Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about women’s rights in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our close relationship with Saudi Arabia allows us to raise our concerns about human rights, including women's rights, in private and in public, including during the most recent visit of the Foreign Secretary to Saudi Arabia. The UK has consistently called for women in Saudi Arabia to be able to participate fully in society. We welcome recent positive developments, including the reforms meaning that women no longer require a male guardian's permission to attend university, leave the country, get a job, or register divorce. The World Bank's "Women, Business, and the Law 2020" report recognises Saudi Arabia's efforts to advance women's economic participation within the Kingdom. However, women's rights still fall short of international standards. We will continue to raise the issue with Saudi Arabia, and work to promote and support further progress.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Naijah Yusuf has been detained and tortured by the government of Bahrain.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are not aware of any recent reports regarding Najah Yusuf. Najah Yusuf was pardoned and released from prison in August 2019.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to give humanist marriages legal recognition in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission will conduct a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.
The Law Commission published a consultation paper on 3 September 2020 as part of its review and will welcome responses from all.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the cancellation of organised fireworks displays this year, what steps they are taking (1) to ensure bonfire night safety, and (2) to prevent firework related injuries.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is taking action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks through a public awareness campaign which was launched on 20th October. The campaign includes messaging for consumers on how to buy, store, use and dispose of fireworks safely.
Fire and rescue authorities were provided with materials, through the Home Office Fire Kills campaign, to support this Government campaign and deliver firework safety messages locally.
More information on the Government’s Firework Safety campaign is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/opss-launches-firework-safety-campaign
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they plan to have with the general secretaries of the trade unions which represent workers in the railway sector about the Railways Pension Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMG has had contact with the rail trade unions’ General Secretaries regarding the Railways Pension Scheme, but at present has no future plans for discussion.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what resources her Department is providing for the reconstruction of Kobane.
Answered by Justine Greening
No significant reconstruction is yet underway in Kobane, and unexploded ordnance continues to prove a real danger. In the current circumstances a humanitarian corridor is unlikely to be a viable or effective means of meeting needs, since the main obstacle to providing humanitarian aid to Kobane is unexploded ordnance.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to facilitate a humanitarian corridor between Turkey and Kobane in order to ensure that adequate humanitarian supplies can pass into Kobane.
Answered by Justine Greening
No significant reconstruction is yet underway in Kobane, and unexploded ordnance continues to prove a real danger. In the current circumstances a humanitarian corridor is unlikely to be a viable or effective means of meeting needs, since the main obstacle to providing humanitarian aid to Kobane is unexploded ordnance.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the oral evidence taken by the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 1 December 2014, HC 608, when the report of the review of extant exporting licensing and the licensing of new applications for Israel will be published.
Answered by Matt Hancock
This review has not yet been concluded. The outcomes of the review will be announced publically in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS beds per 100,000 people were provided for mental health patients in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Norman Lamb
This information is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the average daily number of mental health beds open overnight in each of the last 10 years, for all NHS trusts with mental health beds in England.
Year | Beds per 100,000 population |
2013-14 | 40.75 |
2012-13 | 41.87 |
2011-12 | 43.59 |
2010-11 | 44.54 |
2009-10 | 48.86 |
2008-09 | 51.04 |
2007-08 | 52.41 |
2006-07 | 54.77 |
2005-06 | 58.89 |
2004-05 | 62.33 |
Source: NHS England KH03 return.
Since 2010-11 the data has been collected in a different format, therefore it cannot be directly compared with the data prior to 2010-11.
The Government has made it clear that beds must always be available for those who need them. We have set out in our Mandate to NHS England that plans must be put in place to ensure no one in mental health crisis will be turned away.
The first ever national Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat is a commitment by agencies to work together to improve care and support for people in mental health crisis. The Crisis Care Concordat makes it clear that local commissioners should commission a range of mental health services that respond rapidly and appropriately to a person in urgent need. We asked local areas to commit to and agree their own ‘Mental Health Crisis Declaration’ before the end of 2014. Every area in England agreed a Declaration by 23 December 2014 and work is now underway across the country to develop action plans detailing how local partners will improve crisis care for people of all ages. Progress with these plans can be seen at:
www.crisiscareconcordat.org.uk/
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving employment and support allowance in the support group are aged (a) 50 and over and (b) 55 and over.
Answered by Steve Webb
Statistics on the age of claimant by Phase of the Employment and Support Allowance claim are published and available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool.
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance.