Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work will be undertaken by the new chief executive of HS2 Ltd on Crossrail and the Olympic Delivery Authority at CH2M; and what his (a) role, (b) job specification and (c) job title is for those two projects.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The new CEO Mark Thurston has left CH2M and will not be working on, Crossrail, the Olympic Delivery Authority or any other projects on behalf of CH2M. He will solely be working for HS2 Ltd.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with North Staffordshire Clinical Care Group on lines of responsibility for cancer and end-of-life care services delivered for the Group by private sector organisations.
Answered by David Mowat
There have been no discussions between my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and North Staffordshire Clinical Care Group on lines of responsibility for cancer and end of life care services.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of all reports by NHS England on the contracting out of cancer and end-of-life care in Cambridge and in North Staffordshire.
Answered by David Mowat
A paper was presented to the NHS England Regional (Midlands and East) Executive Team meeting in November 2016. This is not in the public domain as is commercially sensitive.
NHS England also advises there has been no procurement or contracting out of cancer and end-of-life care services in Cambridge.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on the frequency of killings in Colombia of members of the Patriotic March in the first two weeks of 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We are concerned by the increasing number of reported killings of civil society figures and activists in Colombia. Since the beginning of 2017, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received reports of at least ten murders where the victims appear to have been targeted for their role as human rights defenders, or because they are members of unions or political groups such as Marcha Patriotica, including Hernan Agames, Yanetin Calvache, Olmeido Pito Garcia, Aldemar Parra Garcia, Emilsen Manyoma, Joe Javier Rodallega and Juan de la Cruz Mosquera.
The Prime Minister raised the issue of the levels of violence against human rights defenders with President Santos during the State Visit in November. Respect for human rights was also included in their joint declaration. I and Ministerial colleagues will continue to raise our human rights concerns with our Colombian counterparts.
Working together to improve respect for human rights is a key part of our relationship with the Colombian Government and civil society. At a practical level, our Ambassador to Colombia is a member of the group "Ambassadors with Defenders" which promotes the work of human rights defenders and raises concerns about specific cases with the Colombian Government. The group will meet the Colombian Attorney-General to discuss the continued murders against human rights defenders, including those killed in recent weeks. On 19 January, British Embassy staff in Bogota met Colombian NGO Somos Defensores to discuss the recent murders. They also took part in a visit to South Bolivar, where local community leaders have voiced concerns about their security. As a result of this visit, the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Human rights committed to request the Colombian Ministry of Defence to provide additional security measures for community leaders.
The Colombian Government recognises the threats faced by human rights defenders and acknowledges the challenges it faces in implementing the peace agreement with the FARC. In December, the Office of the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights (OHCHR) made a statement which linked an increase in incidents to areas vacated by the FARC. President Santos also gave a speech on 22 November in which he said he would work with Governors of affected areas and the Attorney General to accelerate investigations into murders of human rights defenders to find those responsible.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what instructions his Department issues to the armed services limiting the entry to mess establishments of retired members of the armed forces.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence does not provide the single Services with central guidance on this matter. Mess establishments have charitable status and are responsible for setting their own membership criteria.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what legal powers TV Licensing have to compel an occupier who does not have television receiving equipment to notify TV Licensing that no television licence is required.
Answered by Matt Hancock
There are no legal powers to compel an occupier to notify TV licensing that no TV licence is required. All TV Licensing letters ask people who don’t need a licence to get in touch in order to update their records.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has received any representations about the tone of letters sent by TV Licensing to occupiers who do not have television receiving equipment but who choose not to notify TV Licensing of that fact.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We have received one representation about the tone of letters sent by TV Licensing to an occupier who did not have television receiving equipment but who chose not to notify TV Licensing of that fact.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of immigration detention was in each of the last three years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Detention costs over the past three financial years have been published in the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts, for 2015-16 and 2014-15. Copies of these publications can be found on the .gov.uk website:
For 2015-16: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf
For 2014-15: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441282/HO-AR15_web.pdf
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information the Government holds on the number of abortions performed in 2015 in Scotland on Ground E (disability) of the Abortion Act 1967; how many such abortions were performed beyond 13 weeks' gestation; and what the total number of abortions performed in that year was (a) before and (b) after 13 weeks' gestation.
Answered by David Mundell
Abortion law was devolved under the Scotland Act 2016.
The number of abortions performed in 2015 in Scotland on Ground E (disability) of the Abortion Act 1967 was 186. The total number of abortions performed in Scotland in 2015 was 12,082.
The number of these abortions that were performed beyond 13 weeks’ gestation; and the total number of abortions performed in that year (a) before and (b) after 13 weeks gestation are not available.
The published data on abortions provides information on the number of Ground E abortions by diagnosis. Estimated gestation is presented for all abortions and is grouped into under 10 weeks, 10 to 13, 14 to 17, 18 to 19 and 20 weeks and over. The data are available in Table 1 on the Information Services Division (ISD) website from the following link:
https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Sexual-Health/Publications/2016-05-31/mat_aas_table1.xlsx.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that future franchises which incorporate reforms to the structure of the railways integrating Network Rail will incentivise new freight terminals and services.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Rail Freight is a crucial part of our rail network. We published a Rail Freight Strategy in September 2016 which reaffirms our commitment to the rail freight industry and explains how we will work to advance its interests.
The Strategy commits to ensuring that the Government, in developing its strategy for new franchise competitions, will consider how rail freight can be more systemically considered in this process.
We want to ensure any proposals for rail reform work for everyone on the network, and we will be engaging with stakeholders as any new proposals develop.
Alongside this, progress has already been made with Network Rail creating a virtual freight and national passenger operator route to ensure the interests of freight operators are represented.