The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many homes in Northern Ireland do not have broadband coverage.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Ofcom connected Nations report published in December 2015 reported 100% broadband coverage for all UK premises, including in Northern Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Chancellor of the Exchequer on job losses at Bombardier in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
I recently held discussions on Bombardier with the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise and the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I will continue to discuss this issue with Government and Executive Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Care Quality Commission in monitoring GP surgeries; and if he will make a statement.
David Mowat
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for assessing whether providers are meeting the fundamental standards.
The Department monitors CQC’s financial and operational performance and risks at a general and strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings.
It does not assess CQC’s inspection or monitoring of specific providers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how public investment infrastructure in superfast broadband is calculated by his Department.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The funding allocations published by DCMS in February 2014 were based on maximising the numbers of premises that could be covered by superfast broadband, in addition to ensuring that each of the devolved nations had an allocation in line with the Barnett funding formula.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she plans to have with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on job losses at Bombardier.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
I recently held discussions on Bombardier with the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise and the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I will continue to discuss this issue with Government and Executive Ministers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in establishing the four-member international body to report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity connected with Northern Ireland.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
The establishment of a new body to report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity is a commitment in the Fresh Start Agreement. The Agreement provides that the new body will be established by the UK Government and the Irish Government. My officials are engaging with Irish Government officials on a treaty to establish the new body. The key provisions of that treaty will then be given legal effect in the UK through the passage of legislation at Westminster.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the early release of Stormont House legacy funding to support legacy inquests.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
Reform is essential if the legacy inquest system is to deliver effective outcomes for families. The current system was never designed to cope with a large number of highly complex and sometimes linked cases involving very sensitive information. I welcome the efforts of the Lord Chief Justice to review legacy inquests. If workable inquest reform plans come forward, serious consideration would be given to their potential merits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the number of young people involved in (a) dissident republicanism and (b) loyalist paramilitary groups.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
My written statement to Parliament of 15 December 2015 illustrates that dissident republican groupings continue to have sufficient numbers to pose a severe threat to national security in Northern Ireland. The UK Government has allocated £160 million of additional security funding to the Police Service of Northern Ireland over the next five years in order to assist them in tackling the threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism.
The Assessment of Paramilitary Groups published in October 2015 confirmed that all the main loyalist paramilitary groups remain in existence and that individual members continue to engage in criminality and also seek to exercise community control through violence and intimidation.
I welcome the commitments contained within the Fresh Start Agreement aimed at ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, including establishing a new international body to monitor progress toward that goal. The Government is working closely with the Irish Government to establish this body as part of the overall package of measures aimed at achieving a Northern Ireland society free from the malign impact of all paramilitarism.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of fertility treatments under each clinical commissioning group in England.
Jane Ellison
The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.
NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines. CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to NICE guidelines.
Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress she has made on the establishment of the Joint Agency Task Force on cross-jurisdictional organised crime.
Mrs Theresa Villiers
Following the Fresh Start Agreement I recently attended a tri-lateral cross-border Ministerial meeting along with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. At the meeting we agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement co-operation aimed at tackling organised crime and criminality, including that linked to paramilitarism. In a concerted effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime, a Joint Agency Task Force has been announced by the United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government and the NI Executive.