Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the outcomes of the Tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and if she will have discussions with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time available for scrutiny of those outcomes.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Smoking is the number one entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability, and death in this country. It is responsible for 80,000 deaths in the United Kingdom a year, and one in four of all UK cancer deaths. It costs our country £17 billion a year, £14 billion of which is through lost productivity alone. It puts huge pressure on the National Health Service and social care, costing over £3 billion a year. This is why the Government is committed to creating the first smokefree generation, ensuring no child born after 1 January 2009 will ever legally be sold tobacco.
The tenth Conference of Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco control was an opportunity for the UK to showcase our international leadership on tobacco control. No decisions from COP10 will impact our plans to create the first smokefree generation, or our policies on vaping. I will update the House shortly on the outcomes from COP10.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
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 effectiveness of water efficiency technologies for developments with (a) water scarcity and (b) nutrient concerns.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not assess individual technologies, but the Government recognises the role water efficiency technologies can play in our efforts to address water scarcity and in supporting the delivery of homes affected by nutrient neutrality.
As set out in the Secretary of State’s written Ministerial Statement of 19 December 2023 (HCWS161), the Government is committed to reviewing building regulations to allow local planning authorities to introduce tighter water efficiency standards in new homes.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that its approach to procurement helps to retain the (a) skills and (b) workforce needed to support exports of military space technology.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The space industry is an important part of the UK economy and is vital to delivering government's ambitions for space. We are working closely with Departments across government and with the UK space industry to develop and retain the skills and workforce they need. This is set out in the National Space Strategy (2021) and Defence Space Strategy (2022) which place a priority on the space sector having the right skills and expertise for both civil and military purposes.
Through the Ministry of Defences's (MOD) investment in space capabilities, we are providing jobs and skills in the UK. The Skynet programme, worth circa £5 billion over ten years, is procuring satellites that are largely designed and manufactured in the UK. This investment promotes the technologies and skills which make UK industry competitive. We have also invested a further £1.4 billion in space over ten years to develop new capabilities that will position the UK as a world leader on space technology.
Through the Skynet secure satellite communications programme, we are using social value requirements in our major contracts to secure industrial sponsorships of educational schemes and through-life skills development. In addition, UK Space Command is developing the UK Space Academy, a Centre of Excellence for space training for the benefit of both government and industry.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, in close consultation with MOD, will publish a plan for the space industry in the coming months, which will increase growth and resilience for this vital part of the economy.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recent guidance issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on not reporting alleged illegal abortions to the police.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No assessment has been made of the implications for the Department’s policies following the recent Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidance for healthcare staff on involvement of the police and external agencies following abortion, pregnancy loss and unexpected delivery. Clinicians and health care providers have existing duties to handle patient information sensitively. The Department’s focus is on ensuring all women have access to safe and legal abortions on the National Health Service. Decisions to prosecute in England and Wales are for the Crown Prosecution Service.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce and (b) end the use of cash retentions.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In procuring construction works, the department takes account of relevant legislation, best practice and government guidelines. In deciding whether cash retentions are appropriate for procurements, the department balances managing public money considerations, the suitability of alternative approaches, and the need to ensure and enforce quality standards against the department’s desire to improve payment practices and cashflow through the supply-chain. The department regularly reviews its approach to payment and security in relation to construction procurements. In considering the use of cash retentions on future procurements, including in its construction frameworks, the department will continue to consult with contractors and other stakeholders to ensure that an appropriate position is reached and, where possible, that the use of cash retentions is reduced or eliminated.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the guidance on the implementation of Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 is applied consistently in relation to activities permitted within safe access zones.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 sets out that it is an offence for anyone within a Safe Access Zone to intentionally or recklessly influence any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services; obstruct or impede any person accessing, providing, or facilitating the provision of abortion services at an abortion clinic; or cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in connection with a decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services.
The Government has recently consulted publicly on the guidance, which is designed to ensure that abortion service providers and everyone within Safe Access Zones are clear as to what is expected under the new law and that law enforcement agencies have a clear and consistent understanding around the enforcement of Safe Access Zones. We are currently analysing all responses to the consultation and will publish revised guidance in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has provided (a) support and (b) funding to (i) Hamas, (ii) Hezbollah and (iii) the Houthis in the last 12 months.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We continue to condemn Iran's political, financial, and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hamas, Hizballah and the Houthis. Such activity compromises the region's security and further escalates tensions. The Foreign Secretary raised Iran's ongoing support to its destabilising proxies and partners directly with the Iranian Foreign Minister on 31 December and 17 January. The UK's new sanctions regime designed to target Iran and its proxies' hostile activity came into force on 14 December and was immediately used to sanction individuals and one entity linked to Iran's support to Hamas.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Venezuelan counterpart on the potential impact of not allowing the Opposition candidate to run on the export of its oil to the UK.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with several other countries, the UK continues not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan regime's decision to bar opposition leader, María Corina Machado, from holding public office is contrary to democratic principles. We believe it is vital for opposition candidates to be able to stand for election and continue to call for a more open political environment. We have registered our concern regarding the situation of Maria Corina Machado and other opposition candidates who remain barred from public office. We continue to encourage all parties concerned to do everything necessary to restore democracy and hold fair and competitive presidential elections in 2024, in line with the Bridgetown Agreement of October 2023. Venezuela's oil is currently not exported to the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his Venezuelan counterpart on the potential impact of the Law on Control, Regularization, Operations and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organisation on independent NGOs in the country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with several other countries, the UK continues not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro. The UK firmly supports the right of civil society to operate freely in all countries, including Venezuela. We remain concerned about the worrying deterioration of the human rights situation in Venezuela. The Maduro regime continues to stifle media freedom, carry out arbitrary detentions and harass journalists and human rights defenders. The UK is closely monitoring the proposed law on control, regularization, operations and financing of non-governmental and related organisations, which would limit further the civil and democratic space. We raised our concern about the proposed bill at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2023. We urge the Venezuelan regime to undertake constructive dialogue with civil society to ensure that the proposed law is compatible with freedom of association, freedom of expression and the right to political participation.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support voluntary sector providers of mental health services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Since 2020, the Department provided £10.2 million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and the Campaign Against Living Miserably, and over £34 million to organisations supporting people who experience loneliness. The Department also invested £5.4 million to support suicide prevention through 113 voluntary and community sector organisations, through the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund. This was part of the Government's unprecedented £750 million package of support for the voluntary sector during the pandemic, which benefited over 14,000 charities. In addition, the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund will run from 2023 to March 2025 to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to deliver suicide prevention activity.