Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to make (a) adult MMR and (b) shingles vaccines available in community pharmacies for people who meet the NHS eligibility criteria.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Routine vaccinations, including the shingles vaccine, are not currently available at community pharmacies via the National Health Service. This is with the exception of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine where, in response to the current measles outbreak, some areas have stood up community pharmacy sites on a time-limited basis, to deliver the MMR vaccine to specific cohorts.
The NHS vaccination strategy signals an intent to give local systems the responsibility and flexibility to design and deliver vaccination services to meet their population needs. This includes commissioning the optimal provider network, which may include community pharmacy and hospital hubs, and continuing to use the expertise of primary care, including general practices and practice nurses, to maximise uptake.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 potential implications for his policies of the debate entitled Allegations of systemic torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in places of detention in Europe at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government unreservedly condemns the use of torture for any purpose and continues to call on all States to ensure that those in detention are treated in line with international human rights law. We value the work of the Committee on the Prevention of Torture at the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 potential implications for his policies of the debate entitled Child abuse in institutions in Europe at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting the rights of children at home and overseas, this includes working to tackle all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. We value the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 potential implications for his policies of the debate entitled A democratic future for Belarus at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe in highlighting the increasingly repressive landscape in Belarus, and the continued failure to hold democratic elections that meet international standards. We share the Assembly's ambition for a future democratic, independent Belarus. We have applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations. We will continue to put pressure on Lukashenko's regime in pursuit of the free and democratic society that Belarusians deserve.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 potential implications for his policies of the debate entitled Situation of the children of Ukraine held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We strongly condemn the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. The UK welcomes the Council of Europe's role in highlighting this issue and supports the Reykjavik Declaration on the situation of the children of Ukraine. We continue to call on Russia to cease forced transfers, allow unhindered, immediate and safe access for humanitarian organisations. They must facilitate the safe return of children to Ukraine, in line with Russia's obligations under international law.
We are a participant in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. In June 2022, the UK also sanctioned Putin's so-called "Commissioner for Children's Rights" Maria Lvova-Belova, for her alleged involvement in the forced deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 potential implications for his policies of the joint debate entitled Countering SLAPPs: an imperative for a democratic society, and Guaranteeing media freedom and the safety of journalists: an obligation of member States at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK implements the Council of Europe campaign through the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. The FCDO is committed to media freedom. We raise violations across the world including through the Media Freedom Coalition to hold to account those abusing or restricting media freedom. We oppose all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation - whether online or offline. The FCDO facilitates sharing UK best practice, including on developing and implementing legislation and measures to counter Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), in international fora.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Recent developments in the Middle East: Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel and Israel’s response at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history at the hands of Hamas. Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We want the fighting to stop now. We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The theme of migration and asylum in election campaigns and the consequences on the welcoming and rights of migrants at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Current levels of immigration are unprecedented with net migration at 672,000 in the year to June 2023, up significantly on pre-pandemic volumes. This is partly because the UK is at the forefront of efforts to support those who flee persecution, conflict and instability. We welcomed over half a million people on resettlement schemes and visa routes since 2015. In parallel the government is addressing legal migration, including a plan to curb immigration abuse. We are working with international partners to tackle illegal migration.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 debate entitled Annual activity report 2023 by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 22 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has noted the Annual Report of the Council of Europe's independent Commissioner for Human Rights. We particularly welcome the Commissioner's focus on the human rights situation of children forcibly transferred or deported to Russia or Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine. The UK supported the Reykjavik Declaration on the situation of the children of Ukraine and continues to support accountability efforts, including through sanctions, awareness-raising campaigns and our participation in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 debate entitled Observation of the early parliamentary elections in Serbia at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 22 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK welcomes the 22 January debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on observation of Parliamentary elections in Serbia in December 2023. The UK contributed a strong contingent to the combined international monitoring mission, alongside support for local election observation. The UK shares concerns over election irregularities and welcomes President Vucic's pledge to implement the recommendations set out in the final OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) report. The UK stands ready to support Serbia in this important work and urges meaningful progress before elections this spring.