Question to the Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of reported Turkish naval activity in proximity to the territorial waters of Cyprus on the stability of the Eastern Mediterranean; and if he will make a statement.

Answer (James Heappey)

The Government is aware of the naval activities of all NATO allies in the region. Turkey is an important NATO ally and Cyprus is a key regional partner. The UK maintains strong and positive relations with them both and has encouraged both countries to work together with our partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to achieve stability and mutual prosperity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British armed forces based at the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia monitored the recent Turkish naval exercise near Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Answer (James Heappey)

The Government is aware of the naval activities of all NATO allies in the region. Turkey is an important NATO ally and Cyprus is a key regional partner. The UK maintains strong and positive relations with them both and has encouraged both countries to work together with our partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to achieve stability and mutual prosperity.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on Turkey’s militarily supported exploration for gas in waters recognised by UNCLOS as Greek territory; and if he will make a statement.

Answer (Wendy Morton)

The UK is in regular contact with European partners with regard to the ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. On 10 September, the Foreign Secretary discussed this with the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany. On 8 July, the Foreign Secretary raised this with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. I have raised this with my Turkish, Greek and Cypriot counterparts in recent weeks. Officials continue to raise the issue with the parties concerned.

Question to the HM Treasury

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support people on an annual pay period where the last payment notified to HMRC via PAYE was before 5 April 2019 and no further payments were notified until after 19 March 2020 which has meant that they are ineligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Answer (Jesse Norman)

The CJRS has had to be set up to operate at significant scale and with limited manual intervention. The requirement for there to be a payment of earnings in the 2019/20 tax year applies for any employee being claimed for, irrespective of how frequently they are paid; whether weekly, monthly, or annually. The 19 March cut-off date allows as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement of the scheme, and protects taxpayers’ money against the risk of fraudulent claims that existed as soon as the scheme became public.

Those who are not eligible for the scheme can benefit from the wider package of measures in the Plan for Jobs, as well as temporary welfare measures announced in March.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons earwax removal is no longer routinely available on the NHS; and whether he has made an assessment of the economic effect of that matter on (a) elderly and (b) hard of hearing people who rely on regular earwax removal.

Answer (Edward Argar)

There are a range of services known as core services that all general practitioner (GP) practices are expected to provide and enhanced services that GP practices are commissioned to provide over and above this. The provision of ear syringing is an example of an enhanced service. If a local clinical commissioning group has decided not to commission an enhanced service, this may relate to population needs and value for money.

If the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss, then the GP practice could consider referring the patient into audiology services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidelines in June 2018 on hearing loss at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98

This contains a specific section on earwax removal which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations#removing-earwax

Question

To ask the Prime Minister, when the Government plans to fill the position of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Answer (Boris Johnson)

An appointment will be announced in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the territorial dispute between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea; and if he will make a statement.

Answer (James Heappey)

My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary has spoken to several of his NATO counterparts, including his Greek and Turkish colleagues. The UK continues to encourage constructive bilateral discussions, and to encourage de-escalation so as to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. It is essential that we work together with our international partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to achieve stability and mutual prosperity.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support international sanctions against Turkey following its militarily supported exploration for gas in waters recognised by UNCLOS as Greek territory; and if he will make a statement.

Answer (Wendy Morton)

We do not currently believe that sanctions are the most effective instrument to resolve tensions between Turkey and Greece. Any EU listings decisions are a matter for EU member states. The UK will pursue an independent sanctions policy at the end of the Transition Period. We will look to carry over existing EU sanctions into domestic law wherever it helps to further the UK's foreign policy objectives. The transfer of each EU sanctions regime into UK law will be considered on a case by case basis, and designations transferred into UK autonomous sanctions regimes at the end of the Transition Period will be subject to a final ministerial decision-making process.

We believe it is critical for stability in the Mediterranean and for the integrity of the rules-based international system that disputes such as this are resolved, not through force, militarisation or coercion, but through dialogue and in accordance with international law. We will continue to work with the wider region to that end.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen its co-operation with Taiwan on achieving and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Answer (Nigel Adams)

The UK Government welcomes the contribution Taiwan voluntarily makes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, despite not being a member state of the UN, and we continue to work closely with Taiwan on this and other matters. We enjoy a constructive relationship covering a range of issues through organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite, such as the WTO and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. The UK believes that the people of Taiwan have a valuable contribution to make on issues of global concern and this includes on sustainable development.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that temporarily allowed home abortions during the covid-19 outbreak do not place women at increased risk of complications; and whether he will suspend them pending further investigations of these risks.

