Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support the expansion of the UN’s operational presence in (a) South Darfur and (b) other conflict-affected areas in Sudan.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 11 February, I met with the ERC, Tom Fletcher, to discuss how the international community can support the UN-led humanitarian response in Sudan through supporting efforts to establish UN presence in areas of greatest need, including Darfur, and South Kordofan. I then chaired a virtual meeting with ten development counterparts and the ERC to discuss how key donors can support this shift in ambition. I also engaged with international counterparts on these issues at the Munich Security Conference. This followed an open session on 6 January 2025, where we called on the warring parties to expand humanitarian access to all civilians in need, whether they live in SAF or RSF-held areas, and called on the Sudanese authorities to authorise further humanitarian hubs, including in Zalingei, Darfur. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary also chaired a Sudan session during the G7 + Arab Quint Foreign Ministers' meeting to discuss collective action the G7 and Quint could take with the warring parties to press for improved humanitarian access, including by pushing for an increased UN presence in Darfur and other conflict-affected areas.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK aid programmes have been (a) paused and (b) otherwise affected by the USAID funding pause.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors. We welcome the news that emergency food aid and life-saving humanitarian assistance should be exempt from the pause in US foreign aid. We are assessing implications in other humanitarian and development sectors. The UK's commitment to supporting both humanitarian aid and development across the world remains steadfast.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate the potential impact of USAID’s funding pause on the UK’s international development programmes.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors. We welcome the news that emergency food aid and life-saving humanitarian assistance should be exempt from the pause in US foreign aid.
The UK's commitment to supporting both humanitarian aid and development across the world remains steadfast. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme budget will be £9.24 billion in 2025/26. The FCDO will allocate budgets in line with UK priorities.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in other donor countries on responding to the decision to pause USAID funding.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals requires collective action, and the UK will continue to work with all international partnerships toward that vision. We are currently working to assess the implications of the USAID funding pause and working with partners to gather information and analysis of the pause. The UK's commitment to supporting both humanitarian aid and development across the world remains steadfast.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continuity of UNRWA's operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Israeli legislation means United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faces a cliff edge in its ability to support Palestinian refugees across the West Bank and Gaza. We remain opposed to the legislation, and unequivocally reject attempts to undermine or degrade UNRWA. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. It is also of huge concern that implementation will come just 10 days after the ceasefire began. The Foreign Secretary raised this on 13 January with Foreign Minister Sa'ar, during his visit to the region. I also met with UNRWA leadership and reiterated UK support. I reiterated our position at a UN Security Council session on 20 January. The Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories also raised this with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs on 23 January.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of routine monitoring of infant head circumference after 8 weeks of age as a diagnostic tool for early identification of hydrocephalus.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
It is vitally important that babies are diagnosed as early as possible so treatment can be provided. Current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends measuring the head circumference of babies in the first week, at approximately eight weeks, and at other times only if there are concerns. The baby’s general practitioner, or nominated primary care examiner, has responsibility for ensuring the six-to-eight-week newborn infant physical examination screen, where head size is measured, is completed for all registered babies. The Department is seeking advice from the NICE and the royal colleges on the value of a clinical review of the current guidelines surrounding infant head circumference.
The Healthy Child Programme sets out the requirements for health visiting services, including five mandated reviews, where the child’s health and development is assessed. This includes when the baby is 10 to 14 days old, and at six to eight weeks old, as well as additional contacts depending on need, providing an opportunity to identify any health or development concerns and to make appropriate referrals. The Department and the NHS National Disease Registration Service do not hold information on the proportion of infants diagnosed after eight weeks.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
What steps he is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes in winter 2024-25.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have announced a target to deliver 300,000 home upgrades this year, as we know that too many families are living in poor quality housing and paying over the odds to heat their homes.
The Warm Homes Plan will be critical to ending the scourge of energy inefficiency and ensuring that families have energy security.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of infants with hydrocephalus initially present symptoms after 8 weeks of age.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
It is vitally important that babies are diagnosed as early as possible so treatment can be provided. Current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends measuring the head circumference of babies in the first week, at approximately eight weeks, and at other times only if there are concerns. The baby’s general practitioner, or nominated primary care examiner, has responsibility for ensuring the six-to-eight-week newborn infant physical examination screen, where head size is measured, is completed for all registered babies. The Department is seeking advice from the NICE and the royal colleges on the value of a clinical review of the current guidelines surrounding infant head circumference.
The Healthy Child Programme sets out the requirements for health visiting services, including five mandated reviews, where the child’s health and development is assessed. This includes when the baby is 10 to 14 days old, and at six to eight weeks old, as well as additional contacts depending on need, providing an opportunity to identify any health or development concerns and to make appropriate referrals. The Department and the NHS National Disease Registration Service do not hold information on the proportion of infants diagnosed after eight weeks.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13669 on Rivers: Sewage, which six sewage treatment works in the River Mole catchment have been inspected by the Environment Agency in this financial year.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed that the six Wastewater Treatment works (WwTW) inspected in the River Mole Catchment in the current financial year, referenced in the response to PQ 13669 on Rivers: Sewage, are as follows:
In the time since the response to Question 13669 was provided, the EA has inspected three additional WwTW in the Rive Mole catchment:
The EA has confirmed plans for a fourfold increase in water company inspections – 4000 by end of March 2025 - to hold companies to account, including unannounced inspections.
The increase in inspections will allow the EA to conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents, reducing the reliance on operator self-monitoring.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community pharmacies have closed in (a) Surrey and (b) Esher and Walton constituency in each year since 2019.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2019, there have been a total of 39 pharmacy closures in Surrey, and four in the Esher and Walton Constituency. In Surrey, this has broken down as: seven closures in 2019; six in 2020; four in 2021; two in 2022; and 15 in 2023, with a further five having closed between January and 30 September 2024. In Esher and Walton, there were no closures between 2019 and 2022. Three closed in 2023, and one closed between January and 30 September 2024.
We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years, and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.
Patients can also access the approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ home free of charge. In rural areas, dispensing doctors can also supply medicines.