Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking in collaboration with Deputy Special Representative of MINUSCA, Diane Corner, to ensure that a comprehensive and inclusive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process is planned and prioritised in the Central African Republic.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) assumed responsibility from the AU Mission, MISCA (African-led support mission to the Central African Republic) on 15 September. The mission’s mandate includes a call for “support for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former armed elements, with specific attention to children, and the repatriation of foreign elements, as well as community violence-reduction programmes”. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are monitoring MINUSCA’s progress on all areas of the mandate as the mission works to build up to full capacity; and are in close contact with Diane Corner (Deputy SRSG)on this. We have encouraged the UN to prioritise their efforts given the Mission is in early stages, and the operational challenges due to the surge in violence in CAR in recent weeks. Ensuring security is an essential first step in bringing peace and stability to CAR. MINUSCA has a phased mandate, with its priority task being the protection of civilians; HMG supports this approach.Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on her Department's review of the exemption to the publication of party political donations in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Following public consultation earlier this year, we have been working closely with the Electoral Commission to finalise secondary legislation that will allow for greater transparency for donations and loans to political parties in Northern Ireland. This legislation will be brought before the House when consultation with the Electoral Commission has concluded.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the terms of reference have yet been established for the inquiry into historical child sex abuse commissioned by her Department.
Answered by Norman Baker
The Terms of Reference for the Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse have been published and the geographic scope is limited to England and Wales. The protection of children is a devolved matter, and it would be inappropriate for the inquiry panel to make recommendations for Northern Ireland concerning the running of the child protection system there.
However, as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set out in her statement to Parliament on 21 October, the Government is determined that no stone should be left unturned to investigate serious allegations of institutional failure. She has also made clear that the Government, Ministry of Defence and the Security Services will give the Inquiry the fullest possible co-operation. We currently believe that the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry is the best place to do that in respect of Kincora and we will work closely with, the Chairman of the Inquiry, Sir Anthony Hart to help to achieve that.
We will monitor carefully the extent to which the Inquiry is able to make progress in respect of material relevant to Kincora and we will look at the
situation again if the Inquiry tells us it is unable to determine the facts.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has held with disability campaigners on securing compensation from Grünenthal for people affected by thalidomide; and if he will make representations to his German counterpart on that matter.
Answered by Norman Lamb
I met with the Thalidomide Trust on 23 June 2014 and subsequently wrote to Manuela Schwesig, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, on behalf of all four UK Governments asking if she would meet with the Trust.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to encourage long-term measures to bring about systemic changes required to better cope with future Ebola outbreaks.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK is leading the international response to Ebola in Sierra Leone. This outbreak of Ebola is unprecedented in scale and highlights the vital importance of strong public healthcare systems. The UK is the biggest bilateral donor to Sierra Leone and commenced a major health systems programme in 2012.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will decide whether she will include Kincora Boys Home in East Belfast in the scope of the child sex abuse inquiry led by Fiona Woolf.
Answered by Norman Baker
The Terms of Reference for the Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse have been published and the geographic scope is limited to England and Wales. The protection of children is a devolved matter, and it would be inappropriate for the inquiry panel to make recommendations for Northern Ireland concerning the running of the child protection system there.
However, as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set out in her statement to Parliament on 21 October, the Government is determined that no stone should be left unturned to investigate serious allegations of institutional failure. She has also made clear that the Government, Ministry of Defence and the Security Services will give the Inquiry the fullest possible co-operation. We currently believe that the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry is the best place to do that in respect of Kincora and we will work closely with, the Chairman of the Inquiry, Sir Anthony Hart to help to achieve that.
We will monitor carefully the extent to which the Inquiry is able to make progress in respect of material relevant to Kincora and we will look at the
situation again if the Inquiry tells us it is unable to determine the facts.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimates he has made of the variation in survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients between (a) UK regions and (b) the UK and other European countries.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The latest analysis of pancreatic cancer survival suggests that:
- According to a recent National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) data briefing, pancreatic cancer one-year survival is improving in each of the countries of Great Britain. There is little difference in one-year survival between the countries in Great Britain.
- A recent paper in the Lancet looking at EUROCARE5 data showed variation between countries in five-year pancreatic cancer survival. Whilst the European mean was 6.9%, figures for the United Kingdom were as follows: England 4.7%, Wales 5.4%, Scotland 3.4%, Northern Ireland 3.0%.
- According to the NCIN UK Cancer e-atlas, the UK one-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer was 18.0%. However, there was regional variation in one-year survival rates across cancer networks in England, ranging from 14.0% to 25.6%.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Nigerian government on the use of torture by the Nigerian police and military.
Answered by David Lidington
The Government has made clear to the Nigerian authorities at all levels, that we do not condone human rights abuses. During my visit to Abuja on 3 September, my Hon Friend, the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge MP), the Minister for Africa, raised human rights with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, and underlined the importance of respect for human rights and the safeguarding of the civilian population during the Nigerian governments fight against terrorism.
We encourage the Nigerian Government to respond constructively to credible reports of human rights abuses by the Nigerian Security Forces, and to investigate fully. Any member of the Nigerian security forces found to have been involved in human rights abuses should be brought to justice.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to address the low uptake of the pancreatic cancer e-learning module among GPs.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The e-learning module ‘Pancreatic Cancer: early diagnosis in general practice’ was developed and is promoted by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in partnership with the charity Pancreatic Cancer Action.
We understand that the module has had 3,550 users and that compared to other e-learning modules launched in 2012, this module is performing well. Since the launch of the module in October 2012, the RCGP has promoted the e-learning module through its usual communication channels including Chair of RCGP Council’s weekly message; membership and faculty newsletters; promotion on the RCGP website and; promotion via RCGP social media channels.
The module can be accessed from the RCGP website at
Ministers also promote the availability of the module by reference to it in debates and correspondence.
Asked by: Naomi Long (Alliance - Belfast East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland about licence conditions on energy companies in Northern Ireland which prevent them offering fixed price deals to customers.
Answered by Amber Rudd
The regulation of gas and electricity supplies in Northern Ireland, including the setting of licence conditions, is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Utility Regulator in Northern Ireland.