Answer (Helen Whately)

The Department is aware of a small number of incidents of concern which we are looking into alongside with the Care Quality Commission and other partners. We continue to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation.

The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. Further details on the consultation will be available in due course.

Question to the Home Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that NHS staff who received free one year visa extensions have their applications processed and their Biometric Residence Permits returned to them as soon as possible.

Answer (Chris Philp)

The Home Office has created a dedicated taskforce specifically to deliver the extension of Health Care Worker’s Visas as per the scheme. This team has worked closely with the NHS and Private Healthcare Providers to ensure that the required information was supplied to trigger the process. Resources have been diverted into the processing of this information as well as an office presence maintained to ensure that systems and post have been accessible to enable the work.

We have established a new working process, which includes the re-injection of biometric data, without the need for any eligible worker to attend a Commercial Partner site, reducing delays and risk to customers.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) nightclubs and (b) other parts of the night-time economy which still remain closed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answer (Paul Scully)

We appreciate that the outbreak presents a significant challenge to the owners of nightclubs, which are still required to remain closed. The Government put in place an unprecedented programme of support to help businesses across the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, loan guarantees, grants, VAT deferral and the forfeiture moratorium. I am currently engaging with the nightclub sector to understand their immediate and longer-term needs.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to tackle the concerns raised by the Glass and Glazing Federation in that organisation's letter to the Government of 14 August 2002 on the Green Homes Scheme.

Answer (Kwasi Kwarteng)

The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme focuses on those measures which give greatest thermal benefits and carbon reductions, but which consumers are typically less likely to install on their own. Insulating walls, roofs and floors is a more cost-effective way to improve the energy efficiency of homes, which is why it is prioritised under the scheme.

We will continue to review the scheme design and take new information into account. Funding for future energy efficiency initiatives will be determined through the Spending Review in the autumn.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the average time is for a PAS 2030 certification to be processed once a business applies, in the most recent month for which figures are available.

Answer (Kwasi Kwarteng)

The amount of time that it takes to receive receives PAS 2030 certification differs depending on the certification body that the business has applied to and the completeness of it application.

Certification can take less than two weeks providing the business has the correct documentation.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that businesses offering home improvement under the Green Homes Grant scheme receive their PAS 2030 certification as quickly as possible.

Answer (Kwasi Kwarteng)

It is the responsibility of the TrustMark scheme providers to ensure that organisations are Publicly Available Specification (PAS) certified, although the Department is working closely with TrustMark to ensure that the right information is shared with the scheme providers and their members so they know what they need to do to become certified to the correct level of PAS.

The Green Homes Grant scheme is making a substantial commitment to supply chain development, to bolster the workforce and support the delivery of the scheme, including support and training directed towards gaining required certification.

https://t.co/25p43iQ1zJ

This government is bringing an end to the nonsense that university is the only way to success! https://t.co/HJJrsxrMUP 🇬🇧

Time to take a leaf from Mrs Thatcher's book on EU negotiations I think! Couldn't agree more! 🇬🇧 @johnredwood https://t.co/YFRqgj9LtB

All the more reason to sign a comprehensive free trade deal with our most important ally! Who needs Brussels when our American cousins are so keen to buy and sell to us! 🇬🇧🇺🇸 https://t.co/MbAW1h804n

@teachingtoolong @CllrDamianwhite @JoshuaChapman @HaveringDaily @RomfordRecorder I am looking into this as a matter of urgency. Please call my office on 02072198475 to provide more details of what you have heard. Speak to Adrian. Thank you for alerting me. Andrew

This CONSERVATIVE government is going to conserve more of our beautiful nation! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/PjkodW1YBu

Our fantastic doctors, nurses, fundraisers and volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the UK’s coronavirus response will be recognised in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list on Saturday 10 October! https://t.co/TOrVR8oS00 🇬🇧

The people of Barbados should make the final decision about whether their nation becomes a republic or retains Her Majesty The Queen as Head of State. A huge constitutional change such as this must only be decided in a referendum of all Barbadians. 🇧🇧🇬🇧https://t.co/NYMcJWJ1ce

Sadiq Khan is FAILING London in his appalling approach to the Covid crisis! Havering's very own @KeithPrinceAM https://t.co/KPBRWI2Lz5

