Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
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 help ensure adequate staffing levels within NHS organisations across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. It will put the workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.
The Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two years.
By significantly expanding domestic education, training and recruitment, we will have more healthcare professionals working in the NHS. This will include more doctors and nurses alongside an expansion in a range of other professions, including more staff working in new roles. The LTWP also commits to retaining our workforce, keeping up to 130,000 more staff in the NHS by improving culture, leadership and wellbeing.
As of September 2023, there are currently 15,654 full time equivalent (FTE) staff working in University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. This is 1,143 or 7.9% more than this time last year. This includes 2,219 FTE doctors, 180 or 8.8% more than last year, and 3,998 FTE nurses, 349 or 9.6% more than last year.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of British nationals in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The safety and security of all British nationals remains our utmost priority and we are doing everything we can to support all British nationals, including dual nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We can confirm that more than 300 people registered with us, including British Nationals and their dependants, have left Gaza with onward support to Cairo. We are working with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to ensure any remaining British nationals that want to leave are cleared to cross as soon as possible. We are not in a position to comment on specific remaining numbers.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is committed to working with Israel to secure improvements in detention practices in Israel. We have made plain our concerns over continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli military detention, particularly of children. Reports of the heavy use of painful restraints and the high number of Palestinian children who are not informed of their legal rights, in contravention of Israel's own regulations, are particularly troubling. The UK repeatedly calls on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and we have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a breakdown of the type of military equipment which has been licensed for export to Israel in last five years.
Answered by Greg Hands
HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics on GOV.UK, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data also specifies whether the goods covered by a particular licence are for ultimate use by the destination country or whether the goods are due to be incorporated into another product for use by a third-party destination (ie incorporation licences).
This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy to (a) monitor and (b) report on the impact of UK-supplied arms on civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK export licensing system is based on having a thorough risk-assessment process for the original export licence before the goods leave the UK.
We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC).
The SELC provide a thorough risk assessment framework for export licence applications and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. We will not license the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with the SELC. These are not decisions we take lightly.
Our assessments draw on all available information relevant to the criteria in the case, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many arms licences have been issued to Israel in the last five years; and what those licences were for.
Answered by Greg Hands
HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of individuals currently held hostage by (a) Israel and (b) Hamas.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Israel estimates that there are still 132 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, including civilians and military personnel (this includes individuals who are believed deceased but death has not been confirmed). Urgent work is continuing at all levels with regional leaders and others to ensure all the remaining hostages are safely freed. We are not going to give a running commentary on hostage negotiations, which are highly sensitive and ongoing, but we are involved in intensive diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages and working with Israel, the US and others.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability of arms sales to countries involved in conflicts.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world.
We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the Criteria). The Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and we will not issue an export licence to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.
We can and do respond quickly and flexibly to changing international circumstances. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. Acting upon advice from other Government departments, in particular the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office regarding the situation in country and the risks this poses with respect to the UK’s export control responsibilities. Secretary of State for Business and Trade is able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences and refuse new licence applications as circumstances require.
We publish comprehensive Official Statistics every quarter about the decisions we make on licence applications including those issued, refused or revoked. This includes data on outcome, end user destination(s), value and licence (product type). This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many British nationals are held in Israeli military detention.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
No British Nationals are currently detained in Israeli prisons, including security prisoners.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to advocate for an international ban on the use of white phosphorus in conflicts.
Answered by Leo Docherty
It is not UK policy to advocate for an international ban on the use of white phosphorous. White phosphorous is an obscurant and may have legitimate military uses, for example in smoke grenades, decoy and countermeasure equipment and signalling flares. However, all parties to an armed conflict must ensure that their conduct and use of weapons complies with International Humanitarian Law.