Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ban the use of smartphones in schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The use of mobile phones in schools can be a distraction for many pupils, preventing classrooms from being calm, safe and supportive environments that are conducive to teaching. The ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, which was published in February 2024, supports head teachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day.
The department will monitor how schools respond to the new guidance and, should schools continue to raise issues with prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools, the department will seek to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people infected and affected by contaminated blood and blood products in South Antrim.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Health Services in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Government.
In Northern Ireland, specialist clinical psychological support has been available for all infected and affected individuals impacted by contaminated blood since January 2019. The service was initially provided within the existing Clinical Health Psychological Services. After receiving the non-recurrent funding from the Department of Health as part of the inquiry process, a dedicated regional psychological service, providing assessment, psychological therapies, liaison and sign posting as appropriate, for those individuals who were infected and affected, as well as their relatives, has been made available. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infected or affected individuals. A patient and family information leaflet is available within clinics and to clinicians, to discuss referral to this service with patients and their families.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in Nigeria on the training of Nigerian security forces to help (a) reduce and (b) prevent anti-Christian violence.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Rising insecurity in Nigeria has affected communities of all faiths, including Christians. UK Government officials and I regularly raise freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including the impact of insecurity on communities and the need to bring perpetrators to justice, with the Nigerian Government. In February, I met the Nigerian Minister of State for Police Affairs, where I emphasised the UK's commitment to helping Nigeria tackle the root causes of conflict and instability. During the UK/ Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership dialogue in February, we agreed to enhance the existing cooperation in a number of areas, including training of security forces and conflict management.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with (a) Parkinson's and (b) other long-term conditions with their basic financial outgoings.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
People on low, or no income or earnings who have a health condition or disability which restricts the amount of work they can do, can claim Universal Credit (UC). They must provide medical evidence to support their claim - most commonly a Statement of Fitness for Work, usually referred to as a fit note. Claimants whose health condition or disability continues for four weeks or more are referred for a work capability assessment (WCA). The WCA determines how an individual’s health condition or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself.
Where it has been decided that claimants have limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), they will be entitled to a work allowance, and in couple claims where one is working, access to help with childcare costs. Where it has been decided that claimants have LCWRA, they may be entitled to the award of an additional amount of benefit – the LCWRA addition – which is £390.06 per month (2023-24 rates).
Where it has been decided that claimants have LCW, they are not reasonably expected to look for work at present but are expected to prepare for work in the future. Where it has been decided that claimants have LCWRA, they are not expected to look for work or required to undertake any work-related activity. Where it has been decided that claimants are fit for work, they are expected to undertake work-related activity and to look for work.
People whose capability for work is impacted because they are disabled or have a health condition, including people who have Parkinson’s and other long term health conditions, may also be eligible for New Style Employment and Support Allowance (NS ESA) subject to satisfying both the basic and National Insurance contribution conditions. NS ESA is an earnings replacement benefit for working age people who are unable to work due to a health condition or disability. In addition to the support provided for basic financial outgoings by UC people with a long-term health condition or disability may be entitled to support with disability-related extra costs through benefits such as Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to (a) identify and (b) contact people in South Antrim constituency who were (i) infected and (ii) affected by the contaminated blood scandal as part of Government preparations for responding to Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations on compensation.
Answered by John Glen
The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable member’s questions on his constituency.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the number of people that would be eligible for compensation under the terms of the recommendations of the second interim report of Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 5 April 2023, in South Antrim constituency.
Answered by John Glen
The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable member’s questions on his constituency.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in South Antrim constituency have received interim compensation payments as a result of (a) their infection and (b) their family member’s infection resulting from contaminated blood or blood products.
Answered by John Glen
The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable member’s questions on his constituency.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who were (a) treated with contaminated blood products and (b) given contaminated blood transfusions by the NHS in South Antrim constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not made an estimate of the number of people who were treated with contaminated blood products and given contaminated blood transfusions by the National Health Service in the South Antrim constituency, nor has it made an estimate of the numbers of these people who have since died.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the next NHS dental recovery plan will apply to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
State-funded healthcare within the United Kingdom but outside of England is a devolved matter, and the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timescale is for the delivery of a feasibility study on the electrification of sections of the Northern Ireland railway.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Transport is a ‘transferred matter’ i.e. devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and thus the responsibility of the Executive. However, as outlined by the Secretary of State for Transport in his written ministerial statement of 7 December 2023, the UK Government is funding a feasibility study on the electrification of the railway line from Belfast to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The study is being conducted by Translink on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure, with a projected completion date of spring 2025.