2023-06-07 208 1 2023-06-13T15:18:05.853Z Sutton Coldfield Mr Andrew Mitchell false 2023-06-13 Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell <p>Following numerous overlapping crises, achieving the SDGs and alleviating poverty is more pressing than ever. The UK is committed to achieving the SDGs and the alleviation of poverty, as affirmed in the International Development Strategy and the Integrated Review Refresh.</p> Theo Clarke 905355 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office To ask the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Stafford House of Commons Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office false Biography information for Theo Clarke Sustainable Development Theo Clarke 1 Home Office 1 Stafford 19020 Home Office Home Office Asylum: Stafford 2022-06-27T11:36:13.513Z Torbay Kevin Foster false 2022-06-27 Biography information for Kevin Foster Torbay Kevin Foster <p>Due to the unprecedented demand to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, we have had to use temporary accommodation such as hotels and other large-scale sites to manage demands on the asylum estate. We are committed to working with local authorities to move to a fairer distribution of asylum seekers and bring an end to the use of hotels as contingency accommodation.</p><p>The Home Office has therefore announced all local authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales will be expected to participate in a new system of full dispersal to allow us to move away from hotels to less expensive and more suitable accommodation. We have also announced funding of approximately £3,500 per bedspace procured in this financial year to recognise the pressures of accommodating asylum seekers on Local Authority areas.</p><p>The Beaconside has been identified as a potential new site for Initial Accommodation as the current site in the West Midlands is due to close shortly. Our accommodation provider, Serco, are proceeding with the consultation on planning and once this is concluded we will convene a Multi-Agency Forum to discuss operations on site. The Multi-Agency forum will be made up of Home Office officials, along with the accommodation provider and representatives from Stafford County Council, the police service, NHS, and Public Health along with others from the voluntary sector. These meetings are an opportunity for all members to discuss any ongoing issues and to share best practice.</p><p>Ministers have also met with the Hon Member for Stafford who has expressed her concerns about and opposition to the proposal.</p> To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will reconsider the Government's proposal to relocate approximately 500 single male asylum seekers to Beaconside in Stafford. 2022-06-15 false Theo Clarke 2022-01-10 1 Defence Stafford 11 Ministry of Defence false Defence 904841 2022-01-10T18:00:21.677Z Wells James Heappey false 2022-01-10 Biography information for James Heappey <p>The hon. Lady will have noted a similar question raised in the Topicals and in a recent PQ. The UK is committed in east, west and southern Africa, against not just the rise of violent extremism, which concerns us enormously, but also increasingly how our competitors and adversaries are using countries to develop their influence. We see that as a bad thing in the long term, and we are seeking to counter it.</p><p> </p> To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle violent extremist organisations in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa: Radicalism 900681 Stafford Women and Equalities 2021-05-26T16:03:45.607Z Saffron Walden Kemi Badenoch false 2021-05-26 Biography information for Kemi Badenoch <p>Our Start Up Loans Company has a great track record, supporting female entrepreneurs with over 33,000 loans worth over £270.5 million since the scheme launched in 2012, to the end of April 2021. This represents 40% of the total amount lent. Over £4.5 million of these loans have been made since the start of April 2021. The scheme provides intensive support to new entrepreneurs, including low-cost government-backed loans and free mentoring.</p><p>In March, we announced an award of £50,000 each to the UK's top female innovators, as well as bespoke mentoring, to scale up and bring to market their innovations, and to help the UK recover from COVID-19 and tackle global challenges.</p><p>The Government has taken active measures, publishing the Investing in Women Code and working with industry through the actions agreed by the Rose Review. In response to the Rose Review recommendations, we set an ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030, equivalent to nearly 600,000 additional female entrepreneurs.</p><p>The government-backed British Business Bank is part of HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter, which asks financial services firms to commit to industry actions to prepare their female talent for leadership positions.</p> 900689 Women and Equalities Females: New Businesses Theo Clarke Women and Equalities 1 false 2021-05-26 31 What steps she is taking to support female entrepreneurs. Theo Clarke Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Independent Commission for Aid Impact 82569 2020-08-28 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Stafford 208 2020-09-09T15:55:22.973Z Rochford and Southend East James Duddridge false 2020-09-09 Biography information for Sir James Duddridge <p>The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) will continue to scrutinise aid spending. The publication of all ICAI reports will continue, including those commissioned prior to the merger.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary is committed to thorough parliamentary scrutiny of UK aid. With the formation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the House of Commons may wish to reconfigure the select committee structure. The Government's view is that select committees should generally mirror government departments. We will reflect carefully on the recommendations of the International Development Committee and the Liaison Committee before bringing forward motions to change the existing committee structures for the House to agree later in the year.</p> 1 To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) and the Sub-Committee on the Work of the ICAI will be retained following the merger of his Department and the Department for International Development; and if he will make it his policy to (a) publish all ICAI reports that have already been commissioned and (b) allow the ICAI Sub-Committee to scrutinise those reports. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office false 2020-07-07T15:50:13.587Z Pendle Andrew Stephenson false 2020-07-07 Biography information for Andrew Stephenson <p>One of the Government’s key objectives for the HS2 programme is to deliver a step- change in HS2 Ltd’s performance and to drive improvements in transparency and accountability. Central to that ambition is to place people - the communities, individuals and businesses who are being impacted by the new railway - at the heart of everything the Government does.