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Written Question
Large Goods Vehicles: Accidents
Monday 13th June 2016

Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Highways England traffic officers have been (a) trained to move heavy goods vehicles from live motorway lanes on Smart motorways to emergency refuge areas and (b) not so trained but issued with an instruction manual to move such vehicles.

Answered by Andrew Jones

As at 6 June 2016, 910 Highways England Traffic Officers have been trained in the activity of carriageway clearance. This training is appropriate for all vehicle types as it is designed to provide specific criteria which Traffic Officers must follow to determine whether it is safe to remove any vehicle from a carriageway to a place of relative safety.

In addition, all Traffic Officers who work on smart motorway sections are trained in the specifics of that operational environment before they are designated as safe to operate. No operational activity is undertaken by Highways England Traffic Officers without appropriate training and supporting safe systems of work.


Written Question
Large Goods Vehicles: Accidents
Monday 13th June 2016

Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Highways England traffic officers have moved heavy goods vehicles from live lanes to (a) hard shoulders and (b) emergency refuge areas in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Jones

Highways England does not specifically record how many Highways England traffic officers have moved heavy goods vehicles from live lanes to hard shoulders or emergency refuge areas.


Written Question
Colombia: Paramilitary Forces
Monday 6th June 2016

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, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart on (a) the incidence of killings by paramilitaries, (b) the shooting of Alcides de Jesús Cotes Jurado in April 2016 and (c) steps by the Colombian government to tackle the existence and operations of paramilitaries in that country.

Answered by Lord Swire

The increased violence which has been perpetrated over the last few months by organised groups in Colombia has indeed been worrying. I am concerned about the security situation and raised this in my meeting with President Santos on 12 May. The investigation into the shooting of Alcides de Jesús Cotes Jurado is ongoing and our embassy is following it closely. Embassy officials regularly discuss the challenges posed by armed criminal groups in their meetings with the Colombian government. Following an escalation of the security situation in recent months, the Defence Minister announced a new approach to tackling the prevalence of organised armed groups in Colombia. The UK supports a peaceful Colombia, where authorities effectively tackle organised crime and promote democratic practices nationwide, to benefit all Colombians.


Written Question
Kashmir: Politics and Government
Monday 6th June 2016

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 recent assessment he has made of the (a) security situation and (b) incidence of terrorism in Kashmir.

Answered by Lord Swire

We assess that there is a high threat of terrorism throughout India and Pakistan.

Officials in our High Commissions in Delhi and Islamabad continuously monitor the security situation in Kashmir. I discussed this issue with the Indian Foreign Secretary and the Deputy Foreign Minister in Delhi on 30.05.16. Our Deputy High Commissioner to India visited Indian administered Kashmir from 23 to 29 May.

We advise against all travel to Indian administered Kashmir with the exception of (i) travel within the cities of Jammu and Srinagar (ii) travel by air to the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, (iii) travel between these two cities on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, and (iv) travel within the region of Ladakh.

We advise against travel on the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan administered Kashmir as far as Gilgit.


Written Question
Kashmir: Politics and Government
Monday 6th June 2016

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 his Department has had on Kashmir with the governments of India and Pakistan in the last six months.

Answered by Lord Swire

Our Deputy High Commissioner to India visited Indian administered Kashmir from 23 to 29 May and met with representatives from the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Officials from our High Commission in Islamabad met with representatives from the Government of Pakistan Administered Kashmir in February. I discussed this issue with India's Foreign Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister in Delhi on 31.05.16.


Written Question
Colombia: State Visits
Thursday 2nd June 2016

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 parts of the UK the President of Colombia will visit during his state visit in November 2016.

Answered by Lord Swire

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to my answer to PQ 38282.


Written Question
Colombia: State Visits
Thursday 2nd June 2016

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 information he holds on which members of the Colombian government will accompany President Santos on his state visit to the UK in November 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Lord Swire

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to my answer to PQ 38282.


Written Question
Palliative Care
Friday 27th May 2016

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, how many patients were subject to do not resuscitate orders in the last year for which figures are available.

Answered by Ben Gummer

This information is not collected centrally.


Written Question
Palliative Care
Friday 27th May 2016

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 guidance his Department provides to district nurses on discussing do not resuscitate orders with patients and next of kin.

Answered by Ben Gummer

The Department has not itself issued guidance on this subject, but has commended to National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts guidance for healthcare professionals prepared jointly by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing entitled Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The latest version of the guidance was published in October 2014 and took account of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, handed down in June 2014, in the case of R (on the application of Tracey) v (1) Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2) Secretary of State for Health. The Court of Appeal concluded that there was duty to consult a patient, or those close to the patient, about a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation decision unless that consultation is likely to cause physical or psychological harm to the patient.


Written Question
Palliative Care
Friday 27th May 2016

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 guidance his Department provides to hospitals on discussing do not resuscitate orders with patients and next of kin.

Answered by Ben Gummer

The Department has not itself issued guidance on this subject, but has commended to National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts guidance for healthcare professionals prepared jointly by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing entitled Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The latest version of the guidance was published in October 2014 and took account of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, handed down in June 2014, in the case of R (on the application of Tracey) v (1) Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2) Secretary of State for Health. The Court of Appeal concluded that there was duty to consult a patient, or those close to the patient, about a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation decision unless that consultation is likely to cause physical or psychological harm to the patient.