<\/strong><\/p>The Secretary of State and I regularly meet with Network Rail and Great Western Railway to discuss performance. With NR related delays reaching 71 per cent in December 2023, I have made it clear to the CEO of NR that they must address infrastructure issues that contribute to a high proportion of disruption. NR launched its £140 million Thames Valley Recovery Plan, focusing on improving infrastructure reliability over the next 18 months. I met with NR and GWR in Swindon last week to review progress and whilst we are seeing small improvements, there is a lot more work to be done.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Huw Merriman"}
}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Great Western Railway: Standards"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the service provided by Great Western Railway.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4716", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ruth Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newport West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Jones"}
], "uin" : "21828"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701148", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701148/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "This Government continues to protect the value of benefits paid to carers whilst also spending record amounts in real terms.<\/p>
<\/p>
The level of Carer\u2019s Allowance is protected by uprating it each April in line with inflation as measured by the CPI for the previous September. The purpose of benefit uprating is to ensure that the value of benefits stays in line with the general level of prices. From April 2024, the Carer\u2019s Allowance payment was increased to £81.90. Since 2010, the rate of Carer\u2019s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £81.90 a week, providing an additional £1,500 a year for carers.<\/p>
<\/p>
Real terms expenditure on Carer\u2019s Allowance in 2024/25 is forecast to be £4.1 billion.\u202fBetween 2024/25 and 2028/29 real terms expenditure on Carer\u2019s Allowance is forecast to rise by 12% - around £500 million. By 2028/29, the Government is forecast to spend just over £4.5 billion a year on Carer\u2019s Allowance.<\/p>
<\/p>
As well as Carer\u2019s Allowance, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits. For example, carers on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,400 a year through the Carer Element.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mims Davies"}
}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mims Davies"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-22T14:26:20.837Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Carer's Allowance: Newport West"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has made an assessment of the potential benefits to carers in Newport West of increasing the Carer's Allowance to £93 a week.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4716", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ruth Jones"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newport West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Jones"}
], "uin" : "21829"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701150", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701150/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "We have provided £4.25 million to the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, to provide life-saving support to vulnerable women and girls in Gaza. This support is expected to reach about 111,500 women, around 1 in 5 of the adult women in Gaza. It will support up to 100 community midwives, the distribution of around 45,000 clean delivery kits and 20,000 menstrual hygiene management kits. These dignity kits include tampons, reusable pads and underwear. The Foreign Secretary met with the London representative of UNFPA on 28 March to discuss the needs of vulnerable women and girls in Gaza and I [the Deputy Foreign Secretary] met with UNFPA Executive Director, Natalia Kanem, on 16 April in Geneva.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1211", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Andrew Mitchell"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-25T15:40:05.283Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gaza: Sanitary Products"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure women and girls in Gaza have access to sanitary products.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4716", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ruth Jones"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Jones"}
], "uin" : "21830"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701151", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701151/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK remains concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Haiti that exacerbates pre-existing humanitarian and economic crises. I [Minister Rutley] have engaged significantly on this issue, discussing it with regional and international partners over many months. I most recently engaged with Caribbean partners during my attendance at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Guyana on 26 February, where I discussed concerns about - and options to respond to - the security situation in Haiti with interlocuters. The UK strongly supported the UN Resolution to authorise a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti. And on 9 April, in his press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK would be providing over £5m to the MSS.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4033", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Rutley"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-23T11:03:22.23Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Haiti: Politics and Government"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with his Caribbean Community counterparts on the security situation in Haiti.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Jones"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701152", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"}
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The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October will be an important opportunity to mobilise Commonwealth action on shared interests, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; enhancing access to climate finance and protecting the environment; and reaffirming our shared commitment to Commonwealth Charter values. We are working closely with Samoa, other Commonwealth partners and the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure CHOGM delivers strong outcomes that offer benefits to Commonwealth members and citizens. Ministerial attendance plans will be finalised closer to CHOGM.<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what progress his Department has made on its preparations for this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Jones"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701153", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"}
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The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October will be an important opportunity to mobilise Commonwealth action on shared interests, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; enhancing access to climate finance and protecting the environment; and reaffirming our shared commitment to Commonwealth Charter values. We are working closely with Samoa, other Commonwealth partners and the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure CHOGM delivers strong outcomes that offer benefits to Commonwealth members and citizens. Ministerial attendance plans will be finalised closer to CHOGM.<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many Ministers are scheduled to attend this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1701154", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"}
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The UK recognises the important role the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has in relation to regional issues. I [Minister Mitchell] regularly discuss a range of issues, including peace and security and UK-SADC collaboration, with regional partners. In the past 12 months I have travelled to Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, DRC with plans to visit a further two SADC countries in the next 3 months and have also met with the region at World Bank Spring Meetings, AfDB annual meetings and the UN General Assembly.<\/p>
The information requested on the previous 10 years is not held centrally by the Department and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.<\/p>"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Southern Africa: Visits Abroad"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many Ministerial visits have taken place to Southern African Development Community nations in each of the last ten years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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