Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make representations to his Iranian counter-part on stopping the execution of Toomaj Salehi.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the death sentence of prominent and fearless artist Toomaj Salehi. On May 8 the UK Human Rights Ambassador to the UN in Geneva signed a joint statement calling for Salehi's immediate release and repeating our principled opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances. We have sanctioned 94 Iranian individuals or entities for human rights violations since September 2022, including the Prosecutor General and Deputy Prosecutor General responsible for Iran's application of the death penalty. We continue to call for Mr Salehi's release, and the release of all those who are unjustly detained by the Iranian regime.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on tackling gender-based violence in other countries.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The department works closely with the Foreign Secretary on many issues, including tackling violence against women and girls in other countries.
The UK is a global leader on action to address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and has committed £60m since the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative(PSVI) in 2012.
We have also put forward the first ever UK nomination to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Professor Shazia Choudhry, whose academic work
focuses on violence against women and girls.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that are affected by the same fire safety issues caused by (a) timber and (b) UVC cladding that have been identified in the London Borough of Barnet.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. Department and Building Safety Regulator officials met with Barnet Council representatives on 10 April and visited the impacted buildings on 3 May. I look forward to meeting my Rt Hon Friend soon to discuss further.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of conservation area planning restrictions on (a) residential cladding materials and (b) fire safety remediation and mitigation measures.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. Department and Building Safety Regulator officials met with Barnet Council representatives on 10 April and visited the impacted buildings on 3 May. I look forward to meeting my Rt Hon Friend soon to discuss further.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether provisions were made in the Right to Buy scheme to ensure that the people purchasing their homes are made aware of potential fire safety defects.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. Department and Building Safety Regulator officials met with Barnet Council representatives on 10 April and visited the impacted buildings on 3 May. I look forward to meeting my Rt Hon Friend soon to discuss further.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what decisions were made following his Department's meeting with Barnet Council on remediation of fire defects caused by timber and UPVC cladding on 3 May 2024.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. Department and Building Safety Regulator officials met with Barnet Council representatives on 10 April and visited the impacted buildings on 3 May. I look forward to meeting my Rt Hon Friend soon to discuss further.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that users of electric bikes classed as a motorcycle or moped comply with legal requirements on (a) registration, (b) taxation, (c) holding a driving licence and (d) wearing a helmet; and whether he has had discussions with the (i) Secretary of State for the Home Department and (ii) individual police forces on enforcement of those requirements.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All electric bikes and similar vehicles that do not meet the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations (1983), as amended, are motor vehicles, and must fully comply with all of the normal requirements such as MOT, tax, insurance, helmets etc.
Enforcement is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with NHS England on progress on improving outcomes for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling cancer is a key priority for the Government. Ministers and officials continue to work closely with NHS England to increase positive outcomes for all cancer types, including pancreatic cancer. The National Health Service is delivering a range of interventions expected to increase early diagnosis and improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer. This includes: providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer, and diagnose cancers sooner; creating new pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms that could be linked to a range of cancer types; and increasing direct access for general practitioners to arrange diagnostic tests.
NHS England is also funding a new audit into pancreatic cancer to increase the consistency of access to treatments, and to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October 2022, and the first report is expected in October 2024. In addition to this, the Getting it Right First Time team in NHS England is undertaking a deep dive into pancreatic cancer, which will highlight actions NHS providers need to take to improve services, as well as gathering examples of good practice to share.
The NHS is working towards its Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage one and two by 2028. Achieving this will mean that an additional 55,000 people each year will survive their cancer for at least five years after diagnosis. With progress made on reducing waiting times, cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage more often, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a revised version of his Department's Planning Policy Guidance to reflect recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Since 19 December 2023, we have updated Planning Practice Guidance multiple times to include new guidance on Biodiversity Net Gain, and updated existing guidance on the Community Infrastructure Levy, Housing Supply and Delivery, the Green Belt, Natural Environment and Viability. Further guidance updates will be published as necessary in due course.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Restoration and Renewal Client Board, what the Client Board's planned timetable is for proposals on restoration and renewal to be considered by hon. Members.
Answered by Charles Walker
The R&R Client Board last month published the strategic case for the R&R Programme. This set out that three options for how to deliver the R&R works to the Palace will be developed in detail over the next year. This detailed work, which will include robust cost, timescale and risk estimates for all three options, is expected to be presented to the Houses in 2025 to enable an evidence-based decision on how best to restore the Palace.