Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to increase border security at aerodromes.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office’s priority is to deliver a safe and secure border and we will never compromise on this. Border Force maintain 100% checks for all scheduled arriving passengers into the UK. Border Force performs checks on passengers arriving at the UK border and risk-based intelligence led checks on goods, enabling interventions against those known or suspected to pose a risk to the national interest.
Border Force has reduced the number of aerodromes able to handle flights to and from the UK as of 1 January 2024. From 3135 aerodromes in GB, now only 16% are designated to facilitate international and CTA flights. This will continue to have a positive impact on Border Force operations. Routine work continues at aerodromes, enabling Border Force to carry out customs duties as laid out in CEMA (Customs & Excise Management Act).
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to encourage the England-wide roll-out of the drug Enhertu to aid the treatment of people with breast cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits.
The NICE published guidance in 2021 and 2023 recommending Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) for the treatment of NHS patients with HER2-positive breast cancer through the Cancer Drugs Fund, and it is now available to eligible NHS patients in line with the NICE’s recommendations.
The NICE is currently evaluating Enhertu for the treatment of metastatic HER2-low breast cancer, and published final draft guidance on 5 March 2024 that does not recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. Stakeholders have until 19 March 2024 to lodge an appeal against the NICE’s recommendations. The NICE currently expects to publish final guidance on 3 April 2024.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reverse biodiversity loss in Romford constituency.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In England, we have set four legally binding targets for biodiversity. We have legislated to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and to reverse species decline by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction; and to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats. These targets will drive actions to support biodiversity in Romford and every other area across England.
We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the Environmental Improvement Plan published 31 January 2023. Here we link the different objectives, plans and mechanisms for recovering nature.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are being prepared across the whole of England to support delivery of the targets. The 48 strategies are bringing together local partners to agree priorities and propose practical actions in areas where they would have the most benefit for nature recovery and the wider environment. The Romford constituency is within the Greater London LNRS area. Preparation of the strategy is being led by the Greater London Authority, with support from the local planning authorities in the area, including Havering Borough Council, which serves the Romford constituency.
The Environment Agency is working with partners to improve the water quality and biodiversity of waterbodies within the constituency of Romford. The agency created a backwater on the side of the main channel of the river Rom as a fish refuge. This has benefitted fish populations and improved the wider river corridor for biodiversity by creating a varied mosaic of habitats. The agency also part funded a multi-partnership project to deliver river enhancement and restoration works to the River Rom and is currently looking at a potential project that would address issues impacting the River Ravensbourne at Harrow Lodge Park.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to provide legal protection for the title of veterinary nurse.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises the important work carried out by veterinary nurses across the country, and the legal protection of the title is part of the ongoing consideration of legislative actions. Suitably qualified practitioners can sign up to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ register of veterinary nurses, which holds around 19,000 currently. Defra officials continue to work with stakeholders across the sector on possible avenues for legislative reform and will explore the inclusion of protection of the title within any future reforms, when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce a new regulatory framework for veterinary practices.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which regulates the veterinary sector, runs a voluntary Practice Standards Scheme to encourage veterinary practices to meet the highest standards of veterinary care. Defra is aware of the potential benefits that legislative change could bring for the regulation of veterinary practices and is working with stakeholders to consider what this framework could look like.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-Semitism in higher education institutions in the South East.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Antisemitism, intimidation, and threats of violence must never be tolerated on university campuses. The Community Security Trust 2023 annual report highlights the unprecedented increase in antisemitic incidents in higher education (HE). This unacceptable rise is deeply concerning. All antisemitism is abhorrent, and universities should have robust systems to deal with incidents of support for unlawful antisemitic abuse and harassment. The department will not tolerate unlawful harassment or the glorification of terrorism.
Ever since the October 7 attacks, the department has actively intervened to ensure that universities, including those located in the South East, act swiftly and appropriately to deal with incidents of antisemitism. I have reached out to many Vice Chancellors personally when a concern has been raised about antisemitism on their campus.
Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I wrote to all universities on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and to actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. I wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November 2023, emphasising that they must use disciplinary measures wherever appropriate, highlighting the importance of police engagement, and reiterating that student visas could be suspended where a foreign national is found to have committed or incited acts of racial hatred. This was one of the key actions set out in the five point plan for tackling antisemitism in HE, which was published on 5 November 2023. The plan also involves:
On 22 November, the government announced in the Autumn Statement an additional £7 million over three years to tackle antisemitism in education. The Quality Seal will be the cornerstone of this package for universities, providing a framework of measures that will make clear what good practice is in tackling antisemitism in HE, and making sure that our universities are a safe and welcoming space for Jewish students and staff, as for all students and staff.
The department will not hesitate to take further action across education to stamp out antisemitism and harassment of Jewish pupils, students and staff.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many people have requested asylum on the British Indian Ocean Territory by nationality in each of the last two years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system as the 1951 Refugee Convention has not been extended to the territory. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their cases are considered by the Commissioner for BIOT in line with BIOT law and international legal obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many asylum seekers are registered as living on Diego Garcia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system as the 1951 Refugee Convention has not been extended to the territory. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their cases are considered by the Commissioner for BIOT in line with BIOT law and international legal obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much his Department has spent on healthcare for asylum seekers living on Diego Garcia in the last two years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO provides funding to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory. The information requested on the breakdown of spending can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much his Department has spent on aid for asylum seekers living on Diego Garcia in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO provides funding to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory. The information requested on the breakdown of spending can only be provided at disproportionate cost.