Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to work with Muscular Dystrophy UK on increasing access to hydrotherapy pools for people with muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions.

Jane Ellison

NHS England continues to work with Muscular Dystrophy UK through the Bridging the Gap Project, which aims to ensure people with neuromuscular conditions, along with their families, play a leading role in the development and commissioning of the services they use.

NHS England commissions some services for patients with neuromuscular conditions nationally as part of its remit to deliver specialised neurological services. However, the majority of services are provided outside of specialised centres and are the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups to provide, should they deem it clinically appropriate. This includes services such as hydrotherapy.

In 2012 Muscular Dystrophy UK, working with the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) issued a call for research proposals into the clinical effectiveness of hydrotherapy in maintaining physical function in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The call was made because there is little evidence to support the use of hydrotherapy in relation to DMD and other neuromuscular disorders. The NIHR Health Technology Appraisal programme is now funding a pilot study to look at hydrotherapy for the treatment of DMD, with an evaluation report expected in January 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the activities of the organisation Khtame Nabuwwat for the purposes of possible proscription under the provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Mr John Hayes

We keep the list of proscribed groups under regular review. We do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proposals the Government has made in co-operation with the French and Italian governments to the Libyan government on military intervention against Daesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK is committed to taking action to prevent Daesh from using Libya as a base from which to plan and carry out attacks.

We are working closely with the new Libyan government and international partners, including France and Italy, to develop a comprehensive approach to defeating it.

As the Foreign Secretary set out in his statement on 19 April, we have discussed, on a contingency basis, with international partners how best to support the new Libyan government. This could include training Libyan security forces to provide their own security. Any support would be in response to a clear request made by the Libyan Government. So far they have made no such request. We have been clear that there are no UK Government plans for the deployment of combat troops to Libya.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to people affected by flooding in Sri Lanka.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK provides substantial funding to international NGOs and UN agencies, enabling them to respond to disasters around the world, including Sri Lanka. This includes the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) , which was established by the UN and other leading donors to enable rapid emergency response. The CERF is doing an assessment of the situation following the rainfall and landslips in Sri Lanka. The UK, along with other leading donors, will provide support as required through this coordinated response mechanism.

The UK is the biggest contributor to the CERF, having provided in excess of $855m in the last 10 years. The UK also provides funding to the European Union humanitarian agency (ECHO) which is also undertaking an assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department considers that the use of cluster munitions is always unlawful under international humanitarian law because of their indiscriminate nature.

Penny Mordaunt

Since becoming a signatory to the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions it is now unlawful for the UK to use cluster munitions under any circumstances.

For those states not currently a signatory to the Oslo Convention then the use of cluster munitions may be legitimate provided that they are used within the clearly defined limitations of International Humanitarian Law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent under each cost heading by UK defence attachés in each year since 2005.

Mike Penning

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Financial data older than six years is not retained by the Department.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on implementing the proposal in the Aviation Policy Framework to ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority considers opportunities to mitigate helicopter noise when dealing with any relevant airspace change proposals when updating guidance on environmental objectives.

Mr John Hayes

The Department for Transport (DfT) issued Air Navigation Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2014 which included consideration of helicopter noise. DfT will also be consulting on new Guidance to the CAA in due course, to accompany its review of airspace and noise policies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he or officials of his Department have had any recent discussions with their Iranian counterparts on the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously. The Iranian Government has repeatedly denied that a mass execution took place, though we are aware that between July 1988 and January 1989 executions did take place. However, even with the recording and media reporting on the incident, we have no confirmation of the numbers involved. Although we have no plans to pursue this specific matter we will continue to take action with the international community to press for improvements on all human rights issues in Iran, including ending the death penalty.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent representations she has made to the Israeli authorities on the effect on the Palestinians in the West Bank of restricting water supplies.

Rory Stewart

The UK regularly raises the issue of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 8 September. We continue to stress the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza.

We encourage both parties to find a swift resolution to this issue and to reconvene the Joint Water Committee to facilitate approval of projects that will improve Palestinian access to water. We see continuity of supply to the West Bank as essential for both the basic needs of Palestinians and for stability and security more widely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of profit made from the NHS by companies that own both a pharmaceutical wholesaler and a large multiple pharmacy chain in their (a) wholesale business and (b) pharmacies in each of the last five years; and what the permitted profit margins are in both parts of those businesses.

David Mowat

The Department has not made such an estimate.