.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of occasions on which universities have withdrawn offers from international students who have stayed in the country for up to 28 days under the visa grace period.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not hold information related to general offers by universities to individual international students. The offer is only formalised for Tier 4 purposes when a university generates a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The number of CAS withdrawn from students who have overstayed by less than 28 days is not recorded by the department.

    All students wishing to extend their leave in the UK must submit a valid application for further leave to remain before their visa expires. Although the Immigration Rules allow students up to 28 days after the expiry of their leave to make an application, there is no grace period within which a student can lawfully overstay. All applications for further leave to remain will fall for refusal if a student has overstayed for more than 28 days, unless there were exceptional circumstances which prevented them from applying within the 28 day period.

    The number of CAS which universities have assigned to international students and then subsequently withdrawn before a decision is made by the Home Office, from 5 October 2009 to 30 September 2015, is 103,753.

    This figure includes applications made overseas and in the UK and includes withdrawals for a variety of reasons. We are unable to breakdown the numbers into specific reasons without exceeding proportionate costs.

  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons Network Rail bought back rail lands in October 2014; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    This decision was made by Network Rail, and I have sought clarification from the company as to the reasons. I am informed that the purchase was made to increase competition and efficiency across the freight industry, opening up the market to operators.