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76511

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
answering body	Prime Minister
answering dept id	23
answering dept short name	Prime Minister
answering dept sort name	Prime Minister
hansard heading	Jamaica
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Prime Minister, when he last met the Prime Minister of Jamaica; and when he next plans to meet her.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	204495
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>I last met Prime Minister Simpson Miller of Jamaica in July 2012 during HM The Queen's reception to mark the opening of the Olympic Games. I do not currently have plans for a future meeting. I met Caribbean Foreign Ministers at the UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum hosted by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 16-17 June.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Mr David Cameron question first answered 14/07/2014 11:52:58 answering member 1467 label Biography information for Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

63992

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	New Businesses: Hackney
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many start-up loans have been granted to businesses in Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The Start-Up Loans programme commenced in September 2012, in that year there was 1 loan with a value of £5000 drawn down in Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency. In 2013 there were 110 loans with a drawn value of £752,465 granted and 2014 to date there have been 53 loans with a drawn value of £259,065 granted.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 01/07/2014 14:25:10 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

64016

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality and increase the uptake of foreign language training in schools; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202499
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The new national curriculum introduces the teaching of a foreign language to key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from September 2014, which will increase the uptake of foreign languages in both primary and, over time, secondary schools. By starting languages earlier, pupils will have longer to develop their skills to a high level before continuing with language learning in secondary school. The English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. Take up by key stage 4 pupils in England of a modern foreign language increased by over 20% between 2012 and 2013.</p><p>The Department for Education believes it is important to give teachers the flexibility to decide how to teach. We expect schools to identify the support that they need to prepare for the new curriculum, recognising that different schools will face different challenges.</p><p>We are allocating £350,000 this year to fund training on the new national curriculum for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary schools. We have also allocated some £1.9m to teaching schools to lead curriculum change across and within their teaching school alliances. 46 of the projects being supported involve languages.</p><p>The independent Expert Group, chaired by a leading primary headteacher, has published links to useful resources, which are hosted on the website of the Association for Language Learning. This is specifically to support the introduction of a compulsory foreign language at key stage 2. We are also making extensive use of social networking, including using high profile headteachers and others to raise the profile of the new curriculum, including for languages, through podcasts, webchats and blogs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:19:38 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

64037

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Egypt
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he plans to make to his Egyptian counterparts on the seven year jail terms handed down to three Al-Jazeera journalists; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <table><tbody><tr><th> </th><td><table><tbody><tr><td>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) made a statement on 23 June expressing his concerns and urging the Egyptian Government to demonstrate its commitment to freedom of expression by reviewing this case as a matter of urgency. <br><br>The Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf el-Kholy was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 23 June. FCO Political Director, Simon Gass told the Egyptian Ambassador that the British Government was deeply concerned by the verdicts, and with the procedural shortcomings of the trials. The British Ambassador to Egypt also raised this issue in Cairo with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 June. We will continue to raise this case with the Egyptian authorities.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Hugh Robertson question first answered 30/06/2014 15:31:16 answering member 1415 label Biography information for Sir Hugh Robertson
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

64039

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the conclusions of Delivering race equality in mental health care: An action plan for reform inside and outside services published in 2005; what his Department's strategy is for reducing inequalities in Black and minority ethnic patients' access to, experience of, and outcomes from mental health services; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202552
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2014 answer text <p>The Delivering Race Equality in mental health care programme, a five-year Department of Health programme launched in January 2005, was developed to address inequalities in patient admission, detention and experience of services.</p><p> </p><p>The 2010 document <em>Race Equality Action Plan: A five-year review</em> looks back at the work of the Delivering Race Equality in mental health care programme and describes some of the key challenges, successes and learning. A copy of <em>Race Equality Action Plan</em> has been placed in the Library.</p><p> </p><p>Our mental health Strategy, <em>No Health Without Mental Health </em>states that the <em>Race Equality Action Plan</em> provides a strong base from which commissioners and service providers can make improvements. These will rely on:</p><p> </p><p>- local collection and monitoring of information on ethnicity and culture;</p><p>- better use of these data to inform commissioning and provision in health and social care;</p><p>- a focus on outcomes that work for individuals and communities;</p><p>- monitoring and evaluating effectiveness of service delivery, especially around equality needs; and</p><p>- establishing mechanisms that allow local user groups to engage with providers and commissioners, and that empower and support them so that they can engage effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, our new mental health action plan, <em>Closing the Gap </em>sets out our priorities for essential change in mental health: 25 areas where people can expect to see and experience the fastest changes. The fourth priority is that we will tackle inequalities around access to mental health services. We know that people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities have to date been less likely to use psychological therapies.</p><p> </p><p>Which is why we are working with the Race Equality Foundation and other stakeholders to try and understand why this is the case and to understand inequalities around access to other services. NHS England are also working with BME community leaders to encourage more people to use psychological therapies.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministerial Working Group on Equality in Mental Health has been established to support the Mental Health Equality work-stream of the Mental Health Strategy programme. The group will report to the Mental Health Strategy Ministerial Advisory Group. This will help to ensure that equality issues directly inform strategy implementation and enable the Government to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Act" target="_blank">Human Rights Act</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the number of open hospital spells, the number of occupied beds on a single day as a proxy for beds available, broken down by ethnicity is provided in the attached table.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb grouped question UIN 202500 question first answered 02/07/2014 15:24:45 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb attachment 1 file name PQ202552_PQ202500 - Table.docx title Table
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