</p><p> </p><p>It is inevitable that a project the size and scale of HS2 will be disruptive to people who face losing their homes, relocating their businesses or having their community disrupted during construction and the future operation of the railway.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has already introduced a range of property compensation schemes that seek to strike a sensible balance between supporting those affected and protecting the public purse. Nevertheless, the Government is determined to ensure those people and businesses are supported, fairly compensated, and treated with compassion, dignity and respect.</p><p> </p><p>I therefore commissioned a review in May of the HS2 land and property acquisition programme. This review is examining HS2 Ltd’s land and property acquisition processes and, where the evidence demonstrates it, associated wider-government policies. It is looking at what can be done to streamline claims and payments to remove unnecessary delay and frustration for people who are giving up land for the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Work on the review has involved close joint-working between the Department and HS2 Ltd, and engagement with numerous stakeholders, including all line of route MPs. The Government expects the review to conclude shortly. A copy of the final report and proposals for change will be placed in the Libraries of the Houses of Parliament.</p><p> </p> Transport Transport 2020-07-02 Stafford To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the processes used by High Speed Two Ltd in relation to (a) land and (b) property claims. Department for Transport 68450 Theo Clarke 27 false 1 High Speed 2 Line: Compensation Stafford Department of Health and Social Care false Health and Social Care To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing the post of a commissioner for older people. 2019-11-05T14:26:57.57Z Gosport Caroline Dinenage false 2019-11-05 Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage <p>We recognise that it is important that the fundamental rights of people continue to be respected throughout their lives and that the specific needs of older people are recognised and respected.</p><p> </p><p>We have previously considered the merits of introducing an older person’s commissioner. However, we believe that the duties that would be covered by such a role are covered by work elsewhere in the system.</p><p> </p><p>Establishing an older person’s commissioners would also have significant costs associated with it. Net expenditure in the first year that Northern Ireland’s Older People’s Commissioner was set up was around £101,674 in 2011-12 and has since increased to £876,272 in 2017-18. Recent estimates indicate that there are around 33% more over 65s in England than in Northern Ireland, suggesting such a body would create significant annual costs.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to making this country one of the best places to grow old in.</p><p>Across the health and social care system in England there are already systems in place, that are able to listen to the voices of older people and respond to their concerns.</p><p> </p> 2019-11-01 8585 17 1 Older People Health and Social Care Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy Jeremy Lefroy 2019-10-29T16:46:31.103Z West Suffolk Matt Hancock false 2019-10-29 Biography information for Matt Hancock <p>My Right Honourable friend and I recognise the importance of vaccination in tackling antimicrobial resistance (or AMR). Our AMR national action plan, developed across Government, includes commitments to optimise use of vaccines in humans and animals, and stimulate vaccine research and development.</p><p>A cross-departmental Delivery Board, co-chaired by my Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will drive and oversee delivery of this work and met for the first time this month.</p> false 2019-10-29 Health and Social Care 900208 Stafford Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on vaccine research to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Health and Social Care Jeremy Lefroy 17 1 Department of Health and Social Care Stafford 2019-10-14 17 false 248 1 Diabetes: Mental Health Services Health and Social Care To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health support for people with type 1 diabetes. Jeremy Lefroy Health and Social Care 2019-10-17T15:41:08.647Z Mid Bedfordshire Ms Nadine Dorries false 2019-10-17 Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries <p>The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increasing the provision of mental health support for all patients who require it. The importance of addressing the mental health needs of people with diabetes is recognised and further work is underway to consider the most effective routes for supporting this as part of the future development of services.</p><p> </p><p>On 21 March 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement, along with the National Collaboration Institute for Mental Health, published ‘The Improving Access to Psychotherapy Therapy (IAPT) Pathway for People with Long-term Physical Health Conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms’. The guidance outlines the IAPT pathway, and accompanying benchmarks, to support the national expansion of IAPT services for adults with long term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms.</p><p> </p> Department of Health and Social Care To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reinstating the nursing bursary. 17 false Health and Social Care Health and Social Care Jeremy Lefroy Department of Health and Social Care Stafford 1 Nurses: Training 2019-10-14 2019-10-17T09:42:06.797Z Charnwood Edward Argar false 2019-10-17 Biography information for Edward Argar <p>The education funding reforms unlocked the cap which constrained the number of pre-registration nurse training places allowing more students to gain access to nurse degree training courses. Eligible pre-registration nursing students now receive at least 25% more support than under the National Health Service bursary system through tuition fee loans and living cost support from the Student Loans Company.</p><p>Additionally, to support pre-registration nursing students whilst attending the clinical placement element of their courses, the Government introduced a Learning Support Fund. Eligible loan funded students can apply for non means tested and non-repayable annual payments of £1,000 for child dependents allowance, reimbursement of all clinical placement travel costs above their usual daily travel and exceptional hardship payments of up to £3,000. These are in addition to the allowances paid by the Student Loans Company.</p><p>On 19 September 2019 the Universities and College Admission Services (UCAS) published data on full-time undergraduate applicants to nursing and midwifery courses. The data shows that there are 21,590 placed applicants on nursing and midwifery courses at English providers. This is 4% higher than the same point in 2018 when there were 20,690 place applicants.</p><p>UCAS will publish further data in December 2019.</p><p> </p> 249 0 10 1 279