Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on recent reports of violations of the ceasefire agreement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have not made any specific representations to the Palestinian Authority (PA) on this issue, as the PA itself is not responsible for the firing. However, we have regularly urged senior Palestinians to return to the Cairo negotiations, with the Israeli government, to ensure that a durable ceasefire is put in place in Gaza.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Palestinian Authority counterparts on the closure of the administrative checkpoint at the Erez Crossing.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I raised the importance of keeping the crossing open when I met President Abbas during my visit last year. I also raised this with Israeli interlocutors. The Erez Crossing is run by the Israeli authorities not the PA. We have had reports that the crossing closed briefly on 8 January when Hamas security personnel attempted to approach the crossing, but otherwise it has been open.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Palestinian Authority counterparts on the smuggling of weapons and other contraband into Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have not raised this issue specifically with the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, we regularly discuss with PA ministers our wish for the PA to return to Gaza and to play a more active role at the crossings.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assurances he has received that agreements between the individual banks and the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to the interest rate swap redress scheme were identical.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No conversations have taken place between the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Treasury on the potential fining of the banks following the FCA redress scheme. Furthermore, HM Treasury had not had sight of the agreements held between the FCA and the individual banks. The nature of the agreements is a matter for the FCA as an independent regulator.
However, I took part in a debate on the FCA’s review scheme last month, along with my Hon. Friend, where the issue of the individual agreements was discussed. Following the debate, I wrote to the FCA to put forward my view that more transparency in this matter will help to provide greater assurance that the review has been conducted in a fully independent and impartial manner. I also encouraged the FCA to come to an agreement with the banks as soon as possible on what might be shared with the Treasury Select Committee.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential fining of banks following the completion of the interest rate swap redress scheme.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No conversations have taken place between the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Treasury on the potential fining of the banks following the FCA redress scheme. Furthermore, HM Treasury had not had sight of the agreements held between the FCA and the individual banks. The nature of the agreements is a matter for the FCA as an independent regulator.
However, I took part in a debate on the FCA’s review scheme last month, along with my Hon. Friend, where the issue of the individual agreements was discussed. Following the debate, I wrote to the FCA to put forward my view that more transparency in this matter will help to provide greater assurance that the review has been conducted in a fully independent and impartial manner. I also encouraged the FCA to come to an agreement with the banks as soon as possible on what might be shared with the Treasury Select Committee.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to prevent conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical industry among those chosen to sit on the hormone pregnancy test review panel.
Answered by George Freeman
Potential members of the Expert Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests will be asked to declare any interests (financial or non-financial) in relevant pharmaceutical companies or in any other area that could affect their impartiality. All experts’ interests will be carefully considered to determine their suitability for membership on the Group. Members will be asked again about potential interests in the meetings to decide on the appropriate level of participation in discussions.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA, in its capacity as the arm’s length body of the Department of Health with responsibility for the regulation of medicinal products) has no record of any representations from Schering/Bayer on the safety of hormone pregnancy tests since they were withdrawn in 1978. The MHRA is has asked all companies which marketed hormonal pregnancy tests to fully disclose the research evidence and test results they hold for inclusion in the review.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received from Schering/Bayer on the safety of hormone pregnancy tests.
Answered by George Freeman
Potential members of the Expert Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests will be asked to declare any interests (financial or non-financial) in relevant pharmaceutical companies or in any other area that could affect their impartiality. All experts’ interests will be carefully considered to determine their suitability for membership on the Group. Members will be asked again about potential interests in the meetings to decide on the appropriate level of participation in discussions.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA, in its capacity as the arm’s length body of the Department of Health with responsibility for the regulation of medicinal products) has no record of any representations from Schering/Bayer on the safety of hormone pregnancy tests since they were withdrawn in 1978. The MHRA is has asked all companies which marketed hormonal pregnancy tests to fully disclose the research evidence and test results they hold for inclusion in the review.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department provides financial assistance to Al-Quds University in the West Bank.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID does not provide financial assistance to Al-Quds University in the West Bank.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken since the Government response to the Second Report of Session 2012-13 from the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales, to strengthen policies regarding after care services for veterans.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Primary responsibility for the care of veterans lies with the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations. The Armed Forces Covenant makes clear that veterans should enjoy the same standard of healthcare by the NHS as any other UK citizen in the area where they live, and receive priority, subject to the clinical needs of others, for conditions resulting from Service. The NHS and the Devolved Administrations are fully signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, and the NHS in England is mandated to meet this commitment.
The vast majority of Service leavers are fit and well, and no individual who is injured in the course of their duty will leave the Armed Forces until it is right for them to do so, however long that takes. For those who are being discharged with serious medical conditions, the Transition Protocol is in place to ensure continuity of care wherever the veteran resides in the UK.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent representations his Department has received in relation to the proposed Wylfa Newydd power station.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Department holds regular discussions about the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant with the developer Horizon Nuclear Power, the Welsh and local governments and other interested parties including members of the local community.