Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1455069

registered interest
date	28/03/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Foreign Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions has she had with the Government on Sri Lanka; and whether she has raised the treatment of the Tamil people in those discussions.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	148304
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>The UK Government regularly engages with the Government of Sri Lanka on a range of issues, including human rights concerns such as the targeting and marginalisation of minority groups. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance of upholding human rights when she met Foreign Minister Peiris on 26 October 2021. During his visit to Sri Lanka on 18-20 January when he travelled to the North and East as well as Colombo, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met a range of civil society groups, including Tamil representatives, to discuss human rights.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 31/03/2022 14:05:09 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1455070

registered interest
date	28/03/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	India: Foreign Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of India; and what steps she is taking to further the relationship between the UK and India.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	148305
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary is due to visit Delhi on 31 March, where she will meet the Minister of External Affairs and participate in the inaugural edition of the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum. She will discuss bilateral and international issues, building on our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary previously visited Delhi and Mumbai on 22-23 October 2021. During this visit, the Foreign Secretary held bilateral consultations with the Minister of External Affairs and the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. She also visited HMS Queen Elizabeth, part of the UK Carrier Strike Group, in Mumbai. Discussions focussed on technology and infrastructure cooperation with India, alongside forging stronger UK-India security and defence links.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary engages regularly with her counterpart, India's Minister for External Affairs. This reinforces ongoing Ministerial and official level cooperation between our two governments including on people-to-people links, trade, defence, climate and health.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 31/03/2022 14:10:38 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1433723

registered interest
date	21/02/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Papua New Guinea: Press Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) recent assessment has she made of press freedoms in Papua New Guinea and (b) steps is she taking to help support the independence of the press in that region.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	126755
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2022 answer text The UK remains fully committed to media freedom in Papua New Guinea, including as a platform for balanced political discourse in advance of national elections in June 2022. The UK referenced freedom of expression in its Universal Periodic Review of Papua New Guinea in November 2021. A free and independent media is an essential component of a functioning democratic society, in the Pacific as elsewhere. answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 24/02/2022 17:32:58 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1420114

registered interest
date	07/02/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tropical Diseases: Research
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to support research into prevention, diagnostics, treatment and care of neglected tropical diseases; and what plans she has for future financial support for research into diseases for which there is no viable market.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	119717
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>FCDO funded research has helped deliver innovative technologies such as new diagnostics and treatments for NTDs, for example the first rapid diagnostic test as well as the first ever oral only drug to treat all stages of sleeping sickness. For many years, the UK Government through FCDO has supported a range of so-called Product Development Partnerships, which develop novel health technologies for diseases of poverty where commercial markets fail. The Department continues to fund the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, DNDi, as well as the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, FIND, both of which include products for Neglected Tropical Diseases. FCDO also supports applied research for Neglected Tropical Diseases through the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs.</p><p>Global health remains a priority for UK Official Development Assistance. We will invest in health systems strengthening through our support for the World Health Organisation (WHO), multi-country global funds and bilateral support for health programmes within countries, including those affected by NTDs. The UK fully endorses the WHO's 2030 NTDs Road map and its focus on sustainability and delivery through health systems.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 10/02/2022 16:21:45 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1420116

registered interest
date	07/02/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Leprosy: Research
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK funding allocated to research on ending leprosy; and what future plans she has to support leprosy research.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	119718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>The FCDO-funded Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) programme is a research platform which commissions multiple studies to improve the effectiveness of programmes to control and eliminate NTDs, including leprosy.</p><p>The results of this research are expected to define best practices of NTD control for uptake by NTD programmes and governments in affected countries and around the world, ultimately reducing the suffering caused by NTDs and securing a healthier future in which the world's poorest are free from the threat of these diseases.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 10/02/2022 16:13:06 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1403421

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tonga: Tsunami
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (a) what assessment the Government has made of the damage in Tonga caused by the tsunami in that country and (b) if she will make it her policy to increase assistance to that country.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	105679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2022 answer text <p>The UK is very concerned by the appalling devastation caused by the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga. The Tongan authorities, with the support of the Australian and New Zealand defence forces, are conducting an urgent humanitarian assessment of the islands. Once this assessment is complete, we will have a fuller picture of the scale of damage and the nature of the assistance that is needed, so that we can assess what assistance the UK can most helpfully provide. Most UK aid in the Pacific Island countries is delivered through multilateral institutions, which have the capacity and scale to deliver strong development impact in the region on our behalf. Since 2015, Tonga received over £25.9 million of UK aid through our core funding to multilateral institutions.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 20/01/2022 16:03:23 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1385507

registered interest
date	06/12/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Solomon Islands: Politics and Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) political and (b) security situation in the Solomon Islands.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	87795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2021 answer text <p>The UK is closely monitoring the situation in Solomon Islands through the British High Commission in Honiara and working closely with partner countries. The political situation is currently stable. On Monday 6 December, Prime Minister Sogavare defeated a vote of no-confidence in his government, securing 32 votes in his favour to 15 votes against, and with 2 abstentions. The security situation in Honiara is now calm following the recent unrest, with a large security presence including personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea successfully maintaining order. We will continue to monitor the political and security situation.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 09/12/2021 11:47:32 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1382204

