Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department plans to give the devolved administrations and local authorities before 2015 on meeting the care and support needs of people currently using the independent living fund.
Answered by Mike Penning
My Department is committed to working closely with the ILF and other Government Departments to support the work required to enable an effective transfer for ILF users by 30 June 2015.
The ILF has undertaken a dedicated programme of engagement with local authorities and the devolved administrations; and continues to engage directly with all of those authorities who will be involved in the transfer of user care and support in 2015. This includes a commitment to the Codes of Practice agreed between the ILF and English local authorities, and between the ILF and the devolved administrations.
Specific proposals for distributing the funding transferred to them in respect of former users of the Independent Living Fund living in Scotland and Wales are a matter for the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from charitable and youth organisations on the effect of the new flat-rate housing cost contribution on unemployed young people.
Answered by Steve Webb
None.Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in how many green infrastructure projects the Green Investment Bank has invested in Scotland.
Answered by Michael Fallon
The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has helped finance energy efficiency improvements at two distilleries in Scotland and expects to finance similar projects at further distilleries soon. GIB has also financed introduction of energy efficient lighting at NCP car parks across the UK, including a number located in Scotland, and GIB is in advanced discussions with Glasgow City Council to finance replacement of 10,000 old street lights in Glasgow with energy efficient LED lights, with the longer term aim of replacing up to 50,000 lights across the city. Full details about projects supported by GIB may be found on the bank's website at www.greeninvestmentbank.com.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on increasing the research budget for science to 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product.
Answered by Lord Willetts
The Government recognises that science and research is vital in driving economic growth. Our ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research.
In 2012, Government expenditure on science and research through the Research Councils and the Higher Education funding bodies was £4.9bn, equal to 0.3% of GDP. In the same year total public spending on science was 0.6% of GDP. Total UK spending on Research & Development was 1.7% of GDP.
In the recent Spending Review, Government made a long-term commitment to investment in science and research infrastructure: increasing capital investment in real terms to £1.1bn in 2015-16 and growing this in line with inflation each year to 2020-21. We also continued to protect the science resource ring fence in cash terms for financial year 2015-16. On the basis of existing commitments, the Government's investment in science through the Research Councils and Higher Education funding bodies will be £5.9Bn[1] in 2015-16, an increase in cash terms of 20% since 2012.
[1] Cash terms including additional spending announced in AS13 and Budget 14
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise respect for human rights, the rule of law and the case of Mr Alexander Sodiqov with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojidin Aslov during his upcoming visit to the UK.
Answered by David Lidington
We discuss the importance of respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of law with the Government of Tajikistan at both official and ministerial level whenever opportunity allows.
We remain deeply concerned by the continuing detention in Tajikistan of Alexander Sodiqov, an academic researcher working for the University of Exeter. Senior Minister of State Baroness Warsi discussed a number of issues, including human rights, the rule of law and the case of Mr Sodiqov, when she met Foreign Minister Aslov on 1 July.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on funding for medical research of Scottish independence.
Answered by Lord Willetts
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no assessment of the effect of funding for medical research in a separate Scotland.
The Scotland Analysis: Science and Research report published in November 2013 examined the current UK framework for funding, infrastructure, coordination and collaboration. It demonstrated that Scottish research has thrived within this system – for example regularly receiving a higher percentage of Research Council funding when compared to UK population share.
The same holds true for research charities. In 2011 Scotland received 13% of all investment made by members of the Association of Medical Research Charities.
The evidence shows that being part of the UK complements and strengthens Scotland's world-class research base.
The UK Government's position is clear: if Scotland left the UK, the current framework for research could not continue. The best way for research to continue to flourish in Scotland is together as part of the UK.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of avoidable deaths from breast cancer.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Cancer Outcomes Strategy set out our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives per year by 2014-15 and is backed with more than £750 million, including more than £450 million to achieve early diagnosis by improving public awareness of the symptoms of cancer and improving access to key diagnostic tests.
Public Health England, working with the Department and NHS England, ran a national Be Clear on Cancer campaign on breast cancer in women over 70. The campaign aimed to improve awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and urge people with relevant signs and symptoms to visit their general practitioner promptly.
Screening is an important way to detect cancer early and the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (BSP) invites women aged 50 to 70 every three years. We want to expand the NHS BSP so that more women can make the important choice to take part, so the programme is currently being extended to women aged 47-49 and 71-73 as part of a major research trial. Results on the impact of the extension on breast cancer mortality will be known in the early 2020s.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UN-led peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic is prepared to protect civilians and is fully operational as soon as possible.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
We are working closely with partners to support UN planning for MINUSCA's deployment as mandated on 15 September, ready to assume immediate responsibility for the protection of civilians. We will continue to provide expertise and resources to ensure a well planned, phased approach that prioritises protection of civilians, and enables a smooth transition of responsibility for security from the African Union led mission, MISCA. We will also continue to support efforts to identify troops and equipment to contribute to MINUSCA's military component.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he will take to ensure that survivors of sexual violence in the Central African Republic have access to lifesaving services that respond to the specific needs of women and girls.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
The UK remains extremely concerned about the grave humanitarian and security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) and is working closely with international partners and CAR's Transitional Government to bring stability to CAR and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
We welcome the announcement made by the African Union at the 10-13 June Global Summit to Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict about the deployment of a team of experts to CAR to investigate sexual violence abuses. This will be funded by the UK and Japan.
The decision by Transitional President Samba-Panza to refer CAR to the International Criminal Court is a positive step towards tackling impunity and bringing charges against those most responsible for crimes, including sexual violence.
Asked by: Anas Sarwar (Labour - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department provides for services for survivors of gender-based violence in the Central African Republic and efforts to empower women and girls in that country.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
DFID is supporting a number of agencies in the Central African Republic to provide services for survivors of sexual violence, including Save the Children, International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, ICRC and UNHCR. DFID funds are supporting health projects where the clinical needs of survivors of sexual violence can be met, and women's listening centres in order to address some of the psychological needs of survivors of gender-based violence.
Women in the Central African Republic have been particularly affected by the ongoing conflict. DFID programmes aim to address these vulnerabilities, for instance by catering for the specific needs of mothers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, supporting women's associations in resuming income-generating activities or by mobilizing communities to reduce the risks of gender-based violence.