Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department is making on introducing national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has taken action to support taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England to use their existing powers to set consistent licensing standards. The Government published the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020, statutory guidance, which focus on safeguarding standards to protect children and vulnerable adults, although the measures benefit all passengers. On 17 November 2023 the Government issued updated Best Practice Guidance, following consultation, which seeks to drive consistency on licensing issues outside of the scope of the statutory guidance and maintaining high standards of safety and accessibility.
The Government remains committed to legislating for national minimum standards when Parliamentary time allows. The guidance already issued would be a natural starting point when setting future legislation.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential steps the Government can take to support (a) new (i) prevention methods, (ii) vaccines and (iii) point-of-care diagnostics and (b) other areas of research and innovation related to global HIV interventions.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
FCDO supports research and market shaping initiatives into new, innovative HIV commodities to improve their development, access and affordability. We have invested around £400 million in innovative research through our Product Development Partnerships, and our commitments to MedAccess, Unitaid and CHAI support access to innovations. For example, FCDO funding for the International Partnership on Microbicides supported the development the dapivirine ring, the first long-acting HIV prevention product to help address women's unmet need for new methods of HIV-prevention. Furthermore, our catalytic funding to MedAccess- an innovative social financing company for healthcare products- has led to the development of HIV-syphillis dual tests, and to securing HIV self-tests at a historic price of $1.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the ways in which the Government can leverage its diplomatic relationships to (a) advocate for increased global funding for HIV programs and (b) encourage other countries to prioritise the HIV/AIDS agenda.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK was proud to play a strong role with our international partners in shaping the progressive and ambitious new Global AIDS Strategy 2021-26 and subsequent UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS. Adequate and sustainable financing and strong political will at every level is critical to the global community's ability to achieve these goals. The UK will continue to advocate for funding for HIV programmes and political prioritisation of the HIV/AIDS agenda at international and national levels. UK investments in organisations, such as the Global Fund , for UNAIDS, Unitaid and the Robert Carr Fund, support these diplomatic interventions and help countries to implement actions under the political declaration to prevent new HIV infections and stop AIDS related deaths.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle (a) stigma and (b) discrimination against people living with HIV at an international level.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Addressing stigma and discrimination and ensuring equality of access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment services is critical to the global HIV response. The UK is a champion for human rights.
At the UN High Level Meeting on HIV in June 2021, the UK worked hard to secure the highest level of commitment from our global partners and garner support for the ambitious, rights-based Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026, so the world has the best chance of meeting the 2030 goal to end AIDS. We also endorse the Global Fund's 2023-2028 Strategy, which includes a focus on addressing inequities and structural drivers of HIV infection and AIDS-related deaths including barriers to services due to stigma, discrimination and criminalisation.
Our funding to the Robert Carr Fund, UNAIDS and the Global Fund helps to support legal and policy reform to combat stigma and discrimination and to improve access to HIV services for those most at risk, as well as supporting civil society and grassroots organisations to challenge harmful policies and attitudes that exclude minorities and put them at greater risk of HIV infection and increase access to services for these groups, including LGBT+ people.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to collaborate with international partners to (i) strengthen international health systems and (ii) help ensure that HIV (A) prevention, (B) testing and (C) treatment services are integrated into primary healthcare structures around the world.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Health systems strengthening is key to the UK's long-term approach to protecting and promoting good health, including HIV prevention and response. The UK will focus on integrating essential services, including HIV services, through improved primary health care that includes public health functions, quality of care, rights and equity, including for women with HIV who have some of the highest maternal death rates.
Furthermore, our Ending Preventable Deaths paper recognises the important contribution of global health institutions such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and outlines ways we will engage with our partners to ensure a strong, integrated approach that will support the entire health system and primary health care- including integrating HIV services.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Future Mobility Zones Fund.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Future Mobility Zones Fund. An external evaluation of Future Transport Zones (as the zones were renamed) has been commissioned and is still in progress.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to renew e-scooter trials beyond May 2024.
Answered by Jesse Norman
No decision has been made on renewing the e-scooter trials beyond May 2024.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) local authority leaders and (b) the Mayor of West Yorkshire on the Network North plans for the Leeds mass transit system to provide better connections to Wakefield.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Since publication of the Network North paper, DfT ministers have spoken to a range of local MPs and local leaders, including the Mayor of West Yorkshire. This includes during a visit by the Secretary of State and Rail Minister to Bradford on 5th October. We will continue to engage closely with partners and local leaders as delivery plans are defined to ensure that projects deliver the services that people need and want.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he held discussions with potential private funders on the HS2 Euston tunnel and terminus prior to the publication of the Network North plans.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
DfT and HS2 Ltd have consulted and commissioned studies on private finance and have regular discussions with potential private funders. We continually review the best ways to deliver and fund our major infrastructure projects, including harnessing the private sector to finance and deliver projects where appropriate. Following the Network North announcement ministers here and at HM Treasury have had a series of roundtables with investors and the supply chain to talk about opportunities including Euston.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the time it will take to deliver private finance for the (a) tunnel and (b) terminus for Euston HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Network North paper published by the Department for Transport on 4 October 2023 sets out that we will appoint a development company, separate from HS2 Ltd, to manage the delivery of this project. We will also take on the lessons of success stories such as Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms, which secured £9 billion of private sector investment and thousands of homes. So we will harness the future growth that the station will unleash to support its development, to ensure we get the best possible value for the British taxpayer - and ensure that funding is underpinned by contributions from those people and businesses its development supports.