64061

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of beds in (a) residential mental health facilities and (b) psychiatric wards in NHS hospitals in England are occupied by black and minority ethnic people.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2014 answer text <p>The Delivering Race Equality in mental health care programme, a five-year Department of Health programme launched in January 2005, was developed to address inequalities in patient admission, detention and experience of services.</p><p> </p><p>The 2010 document <em>Race Equality Action Plan: A five-year review</em> looks back at the work of the Delivering Race Equality in mental health care programme and describes some of the key challenges, successes and learning. A copy of <em>Race Equality Action Plan</em> has been placed in the Library.</p><p> </p><p>Our mental health Strategy, <em>No Health Without Mental Health </em>states that the <em>Race Equality Action Plan</em> provides a strong base from which commissioners and service providers can make improvements. These will rely on:</p><p> </p><p>- local collection and monitoring of information on ethnicity and culture;</p><p>- better use of these data to inform commissioning and provision in health and social care;</p><p>- a focus on outcomes that work for individuals and communities;</p><p>- monitoring and evaluating effectiveness of service delivery, especially around equality needs; and</p><p>- establishing mechanisms that allow local user groups to engage with providers and commissioners, and that empower and support them so that they can engage effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, our new mental health action plan, <em>Closing the Gap </em>sets out our priorities for essential change in mental health: 25 areas where people can expect to see and experience the fastest changes. The fourth priority is that we will tackle inequalities around access to mental health services. We know that people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities have to date been less likely to use psychological therapies.</p><p> </p><p>Which is why we are working with the Race Equality Foundation and other stakeholders to try and understand why this is the case and to understand inequalities around access to other services. NHS England are also working with BME community leaders to encourage more people to use psychological therapies.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministerial Working Group on Equality in Mental Health has been established to support the Mental Health Equality work-stream of the Mental Health Strategy programme. The group will report to the Mental Health Strategy Ministerial Advisory Group. This will help to ensure that equality issues directly inform strategy implementation and enable the Government to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Act" target="_blank">Human Rights Act</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the number of open hospital spells, the number of occupied beds on a single day as a proxy for beds available, broken down by ethnicity is provided in the attached table.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb grouped question UIN 202552 question first answered 02/07/2014 15:24:45 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb attachment 1 file name PQ202552_PQ202500 - Table.docx title Table
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

63032

registered interest
date	20/06/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Overseas Students
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the decline in the number of international students coming to the UK to study; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	201621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>As highlighted in the International Education Strategy, there is no cap on the number of genuine overseas students who can come to the UK, nor do we have plans to introduce one. This has been reaffirmed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister.</p><p /> <p>Government and the sector are taking every opportunity to promote the warm welcome the UK extends to international students, notably using the ‘Britain is GREAT' campaign. For example, the High Commission in Delhi began work last year (with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade and Investment and the British Council) to promote positive messages on UK education at outreach events, exhibitions and road shows in some of India's biggest cities.</p><p /> <p>Early indicators for 2014 show there was an increase in the year to March 2014 in the number of visa applicants for higher education institutions (+7%). UCAS figures, to May 2014, for undergraduate applications suggest a 7% increase from non-EU countries.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 30/06/2014 16:00:12 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

62655

registered interest
date	18/06/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Hospitals: Waiting Lists
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of patients waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests through NHS England; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	201358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2014 answer text <p>The Government has invested more than £750 million over four years to support early diagnosis in cancer and improve access to key diagnostics to make sure that everyone has access to the best possible treatment. Awareness raising campaigns such as Be Clear on Cancer are encouraging more people to come forward with their symptoms.</p><p> </p><p>Patients should receive timely care, and NHS England, the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor are working with providers and commissioners to ensure patients get access to tests and treatment as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 25/06/2014 12:06:36 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

50419

registered interest
date	08/05/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 17 September 2012, Official Report, column 512W, on torture, what the result of the audit was; if she will publish the audit; what training requirements were identified by the audit; whether that training has been delivered; if she will publish the training materials; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	198158
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>An audit of casework relating to reports made under Rule 35 of the Detention <br>Centre Rules 2001 began in April this year and will be completed in June. The <br>findings of the audit will be made available later in the summer and will be <br>used to identify good practice and areas for improvement.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

49546

registered interest
date	01/05/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that resources for mental health services meet the requirements of both adults and children.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	197541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>Mental health and wellbeing, for both adults and children, is a priority for this Government. Our overarching goal is to ensure that mental health has equal priority with physical health, and that everyone who needs it has timely access to the best available treatment. We have enshrined in law the equal status of mental and physical health in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Mandate to NHS England makes clear that 'everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence based services'. This will involve extending and ensuring more open access to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, in particular for children and young people, and for those out of work.</p><p> </p><p>We are also committed to introducing access and/or waiting time standards for mental health. The revised Mandate asks NHS England to develop and evaluate a range of costed options to implement access and waiting standards for mental health services starting from April 2015, with a phased introduction depending on affordability.</p><p> </p><p>We will hold the National Health Service to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients through the NHS Outcomes Framework. Improvements for people with mental health problems will also be a crucial element of success across the framework as a whole.</p><p> </p><p>Our action plan, <em>Closing the Gap</em>, which was launched in January 2014, sets our priorities for action and progress in mental health services over the next couple of years, including actions supporting commissioners in allocating resources.</p><p> </p><p>We are setting up a new, national Mental Health Intelligence Network to provide comprehensive, up to date information about mental health and wellbeing, mental health problems and what the most pressing needs are in each area – which will support commissioning of services.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott