Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on allowing humanitarian assistance to be delivered in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are clear that Israel can and must do more to get aid into Gaza. The Prime Minister stressed this in a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on 19 October, and the Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his call with the then Foreign Minister Katz on 27 October. On 5 November, I spoke to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK to underline the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's key role in delivering lifesaving aid to those most in need. As the Prime Minister said on 28 October, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is simply unacceptable, particularly in the North. October saw the lowest number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza since the crisis began. We continue to work alongside partners to press for an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a significant increase in aid to Gaza.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many training places there were for ophthalmology in the NHS in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of doctors in training in the ophthalmology specialty in England, in each of the last five years:
Year | Numbers of doctors in training in the ophthalmology specialty group |
2019 | 558 |
2020 | 563 |
2021 | 563 |
2022 | 583 |
2023 | 592 |
2024 | 610 |
Source: General Medical Council, National Training Survey, via Data Explorer, available at the following link:
https://gde.gmc-uk.org/postgraduate-training/postgraduate-trainees/postgraduate-trainees-summary-data
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of Blue Badge parking spaces at NHS facilities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessments have been made of the potential merits of eliminating car-parking charges for National Health Service patients and staff, the adequacy of Blue Badge parking spaces, or the effectiveness of the private companies that manage NHS car parks.
All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those in the greatest need, which includes NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people, and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.
All NHS trusts are expected to follow the Department’s published NHS Car Parking guidance. This sets out that where car parking charges exist, they should be reasonable for the area. This guidance is available at the following link:
NHS organisations decide locally on the provision, management, and charging for their car parking, within the policy set out by the Department, and including the provision of Blue Badge parking spaces.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of private companies that manage NHS car parks.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessments have been made of the potential merits of eliminating car-parking charges for National Health Service patients and staff, the adequacy of Blue Badge parking spaces, or the effectiveness of the private companies that manage NHS car parks.
All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those in the greatest need, which includes NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people, and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.
All NHS trusts are expected to follow the Department’s published NHS Car Parking guidance. This sets out that where car parking charges exist, they should be reasonable for the area. This guidance is available at the following link:
NHS organisations decide locally on the provision, management, and charging for their car parking, within the policy set out by the Department, and including the provision of Blue Badge parking spaces.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will eliminate parking fees at NHS hospitals for NHS staff and patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessments have been made of the potential merits of eliminating car-parking charges for National Health Service patients and staff, the adequacy of Blue Badge parking spaces, or the effectiveness of the private companies that manage NHS car parks.
All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those in the greatest need, which includes NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people, and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.
All NHS trusts are expected to follow the Department’s published NHS Car Parking guidance. This sets out that where car parking charges exist, they should be reasonable for the area. This guidance is available at the following link:
NHS organisations decide locally on the provision, management, and charging for their car parking, within the policy set out by the Department, and including the provision of Blue Badge parking spaces.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policy on new oil and gas fields in the North Sea on his policies on net zero.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We plan to consult later this year on the implementation of our manifesto position not to issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields.
The Government’s priority is a fair, orderly and prosperous transition in the North Sea in line with our climate and legal obligations, which drives towards our clean energy future of energy security, lower bills, and good, long-term jobs.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of student homelessness.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected. The homelessness statistics show that 4,850 (1.5%) households had an employment status of ‘student/training’ and were threatened with homelessness or were homeless in 2023-24.
As announced at the Budget on 30 October, funding for homelessness services is increasing by £233 million compared to this year, bringing total spend to nearly a billion in 2025-26. The increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to improve employment support for disabled Universal Credit claimants.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the get Britain working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.
Good quality work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group who need access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time. We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including disabled Universal Credit claimants. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, Access to Work grants and the Work and Health Programme, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.
Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of socially rented homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my hon. friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in Myanmar on upholding human rights in that country.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns human rights violations by the Myanmar military, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, gender and sexual-based violence, and forced recruitment, including of children. The UK has announced 19 rounds of targeted sanctions, most recently in October 2024 against suppliers of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military. We consistently use our role as penholder at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to maintain a spotlight on Myanmar, convening four UNSC meetings on Myanmar this year including to address human rights violations and calling for humanitarian action. In April, we co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar and in May we coordinated a statement with partners calling for an immediate end to violence from all sides in Myanmar.