The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent from the public purse on Christmas parties across the prison estate in each of the last five years.
Andrew Selous
This information is not held centrally.
There are no centralised funds available for Christmas parties within the prison estate.
The parliamentary question asked by Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, in the House of Commons on 16 November 2022.
Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)
In my Caerphilly constituency, we have five food banks. One of those food banks is run by the Trussell Trust, and it has issued over 2,000 food parcels during the last six months. There is a question from the users of that food bank, which is: will the Government give a firm commitment to ensuring that benefits will always be enough to purchase essentials?
The Deputy Prime Minister (Dominic Raab)
The hon. Member raises a really important point, and we are doing everything we can to support those who may be reliant on food banks or otherwise struggling to make ends meet. He can see that with the £1,200 cost of living support that is going to the 8 million most vulnerable households, the energy price guarantee and further measures for pensioners. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor will set out further measures tomorrow. Of course, as I have said before, the No. 1 priority is getting inflation down. We will not be able to do that if we follow the spending plans of the Labour party.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the government of Saudi Arabia on the case of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr who was sentenced to death by crucifixion.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are very concerned about the case Ali Mohammed Al Nimr. We have raised this case with the Saudi Arabian authorities at a senior level including by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond). We will continue to follow this case closely. The UK opposes the death penalty in all cases. Ministers, our Ambassador, and the Embassy team frequently raise the issue of the death penalty with the Saudi authorities, bilaterally and through the European Union.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-02-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy.
Jane Ellison
Hepatic encephalopathy is an important end stage complication of liver disease. Monitoring at a national level is difficult because there is no specific code in the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases system (ICD10). The ICD10 guide recommends that patients with hepatic encephalopathy are classified as K72.9; hepatic failure, un-specified. Public Health England is working on raising the profile of hepatic encephalopathy with the Lancet Commission.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-02-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the strategy for combating liver disease referred to by the Prime Minister on the 10 Downing Street website on 28 July 2011 has not been published.
Jane Ellison
Whilst NHS England is responsible for the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes for people with liver disease, Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Lancet Commission on Liver Disease. This work involves regular meetings with Professor Richard Williams, (Lead, Lancet Standing Commission into Liver Disease in the UK), and attending action planning meetings.
PHE is working with NHS England and liver charities to respond to the key recommendations of the Lancet Commission and will produce a Liver Disease Framework in summer 2015 outlining the scope of its activities.
This will cover PHEs extensive programme of activities to tackle the three main risk factors for liver disease: alcohol, obesity and Hepatitis B & C; work with the Lancet Commissioners and GPs to strengthen detection and interventions for early stage liver disease and for identification of high risk patients; support a national needs assessment for liver disease services in the NHS.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-02-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Lancet Commission report on liver disease, published on 27 November 2014.
Jane Ellison
Whilst NHS England is responsible for the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes for people with liver disease, Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Lancet Commission on Liver Disease. This work involves regular meetings with Professor Richard Williams, (Lead, Lancet Standing Commission into Liver Disease in the UK), and attending action planning meetings.
PHE is working with NHS England and liver charities to respond to the key recommendations of the Lancet Commission and will produce a Liver Disease Framework in summer 2015 outlining the scope of its activities.
This will cover PHEs extensive programme of activities to tackle the three main risk factors for liver disease: alcohol, obesity and Hepatitis B & C; work with the Lancet Commissioners and GPs to strengthen detection and interventions for early stage liver disease and for identification of high risk patients; support a national needs assessment for liver disease services in the NHS.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the recently employed additional staff in passport offices are estimated to cost.
James Brokenshire
Her Majesty’s Passport Office have been training and redeploying staff from
other duties within the Agency, from other parts of the wider Home Office, and
in the case of one individual another Government department, to meet the
exceptional levels of passport demand. There will be some additional costs
relating to staff where they will be temporarily working away from their normal
workplace and where overtime is worked by staff from other parts of the
Department. At this time it is not possible to put a reliable estimate on
these additional costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2014-06-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department saved for the Exchequer by closing the Passport Office in Newport.
James Brokenshire
Her Majesty’s Passport Office has not closed its office in Newport. There is
an office in Newport providing counter fast track and premium services,
interviews for first time adult applicants and the Customer Contact Centre.
During 2011-12 as part of a wider operations restructuring, postal passport
application processing ceased in Newport and the office was relocated. It is
estimated that this reduced operational costs by around £2.6 million per year.
The speech made by Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.
Last week, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Brendan Clarke-Smith), who is in his place, said clearly to me, in response to a question, and to other Members that there had been a significant security breach by the Home Secretary and that this had led to her resignation. Yet the Home Secretary had implied that the real reason for her dismissal was a blazing row between her and the then Prime Minister. That was clearly not the case and not the reason for her departing Government. What does this say about the Home Secretary and the new Prime Minister?
Jeremy Quin
The hon. Gentleman will forgive me if I look, as to the rationale for my right hon. and learned Friend’s departure, at the text of her resignation letter, where she made it absolutely clear that she had made a mistake, she was sorry she had made a mistake and she felt it was appropriate in those circumstances to tender her resignation.
The tribute made by Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.
Soon after the general election of 2001, there was a reception in Buckingham Palace. I had just been elected, and I attended along with several hundred others. Soon after I arrived at the banqueting hall, it was announced that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had arrived. After her entrance, the Queen moved around the hall, politely speaking to a number of the assembled guests. I was chatting to a Labour colleague but then I became acutely aware that there were hundreds of eyes focused in my direction. That was because the Queen had moved to my side and was obviously intent on speaking with me.
I introduced myself to the Queen in an uncomfortable way and we exchanged a number of pleasantries. I expected her to move on, but no, she was obviously intent on having a conversation with me—and what a conversation that was. I slightly awkwardly talked about the royal yacht and then went on to talk about the royal train. I recalled to Her Majesty how, as a schoolboy, I was excited to see the royal train pass near my home village of Cefn Cribwr. She was delighted by these comments and had realised by then that I was a thorough south Walian.
The Queen proceeded to ask me how Welsh devolution was progressing. These were the early days of devolution and I gave a diplomatic answer. She was pleased with that answer but then moved on to ask how I saw things with regard to the Assembly in Northern Ireland. Given that the Stormont Assembly was at that time suspended and the situation was extremely delicate, I gave a general response, explaining how difficult things were.
I will not say what Her Majesty’s responses were, but suffice it to say I was extremely impressed by her. She showed her overwhelming desire to seek peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, but more than that, her comments showed impressive knowledge of complex issues and a real decency, integrity and compassion. These qualities were in evidence throughout her long reign and were clearly seen in all parts of the United Kingdom.
A few years ago, the Queen visited Ystrad Mynach in my constituency of Caerphilly. The people of the area will always remember her real warmth and genuine interest in them, but my memory of Her Majesty will always be how she had time for the children who met her. The Queen loved those children, and the children loved her.
Undoubtedly, Queen Elizabeth II was an exceptional monarch. We will miss her enormously. May she rest in peace, and God save the King.