Really pleased to #raiseamug for #MacmillanCoffeeMorning and support all their incredible work supporting the 3 million people living with cancer. Thank you to all those in Romford who are raising funds today for this amazing charity! 💚🇬🇧 https://t.co/D1obNHHFHV

@tim_howson @Jacob_Rees_Mogg I’m with the people of Romford on this one, Tim. They made a wise decision in 2016, confirmed overwhelmingly last Christmas! 🇬🇧

@tim_howson @Jacob_Rees_Mogg The UK remains a member of the Council of Europe which has no agenda to become a European Federal State, unlike the European Union of which the UK is not a member! A “kind of united states of Europe” based on cooperation between nations is fine. The EU dictatorship is not!

I join our PM in urging ALL Brits to proudly wear the poppy and remember the sacrifices made in defence of King, Queen, Country and Commonwealth! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/K4CqKdGAnk

@tim_howson @Jacob_Rees_Mogg I can think of many more ‘unpleasant bits’ that might have befallen our nation had we not been lead by such a great man as Winston Churchill. He was right on Europe too! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/z3rXOmFphq

"We should be proud of our great heroes like Winston Churchill. The National Trust should remember that its properties were given to it by people who expected them to custodians of our history, to be proud of our history." Hear hear @Jacob_Rees_Mogg 🇬🇧 https://t.co/4Te4pywl1p

A royal title is a privilege and it comes with responsibility! If you're not willing to accept the responsibility, you should also ditch the privilege! https://t.co/J8Hu4e0wST

We are taking back control of our laws, money, borders, fisheries and animal welfare regulations! BREXIT means we are no longer bound by backwards Brussels bureaucracy on fur imports and other animal welfare issues! https://t.co/Tr2huaplLB

The Falkland Islands voted to be British and they will remain British! How many times do we have to tell the Argentinians and @alferdez before they get the message? 🇬🇧 Read my comments in full in: @Daily_Express https://t.co/xowAf6y98M 🇬🇧🇫🇰

https://t.co/79guUSQste

@RickyHines89 @loanchargeAPPG No idea. I would have signed it had I been asked to.

Please see my website for the latest on the government's coronavirus guidance. This will be updated regularly as new measures are announced: https://t.co/iH1qlWHpp8

Very pleased to see money being pledged to improve A&E and other facilities at the King George Hospital, on top of the millions announced last August for Queens Hospital. Under the Conservatives healthcare is improving for all the people of Romford! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/lA12Qzct9w

Another day, another story of an amazing Romford resident! Well done Rafe Stringer and his dad for raising so much money for mental health charity! 🇬🇧 @MindCharity https://t.co/HXuEhwmvpd

https://t.co/IbCbnty9Ko

BEN BRADLEY: I refuse to take part in 're-education' courses https://t.co/GF70GEqTvm via @MailOnline

A very happy new year to all my good friends in the Jewish community in Romford and especially Rabbi Lee Sunderland of Romford Synagogue and to all Jewish people across the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Israel and elsewhere who will be celebrating this weekend! 🍏🍯🍎🔯🇬🇧🇬🇮🇮🇱 https://t.co/wYiphtCrEz

Thrilled to visit the Stapleford Abbotts Golf Club @StaplefordAbbGC Romford, Essex for a charity golf day organised by the amazing Maurice Newman in support of @GreatOrmondSt - a fabulous day with loads of money raised for a great cause! ⛳️🏌️‍♂️🧸💜🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 https://t.co/bYVIxpJOi2

400 years ago, the Mayflower set sail to the New World. The legacy of those explorers is the dispersal across the globe of the English language, liberty, laws and religious freedom. Let every Briton take pride in our history and unique contribution we have made to the world! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/jIxpiAifEJ

https://t.co/lzFmBetQz8

“Never before, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.” Today, on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Britain, we remember the few that gave us the freedom we enjoy today! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/XQM5yQpqBy

I voted enthusiastically in favour of the Internal Market Bill last night, giving the UK the right to fully take back control from Brussels. We need to do this in our own national interest! See my interview on @RTENews defending this historic bill 🇬🇧🇮🇪 https://t.co/6jbup51GHm

https://t.co/4DRF6ZIshh

"It's important to have this fallback in case there isn't a sensible agreement. It would be intolerable if there was a ban on food transfers from GB to NI. It would be intolerable if there was a customs border between GB and NI!” Well said, my friend Theresa Villiers! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/jc6vTQdK8l

https://t.co/fdDJ26X6P4

https://t.co/IyC61SK7Ui

@DouglasUnwin 🙄 They had better not! 🇬🇧

Great to be watching the Last Night of the Proms tonight with the wonderful signing of “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!” coming on later, can’t wait! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 https://t.co/ba2T5V44Qf https://t.co/5w6DnwEr4Y

