Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK arms exports to Kosovo on (a) Kosovan security and (b) growth of the UK defence economy.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK continues to monitor the security situation in Kosovo closely and UK forces are deployed in country supporting NATO’s KFOR mission to maintain a safe and secure environment. This is consistent with our ongoing commitment to support regional defence and security.
HMG are also currently exploring defence export opportunities to Kosovo. This has the potential to help support jobs throughout the United Kingdom and maintain our world-class defence-industrial base alongside bolstering Kosovo’s security and resilience.
UK export licences would only be granted in accordance with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and capabilities. We do not issue licences where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria including under Criterion 4 where we determine if there is a clear risk that the items would, undermine overall peace and security.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS Find a Dentist webpage is up-to-date with showing dentists who have available places for NHS patients in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a contractual requirement for National Health Service dentists to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. Integrated care boards can review which practices in their area have not updated their profile in a 90-day period, and work with practices to ensure websites are up to date.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the number of people in Hertfordshire who do not have access to an NHS dentist on patient wellbeing.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, and we want to make sure that everyone who needs a National Health Service dentist can get one. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Hemel Hempstead constituency, this is the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to combat anti-social behaviour, particularly the playing of loud music on public transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is committed to tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour (ASB) on public transport.
The British Transport Police enforce against it on the rail network and the 61016 reporting plays a key role in addressing ASB incidents and providing intelligence to target resources.
In addition, the government is funding five pilot schemes across England which are aimed at tackling ASB through the targeted deployment of Transport Safety Officers. The findings from these pilots will be shared with other local authorities to help them to address ASB on their public transport networks.
The Bus Services Bill aims to provide all local transport authorities with the powers to effectively enforce against ASB on their bus networks and improve safety for passengers. The Bill also seeks to mandate that staff are trained on how to recognise and respond to incidents of ASB on buses.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and (b) Secretary of State for the Home Department on (i) the playing of loud music and (ii) antisocial behaviour on public transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Both I and the Secretary of State meet regularly with other ministers from across government to discuss a range of issues within our portfolios. This includes anti-social behaviour on public transport, which incorporates the playing of loud music on public transport.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue to fund the financial incentives scheme for pregnant smokers.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The settlement for the National Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue to fund the swap to stop smoking scheme.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The settlement for the Swap to Stop scheme will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) North Korean troops in Ukraine and (b) transactional support with Russia for those troops on the security of (i) Japan and (ii) South Korea.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The direct participation of DPRK troops in combat operations is another dangerous expansion of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. This is a grave error by DPRK, who have already begun to suffer significant casualties. In return, Russia's deepening cooperation with DPRK and increased political, military, and economic support further exacerbates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and poses a greater risk to stability in the region and beyond. The Government will continue to consult and coordinate with our close partners in response to this dangerous development, including Japan and South Korea.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Affinity Water's recent price changes on the financial security of residents in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As the independent economic regulator, Ofwat independently scrutinises water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030.
The Government is committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers with their water bills. All water companies, including Affinity Water, have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.
Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to this end.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect the safety and wellbeing of all Syrians including (a) religious minorities, (b) women and (c) ethnic minorities following the fall of the Assad regime.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, including religious and ethnic minorities, publicly and in our engagement with regional and international partners. The UK joined talks in Aqaba on 14 December, hosted by Jordan, with Arab, US, UN and EU partners during which we collectively expressed commitment to supporting a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process based on the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We also underlined the importance of respect for human rights, including for women and minorities. Senior FCDO officials recently travelled to Damascus, where they discussed the importance of an inclusive transitional political process, protecting the rights of all Syrians.