Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to provide a 24/7 mental health care helpline for veterans and serving soldiers in the Armed Forces; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to ensuring that both serving personnel and veterans are given the mental healthcare and treatment they need. As well as Defence Medical Services we also work in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS (which is responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans) and Service charities. For example, on the 9 October last year we announced a new partnership with the Royal Foundation, aimed at helping maintain and develop good mental fitness, thus changing the conversation around mental health into a positive and proactive one.
During working hours, there are a range of options available to Service personnel requiring mental healthcare or advice. These include contacting either their Service GP, unit medical centre, Service mental health unit, welfare, or through pastoral support. Personnel who are receiving treatment at one of the MOD's mental health facilities are also given advice on obtaining out-of-hours help. This includes contacting the local medical centre, the local NHS accident and emergency department, or one of the existing 24-hour mental health helplines. The various helplines available include the free 24-hour mental health helpline run by the charity Combat Stress (supported by the MOD), and MOD's Veterans UK free helpline (which out-of-hours provides links to the Combat Stress helpline and the Samaritans), as well as the Big White Wall, a 24-hour online community which provides safe, anonymous support to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These are all available to Service personnel, veterans, their families and dependents.
Military GP practices already provide out-of-hours medical support and are able to arrange emergency admissions if necessary. The individuals who staff the Combat Stress helpline are also trained to identify patients who are in a crisis state and who require immediate hospital admission, and will provide the necessary advice and assistance to enable them to be seen, assessed and managed in accordance with agreed protocols for people in crisis. Clinical advice is that the introduction of a separate MOD-staffed 24-hour helpline would only complicate an already volatile situation, adding additional risk which would not be in the best interests of the patient.
We believe these arrangements are robust and effective in ensuring personnel get the appropriate help whenever they need it.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to review the funding of sixth form colleges; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anne Milton
There are no plans to formally review funding for Sixth Form Colleges but the government does recognise there are funding pressures within the 16 to 19 year olds education system. The government will continue to keep the question of 16 to 19 year olds funding under consideration as it does with all areas of expenditure.
We will conduct a major review of funding across tertiary education. In the Industrial Strategy, it was stated that this review will consider a range of specific issues within post-18 education.
The government will set out further details of the review shortly.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the north of Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is providing £205 million of UK aid to Yemen in the financial year 2017/18; and also pressing other countries to take steps to increase the flow of aid to Northern Yemen. In Saudi Arabia in December last year, the Secretary of State underscored requests made by the Prime Minister the previous month for unhindered access for imports of commercial and humanitarian food, fuel and medical supplies throughout the country. The Saudi-led Coalition recently extended their window for food and fuel imports into the important ports of Hodeidah and Saleef for another 30 days (until 22 February) and we continue to monitor the situation closely.
In the North of Yemen we are working with UN and NGO delivery partners who are operating under very difficult circumstances to reach the most vulnerable Yemenis. The UK is the 2nd largest donor to the UN Humanitarian Appeal for Yemen, which for 2018/19 is the biggest in the world, with an estimated cost of £2.96 billion intended to reach 22.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. This includes 11.3 million in acute need.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Public Spaces Protection Orders.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We have established an Anti-social Behaviour Advisory Group which provides a forum to discuss the use of anti-social behaviour powers with a range of police officers, local authorities, charities and government departments. We also published refreshed statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of these powers on 24 December 2017.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the supply of ballistic missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The supply of ballistic missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen is in direct contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 2216. This threatens regional security and prolongs the devastating conflict. The British Government is providing £1.3 million in funding for the UN Inspection and Verification Mechanism (UNVIM) to counter weapons flows into Yemen. We also aim to increase UNVIM capacity through the deployment of additional inspectors to UNVIM's Djibouti Headquarters and to ports around the region. This could increase UNVIM's inspection capacity fivefold.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to prevent future strikes on South Western Railway; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The RMT’s current mandate for strike action on South Western Railway expires in April. During the recent RMT strikes over Christmas and New Year, South Western Railway operated around 70% of their services, keeping passengers on the move. In December the Secretary of State met with Mick Cash to renew his offer of guarantees of employment to people who currently fulfil the role of the second person on the train beyond the length of the franchises. The Secretary of State and I continue to encourage a dialogue between the parties to resolve the RMT union’s dispute and avoid further unnecessary strikes for passengers.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure police forces investigate household burglaries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government is very concerned about burglary and the impact it has on individuals and communities. That is why we expect the police to take all reports of burglary seriously, to investigate and, where appropriate, to bring the offenders to court so that they can receive appropriate punishment.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to review the police funding formula.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We have yet to make any decisions about when to refresh the police funding formula. A new formula will not be introduced without a full public consultation.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to mitigate the potential effects of local planning authorities implementing the Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space policy in urban boroughs where the only green space available is already in use for leisure facilities.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGS) is provided and managed to mitigate harmful effects of new housing developments on European sites protected under the Habitats Regulations 2010. SANGS provides recreational space for local residents, diverting them away from protected sites.
Where there is limited green space available, Natural England positively encourage the use of existing leisure facilities if they are seen as meeting the requirements to provide Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the police in tackling street drinking and anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office contributed to guidance on tackling street drinking that was published by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners last year. That guidance advocates a multi-agency, multi-component approach to dealing with individuals who often have complex needs.
Through the Local Alcohol Action Areas programme, the Home Office is supporting more than thirty areas across England and Wales to tackle alcohol harms, including those associated with street drinking.
In addition, in appropriate circumstances, the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 can be used to tackle or prevent alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.