The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-09-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how much air passenger duty was paid by passengers using Manchester Airport in each year since 2011.
Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on air passenger duty (APD) revenues by airport as APD is payable by airlines and not on a per airport basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp will have on the stability of Somalia and the East Africa region.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Government recognises the significant burden that the Government of Kenya faces in housing a large number of Somali refugees, and encourages it to maintain its global leadership role in this regard as well as its international obligations. Any returns of refugees from Dadaab to Somalia must be in line with international law – including being safe, dignified and voluntary. This is critical to avoid any destabilising impact on Somalia and the East Africa region. The UK supports the extension of the Tripartite Agreement between UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia as the legal basis regulating the returns process.
The UK is providing an additional £20 million to support accelerated safe voluntary returns of refugees to Somalia from Kenya, by helping to ensure that refugees who want to return home have the support and possibility of livelihoods necessary for their safe, long-term resettlement in Somalia.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to continue with the visa scheme which allows Filipino nurses to come to the UK to work on its current basis; and if she will make a statement.
James Brokenshire
Tier 2 of the Points Based System for immigration – the skilled work route – allows non-EEA workers to fill graduate level occupations, and is the main route used by Filipino nurses wishing to work in the UK.
In June 2015, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on restricting Tier 2 to genuine skills shortages and jobs which require highly-specialised experts, but with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers. The MAC has now reported and the Government is currently considering the MAC’s advice.
In October 2015, the Home Secretary agreed, exceptionally, to place nurses on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) as an interim measure, pending a full review of the evidence by the MAC. The MAC will advise separately on whether nurses should remain on the SOL by 15 February and we await their recommendation with interest. Skilled jobs which are not on the SOL may still qualify for Tier 2, provided the sponsoring employer has carried out a Resident Labour Market Test.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Fearn on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what control there is over the flight of drones in the United Kingdom.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Article 166 of the UK Air Navigation order (ANO) 2009 requires operators of RPAS to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purposes of avoiding collisions. It also states that an operator may only fly the aircraft if they are reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made.
In addition, Article 138 of the ANO 2009, which also applies to RPAS, states that “a person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property.” This includes persons within another aircraft, and of course the aircraft that those persons are within. The government expects users to understand and comply with this type of regulation which has been made in place for many years, albeit covering the flight of the more traditional model aircraft.
Safety and Security must always be the overriding priority and both commercial and leisure operators most operate drones responsibly and within the rules. I am able to confirm that with regards to the policing and monitoring of such vehicles the Police has provided initial guidance to constabularies across the UK.
Operators of RPAS that collect personal data must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) unless a relevant exemption applies. The requirements of the DPA are regulated by the independent Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-30.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to bring the law on abortion in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.
Lord Dunlop
Constitutionally, abortion law in Northern Ireland is a transferred matter, and is therefore the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether members of the security forces who served in Northern Ireland are entitled to parity of esteem on the same basis as those from Northern Ireland.
Lord Dunlop
As I have made clear in previous answers on this subject the UK Government is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to all the people in Northern Ireland as underpinned by the 1998 Belfast Agreement, and in accordance with the obligations on the Government to promote equality and prevent discrimination across the United Kingdom.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many non-EEA seafarers employed on UK registered ships received non-emergency care from the NHS in England in each year since 2009-10.
Alistair Burt
The Department does not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cancer medicines are expected to be given a conditional approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the first year of operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as the number of technology appraisals published during the first year of the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.
NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the CDF, that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. This will be as a consequence of more appropriate pricing arrangements proposed by pharmaceutical manufacturers and better evidence being available through the Fund as to longer term patient outcomes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of workshare which the UK will undertake on those Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft being procured by his Department.
Mr Philip Dunne
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock) on 13 April 2016 to Question 33058.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for Government policies of medical and scientific evidence on the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Jane Ellison
The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers have made an assessment of the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease, as well as other conditions such as cancer, as part of their review of the alcohol guidelines. The alcohol guidelines give the public the latest and most up to date scientific information so they can make informed decisions about their own drinking. The advice can be read here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/health-risks-from-alcohol-new-guidelines
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