Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations her Department has received on reports that Syrian businesses approved by the EU and by the US government have received aid payments from the UN mission in Syria.

Rory Stewart

My Department has not made any direct aid payments to Syrian businesses. Our aid is delivered through the United Nations, international non-governmental organisations and other international organisations.

The UN, which operates in a very difficult environment in Syria, has assured us that they comply with all relevant sanctions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Israeli authorities on the demolition of structures inhabited by Palestinians in the West Bank.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​On 7 September, during a meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman in London, I raised our concerns about demolitions. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv also regularly raise our concerns on this issue with the Israeli authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons the Government did not support proposals by the Netherlands for the UN Human Rights Council to set up an independent inquiry into civilian deaths in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​We worked hard with international partners to secure a strong resolution to help the situation on the ground in Yemen. The resolution includes a commitment to increase the number of international human rights experts in the Yemen Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) operation, making clear the independent mandate for OHCHR to conduct their own investigations. The resolution also maintains the technical cooperation programme for OHCHR to strengthen the National Commission in Yemen, which we believe will make a difference on the ground. We look forward to reports from the OHCHR next year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes in pharmacy funding on waiting times for NHS prescriptions.

David Mowat

The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15947, on the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees, how long he expects the matter to be under consideration.

Mark Lancaster

I have considered this matter and will bring forward an amendment in the Armed Forces Bill to extend the remit of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what requests for information his Department made regarding the cutting to 15 minutes the length of delay after which compensation for train passengers will kick in.

Claire Perry

In our manifesto we committed to improve compensation for delayed rail passengers and the Spending Review reiterated this. We have already changed the system to get compensation paid in cash, not travel vouchers, and we are putting new compensation obligations like automatic delay/repay into future franchise specifications.

We will negotiate hard with rail operators to get even better compensation arrangements for passengers and are considering options on this at the moment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to promote a global goal on adaptation to climate change.

Andrea Leadsom

Adaptation is a core component of the Paris Agreement, adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December last year. The Agreement includes a new long-term goal to strengthen adaptation and resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. This goal is aligned with the new Global Goals for sustainable development, particularly Goal 13 on climate action. Alongside this, the Paris Agreement includes commitments for each country to take action to adapt according to national circumstances, to share their adaptation planning and to cooperate to help those developing countries who need help to adapt to climate change.

The UK has been and remains committed to leading calls to increase support for adaptation, and we aim to use 50 per cent of our International Climate Fund (ICF) to support adaptation in developing countries. The UK has already taken significant action to support vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change and cope with climate-related events. For example, we have increased our support for climate risk insurance initiatives, such as the Africa Risk Capacity Initiative and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. We are also funding actions that help build communities’ resilience, including through support for climate services and early warning systems which have an important role to play in helping poor and vulnerable communities be better prepared and more resilient to climate-related risks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed by ambulance services who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

Ben Gummer

Data from the Home Office shows that no visas were issued to people employed by ambulance services in the last five years for roles other than paramedics. Paramedics were placed on the United Kingdom’s shortage occupation list in April 2015 and are therefore exempt from the requirement to earn £35,000 whilst the role is on the shortage occupation list.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK was party to the US collateral damage assessment relating to airstrikes in Libya carried out by US forces operating from RAF Lakenheath; and whether that collateral damage assessment conformed to UK Rules of Engagement and the Targeting Directive.

Michael Fallon

I only grant permission to use UK bases to launch an airstrike after the Ministry of Defence has verified the legality of the operation and where we have assurances that collateral damage would be minimised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has established a civilian casualties tracking cell to investigate reports of alleged incidents involving RAF aeroplanes in Syria and Iraq.

Penny Mordaunt

As you know, I am committed to review all claims of civilian casualties, which we take very seriously. The Ministry of Defence has robust processes in place to review reports of alleged incidents. An assessment is carried out after every British strike; we determine the scale of the damage that has been caused and review very carefully whether there are likely to have been civilian casualties. Investigations are launched where appropriate.