Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to hold discussions with the newly appointed Deputy Mayor for Transport in London on the effect on traffic congestion of the cycle superhighways.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Ministers and officials at the Department for Transport hold regular meetings with the Mayor of London, officials in his office and Transport for London. A range of topics are discussed at these meetings. The Minister for London most recently met the Deputy Mayor for Transport in London in July.
The Secretary of State currently does not have any scheduled meetings with the Deputy Mayor for Transport. I have met with her predecessor and look forward to meeting with her in due course.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on trends in the level of traffic congestion in London as a result of the roll-out of cycle superhighways; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, and it is for him to consider what, if any, assessment is made of the effects of cycle superhighways on traffic congestion.
The Department for Transport does not routinely hold information on trends in the level of congestion in London, other than what is already publicly available information.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of Pakistan on (a) the murder of Mr Muhammed Shoban on the 25 June 2018 and (b) the ongoing persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
We remain deeply concerned by reports of discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan. As I stated during the backbench business debate on Ahmadiyya rights on 24 May 2018, we wholeheartedly condemn attacks on the Ahmadiyya community. We regularly raise with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels the importance of religious tolerance and its duty to uphold the rights of all Pakistan's citizens regardless of religious identity.
During my visit to Pakistan in November 2017, I raised the treatment of religious minorities, including discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, with the Ministry of Human Rights. My Ministerial colleague, the Minister of State for Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the issue of freedom of religion or belief, and the protection of religious minorities, with Pakistan's Interior Minister in February 2018. At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in November 2017, the UK called on Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities and establish an independent National Commission for Minorities.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent correspondence he has had with the Mayor of London on penalty charges on TfL roads; and if he will place a copy of that correspondence in the Library.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Copies of the recent correspondence between the Secretary of State for Transport and the Mayor of London on the issue of penalty charges on Transport for London roads will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the role of Hezbollah in the Middle East peace process.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of Hassan Nasrallah's recent calls for a Palestinian intifada. The UK deplores all forms of incitement, including any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice. We continue to urge all sides to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a culture of peaceful coexistence and a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he made representations to the Government of Burma after the reported air strike by the Burmese military on an amber mining camp in Noije, Kachin State, on 26 January 2018.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK is concerned about the apparent intensification of conflict in Kachin State, including credible reports of human rights abuses and violations. We raised our concerns at the UN Human Rights Council on 19 September 2017 but will do so again as soon as is appropriate. The British Ambassador in Rangoon visited Kachin State from 8 to 10 January to discuss the situation with local political and religious leaders as well as UN and NGO representatives, and to visit an Internally Displaced Persons camp.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What progress the Government has made on implementing the recent life sciences strategy.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
In December 2017, Government and the life sciences sector agreed a landmark sector deal that follows on from, and starts to implement, the sector-led Life Sciences Industrial Strategy.
An Implementation Board for this will convene in the coming weeks to discuss implementation of the Deal and wider Strategy, with working sub-groups to lead on specific aspects of the Deal.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the outcomes achieved by the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund with Government funding.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is proud to be a founding supporter of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund since 2012 and has pledged up to £9million to support the grassroots response for inadequately served groups affected by HIV.
DFID assesses the outcomes achieved by the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund annually, as we do for all our programmes, and the reviews are available on the DFID Development Tracker at https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the establishment of Iranian rocket factories in Lebanon under the control of Hezbollah.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of reports that Hizballah continues to amass an arsenal of weapons in Lebanon. The UK remains concerned about the threat that this poses to regional stability and the direct contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. We will also continue to take action with the international community to encourage Iran to play a transparent and constructive role in regional affairs.
Asked by: Paul Scully (Conservative - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government is providing to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK supports the role of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The UK is currently a member of the UN Human Rights Council, and we welcome her valuable briefings to that body.
The UK co-sponsored the resolution at the March 2017 session of the Human Rights Council which established the Fact Finding Mission to look into the human rights situation in Burma. We also supported the decision made at the September 2017 session to extend its mandate until September 2018. Lord Ahmad reiterated the UK's call for Burma to cooperate with the Fact Finding Mission during a Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 5 December. The UK will work with international partners to ensure the Human Rights Council responds appropriately when the Fact Finding Mission presents its interim report at the March 2018 session.