Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of when (a) the British Virgin Islands, (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (c) the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, (d) the Pitcairn Islands, (e) St Helena, (f) Montserrat, (g) the Falkland Islands, (h) the Cayman Islands, (i) Bermuda and (j) Anguilla will implement a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We discussed the timeline for implementation of Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership at the Joint Ministerial Council over 14 - 15 November in plenary, in the margins and in bilateral meetings. We have made progress with the majority of the inhabited Overseas Territories (OTs). Some are yet to confirm precise timelines. Intensive discussions continue with these OTs, led by Ministers. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of those discussions before recess.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many violations there have been of sanctions placed on Russia; and what the value is of fines issued for those violations.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has imposed a wide range of sanctions measures against Russia, including finance, trade and transport. The UK has implemented sanctions against Russia since 2014, following the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol from Ukraine, and the illegal invasion in 2022.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is responsible for the civil enforcement of financial sanctions breaches, including the imposition of civil monetary penalties. OFSI does not hold full information on the number of breaches across all sanctions measures against Russia.
Since 2014, the UK has imposed fines totalling more than £20 million on firms for breaching financial sanctions related to Russia. OFSI has a range of enforcement tools it can use, in addition to civil monetary penalties, depending on the severity of the breach. These include issuing a private warning letter, publishing details of the breach but not issuing a penalty or making a referral to regulators.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients at King George's Hospital Accident and Emergency Department in Goodmayes were seen (a) within four, (b) within six and (c) in over eight hours in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. The data requested is not available at an individual hospital level. The following table shows the National Health Service trust level data for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust showing accident and emergency (A&E) attendances and the proportion of patients seen within four hours and over four hours for October 2023.
A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | Total attendances in October 2023 |
17,450 | 67.9% | 8,259 | 32.1% | 25,709 |
Source: A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2023-24 (england.nhs.uk)
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients at Queen's Hospital in Romford Accident and Emergency department were seen (a) within four, (b) within six and (c) in over eight hours in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. The data requested is not available at an individual hospital level. The following table shows the National Health Service trust level data for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust showing accident and emergency (A&E) attendances and the proportion of patients seen within four hours and over four hours for October 2023.
A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | % A&E attendances greater than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge | Total attendances in October 2023 |
17,450 | 67.9% | 8,259 | 32.1% | 25,709 |
Source: A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2023-24 (england.nhs.uk)
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people within the North East London Integrated Care Board area who have an urgent referral were waiting to start cancer treatment on the NHS on 13 November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not held centrally. As of week-ending 1 October 2023, 75 patients in North East London were waiting for a first treatment following a decision to treat.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS cancer patients in north-east London have waited longer than (a) 62 days, (b) three months, (c) four months, (d) six months and (e) 12 months for treatment in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of patients who received a cancer treatment following an urgent referral for cancer in North East London, how many patients who received their first cancer treatment within 62-days wait from a general practitioner (GP) urgent referral (within the standard) in North East London, and how many patients who received their first cancer treatment after 62-days from GP urgent referral (outside of the standard) within North East London, within the last three full years data that is available.
Year | Total | Within 62-day Standard | Outside 62-day Standard | Performance Rate |
2020/21 | 2,723 | 2,094 | 629 | 76.9% |
2021/22 | 3,290 | 2,457 | 833 | 74.7% |
2022/23 | 3,348 | 2,206 | 1,142 | 65.9% |
The breakdown of data outside 62 days in not held centrally.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2020 on Publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership in the UK Overseas Territories, HCWS643, whether he plans to review his decision not to lay the Order in Council prepared by the Secretary of State to comply with the requirement under section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to keep the Order in Council under review and continue to work with the Governments of the Overseas Territories to implement publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release of 30 October 2023 entitled New plans to promote media freedom and protect journalists, whether her Department has plans to take steps to scrutinise (a) foreign (i) entities and (ii) individuals who may seek to gain control or significant influence over UK newspapers and (b) the potential impact of that on journalistic independence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has jurisdiction to intervene in a transaction involving a media company if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the transaction is or may amount to a ‘relevant merger situation’. A relevant merger situation is where two or more entities cease to be distinct, and at least one of the statutory thresholds around turnover and/or market share is met.
Where jurisdiction is established, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has discretion to intervene if they believe that it is or may be the case that one or more public interest considerations outlined under Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 is relevant.
For transactions involving newspapers, these public interest considerations are: the need for accurate presentation of news; the need for free expression of opinion; and the need, in relation to every different audience in the United Kingdom or in a particular area or locality of the United Kingdom, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving that audience.
Further details of the process and grounds for intervention are set out in the Enterprise Act 2002 here.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has sought advice on the legal viability of issuing a Public Interest Intervention Notice in relation to a debt transaction that could transfer (a) control and (b) material influence over a UK newspaper to a foreign (i) entity and (ii) individual.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has jurisdiction to intervene in a transaction involving a media company if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the transaction is or may amount to a ‘relevant merger situation’. A relevant merger situation is where two or more entities cease to be distinct, and at least one of the statutory thresholds around turnover and/or market share is met.
Where jurisdiction is established, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has discretion to intervene if they believe that it is or may be the case that one or more public interest considerations outlined under Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 is relevant.
For transactions involving newspapers, these public interest considerations are: the need for accurate presentation of news; the need for free expression of opinion; and the need, in relation to every different audience in the United Kingdom or in a particular area or locality of the United Kingdom, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving that audience.
Further details of the process and grounds for intervention are set out in the Enterprise Act 2002 here.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure transparency in debt financing transactions that may potentially grant a foreign entity or individual material influence over a newspaper.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has jurisdiction to intervene in a transaction involving a media company if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the transaction is or may amount to a ‘relevant merger situation’. A relevant merger situation is where two or more entities cease to be distinct, and at least one of the statutory thresholds around turnover and/or market share is met.
Where jurisdiction is established, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has discretion to intervene if they believe that it is or may be the case that one or more public interest considerations outlined under Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 is relevant.
For transactions involving newspapers, these public interest considerations are: the need for accurate presentation of news; the need for free expression of opinion; and the need, in relation to every different audience in the United Kingdom or in a particular area or locality of the United Kingdom, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving that audience.
Further details of the process and grounds for intervention are set out in the Enterprise Act 2002 here.