registered interest
date	25/11/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Africa: LGBT+ People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support LGBTQ+ people in refugee camps in Africa.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	82038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government is fully committed to the promotion and protection of LGBTQ+ human rights globally and continues to urge countries that criminalise LGBTQ+ individuals, and same sex conduct to uphold the universality of human rights. We are very concerned about the criminalisation of homosexuality, and recognise that there is a long way to go before all LGBTQ+ people are able to live free and equal lives, including in some parts of Africa. The UK works closely with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, who remain deeply committed to the protection of LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers across the world, including in refugee camps in Africa. The UK allocated £105 million to support the work of UNHCR in 2020. We also remain committed to funding £3 million of LGBTQ+ rights projects this year, including project work with a focus on tackling discriminatory legislation.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 30/11/2021 15:13:08 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1341713

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Eating Disorders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mandatory education is provided to pupils and students at (a) schools and (b) universities on eating disorders.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	24295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2021 answer text <p>Through our new compulsory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, pupils can learn about how to stay safe and healthy, and how to positively manage their academic, personal and social lives.</p><p>Body image and mental wellbeing are explicitly covered in the RSHE curriculum and, at secondary level, teachers may choose to discuss eating disorders when teaching these topics. However, schools are not medical professionals. It is important that school staff understand eating disorders to inform the pastoral support that they offer to pupils and how to seek specialist support where it is needed, particularly as there has been an increase in referrals to eating disorder services during the COVID-19 outbreak. The government’s £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme funded advisers in every local authority in England, reaching up to 15,000 schools with free expert training, support and resources for education staff to help them understand and respond to the mental wellbeing issues faced by children and young people. The department is providing an additional £7 million in this financial year to extend that support with an additional focus on directing schools towards the right local support.</p><p>Higher education providers are autonomous bodies, independent from the government and have a responsibility to support students with mental health conditions. They are well placed to identify the needs of their particular student body, including those who may have eating disorders. It is for each provider to determine what welfare and counselling services are needed by its students.</p><p>The government has set up the first waiting time standard for children and young people eating disorder services so that 95% of children with an eating disorder will receive treatment within one week for urgent cases, and within four weeks for routine cases. In the 2021-22 financial year, NHS England will receive around an additional £500 million to support recovery, which includes £79 million to expand children’s mental health services significantly, including allowing 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 05/07/2021 16:49:30 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1276841

registered interest
date	14/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance his Department has published on the status of young carers during the covid-19 outbreak; what steps his Department is taking to help support the identification of pupils who are young carers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that support is accessible to young carers.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	137990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department for Education will do whatever it can to make sure no child – whatever their background or location – falls behind as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that young carers may be particularly vulnerable during this time, and ensuring that vulnerable children and young people remain protected is our top priority</p><p> </p><p>Educational settings remain open and safe for vulnerable children and young people. The definition of vulnerable children and young people includes those who have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who are therefore in need of continued education provision – including young carers amongst others. Local authority duties to assess the needs of young carers, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, remain unchanged.</p><p> </p><p>The government has provided over £11 million to the See, Hear, Respond programme, to support vulnerable children and young people whose usual support networks have been impacted by the outbreak, including young carers as a target group. The programme provides a range of support, including online counselling and helping children and young people stay connected with school.</p><p>The government announced £1 billion of catch-up funding to support children and young people. This includes a £650 million catch-up premium for the 2020/2021 academic year to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time and a £350 million National Tutoring Programme to support those children and young people who need it the most.</p><p>Additionally, the ongoing £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return training programme, offered to every school and college in England, is helping support pupil wellbeing, resilience and recovery in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The training supports staff working in schools and colleges to respond to the additional pressures some children and young people may be feeling as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is in addition to requirements set out in statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ for school designated safeguarding leads to undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their role, including a good understanding and alertness to the needs of young carers. This guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2</a>.</p><p>The government has continued to support unpaid carers by providing funding to Carers UK to: extend their support phoneline; provide funding to the Carers Trust to make onward grants to provide support to unpaid carers experiencing loneliness during the COVID-19 outbreak; work with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance on reopening day services which we know provide important respite to carers; ensure unpaid carers can continue to claim Carer’s Allowance if they need to self-isolate and recognised time providing emotional support as part of the 35 hours a week Carer’s Allowance care threshold.</p><p>The government has published guidance for both schools and local authorities on how best to support families and protect vulnerable children during the COVID-19 outbreak, alongside guidance for young people with caring responsibilities. The guidance includes information on how and where they can get help and support, including encouraging them to speak to someone they trust at their school or college, like a teacher or school nurse, about their caring responsibilities and how this might affect them.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 137991 137993 question first answered 19/01/2021 17:59:42 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West