Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) promote and (b) protect religious minority rights in India.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
HM Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed human rights, including FoRB, with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during his visit to India in May 2023. FoRB was also among the issues discussed during his visit to India in February 2024.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India consistently monitor human rights in the country, regularly engage with civil society and religious representatives, and have run projects supporting human rights.
India is a multi-faith, multi ethnic democracy and remains among the most religiously diverse societies in the world.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero-emission buses had been ordered through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) 1 and (b) 2 schemes as of 14 May 2024; and how many zero-emission buses are expected to be ordered through both schemes by the end of this Parliament.
Answered by Guy Opperman
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to buy new zero-emission buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of the buses funded through Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) 1 and (b) 2 schemes are (i) UK and (ii) non-UK-made, broken down by country of origin; and how much Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas funding has been spent on UK-made zero-emission buses as of 14 May 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is supporting Nigerian armed forces in training their personnel to protect (a) religious minorities and (b) other vulnerable groups.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are committed to supporting Nigeria to improve security across the country and protect human rights. This includes supporting the Armed Forces of Nigeria to build their capacity to counter internal and regional security threats, which continue to take a significant toll on civilians. Our engagement aims to ensure an integrated civilian and military approach to these challenges. UK Defence training will always stress the need to respect International Law and the importance of adhering to international standards, including human rights and human security to protect religious minorities and vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions his Department has had with non-governmental organisations on famine relief in Sudan; and with which non-governmental organisations his Department works in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We frequently engage with a range of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on the humanitarian and food insecurity crisis response in Sudan including international non-governmental organisations (INGO) Country Directors and representatives, and with the Sudan INGO and national non-governmental organisations (NNGO) Forum leads, to ensure that our programming and policy is well informed by INGO and NNGO perspectives. The UK last year provided £23.5 million to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide flexible, multi-sector support and which predominantly provides funding to NGOs; we will continue our support to the SHF this year too. We will provide £89 million to support Sudan over the year ahead, most of which will go towards humanitarian assistance. Exact budgets are in the process of being allocated. UK support will continue to be delivered through the UN and other trusted partners including some NGOs such as the Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council and Save the Children.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of food shortage and (b) the likelihood of famine in Sudan; and what steps his Department plans to take to support Sudan with famine relief.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Almost 17.7 million people in Sudan (37 percent of the population) are thought to be experiencing acute food insecurity. This is likely to worsen in the coming months. On 15 March, UN OCHA released a White Note formally warning of the risk of conflict-induced famine. The number of people in emergency (IPC 4) levels of hunger is now expected to increase across Greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, and in some areas of eastern Sudan; and some households are expected to face famine (IPC 5) in parts of West Darfur, Khartoum, and among displaced populations in Greater Darfur. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million, including funding to UNICEF, which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under 5. The UK will also be working with the World Food Programme to assist in the provision of assorted food commodities to people in Sudan. The UK continues to push for improved humanitarian access into and within Sudan to assist people who are hungry.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date it became her Department's policy that free schools should only be (a) university technical colleges and (b) studio schools; for what reason this is her Department's policy; and for what reason local authorities have to be named in a bid to open an academy.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
There has been no change to the department’s policy regarding the types of school that can open as part of the free schools programme.
In the most recent application waves, the department approved 15 mainstream free schools, two of which were new universal technical colleges (UTC), 41 special free schools and 20 alternative provision (AP) schools. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, also announced a further wave of 15 special free schools as part of the Spring Budget.
Since the programme started in 2010, the department has opened 701 free schools, made up of 542 mainstream schools, 51 AP schools, 108 special schools (125 of which are local authority presumption free schools and seven of which are specialist maths schools), 44 UTCs and 20 Studio schools. These schools will provide over 405,000 places at capacity, thereby helping to ensure that children and young people have access to a good quality school place in a range of different settings across the country. Overall, since 2010 the department has supported the creation of nearly 1.2 million new school places via various routes including opening new free schools.
Local authorities are often named in an application for a free school as part of the process to identify a site for the proposed school. It can also help the department to understand the local context of the application and whether there is a need for that type of school in the area.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the (a) Department for Health and Social Care and (b) Department for Transport on providing financial support for young cancer patients (0-25) and their families travelling from Northern Ireland to receive treatment in England.
Answered by Steve Baker
This matter is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. Arrangements for financial support for young cancer patients and their families travelling from Northern Ireland to receive treatment in England is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Health and local Health and Social Care Trusts.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Department for Health and Social Care, (b) the Northern Ireland Office, (c) the Scotland Office and (d) the Wales Office on providing financial support for (i) cancer patients aged up to 25 and (ii) their families undertaking cross-border travel within the UK to receive treatment.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Ministers from the Department for Transport have not engaged with the Department for Health and Social Care or the Territorial Offices listed on the two matters listed above.