Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) extracted DNA from the remains of unidentified British soldiers found on former battlefields and share (b) that DNA with ancestry companies to find matches with subscribers of those companies.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Ministry of Defence has not extracted DNA from fallen soldiers to share with ancestry companies.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her Department's policy to target early advice on benefit entitlements to (a) sufferers of Alzheimer's disease and memory loss-related illnesses and (b) their families and carers.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no specific policy covering the service offer for people suffering from or impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is DWP Policy to ensure customers who may be vulnerable or who have additional support needs, including those with Alzheimer's disease, are offered extra help and advice about claiming DWP benefits. This is regularly updated through Gov.uk.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to simplify the benefit claims process for (a) claimants with Alzheimer's disease and other memory loss related illnesses and (b) their families and carers.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no specific policy covering the service offer for people suffering from or impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is DWP Policy to ensure customers who may be vulnerable or who have additional support needs, including those with Alzheimer's disease, are offered extra help and advice about claiming DWP benefits. This is regularly updated through Gov.uk.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of benefit application procedures on (a) claimants with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss related illnesses and (b) their family and carers.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no specific policy covering the service offer for people suffering from or impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is DWP Policy to ensure customers who may be vulnerable or who have additional support needs, including those with Alzheimer's disease, are offered extra help and advice about claiming DWP benefits. This is regularly updated through Gov.uk.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the merits of having a designated person in job centres and social security offices to provide information to claimants with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss-related illnesses and their carers.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all our claimants, including the most vulnerable in society. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people, including its claims processes, to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs.
Work coaches undergo a comprehensive learning journey which equips them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to support claimants with a range of disabilities and health conditions. This includes tailoring the support we provide to the needs of the customer, and the disabilities and health conditions they present with, and also extends to signposting to expert partner organisations for further support. Where the claimant is unable to attend the job centre due to their disability or health condition, we are able to offer a home visit from a DWP Visiting Officer.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What diplomatic support his Department provides to the English-speaking community in Cameroon.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, which continue to suffer from high levels of violence and human rights abuses perpetrated by both security forces and armed separatists. I have pressed Cameroonian Ministers to take concrete steps and to work to rebuild confidence and trust between all parties.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK policy on Yemen is in the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long-term.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We urgently need to alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting the people of Yemen. In 2017/18, we are committing £155 million in aid to Yemen, prioritising life-saving interventions including food and nutrition support to 1.7 million people and clean water and sanitation for an expected 1.2 million people.
Beyond that, restarting peace talks is our top priority. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a political solution to end the conflict. We have played a leading role in diplomatic efforts, including bringing together key regional and international actors to drive forward progress towards a peaceful solution. The UK continues to support the work of UN Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. We are providing over £1 million to the UN Special Envoy's office to bolster the UN's capacity to facilitate the peace process.
In the longer term, the UK supports the development of a stable and prosperous Yemen which poses no threats to the region or internationally. Key to this will be long-term support for both reconstruction and an enduring political settlement.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what infrastructure and dredging will be required at the facilities at South Mole in Gibraltar to enable the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers to load (a) life support cargo, (b) fuel supplies and (c) munitions directly from the dock side.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
As part of forward planning for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, the Royal Navy continues to review ports that would be accessible to these ships. This process includes the infrastructure requirements at South Mole in Gibraltar.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Northern Ireland economy.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The fundamentals of the Northern Ireland economy remain strong, with growth last year at 1.6%.
Economic activity is up, unemployment has fallen to levels not seen since before the Great Recession of 2008, and 43,000 more people are in work compared to 2010.
Asked by: Bob Stewart (Independent - Beckenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of Highway England's performance in fulfilling its legal duty to keep its land clean and free from litter.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Litter collection by Highways England is one of many important road safety duties that they carry out on the motorways and the small number of A-roads they are responsible for.
Highways England’s Litter Strategy sets out how they will work effectively with Local Authorities to remove litter and deliver a cleaner and safer network.
Measures have been put in place to target the 25 worst spots for littering on the network. Since March 2017 Highways England have removed 6,684 sacks of litter from these 25 hotspots. Their work to date has seen a significant reduction in complaints about roadside litter.
However, there is more to do and the Department is working closely with Highways England to remove litter from the roads they manage and support the first ever Government National Litter Strategy for England, which was published in April.