The shameful exploitation by Barnier and the EU over Ireland is exposed here for all to see! We will never allow their bullying tactics to undermine the cherished relationship between the United Kingdom and Ireland.... the peoples of these islands are one family! 🇬🇧🇮🇪 https://t.co/0BKMjJaqIw

Our Prime Minister is putting the United Kingdom before the EU, the Good Friday Agreement before the Withdrawal Agreement and the Union of the UK before the European Union. It’s time to back Boris and put our country first! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/SPsrjaKjjw

Well done to Mo from ‘Love Laundry’ in Heath Park Road, Romford for shaving off her hair in aid of @macmillancancer and so far raising a fabulous £600 for such a great cause! I took my donation in today... please help Mo reach £1,000 by dropping in some cash this weekend! 💇🏼‍♀️💚🇬🇧 https://t.co/GRExwEAb7d

https://t.co/aycGqFBvWs

London’s Air Ambulance @LDNairamb has continued to provide life-saving care to all the people of Greater London region, including Romford and our part of Essex throughout the pandemic. I am proud to support Air Ambulance Week and @LDNairamb #AAW2020 Great work! 🚁🇬🇧 https://t.co/zauKWMpwYa

With BREXIT, not only will we take back control of our money, borders, and laws, the UK will also be unshackled from the backwards looking Brussels bureaucracy and become a global leader on animal welfare. Read my piece in @HaveringDaily 🐄🐖🐑🐓🐘🦏🦒🐟🇬🇧 https://t.co/o0ncLGh7Cf

My warmest congratulations to Shomique Hayat, who has become the first student from Hornchurch High School @HornchurchHigh in my constituency, to be accepted into Eton. What a fantastic achievement! I know he will make Hornchurch and Romford proud! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/kpxB1MEcbx

https://t.co/aycGqFBvWs

Happy Gibraltar Day to all my friends from The Rock as they celebrate their right of self determination and remain British! We sadly couldn’t travel to Gibraltar this year, but joined the wonderful celebrations from London! @FabianPicardo @GibraltarMayor @GibHouseLondon 🇬🇧🇬🇮🐵 https://t.co/MDZpqRwEZD

China's oppression of the Uighur people in Xinjiang is a stain on humanity. I'm proud to be a signatory of this letter, demanding the Chinese government bring an end to these human rights abuses immediately. https://t.co/sPqjM8w3Ik https://t.co/e6F1VCwdys

@JamesNeish We will be celebrating in London too! 🇬🇧🇬🇮

@Martinling1 @HaveringDaily The only law that is binding on the UK as a sovereign nation in British law. We decide what the law of our own land is and if we decide to change it, that’s our choice too! 🇬🇧

The people of Romford support the bold stance that our government is taking and are prepared for all eventualities, whatever the EU try to throw at us! We are, at last, getting the true BREXIT we voted for! 🇬🇧 @haveringdaily https://t.co/80t1SpKFGt

Great news to hear that our much loved Greyhound Stadium in Romford is soon to re-open. Greyhound racing has always been part of our local culture over the generations and with the highest welfare standards for the greyhounds in place, we can all enjoy a ‘night at the dogs’! 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 https://t.co/bnMExnBUiP

The EU has once again been exposed as a bully, now actually threatening to block food exports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland... how dare they! No deal it has to be @BorisJohnson let’s go WTO! 🇬🇧 https://t.co/AzqTmVF4J8

Found: Gullis, Chris Clarkson, Mrs Pauline Latham, Andrew Rosindell, Aaron Bell, Martin Vickers, Peter Gibson

Found: </p><p>Andrew Rosindell (Romford)</p><p>Rebecca Harris</p><p>Mr

Found: Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge)</p><p>Chris Elmore</p><p>Andrew Rosindell (Romford

Found: ;Andrew Rosindell (Romford)</p><p>Rebecca Harris</p><p>Mr Virendra Sharma

Found: ><p>Andrew Rosindell (Romford)</p><p>Rebecca Harris</p><p>Mr Virendra

Found: , the main route he follows, which he does not have to take, takes him into Andrew Rosindell’s constituency